Designed by: Kyle Phillips

Length: 6853

Par: 72

Course History

A Community Steeped in History

The name "Kingsbarns" traces back to the 11th century, when King Malcolm of Scotland ordered his subjects’ taxes, collected in grain, to be stored in large wooden “barns” on land that is now the Cambo Estate, the current site of Kingsbarns Golf Links. These barns likely formed part of a fortified structure to protect against Viking raids that threatened the region. But long before Viking longships appeared along the Scottish coast, people had already settled in this picturesque area. The discovery of an ancient grave during the golf course’s construction revealed connections to Bronze Age civilization, dating back 2,800 years.

Kingsbarns’ Rich Golfing Legacy

Golf at Kingsbarns has a deep-rooted history that began in 1793, when the Kingsbarns Golfing Society was first recognized, allowing its members, clad in distinctive blue jackets, to compete alongside the Crail Golf Society. The Society flourished with regular matches, medal competitions, and lively dinners at the Golfers Hall until 1850, when farming needs took priority. The tenant farmer of Cambo Estate ploughed over the course, halting play for nearly 80 years.

In 1922, Lady Erskine of Cambo inspired the revival of the Society, re-establishing it as Kingsbarns Golf Club. Golf course designer Willie Auchterlonie laid out a nine-hole course that served both locals and visitors until World War II, when the course was mined for national defense and reverted to rough pasture.

After the war, the course remained closed, with the Club forming a partnership with Crail to play on Balcomie Links. This arrangement continued until the 21st century, when Kingsbarns Golf Links was re-established. Today, golfers tread the same storied ground, crossing the bridge built by French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, surrounded by the echoes of golf’s past and the enduring heritage of Kingsbarns.

Kingsbarns Today: A World-Class Golf Destination

Kingsbarns has re-emerged as one of the premier golf destinations in Scotland, hosting renowned tournaments like the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and earning accolades for its exceptional course design and visitor experience, including ranking among the top links courses worldwide.

In 1997, Mark Parsinen and Art Dunkley partnered with course architect Kyle Phillips, beginning construction of the current Kingsbarns course. It opened in July, of 2000 thus culminating the rebirth of golf at Kingsbarns and is the only Scottish course to be built on links land for over 70.

Course Review:

We had spent the night in the wonderful Dunvegan #5 for the last hurrah of our two-week trip around Scotland. It must have been around 4:00a.m. when I heard the pitter patter of rain on the windowsill of our room at The Dunvegan #5. I immediately thought, well, we have had nine rounds of dry golf in Scotland, we are due for a downpour.

No go. No rain gear needed. It stopped by around 6:00 when we woke up to pack and catch our taxi, and we were ready for yet another gorgeous summer Scottish day of golf at Kingsbarns.

Kingsbarns lies on a wonderful property along a little less than two miles of shoreline, about 10 minutes south of St. Andrews, We arrived about 25 minutes prior to our tee time, and were greeted by the starter, a smiling, bearded nice gentleman that gave us the lay of the land.

We would be the third group off that morning, and after a few practice putts, we gathered on the 1st tee. A threesome of Chinese tourists would tee-off before us, we would only see them on a couple holes throughout the round, they kept-up a good pace. We were paired with a Father and Son from Detroit, and they both had caddies.

We had a mini audience on the tee. I stepped-up and striped one about 240 down the middle, right of a fairway bunker. Scooter followed suit and hit his patented buttercup fade to the right side.

The two Michiganders seemed nervous, and both dribbled a couple soccer shots that wound up thirty yards forward near the red tees in some high gorse We walked ahead and it seemed like 10 minutes later when their balls rolled up just short of our drives.

We had a chance to chat with them a bit on the first green, and we discussed where we were all from. The youngster was attending Michigan State (as Scooter did pursuing basketball), and Dad was a big Red Wings fan. I told him that my loyalty was with the Colorado Avalanche, and I was fortunate to be a season ticket holder through our two Stanley Cups in ’96 and 2001.

It probably did not help that I rubbed it in a bit when I said that I idolized Paddy Roy, one of the greatest goalies of all time. Not to mention the best wingers that centered the best one-two punch of lines you could imagine--Sakic and Forsberg. He got a scowl on his face as he headed off to find his drive that he punched deep into the rough, about 150 yards off the tee.

One of their caddies, the elder of the two, caught up with us walking to our drives on number three and with a nice smile said.

“I think it would be a great idea If you lads go and play on. I have me hands full today.”

He was right, and I immediately thought to myself, that we just avoided dropping the gloves for a hockey fight without skates on the next tee.

Kingsbarns reminded me a lot of Brora and Royal Dornoch—with its big dunes, elevations and sweeping vistas to the Sea--only not as natural. When we were planning the trip early on, our friend Paddy told me “Kingsbarns is a must, it is beautiful and reminds me of Cypress Point.” He is the only living person I know that played Cypress, the other was Woody.

We both had pars on number three, the easiest of the three par-5s, and I remember that the next four holes turned back south toward the clubhouse and were on a plateau up one dune from the sea. All are beautiful, tough par-4s, and the hardest hole on the course was number seven, a raised fairway that narrows the closer you get to the green, which was undulating and massive, but left us no bailout.

When we hit number four tee, we settled into the round, and another beautiful walk. It would be only the 4th time that the two of us were able to play by ourselves—along with Royal Troon, Cruden Bay and Brora. We quickly got into our groove; the banter was flowing. We were both making some putts. Part of it was that we were coming off our only rest day of the trip, and the other was we realized, oh my, we have been in Scotland for two weeks and this is the final round.

It was a toss-up for which stretch of holes was my favorite, but the nod goes to eleven through sixteen. Eleven is a 400-yard par 4 from the up tees--aptly named “Woods” --that plays towards the woods that flow down to the water. I was able to thread a low punch 5-iron around the bunker, to make an eight-foot birdie—my last one of the trip.

After a nice walk through the woods—part of a trail that everyone walks with their dogs—you come to number twelve, dubbed Ordeal, a fantastic scenic par-5 that heads back out to the south along the sea. It cards over 605 yards from the tips and was one of the prettiest holes we played in Scotland—and my favorite. Per what our friend Paddy said months before, it did indeed remind me of Cypress Point and Pebble Beach.

Fifteen is everything that you could ask for from a par 3, and more. It is called Rocky Ness and is a dramatic uphill 220 yards from the tips, across the water to a green that jutted out into a little peninsula with the water on three sides. Into the prevailing wind, a gut-wrencher of a shot that can be anywhere from a 6-iron to a 3-wood. From the up tees, I hit a 5-iron that was straight down Broadway and just left of the pin.

We came upon a Scotsman walking down the path toward the woods with his retriever as we approached the green.

“That was a good shot, what did ye hit?” he asked as I petted his dog.

“I hit a five-iron well, but not sure if it held the green or not,” I replied. Turns out it did not hold and trickled into the back bunker; I missed my par putt but loved the hole.

Sixteen is the last of the par 5’s, and skirts the beach and sea on the right, down a corridor of the best dunes on the course, sporting a whopping 11 bunkers. But what wreaks havoc is the burn meandering around the back of the green from left to right. This hole reminded me of the dunes and heather on Western Gailes on the Ayrshire Coast.

Eighteen was a great finishing hole. I remembered it from watching the Alfred Dunhill Cup tournament the previous fall. It required a long second-shot over a burn and huge bunker fronting the elevated green. As we finished, we walked up the hill to the clubhouse perched atop a hill overlooking the Firth of Forth. We were both exhausted and exhilarated.

Even though Kingsbarns is not a typical links course, and one of the most recent to be created—I agree that it should be rated in the top 100 in the World. It is as difficult as it is beautiful, and very exhausting, both physically and mentally.

What I liked about it was the routing that Kyle Phillips did. There are holes along the beach/sea that go both North 2, 3, 15-17, and South, number 12. The greens were well designed with just enough slope to keep you honest, but not as dramatic as say Machrihanish Dunes—the David McLay Kidd design that is the most recent course to be built in Scotland.

Phillips also designed Dundonald on the Ayrshire Coast next to Western Gailes, where they held the Women’s Scottish Open the week prior.

Phillips is not as well known in the States as Coore & Crenshaw, Doak or Hanse, but I like his style—wide open fairways, with most of the challenge being on the approaches to the greens.

I looked at Scooter as we made the walk up the hill toward the clubhouse and said.

"Do you think we have time for a pint before we make it back to the Dunvegan and walk to the Jigger?”

“You better believe we do, and we have earned it. Grab me a Tennents, and I will have them get us a taxi back.”

He turned in our trollies to the wonderful starter, and left our clubs and gear out front, as I made my way into the 19th hole. I was greeted by the cheery Scottish lass that was there to give me a coffee earlier.

“How did ya fare out tere?” she asked.

“We did well, it was a beautiful walk, and we survived.” I grinned. “I can see why you are so stressed-out working here!”

“Right! Why would I ever want to leave?” She said, like a true ambassador. “There is an open table outside, what do ye think?”

“Perfect, and the view looks awesome. Do you have Tennents?

“No, we promote local beers and whisky. I think ye would like our Bellhaven. It is a lager and similar. Have a seat and I’ll bring'm oot.”

The clubhouse sits up on the highest point of the property, so the view over the 18th green and beyond to the firth was spectacular. It was as cool as Cruden Bay’s 19th hole and panorama. We soaked in the ambiance and toasted our wonderful day, and last round of golf. There was a gentleman to our left sitting down and soaking in the view as well.

He jumped in on the conversation first.

“Well, the view really sucks, but hey, we’ll have to power through.” He was wearing a cowboy hat and boots and a warm smile, ear to ear.

“How did you hit’em out there?” I responded.

“Let’s just say that it was a glorious day, and a tough walk,” as he looked down to the brace on his right knee. “A couple guys bagged out on my buddy, so I pinched-hit and came on this trip with him.”

“Well done, you took one for the team,” Scooter and I said in unison.

“My knee is pretty much down to bone on bone, but you only go-around once!” We could tell that he had a great outlook on life.

“Where are you from?” I asked.

“Texas, central Texas. Live on a ranch outside of a small town. You guys?”

He asked where we had been and we told him about the past two weeks, and that this was our last day and that we had to see St. Andrews and play a course here before we left.

“Did you play the Old Course?” he asked, the most common question of Yanks in Scotland.

“No, it is closed today, and every Sunday except for when The Open and a few other tournaments are there, and we weren't here long enough to try." I interjected. “Just Kingsbarns here in this area. We did want to make it here to Disneyland, though, and have lunch at The Jigger." That brought a laugh and inquisitive look to his face.

I continued, “A buddy of ours calls this the McDonalds, or Disneyland of golf, over 3 billion served. He always says that everyone must eat at McDonalds occasionally. But if you want to dine gourmet, you hit the other gems like Troon, Prestwick, Royal Dornoch, Muirfield, Cruden Bay, Machrihanish, etc.”

He nodded and understood.

“I’m going to borrow that and use that line back home if you don’t mind?”

“Absolutely, my friend” I said. We said our goodbyes and wished him well.

We certainly want to play the Old Course and look forward to playing it as well as the Castle, Eden, and Elie and others. We did get to “dip our toes in the water,” and thoroughly enjoyed the little more than 24 hours we were there. Next time, we will do St. Andrews proper and spend a week in the town before we hop down to East Lothian.

Course Rating:

Kingsbarns is a beautiful course and fun to play. It is quite a strenuous walk, so be prepared. It certainly is not an Albatross or Ace (necessary, bucket list), but definitely an Eagle.

It you are in the St. Andrews area certainly play it. I will add that it was the most expensive tee time of our 10 rounds, weighing-in at just shy of £500.00—so keep that in mind.