Is Dumbarnie Links worthy of all the hype?
It’s probably the most talked about new course since Kingsbarns first thrust onto the scene in a blaze of publicity 20 years ago. Dumbarnie Links is the newest addition to an already crowded Fife corridor and the Clive Clark design has been getting rave reviews since it opened at the end of May.
While the coronavirus pandemic stalled international travel, and robbed Dumbarnie of the lucrative American and tour group market, tee sheets have still been full as UK golfers flocked to be among the first to play the new Leven layout.
We were also among those who went to see what all the fuss was about and, in our latest Played by NCG Vodcast, Dan Murphy and Steve Carroll recount their experiences of Dumbarnie Links and debate whether it should have a place on your must play list for 2021.
Played by NCG vodcast: Dumbarnie Links review
If that hasn’t whetted your appetite, you can also listen to Dan and Steve get into a deeper dive about Dumbarnie Links in the new Played by NCG podcast, where we talk in more depth about the layout and its place in the pantheon of Fife courses.
The NCG Podcast: Dumbarnie Links
Dumbarnie Links reopens on March 17, 2021, following a winter break, and you can book a tee time by visiting the course’s website.
Have your played Dumbarnie Links? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments, or tweet me.
- Related: The inside story of Scotland’s new £11 million links
- Related: How golf’s newest links sprang up in record time
- Related: The NCG Podcast: The new golf course that’s defying Covid-19
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; Caley 01T irons 4-PW; TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
