Archerfield Estate and Links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Archerfield Estate and Archerfield Links are a country estate and pair of golf courses in East Lothian, Scotland. An older golf course, also called Archerfield Links, occupied the area before falling into disuse after World War II.
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[edit] Archerfield Estate
The first recorded occupants of the estate were the bowmen of King Edward, who the area would later come to be named after. They were encamped at Archerfield during the English advance in 1298. The signs of a village believed to date from the 11th century have also been discovered within the estate.
The centrepiece of the estate is the 16th century Archerfield House, built in 1733. The house was remodelled by architect Robert Adam, and was home to the Nisbet family. Mary Nisbet was certainly the best known member of the family, having been married to the infamous Lord Thomas Elgin who was the thief or protector of the Elgin marbles, depending on your point of view. The relationship ended in divorce after she had an affair. The Nisbets moved to Stenton and Archerfield House was subsequently rented out, with one famous tenant being Herbert Asquith, the British Prime Minster. Asquith reportedly entertained Franklin D. Roosevelt at Archerfield, when the D-Day landings of 1944 were the hot topic. The house later fell into disrepair and, after being demoted to the status of farm building, was eventually abandoned. However, the house was later completely renovated and is now an exclusive hotel catering to those wealthy enough to play their golf at the Archerfield Links.
[edit] The original Archerfield Links
While golf is thought to have been played in this area since as far back as the 16th century, the first course at Archerfield was laid out for the enjoyment of the estate staff in the mid-19th century. The course was extended from the original 13 to a full 18 holes by North Berwick golfing great Ben Sayers in 1910, and became renowned as a charming, if compact course. Nestled between the world-famous courses of Muirfield and the North Berwick West Links, Archerfield seemed set to become another of the famous courses dotted around East Lothian. However, the outbreak of World War II signalled the end of tranquil golf at Archerfield as the estate was taken over by the Ministry of Defence as part of the war effort. The entire estate, including the golf course, was left to become overgrown and all but forgotten by those who had played there.
[edit] The modern Archerfield Links
Archerfield Links is now a collective term for two new courses - The Dirleton and The Fidra - that have been created as part of the transformation of the estate into a luxury resort. Both courses were designed by golf architect David J. Russel, with The Dirleton winding inland towards Dirleton village and The Fidra heading towards the coast and the island bird sanctuary of Fidra. Elite female golfer Catriona Matthew, now a fixture on the US LPGA tour and originally from nearby North Berwick has become an ambassador for the new development. Membership of the new Links is not cheap, with individual debenture packages requiring an "up-front" fee of £20,000 and a yearly subscription of over £1000.
[edit] External links
- Archerfield Links official site
- Archerfield House at the Gazetteer for Scotland
- Scotsman.com article about Catriona Matthew & Archerfield
| East Lothian Golf Courses |
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| Muirfield | North Berwick West Links | Musselburgh Links | Archerfield | Kilspindie | Whitekirk | Royal Musselburgh | Gullane No. 1 | Gullane 2 & 3 | The Glen | Luffness | Craigielaw | Dunbar | Winterfield | Gifford | Castle Park |
