What Makes Newburgh-on-Ythan Golf Club Unique?

Newburgh-on-Ythan Golf Club, now branded Newburgh Links Golf Club, is unusual among Scottish links courses because its 18 holes are split into two distinct nines built roughly a century apart. The first nine, designed in 1994, plays with a more modern feel — tiered greens and undulating ground — while the second nine is the original layout and pure Scottish links. If you are deciding whether the course is worth a visit, that contrast between old and new is the main reason to go.

A course in two halves

The club was established in 1888, and the course sits on the Aberdeenshire coast less than 15 miles from Aberdeen. Its 18 holes are not a single continuous design:

• First nine (1994): A more modern layout with tiered greens set among undulating landscapes. This is the half that gives the course its varied, contemporary character.
• Second nine (original): The original nine holes, described in National Club Golfer's Top 100 Courses as "Old Fashioned links golf at its finest."

That split means you get two different styles of golf in one round, rather than a single uniform test.

Views and setting

The course looks out over the Ythan Estuary, the Forvie Sand Dunes, Newburgh Beach, and the North Sea. The coastal position is what ties the two nines together — the modern half and the original links half both sit within the same estuary-and-dunes landscape.

Quirky features worth knowing about

The layout includes some distinctive details rather than a standard links routing. The clearest example is a stone wall running through the fairway of the 4th Hole, "Drovers." Features like this are part of why the course is described as a "hidden gem" rather than a conventional championship links.

What others have said

• Tom Coyne, senior writer at The Golfers Journal and author of A Course Called Scotland, visited in 2015 while writing the book and said the course "made it directly onto my list of the top holes in Scotland."
• National Club Golfer's Top 100 Courses described the original nine as "Old Fashioned links golf at its finest."

Practical points for planning a visit

The club's website separates member booking and visitor booking, both handled through its BRS tee-time system, with results on "How Did I Do." A brochure is available for download. The site does not list prices or visitor restrictions, so check current tee-time availability and rates directly through the booking system before travelling.

If you want a round that combines a modern, tiered-green front nine with a genuine old-fashioned Scottish links back nine — plus estuary and dune views — this is the specific combination Newburgh offers.