Top Scottish golf club freezes out new members

As golf courses in Scotland battle to stay open, one of the country’s more prestigious clubs has the luxury of turning away golfers.

North Berwick Golf Club, home to the famous West Links in East Lothian, has told dozens of prospective members that they have been wiped from their waiting list due to high levels of demand.

The membership at North Berwick is limited to 500 golfers and the waiting list for men has been frozen since April 2021.

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But Gents captain Gordon Scholes has now informed hopeful members that the waiting list has been cut from 178 to just 30.

In a letter to applicants, Scholes noted that the club has decided to only retain the top 30 because they only take on two to three new male members a year.

There is some frustration, therefore, that North Berwick – the 13th oldest golf club in the world – is tantamount to a closed shop due to such a low turnover of members.

But those in charge at the historic venue will argue that unprecedented demand makes it impossible to appease the swathes of golfers looking to join the club.

Scholes told applicants: “If the situation changes and we are in a position to increase the rate of entry into the Gents section, we will contact you to ask if you wish to reapply.”

In the meantime, North Berwick’s website states the club is still accepting applications for ladies membership.

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North Berwick was the home of AIG Women’s Open Final Qualifying in 2022 and has become a bucket list course for some of the very best golfers around the world.

The seaside course is a regular summer stop for American golfers crossing the Atlantic ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open, which is played just around the corner at the Renaissance Club.

US Ryder Cup players Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas were two of the big names to play the iconic West Links this July.

Visitors without such distinction can play North Berwick without membership for a winter green fee of £185. That price rises to £285 for weekdays in the summer months.

bunkered.co.uk has contacted North Berwick Golf Club for comment on it’s waiting list changes.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.