Leven Links, Scotland

http://www.leven-links.com

White tees par 71 SSS 72
Red tees    par 73 SSS 74

The view towards Lundin Links from the 3rd green

Leven Links is stuffed with history.  It is believed that golf has been played over this ground since the early 19th century and a 9 hole course was in place from the middle of that century.  In 1868 it was extended to 18 holes when 'young' Tom Morris won the inaugural 36 hole competition.  The course was extended north of the railway line to St Andrews in 1909 although the railway disappeared in the railway closures of 1966.  Its course can still be seen on the links today.  The Standard Life Amateur Champion Gold medal, the oldest amateur championship in the world, is played here.  An honours board in the Leven Golfing Society clubhouse records the winners since the first tournament in 1870 and contains illustrious names such as Harry Colt, Lee Westwood and Andrew Coltart.

The par 3 5th

We played Leven on a windy and rainy day but the weather did little to dent our enjoyment of the course.  The first four holes run alongside the beach and Largo Bay with lovely views over the Forth estuary to the East Lothian golfing coast.  The 6th is a long par 5 with out of bounds tight on the right making trouble for an errant second shot.  There is a lot of gorse and many bunkers with one hole (7th) boasting ten.  Most of the second nine is played into the prevailing westerly wind although a few holes are with the wind, most notably the fairly short  par 5 12th where a burn lies in wait for the over exuberant approach shot.  This point of the course abuts the Lundin Links course over a wall. 

The long par three 15th is a tough hole and has a tricky green.  One professional took five putts here in the 2005 Open qualifying round.  However the most memorable hole is the eighteenth, a par 4 (457 yards) for men and 5(445 yards) for ladies, mainly because of the green which is surrounded on two sides by the Scoonie Burn which awaits the shot hit without commitment and must have destroyed many a good card.

The 18th green is guarded by the Scoonie burn

Worth a visit?  Yes - a classic old fashioned links course