Fife in December 2025: The continuing journey toward “one hundred Scottish golf courses before 70”.
Starting out from Gullane, the day feels fantastic: low sun casts long shadows across the courses, and the parking lots at Gullane and Luffness are already full. Crail lies only 17 miles away as the crow flies, yet the drive takes nearly two hours. Fortunately, traffic is light. Crossing the Forth Road Bridge, the scene is tonal rather than colourful—the old road bridge under repair, the rail bridge a deeper red, the water slate-grey, and The Kingdom of Fife sitting low on the far shore. Beyond the bridge, the road threads through farmland and small towns before edging toward the East Neuk and the first stop of the day.
Leven Links
We stopped briefly in the compact pro shop and met a wonderfully friendly German lady who told us about the Club and the area.
Golf since: 1846
Architects: Natural links refined over time by Old Tom Morris, James Braid, Harry Colt
Website: https://www.leven-links.com
Leven is one of the oldest continuously played links in Scotland. In December, with fewer golfers, the course feels open and unembellished. The outward holes run toward Largo Bay over modest dunes. The course’s defences are the firmness of the turf, natural ridges and hollows, and whatever the wind chooses to do on the day. The architecture is about clear lines and honest consequences—miss slightly and you face an awkward stance or a tight lie rather than a shaped hazard.
The Braid Burn, influencing several holes, becomes the defining feature on the closing stretch, especially at the 18th, where it crosses diagonally and forces a decision from the tee. It is a classic finisher: a straightforward, unadorned risk‑reward question.
Next Up: Lundin Links
Just five minutes east of Leven.
Founded: 1868; current routing 1909
Architect: James Braid
Website: https://www.lundingolfclub.co.uk
Lundin occupies historically important linksland once shared with Leven, where both clubs played in alternating directions until 1909. Today, it remains a course of contrast and coherence.
• Front Nine (True Links): Narrow, rumpled fairways; traditional pot bunkers; strategic reliance on angles and ground contours.
• Wind Exposure: Largo Bay strongly shapes strategy.
• Inward Nine: Braid’s inland holes introduce elevation changes, framed views, and subtly contoured greens that reward accuracy.
In winter, the ground’s texture shows clearly—firm, narrow fairways with ripples and small hollows, steep-faced bunkers, and close-cropped approaches leading to modest greens. Inland, the holes feel more framed, with movement in the greens offering challenge without excess.
Onwards to Crail and Crail Pottery
Website: https://www.crailpottery.com
Crail has held Royal Burgh status since 1310, and its harbour and wynds still follow a medieval pattern. In December, the village sits quiet, its harbour calm, pots stacked, boats moving gently with the swell. Stone houses line narrow lanes that fall toward the water, their colours muted by the winter light. It is a lovely place, with good options for staying and eating—the Golf Hotel being a particularly pleasant stop. The harbour and the remains of the castle are also worth the short stroll.
Crail Pottery, tucked into an older lane, feels almost domestic in scale. Inside, the kilns radiate warmth, and shelves are lined with stoneware and earthenware—bowls, mugs, and distinctive fish‑shaped platters glazed in coastal greens, blues, and sands. It is an unhurried, craft‑centred place.
To the golf.
Crail Golfing Society — Balcomie Links
Founded: 1786
Architect: Old Tom Morris (1895)
Website: https://www.crailgolfingsociety.co.uk
A short drive from the village, Balcomie sits close to the sea’s edge. In winter the course feels even more exposed: pale fairways against darker rough, the North Sea always in view. Old Tom Morris’s routing is still clear—minimal shaping, natural contours, greens set on modest shelves, and several holes simply following the shoreline.
The par‑4 5th, curving around a small bay, and the short par‑3 14th, playing toward the sea, show how much variety can be drawn from compact coastal ground. Even on a relatively mild December day, wind remains the main defence.
Crail Golfing Society — Craighead Links
Designed by Gil Hanse (1998)
Craighead is the modern counterpoint to Balcomie. The delightful Yvonne, who runs the pro shop and perhaps the entire operation, told us Hanse loved the area so much that one of his children was born here.
The clubhouse is excellent, and the club offers a fine opportunity to play 36 holes at the easternmost point of the Kingdom. Views stretch across to North Berwick and the Isle of May. Kingsbarns lies only 2.5 miles away.
Homeward Bound
We returned via Pittenweem—meaning “Place of the Caves”—a working harbour since medieval times. In winter the village reveals its practical character: creels stacked, nets arranged, boats resting quietly in the tide.
A few minutes along the road, Anstruther retains some life about the harbour even in December. The Wee Chippy (https://theweechippyanstruther.co.uk) is outstanding.
From Anstruther, the road bends inland toward Ardross Farm near Elie, a working estate with an excellent farm shop (https://www.ardrossfarm.co.uk).
Our final stop: The Ship Inn at Elie. ( https://shipinn.scot/). I think it is one of the very best restaurants I have visited. The Peterhead cod was exceptional. Located at the harbour, the Inn is perfectly placed, and Elie itself is a charming town with a fine golf course. Check out the submarine periscope at the starters office.
Back over the Bridge, the ride into Edinburgh was easy—clear skies, no wind, and a balmy 48°F. We were fortunate with the weather. Golf in the Kingdom remains something special. The Neuk offers four excellent courses, lovely villages, and outstanding places to stay and eat. Another memorable step toward “one hundred courses before 70”.