Your Links Summer 2023

Here it is… the first edition of Your Links, the new quarterly magazine for The North Berwick Golf Club, packed full of up-to-date news and views, profiles and, of course, important updates about the Club.

Welcome!

The American novelist John Updike once wrote: “The golf swing is like a suitcase in which we are trying to pack one too many things.” He may be right and, certainly, when it came to creating Your Links, we made sure to pack in as much as we possibly could. That’s why, alongside articles showcasing the best of our team’s talents, you can also meet our partner brands and discover the amazing Members’ Benefits introduced this summer.

In this inaugural edition, we also hear from our Head Chef Jarek and Food and Beverage Manager Andrew, who exclusively reveal how you can recreate one of our club’s most popular dishes at home, while also learning all about the perfect wine for summer dining.

Kyle, our dedicated Course Manager, offers a deeper insight into what the summer months mean for our beloved West Links – and reveals the secret tools of the trade that ensure the course is always presented to you in only the finest condition.

We also feature Martyn, our highly skilled Head Professional, who talks us through one of the key shots everyone – yes, including myself! – really should have in their bag this summer.

Graeme and Gary are the stars in the spotlight in our Team Profile section, while we also celebrate the incredible success stories achieved by many Members in the past three months, including our worthy champions and the West Links Juniors.

With a full calender of competitions and a packed diary of fun social events we can all look forward to this summer, and you can rest assured the entire North Berwick team are all working extremely hard to deliver the very best experience across all areas of the Club for you, your family and your friends! We hope Your Links adds to your enjoyment.

Best wishes and happy reading!

Stuart Bayne, General Manager

The Team and I are working extremely hard to deliver you, your family and friend the very best Members’ Experience across all areas of your Club. As a Team we are always available and accessible, and look forward to providing you with a first class, intimate and personal service that is befitting of one the best Clubs in world.

As we all know only too well, the game of golf can be full of highs and lows, just as it can be full of longs and shorts. So far this season, we’ve seen this aplenty but there have been many moments of magic… and plenty of reasons to celebrate, with Club Members proving their prowess.

Your Tournament Review

Let’s meet Stuart Martin

One of Stuart's key focuses is delivering enhanced events and competitions. Here he looks back at the highlights of the season so far and congratulates all our winners… while highlighting all of the upcoming key events you can still enjoy!

Bringing experience from leading teams at renowned clubs, such as Loch Lomond and Monte Rei, our newly promoted Assistant General Manager, Stuart Martin, now leads our Golf Operations Team.

Ladies Club Champion – Louise Martin

Ladies Plate Champion – Fiona Whittock

Ladies B Champion – Patricia Phillips

Men’s Club Champion – Chris Wood

Men’s Plate Champion – Michael Livingston

Men’s B Champion – Ivor McArdle

Men’s Seniors Champion – Graham Clark

The season got underway at the beginning of March with the first big event of the year, the Burns Shield. This All Clubs Mixed Stableford attracted a field of more than 120 players and was won by our very own Fiona Macintyre with 41 points.

Our next big competition was the Captains’ Cup for gentlemen of all three clubs, won by Michael Hagan of Tantallon. Will it return to North Berwick next year?

In early April the Ladies Coronation Foursomes took place, won by Alison Di Rollo & Joan Lunn. Well done to them!

In the All Clubs Strokeplay on April 9, Duncan Searle, of Tantallon, shot a spectacular gross 63 around the West Links, equalling the course record that had been set by Trevor Immelmann. That really is quite an achievement!

The West Links Trophy, an all-clubs mixed stableford was won by another Tantallon Member, Graeme Marshall, with an impressive 40 points, especially considering the taxing poor weather conditions.

Our Mens Spring Meeting, regarded as the first ‘major’ of the season, was held on April 22 in equally tricky conditions. This year’s scratch winner was Chris Wilson with a gross 76, which won him the Moncrieff Medal. Our handicap winner and winner of The Cree Medal was Gordon Surfleet with a fantastic nett 65, playing off a 17 handicap, which included a gross level par front nine. Great scoring!

Our North Berwick Senior Men, meanwhile, were very much to the fore in the Uganda Drum contest held in mid-May. Better weather brought even better scoring as this event was won with a healthy 46 points by Tim Johnston.

The Ladies Spring meeting was held in May and the scratch prize, The Couper Cup, was won by Louise Martin, one of our West Links Juniors, with an excellent 84. Abby Glennie won the handicap prize, The Hunnewell Challenge Cup, with a nett 79, while Alison Di Rollo won both the Spring Meeting Quaich and Blair Jubilee Trophy, and Valerie Crombie the Blake Spoon.

The June Medal for the prestigious Centenary Medal for ladies was also played early in the month. Elaine McInroy was the winner with a nett 65. The Silver Spoon scratch prize was won by Dawn Young with a gross 81. Congratulations to both!

Interspersed between these events we also had various All Clubs, Ladies and Mens competitions, including our championship qualifiers. These culminated in our finals weekend on June 10 and 11 – many congratulations to everyone who made it to finals weekend. It was great to see the weekend so well supported by many Members and their guests lining the fairways, helping to provide a wonderful atmosphere during the matches and afterwards at the Championship BBQ.

Teams from both our Ladies and Mens sections have been competing in various leagues from the start of the year.

Our ladies have had players in the Dewar Trophy and the Carol’s Trophy. Both teams have competed well but, alas, the results haven’t always gone their way. There are still matches to come, however, so hopefully a good run in both competitions will see them lift up the leagues.

Our Men’s Winter League team found the going tough after promotion to the top league last year and will be playing in Division Two again this coming winter. There were some good results but, ultimately, they were not enough for safety.

We are now into the height of the competition season. The ‘warmer’ temperatures have seen the course really begin to flourish and, as we head into the second half of the year, we look forward to even better conditions, some excellent golf… and, of course, plenty of socialising in the clubhouse!

Your next Events & Competitions

Dates for your diary

Sunday, August 6 Fraser Stuart Trophy

Wednesday, August 16

Ladies Autumn Meeting

Saturday, August 19

Members Invitation Day

September 1-3

The North Berwick Cup

Saturday, September 30

Men’s Autumn Meeting

Good luck to all competitors through the next quarter!

Your Captains Jenni Ray and Graeme Stewart, and the entire team at the Club, look forward to welcoming you at your next event…

Please visit the Members’ area of the website for more details and event entries

So what are the extra-special highlights to look forward to over the next three months at North Berwick?

Well, the weekend of July 22 and 23 tees off with the Mens Summer Meeting on the Saturday, followed by the new format Ladies Seniors Championship. Now a single day event, this will be a single round shoot-out for the Anne Chainey Trophy.

Early August brings us the Fraser Stuart Trophy which, again, is a very popular event for ladies and gentlemen. This is a shotgun start Texas Scramble that culminates with a delicious lunch served after the competition.

Another of our ‘majors’, the Ladies Autumn Meeting, takes place on August 16 and we’re looking forward to another excellent turnout for this competition.

Three days later we have the second big shotgun start of the month, the Members Invitation Day. A morning and afternoon shotgun start allows a huge entry –in fact, this popular event is often oversubscribed.

There is food available at the end of both starts and on-course refreshments will also be available. The entry is open now so it’s worthwhile getting your names in quickly.

September starts with one of our biggest events of the year. The North Berwick Cup runs from September 1-3 and welcomes couples from all over the UK, who come to North Berwick to pit their skills against our Membership.

This is an incredibly prestigious competition and was fully subscribed within a minute of the visitor sign up going live!

Our final classic of the next quarter is, of course, the Men’s Autumn Meeting on September 30. Another big field will battle it out for the New Club Gold Medal and the Sir Huw Dalrymple Cup.

From our kitchen to yours

North Berwick Golf Club’s Head Chef Jarek Lisiecki has spent more than 20 years treating discerning diners to the finest cuisine, leading kitchen brigades and creating signature dishes at some of the nation’s best restaurants, such as Archerfield House. Constantly innovating, he delivers truly exquisite menus and engaging events so we can guarantee a truly worldclass culinary experience for Members and guests.

One of the most popular dishes on our summer menu is the classic Caesar Salad. Jarek explains the history behind this popular dish and reveals everything you need to know to recreate a super salad at home.

I’m sure you’ve seen Caesar Cardini, the Caesar salad dressing, on the shelves of your local supermarket? Well, in my mind it is simply the best dressing on offer.

But what about the man behind the bottle, Caesar Cardini? An Italian immigrant, he set up restaurants in the USA and in Mexico.

And it was on July 4, 1924, that he invented the Caesar Salad in his Tijuana restaurant. Cardini’s kitchen was running out of food, so he was forced to came up with this delicious salad on the spot, using only what he could find at hand.

A showman at heart, he created what would become his signature salad table-side for extra theatre and flair!

We have this salad only on our summer menu because we like to source locally-grown cos lettuce.

Obviously, you can get ingredients at any time of the year, but for me and for North Berwick Golf Club it’s very

important to be seasonal and to source as locally as much as we can – and, I think everyone agrees, this dish tastes so much better that way!

We make as much as possible from scratch right here in our kitchen. Of course, this means one of the many dressings we make totally in-house is our Caesar dressing.

Thankfully, this is quite simple to make at home. All you need is a good quality free range egg mayonnaise. This is not difficult to make yourself but you can opt to purchase a good examlpe from your local delicatessen or supermarket.

To the mayonnaise add finely grated parmesan, a touch of crushed garlic and a chopped anchovy fillet. At the Club we like to add a touch of white pepper, a hint of sugar and a squeeze of lemon for freshness. The lemon adds balance to the saltiness of the parmesan and anchovies and helps to thin the dressing.

In a large bowl, add the cos lettuce, a pinch of salt and the black pepper, then toss the leaves to coat them in the seasoning. Add the dressing and toss the leaves again until they are all coated. Add croutons and finely grated parmesan and toss until all are combined. Plate up, eat as it is or add your favourite topping of grilled chicken, prawns or bacon.

It really is that simple… enjoy!

A date for your diary

Date: Friday, August 18th

Nose to Tail –

Classic Hog Roast

Please keep a watch on the weekly emails for more details on how to get involved.

A date for your diary

Friday, September 8th Wine Dinner

Please keep a watch on the weekly emails for more details on how to get involved.

Your wine for a fine summer

With a frankly embarrassing wealth of knowledge and first-hand experience in hospitality, leading renowned Michelin Star experiences such as The Square in London, our Food and Beverage Manager Andrew Carson is always masterminding new ways to elevate our Club House experience and offerings.

Along with his expertise and experience in food and drink, Andrew brings a deep knowledge of fine wines. Having just curated and launched our new wine list, he talks us through some of his early memories and his enduring love of Soave.

I often look back to the Seventies with a smile. I recall as a child eating my first prawn cocktail at the Open Arms in Dirleton. I also remember in the summer months my mum preparing egg mayonnaise. We would eat it at the beach huts that used to sit across from the Starters Hut. The eggs were spiced up with a dusting of paprika and chopped spring onions. Delicious!

I can also remember seeing Chianti bottles wrapped in wicker and thinking how they looked so sophisticated. They sat on the tables of Al Vagabonda, used as candle holders with small trickles of red wax dripping down their sides.

Somehow Soave also sticks in my mind, though I’m not sure why. I know it was enjoyed by some with a splash of lemonade and ice. I do love Soave, my favourite being Peiropan Soave Classico. It’s a lovely treat and, since being back in North Berwick, I’m delighted to learn it is available at Lockett Bros.

The rules from the village of Soave, in the province of Verona, are simple: 70% of the wine must be the Garganega grape. The other grapes involved can be Trebbiano Toscano or other local white grape varieties, such as Friulano, Cortese, Riesling Italico, Vespaiolo and Serprina.

The Soave we have listed at North Berwick Golf Club is a wonderful blend of the indigenous Garganega (80%) and Trebbiano (20%).

This lovely white is light, fresh and clean on the palate, showing delicate, dry flavours of wildflowers and a crisp finish.

It really is the perfect summer wine and is now available in the club by the glass or bottle. Do pop in and enjoy.

Salute!

I love Scotland… I played a course down the road, North Berwick, which was amazing.

Max Homa

Your West Links Summer Months

How do you get the very best from your course? It’s simple: you get the very best for your course. And they don’t come any better than our Course Manager Kyle Cruickshank. His resumé reads like a bucket list of the golfing greats, with experience working at the likes of Muirfield, Gleneagles, Royal Melbourne and Paris National. The West Links is grateful to be in his skilled and knowledgeable hands. Here Kyle talks us through what to expect on the course over the summer months, proudly introduces some of his talented team and explains the techniques that help ensure we present you with one of the finest courses in the world.

Click to watch how we lovingly care for our beloved West Links

We are fully into the swing of the season now and, despite a tough start to the growing season, we are now in prime golfing and grass growing conditions. Although we all assume the Easter weekend is the start of the Spring, along with the ‘Augusta Syndrome’ the Masters brings every year, grass growth has been slow to kick in this year. There have been plenty of days where the team have been out in shorts showing off their pale legs, before quickly coming back to the sheds to layer up against the cold winds and low temperatures. With our experience of the past and never fully knowing what the weather will do in the future, we take each day as it comes…

In this Summer edition of Your Links we wanted to highlight the type of maintenance and management work that would normally take place during the summer months.

The summer is our main cutting season, so most of our duties naturally revolve around keeping on top of growth, maintaining a consistent and true playing surface and keeping an eye on the ground’s moisture levels.

Depending on whether we have a dry or a wet summer, the cutting regime or general conditioning can be quite different. A dry summer will provide the great firm and fast conditions that we would all expect from a links course.

A warm and wet summer, however, with the high amounts of coarser grasses we have around the site we could easily turn into a grass-growing factory and really struggle to keep on top of growth.

Our maintenance will also depend on the varying weather conditions through the days, weeks and months. We plan to aerate greens on a monthly basis to increase the oxygen levels in the soil, improve percolation of irrigation or rainwater and to help breakdown our organic matter.

If we have lush growth we may have to go out and double cut/verti-cut/brush greens to keep on top of excessive growth. A dry summer will mean we have to go out with the hand-hose to apply water to hotspots and dry areas of greens or any areas showing signs of stress. We try to be as unintrusive as possible, which is a lot easier said than done, but as part of our plans to improve the putting surfaces, it’s short-term pain for long-term gain.

We will also look to utilise some of our new equipment in areas showing signs of stress or wear and tear.

The Vredo Disc Overseeder, for example, will be utilised selectively on fairways through the summer in order to encourage a finer sward and help germinate seed in areas that are looking bare.

The Widenmann Gxi8 Aerator, meanwhile, will also target selective spots to break up any compaction and increase oxygen within the soil, as well as help in the monthly aeration on the greens along with the pro-core.

We also have our Turf Nursery redevelopment, which will utilise the JCB Mini-Digger. In the months ahead, this should also prove to be a great training ground for the team to learn how to use the machinery. The EngCon system here really is a game changer, too, and will be a great asset to undertaking the shaping works around the West Links.

Meet your Team

We are immensely proud of each and every one of our Team, whose unstinting dedication and love for the course and facilities are one of the main reasons why the West Links is so revered around the world. Here we meet a new addition and the longest serving member of our Team.

Name Graeme Nisbet

Position Greenkeeper

Time at North Berwick

Since February 2023

Previous Job History

The Burgess, Loch Lomond, Austin Country Club, National Golf Links of America, Greywolf and Revelstoke.

Favourite Part of the Job

The variety of roles and having a different task everyday. Being a keen golfer, it’s great to be outside (when the weather is good) and be working on a beautiful site. Despite the early starts, it’s great to be able to finish early, too, and have many of my afternoons free to play golf.

Favourite Hole

It has to be the 12th. It’s not the longest hole but it offers lots of trouble off the tee, as well as a great view looking out towards Craigleith and the sea.

Hobbies and Interests

My biggest passion is golf and I am a Member at Bruntsfield Links where I was the 2015 Scratch Club Champion. I also enjoy travelling and have spent time in Central and South America and Canada where I lived for four years. I really enjoy hiking and also watching a lot of sports.

Name Gary Hawthorn

Position Greenkeeper

Time at North Berwick

Since April 2010

Previous Job History

I spent 22 years working at The Glen Golf Club as a greenkeeper. I then joined IQ Textiles in Prestonpans for one and a half years before starting at the West Links.

Favourite Part of the Job

I really enjoy being outside and seeing the fruits of our labour out on the course with the course being presented really well.

Favourite Hole

I really enjoy standing on the 10th tee of the course with the elevated view of the hole and the bunkering around the green, but I also enjoy the view of the sea and islands from there: that’s pretty special too.

Hobbies and Interests

My main interests are walking and cycling. My partner and I go to Gairloch every year on holiday where we do a lot of exploring around the local area. We also go to quite a few concerts throughout the year. I’m a passionate Scotland football fan and go through to Hampden to watch most of the games.

Tools of the trade

We get asked a lot of questions about the magic machinery we use out on the course. These different tools allow our team to collect vital data that helps us make more informed decisions to ensure the best health at North Berwick… and means we can also monitor and benchmark our working practices year to year.

Moisture (POGO)

Moisture is one of the most important measurements we take. Moisture management is key to so many aspects of golf course maintenance. We aim to have an average Volumetric Water Content (VWC) of 12-15% on the greens. Lower than this can be stressful to the plant, especially during periods of warm weather. VWC of 15-20% is still a good range to be in, but higher than 20% and the firmness of the greens will decrease, disease activity will increase and the less desirable grasses will be quite happy to be receiving plenty of moisture. Monitoring moisture will also help to aid irrigation planning and determine whether we need to apply irrigation or follow up with a level of supplemental irrigation via hand watering.

Height of Cut (Prism Gauge)

This is used to identify the “actual” height of cut versus what is the “bench” height of cut. It is an incredibly useful way for Richard, our mechanic, to make sure the mowers are set to the correct height of cut and are cutting correctly.

Macroscope

The macroscope allows us to look close up at the problems such as diseases or disorders with turf in order to help us identify the problem. The magnification is quite incredible – it makes tiny grains of sand look like pebbles sitting in the canopy. We also use this to check the cutting quality of our mowers and to make sure we are getting a nice clean cut and not inadvertently ripping the turf with blunt units.

Clipping Volume

This was something that was started in 2022 and was found to be highly useful was measuring the clipping volume taken off by the mowers on greens by putting it in a bucket and recording how many clippings there are in litres. After a few months of measuring the clip we were able to make better informed decisions based on how much we were taking off. Above a certain number it indicated that PGR (Plant Growth Regulators) might have to

be applied or alternatively, if the number proved to be too low, it was perhaps time to apply a foliar fertiliser. Even if the clip was found to be high, but the green speeds were of a good pace, it might mean a need to groom or verticut greens to remove some lateral growth.

Soil Temperature (Thermometer)

Measuring the soil temperature helps us to learn if conditions are good for seed germination or fertiliser uptake. Seed will germinated at average temperatures over 10c and the turfs ability to grow (growth potential) is at average temperatures over 6c.

Surface Firmness (Clegg Hammer)

There is a direct correlation between surface firmness and moisture. If the moisture is too high, it is guaranteed that the firmness readings will be low, resulting in soft greens. Typically on a links course, we are looking to produce firm greens (>90 gravities), which is also another reason why managing moisture levels are so important. Using a Clegg Hammer that measures the deceleration of a weight from a measured height, measurements are taken across 12 points across the green to which the average firmness is then found.

Green Speed (Stimp Meter)

This is probably the most controversial and misunderstood tool and measurement we take. The Stimp Meter is used to calculate the speed of the greens by placing a ball on a notch on the Stimp Meter and raising it slowly until the ball comes off the notch and travels across the green. This is done three times in two directions to find the average reading. While many people assume that we use the stimp to try to make the greens faster, we actually use it to find a consistent ball speed and to have a clearly defined dataset that shows us how the different weather patterns, mowing or rolling practices and day-to-day growth can all directly or indirectly affect the green speed.

Buckets used for Clipping Volume. Grass clippings are recorded in litres.

POGO being used on the 15th Green

Example of the GPS mapping data on the POGO App.

So awesome, my most favourite, greatest golf experience in Scotland!

Matt Bova, PGA professional, Charleston Golf

Rickie Fowler, PGA Tour Professional

Your Professional golf tips

With summer conditions appearing on the course, there is a requirement for all players to reintroduce the run-up shot. With his incredible knowledge of the West Links, we could think of no one better than our own PGA Head Professional Martyn Huish to provide valuable insight into how you can add this shot into your game.

Tight lie on the approach? Select less loft to maximise consistency.

Club selection –play less loft

Use a club in the range of an 8 to 6 iron. Avoid the risk of a lob wedge when the ground is firm. The following tips will help restrict the length of the backswing and maximise control:

Stand with feet closer together

• Stand with body closer to the ball, slightly taller than normal

• Try to emulate a putting stroke: smooth and controlled with limited wrist action

The aim for this type of shot is to have the ball spend roughly 10% of its journey in the air and the remaining 90% on the ground.

Martyn and his Professionals Shop Team are always on hand to help offer you expert advice on all elements of your game.

This includes tuition, custom fitting and, of course, how to look your best on the course with a fine range of golf apparel and footwear.

West Links Juniors

You’re never too young to begin enjoying golf so it was encouraging to see the increase in numbers participating in our junior competitions through the first half of the year. We really hope this trend continues and look forward to cheering the next generation of champions.

The first junior event held over the West Links was in February. The East Lothian Council Junior Open was very well supported and the winner was our own Harvey Blair, who scored a fantastic 46 to win by two points!

Andrew Irvine was the scratch winner of the first West Links Juniors Medal in April with an excellent 77 and Jamie Crawford won the handicap event with nett 67.

The May Medal’s scratch winner was Louise Martin, who shot 80 in tough conditions. Jamie Crawford, once again, won the handicap with a nett 66.

The Junior highlight of the first half of the year happened very recently when Louise Martin, who at the age of 14 won the main North Berwick Ladies Club Championship.

She beat Marie Young to lift the Weston Shield, the ultimate trophy in our Ladies section. To add to the fantastic season, Louise has also been selected to represent East Lothian Ladies.

As we move into the next quarter there are several competitions available to our juniors in addition to their monthly medals.

The Vanreenan Trophy takes place on Sunday, July 16. This is a stableford foursomes competition specifically for one adult and one junior.

It would be great to see all of the spaces filled this year and we would encourage both adult and junior Members to seek out a partner for this fun event. Tuesday, July 25, sees another jewel in the crown for junior Members, when The Cranston Cup (scratch) and Thorburn Cup (handicap) will be played for.

The North Berwick Junior Open, meanwhile, will be held on Tuesday, August 1, and is always a very popular competition.

Entries are already coming in from north and south of the Border so, if any juniors wish to play, they should get their names in soon!

Dates for your diary

For all our junior Members under the age of 14 on July 31 we also have three of our five ‘major’ competitions over the Wee Course taking place in late July and August.

Saturday, July 29 The Balfour Melville

Saturday, August 5 The Cree Medal

Saturday, August 12 The Malcolm Cup

Please visit the Members’ area of the website or Wee Course Hub for more details

Play

9 and practice in the morning... Have a nice stroll around North Berwick in the evening. As good as it gets!

Justin Thomas, PGA Tour Professional, former World Number One and two time major champion

One of the greatest places on earth. I can’t wait to come back one day.

Nat Thorp

Our Get Into Golf (GIG) scheme has been running for more than four years now at North Berwick Golf Club.

It offers the perfect opportunity to welcome players who have not tried the sport before and also those who, for whatever reason, started to play in the past and now wish to make their return.

Get into Golf

Members of the GIG scheme can enjoy the wonderful opportunity to use the New Club House, Wee Course and practice facility, while also receiving, within their North Berwick Golf Club package, coaching from Katy McNicoll, one of our resident Professionals.

From the Wee Course Hub we run several ‘just for fun’ competitions, as well as a full calendar of ‘turn ups’ all through the year.

These events are all about enjoyment and laughter, while building relationships with fellow players. There is even a glass of fizz and canapés at the end of a couple of our Get Into Golf seasonal gatherings.

Our ladies section is also integrating some of the more experienced players within GIG into some of their especially light-hearted competitions on the main course, which is great to see.

We have around 50 members currently in the popular programme, with new places are offered annually in January, and the scheme lasts for two years. Where for many clubs this marks the end of the journey, North Berwick Golf Club have initiated a Get Into Golf Graduate scheme to follow our original offering. This will allow those who wish to carry on playing at the Wee Course, using the clubhouse and the practice facilities indefinitely.

As a bridge between learning to play, or returning to the game and obtaining full Membership, we believe this is a fantastic chance to stay involved in the game and, of course, with the Club.

If you know of anyone who would like to take up the game or would like to return to it after a sabbatical, please tell them to contact either Iain Prime in the main office or Katy McNicoll in the Professionals shop.

The good news is we still have plenty of spaces available for 2024… however, as in the past, these will be sure to go quickly.

View from the Tour

We are fortunate to have hosted many great names in the game on the West Links over the years. From world celebrities to major champions, many leave us with happy stories to tell and a true fondness for North Berwick.

A player who discovered true love when he came to North Berwick is the well-known Sky Sports commentator and 2002 PGA Champion Rich Beem. He reveals exclusively to Your Links magazine why he will always cherish the time he spends on the West Links.

My dad Larry Beem was a Golf Professional for more than 50 years and was once the Head Professional at Berlin Golf and Country Club in the mid 1980s. I start with this because, as a teenager, I remember him telling me stories of his travels to Scotland one summer to play golf with some of his Members. Of all the courses I recall him describing, the one that stood out the most was North Berwick.

His stories revolved around the wind, rain, and hitting the ball in the wrong direction on one hole, as none of them had played the course before! I was mesmerised and knew someday I needed to play North Berwick.

I’ve been extremely fortunate in my lifetime to achieve so many things in this glorious game, and it has afforded me places to play around the world that never would’ve been an option otherwise.

The one course I couldn’t wait to play, however, was North Berwick. In true Scottish fashion, my first experience there was about the same as my dad’s, with rain and wind pelting me throughout the round! I figure dad was to blame for the weather… but what a course!

The thing I love most about it is you can play it every single day and find it completely different but enjoyable every time. For me, that is the hallmark of a great course; the fact you can play it 100 times and still not figure out the best way to tackle it!

I always cherish my time when invited to play. I’m certain that, as a Member or a guest, you will do the same.

Cheers, Rich Beem

The one course I couldn’t wait to play however, was North Berwick. In true Scottish fashion, my first experience there was about the same as my dad’s, with rain and wind pelting me throughout the round!

Your Member Benefits

We are always looking at ways to even further improve our offerings, service and the brands with whom we partner. A brand new development is our partnership with Noble Isle, with all of our washroom amenities now boasting the Scots Pine collection from their wonderful fragrances.

The Scots Pine collection from our partner Noble Isle boasts a ‘fresh and green’ fragrance. It certainly has an invigorating and sappy scent, with notes of Fir, Juniper Berries, Violet and Cedar wood, all reflecting Scotland’s ancient forests.

Scots Pine and heather from the Moray Forest are the main extracts in the company’s Scots Pine Luxury Bath, Body & Home collection.

Scots Pine has been traditionally employed in soaps, salves and bath salts, thanks to the amazing cleansing, antimicrobial properties of the resin and heather, our iconic Scottish heathland evergreen, is also known as a time-honoured skin-soother.

This collection is offered in the Noble Isle Hand Wash, Hand Lotion, Bath & Shower Gel and Shampoo.

We’re delighted to say Noble Isle are also a sustainable brand, right from the manufacturing process to their packaging – after all, luxury should never compromise ethics – and they have a complete cruelty-free, vegan friendly Bath, Body & Home collection.

Noble Isle’s extracts of Scots Pine and Heather are both sourced in the responsibly managed pine forest of Pluscarden in Moray.

As part of our ongoing Members Benefits initiative and drive to provide the very best Members Experience, we are pleased to offer a 20% reduction on products from the Noble Isles online store.

Britain in a Bottle… 20% off Luxury Bath, Body & Home Products.

Coming back next April. My favourite course in

Scotland, if not the world. Now I get a North Berwick beer to try when I go as well!

Jeff Wolfe