Leven Links

Rumpled fairways cut in duney channels run along the foreshore away from the clubhouse.  Split fairways and punchbowl greens are challenging enough yet are bordered here by gougey rough and a penetrating breeze.  Harder bitten land than at Elie this is more rugged golf on a longer track.  Count your fingers when you finish because this course doesn’t give anything away especially to the first time visitor.  It is by no means unfair but you need to have a good understanding with your foursome partner that will survive some fairly oblique lies.

Off the yellows the first four are all par 4s with an average length of 380 yards and there is no room on the right, and I mean no room.  The breeze added a good 40 yards a hole.  We were still into the wind for the first par 3 at the border with Lundin links.  Oddly 3 of the par 3s are all on the front nine and those and the 15th are all on odd numbered holes.  Make sure you pick the right driver when playing foursomes.

Oddly on the routing there are two consecutive par 5s at 493 and 471 yards rated Stroke index 1 and 3.  You could say it is not the most balanced course but it has a curious history.  As I mentioned it abuts Lundin and this piece of land originally held only one course but it was subsequently split, owing to it’s popularity to make two courses.  Both have the more majestic holes along the shore and the more manufactured holes inland or north of the old railway.

Leven is an Open qualifier and is a very business like club that is a great example of the gnarly un obtrusively manicured variety and you wouldn’t want it any other way.  I love the way it melds into the town is bordered by houses, paths and allotments.  It is overseen by two clubs and is an authentic stone in the heritage of links golf. 

Leven very generously offered to let me pay my green fee to Alzheimer’s Society for which I owe a great many thanks and best wishes to the club and it’s members.