Gullane Golf Club

Gullane No. 2 is a par 71 of about 6,021 metres, designed by Willie Park Jr in 1898 across Gullane Hill and ground descending toward Aberlady Bay. Less celebrated than No. 1 but fully championship worthy, it joins panoramic views, firm fairways, changing wind and readable architecture and is a favourite of many members.

Founded in 1882, Gullane Golf Club expanded rapidly after creating its first eighteen holes. In 1898 it hired two-time Open champion and established architect Willie Park Jr to lay out a second course on the hill, paying him ten guineas. No. 2 later hosted national amateur championships and Final Qualifying for The Open. The course shares Gullane’s great promontory with Nos. 1 and 3. An early climb reaches high ground overlooking the Firth of Forth, Fife coast, Edinburgh and the islands. The routing then drops toward land nearer Aberlady Bay before returning to the hill. Changing elevation and orientation expose each nine to a different wind.

Park created a championship layout more conventional in length and green size than No. 1, but no less strategic. Bunkers sit on attacking lines and elevation changes distort distance perception. The fourth offers a dramatic downhill view, while the bay-side sequence combines open ground, diagonal angles and lateral bounce. The card measures about 6,585 yards, or 6,021 metres, at par 71. Fairways are firm and often tilted, framed by fescue rough and gorse. Greens are more regular in scale than on No. 1, yet entrances and internal slopes demand control.

The club welcomes visitors within a traditional, well-organised setting, with booking, dining, practice and three complementary courses. No. 2 provides Gullane quality with less ceremonial pressure than No. 1. The climb makes the walk physical, but expansive views and strong hole rhythm reward the effort.

No. 2 is essential to understanding Gullane as a golf landscape rather than a single ranked course. It displays Willie Park Jr’s ability to combine apparent width with meaningful line choice. Its transformation in different winds, qualifying history and contrast between hill and bay justify inclusion in any East Lothian links trip. Key facts: 18 holes; par 71; about 6,021 metres; designed by Willie Park Jr; opened 1898; host to amateur championships and Open Final Qualifying; routed across Gullane Hill and ground toward Aberlady Bay.

National amateur championships; The Open Final Qualifying; club championships — Multiple editions; rotating calendar Designed by two-time Open champion Willie Park Jr and opened in 1898