Month: March 2020

Updated Tuesday 24th March 2020 and subject to change.

The UK Prime Minister announced on Monday night that the nation should stay at home with only absolutely essential travel to be undertaken. We have therefore taken the decision that the course and all facilites will be closed with immediate effect.

We will update this page when the situation changes. With this closure in mind, any existing golf bookings in our system will be rescheduled. Please get in touch by email so this can be organised.

All sports facilites at Elie Sports Club are also closed forthwith.

Effective at the time of posting and subject to change at short notice

All bar and catering facilities in the Clubhouse are now cancelled and social areas (Members’ Bar, Dining Room, Mixed Lounge and Ladies Lounge) will be locked. Locker Room and toilet facilities remain open, but we request you only access them if completely necessary and will permit the changing of shoes in the car park.

The government recognise the benefits and importance of activity and exercise in these troubled times. With golf itself being a fresh air activity, and of low risk, the golf course is still open for play. We have however taken the steps of removing rakes from bunkers and raising the hole-cups on the greens. This is to limit the risk of infection passing from the touching of the rakes, flagsticks and hole-cups themselves.

Whilst we still expect the playing surfaces of the course to remain in superb condition, with current restrictions and diminished facilities in mind, we are extending the period of our Visitor Winter Green Fee rate until Monday 13 April 2020. This may extend further dependant on the ever changing situation.

We ask that anyone displaying symptoms of Coronavirus (Covid-19) does not use the Club or course in any circumstances and self isolates as per government guidelines.

Gavin Cook
Club Secretary
Golf House Club Elie
01333 330301
www.golfhouseclub.co.uk.

Due to the increasing spread of COVID-19 Elie Sports Club will be putting the following restrictions in place:

– No group tennis or golf coaching until further notification. Therefore the decision has been made to cancel our junior Easter golf and tennis classes. Individual tuition will still be available as things stand.

– The Professional Shop will continue to be open, however opening hours will be amended to 9am-3pm daily.

– The Baird course, driving range, and tennis courts will all remain open for members and visitors as things stand.

– Bunker rakes will be removed from the Baird course to prevent person to person contamination. Hole cups will also be raised above the surface to avoid the need to remove the flag and retrieve golf balls.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but have taken these precautions to minimise the risk of illness amongst our members as well as our staff. We will continue to keep you updated with regards to any further restrictions due to the ever changing nature of this situation.
Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the Professional Shop team on 01333 330955.

Michael Bradfield
Head Professional
Elie Sports Club
01333 330955

An announcement which was published in the Caledonian Mercury (a Precursor to the Scotsman Newspaper) has recently come to light. The announcement, which appeared in April 1787, called an AGM for the Earlsferry Golf Society who played over the Links at Earlsferry. As play at that time was over part of the current course, this has confirmed it as the third oldest golf course in the world, only behind St Andrews Old Course (1754) and Musselburgh Old Course (1774)

A full list of the oldest courses in the world is available from the link below:

https://www.scottishgolfhistory.org/oldest-golf-courses/

Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that golf was played in Elie dating back to the 1500’s. It particular, note of an official right to golf was supposedly included in a Burgh Charter in 1589. This document was unfortunately destroyed in a town hall fire so its existence or date can’t be confirmed. Reports of the first golf being played at St Andrews date back to 1552 so it’s plausible to imagine golf being played at Elie close to its inception date.