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The Golf House Club Elie
Golf
has been played on Earlsferry Links, possibly as early
as the 15th century. A royal charter in 1589 affirmed
the "ancient servitude right of golf for the villagers
over the Links".
The
first Club The Elie and Earlsferry Golf Club was formed
in 1832. However in order to provide permanent
facilities a clubhouse or what was known as a golf house
was built in 1875, and the opportunity was taken to use
this name to form a new club in the same year, The Golf
House Club. Elie and Earlsferry Ladies Golf Club which
shares the course and clubhouse was formed in 1884 and
the Earlsferry Thistle Golf Club which also has playing
rights claims 1875 as the year of its foundation.
James
Braid, five times winner of The Open was born and grew
up in the village of Earlsferry and was a member of the
Thistle aged 15. He considered the 13 th hole, nestling
beneath the towering cliffs of Kincraig Point to be “the
best hole in golf” and the 4 th as needing “twa guid
dunts wi' a wood” to reach the green into the prevailing
wind. Elie is unusual in having no par 5s and only two
par 3s. The Course however is a challenging Links one
which varies so much depending on the strength and
direction of the wind, which can turn 180 degrees in the
course of a round. It presents an ever varied challenge
not readily apparent from the scorecard.
The
course is unique in having a submarine periscope,
salvaged from HMS Excalibur, located at the Starters Hut
on the first tee to enable them to see over the hill to
ensure that players ahead are safely out of range. Both
the professional and amateur course record is 62, the
former set by Kel Nagle, playing in the British Seniors
an event hosted by Elie for several years and the
amateur set by Alan W. Mathers a Golf House Club member.
Many of the holes on the course have outstanding views
across the Firth of Forth and skirting the sea and sand
dunes with the 17 th and 18 th holes sharing with the
Old Course the unusual feature on being in the middle of
the village.
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