The Fidra Course is one of two sublime 18-hole layouts at Archerfield, a private members club on the eastern coastline of Scotland. 

 

It is one of several incredible golfing venues located in East Lothian, alongside DP World Tour and Open Championship venues.  

 

The club has a long history, dating back more than 150 years. However, the Fidra only opened in 2004, with DP World Tour winner David Russell being the man behind the course design. 

 

  

Visit the Archerfield (Fidra) website here.  

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Archerfield was founded in 1869, as a private member's golf club. The layout was extended to 18 holes around two decades later by Ben Sayers. 

 

However, the estate was used by the Ministry of Defence during the Second World War, and the land would not see golf again for six decades. 

 

DP World Tour winner David Russell was brought in to design the new layouts, and he came up with both the Fidra and the Dirleton. 

 

The Fidra Course at Archerfield was only completed and opened in 2004, meaning that the most recent iteration of the layout has only been around for a couple of decades.  

The Fidra Course, surprisingly, is not linksy – at least half of it isn’t, anyway. It starts with holes whose fairways are lined by avenues of pine trees. The Open Championship might be played a couple of hundred yards away at one of its very finest venues but the start to the Fidra feels more akin to the US Open – more like Pinehurst than Muirfield. The undulations and borrows make the greens ones to be wary of though. 

 

The course, which is name after the tiny island and lighthouse just off the coastline of mainland Scotland, is a Par 72 that reaches 6,950 yards from the tips. The blues (6,585) and whites (6,200) offer a slightly less difficult challenge for those that don’t fancy the brutality of a course that plays almost 7,000 yards.  

 

The course plays on the northern side of the property, with a few holes along the coast. Two of the first three holes are straightforward par 4s, but there are plenty of sand traps to catch any errant shots. The 2nd is the opening par 5, pushing 530 from the tips. It is a slight dog-leg right and plays among the trees, but for the longer hitters, there is a chance of making it in two. 

 

The 4th is the first of the four par 3s, which are spread across the round. 5 is one of the longest par 4s on the property, and requires two good hits to get home just to have a chance at making par. The 7th is a par 5. It is only 500 yards long, but it is a tight fairway, surrounded by trees. It is followed by the par 3 8th. At just 166 yards, it is not the longest, but there is still plenty of danger lurking. The front nine comes to a close with another tough par 4, one that features four greenside bunkers. 

 

After you’ve returned to the clubhouse, you then make your way onto the second loop of nine on the Fidra Course. The 10th is a tricky par 4, but it is followed by the 11th which can throw up an eagle chance. At less than 500 yards, the big hitters will certainly have a chance of making it home in two. Both the 12th and 14th have some wacky bunkering, with sand traps of more than 100 yards in length down both sides of the former, and then the right side of the latter. The 14th is also the hardest hole on the course in terms of stroke index. In between is the 13th, the shortest of the four par 3s on the Fidra. Four bunkers sit short and left, with a road running around the back of the green. Club selection is crucial. 

 

15 continues the tough stretch as the course develops into classic seaside mode, although there is a twist to the sand traps with wispy grasses normally associated with Arizona dotted around the large, flatter ‘bunkers’. 16 plays back through lengthy sand traps which line each side of the fairway. Two very fine holes close the Fidra. The par 3 17th stretches to 206 yards and is usually buffeted by the wind. The final hole is an awesome par 5 which requires two magnificent hits to threaten the green.  

Where is Archerfield (Fidra) located?  
Archerfield is situated just 20 miles from Edinburgh on the eastern coastline of Scotland. It sits on the coast of the North Sea, and on a clear day, golfers will be able to see north across the water to the Golf House Club, Elie. The Renaissance Club sits next door to Archerfield, with the likes of Muirfield, North Berwick, Luffness, Craigielaw and the three courses of Gullane all within just a few miles of glorious coastline. 

 

With Edinburgh being the nearest city, Edinburgh Airport provides the perfect spot for international visitors to the region. It is the biggest and busiest airport in Scotland, with more than 15 million passengers travelling through annually, and sits 30 miles to the west. North Berwick is the nearest train station, just five miles to the east, with trains running to and from Edinburgh every hour. 

What golf facilities does Archerfield (Fidra) offer?  

Archerfield has a dual-ended driving range as part of its sublime practice facilities. At one end of the range, there are also covered bays with TopTracer technology as well. There are two short game areas by the clubhouse with chipping greens and bunkers, along with a trio of putting greens on the property.  

What are the green fees at Archerfield (Fidra)?  
It is not easy to get a tee time at Archerfield with it being a private members club. The club has a ‘Tee Time Experience’, and you can find out more about that here. 

 

  

Visit the Archerfield (Fidra) website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.