Craigielaw is the younger links of Aberlady, a Donald Steel design on low ground beside Aberlady Bay, about 30 minutes’ drive from Edinburgh. Its advantage for a golf trip is the Lodge: en-suite rooms built onto the clubhouse, some looking out to sea, so you can walk from breakfast to the first tee. The club hosted the Scottish Seniors Open in 2018 and 2019 and has been used for Open regional qualifying. Its green fees are a fraction of Muirfield’s or North Berwick’s, and the links stays in play all winter.
Craigielaw Golf Club green fees and tee times.
Visitor tee times are booked through the Play at Craigielaw page on the club’s website, or by calling the starter on 01875 870800 or emailing info@craigielawgolfclub.com. The club also sells golf packages and stay-and-play breaks with the Lodge, which you book through its Stay pages or on 01875 870803. Caddies need booking in advance. The website publishes no handicap limit or visitor time restrictions, so ask about both when you reserve, especially for weekend mornings, when member play is likely to take priority.
INDICATIVE GREEN FEE · CHECKED NOVEMBER 2026From £60
Winter weekday round, 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 (£70 weekend). Summer weekday £125 and weekend £160 from 15 May to 31 October 2026; spring 2026 £80 weekday and £95 weekend.
Weekday, 1 Nov 2026–31 Mar 2027
£60
Weekend, 1 Nov 2026–31 Mar 2027
£70
Weekday, 1 Apr–14 May 2026
£80
Weekend, 1 Apr–14 May 2026
£95
Weekday, 15 May–31 Oct 2026
£125
Weekend, 15 May–31 Oct 2026
£160
Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The round, in perspective.
Steel took his cue from the British links that are less dominated by dunes, and the club describes the course in those terms. Most listings date its opening to 2001. From the white tees it measures 6,601 yards, with blue and green sets at 6,043 and 5,371. Third-party listings give par as 71. The holes carry names drawn from the local landscape. The 2nd, St Mary’s Chapel, is a 558-yard par five, and the 3rd, Coffin Lane, is the shortest hole at 155 yards. The 4th, Bellfire Knowe, is the longest at 583 yards. The round closes with the 543-yard 18th, the only hole named after the club. Expect low-profile links ground, with a stand of pines beside the 4th tee.
Know before you go.
Golf carts
£45 per round
Club hire
Titleist sets, £45 per round
Trolleys
Electric £20, pull £7
Warm-up balls
£2 a basket
Winter
Preferred lies, 1 November–31 March
Make the trip work.
The Lodge makes Craigielaw an easy base for two or three days, with a restaurant in the clubhouse (book on 01875 870802) and Kilspindie, Gullane and Luffness all close by. Winter rates from November to March are some of the lowest on the coast, and the course was listed as open for the whole winter with preferred lies. A basket of warm-up balls is £2, and the club runs an academy with lessons, so a rusty swing can be sorted before the round. The website’s course cam shows live conditions on the morning you play.
Edinburgh Airport is about 25 miles away, roughly 40 minutes by car around the city bypass and on through Longniddry and Aberlady. The club’s postcode is EH32 0PY. The nearest station is Longniddry, on the North Berwick line, about three miles away; arrange a taxi for the last leg.
The Lodge at Craigielaw adjoins the clubhouse. Every room is en suite and can be set up as a twin or a double, with a choice of sea-view or courtyard rooms. If it is full, Gullane is about ten minutes east, with Greywalls the best-known address there, and North Berwick has a much wider range of hotels about 20 minutes away. Aberlady village itself is small, with a handful of inns and cottages.
Make a trip of it.
Kilspindie is the next links along the shore, its fairways running beside Craigielaw’s, and the two make a natural 36-hole day. Gullane No. 1 and Luffness New are a few minutes east, and Longniddry is about ten minutes west. Away from golf, the Aberlady Bay nature reserve is next door, and Edinburgh’s Old Town is a 40-minute drive.
Find your season.
Craigielaw keeps its main links and its South Links open from 1 November to 31 March, with preferred lies, which makes it one of the better winter options in the county. Spring rates run from 1 April to 14 May, and the top summer rate applies from 15 May to the end of October.
Yes. The Lodge at Craigielaw is attached to the clubhouse, with en-suite rooms set up as a twin or a double, either facing the sea or the courtyard. Call the Lodge on 01875 870803 or look at the club’s golf packages for stay-and-play rates.
How much are Craigielaw green fees?
From 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 a round costs £60 on weekdays and £70 at weekends. In 2026 the summer rate, from 15 May to 31 October, was £125 on weekdays and £160 at weekends. Check the booking page for 2027 summer prices.
Who designed Craigielaw golf course?
Donald Steel designed it, taking inspiration from British links on land less dominated by dunes. Third-party guides date its opening to 2001. The club hosted the Scottish Seniors Open in 2018 and 2019.
Is Craigielaw open in winter?
Yes. The club lists the main course and the South Links as open from 1 November to 31 March with preferred lies in operation, and charges its lowest rates of the year in that period.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
