Dunbar

"I dream of Dunbar, often."

But was Sky Sports commentator Ewen Murray having a lovely forty winks, drifting on the memory of the opening ten holes when the wind is behind, or having the nightmare of a cruel day against the breeze when he was robbed of unexpected glory?

I can testify that either is possible because I have experienced both.

Often called the hidden gem of East Lothian, Dunbar is overshadowed by Muirfield, North Berwick, Gullane, and newer neighbours at Renaissance and Archerfield.

But considering its history, prestige as an Open qualifying course, the quality of its views, and the stunning layout, Dunbar should be part of that itinerary.

I had heard great things about it for a few years and was keen to put it forward as a potential venue for a society knockout match. It proved to be an inspired choice for several reasons.

This was a perfect day for golf. The sun was out, so the vistas were spellbinding, and the prevailing wind posed fascinating questions. I managed to keep pace with an opponent playing scratch golf or better.

I spent the morning in Dunbar’s substantial, traditional clubhouse doing some work and experiencing the friendly vibe of a venue that attracts all ages.

Plans are afoot to modernise it, but I hope the atmosphere is maintained.

Management also aims to change the number of a couple of holes so that a round “doesn’t begin so easily” with two par fives.

Frankly, there aren’t many options for alterations because the links are on a very tight slice of land next to the sea. What's been good enough for players since 1856 should satisfy today’s golfers.

The opening three of Dunbar’s holes are on the clubhouse side of an ancient wall. Its opener is a gentle-ish par-five whose defences are nine fairway bunkers and a burn about 20 yards short of the green.

The second comes back into the wind and is a tighter drive with heavy rough down the left and six bunkers at intervals down the right.

This provided the first evidence that my game might be on song as I nailed a slippery eight-footer for par.

Our match revved up a notch on Jackson’s Pennies, a hole given its name because an old timer would sit on a bench behind the par-three and give a penny to the golfer he thought deserved it most.

My opponent struck a gorgeous shot to about ten feet and nailed his birdie. Mr. Jackson would have been impressed.

I was already falling for Dunbar when our host announced that the course would come into its own beyond the wall. He was right—it was akin to Alice peering through the looking glass.

On the fourth, the golfer confronts the beach for the first time, and a pulled drive will likely result in a rocky demise. Meanwhile, the wall is the boundary on the left.

The same wall adlled my mind on the par-four sixth, prompting me to pull left and watch my ball skip over one bunker and into the hidden trap behind it.

A stream before the green awaits those who play short with their approaches.

The seventh is a wonderfully quirky hole with a blind approach into a green between an old boathouse and the wall. Those who strike the ball hard may benefit from a ricochet onto the putting surface.

I feared my ball may have sailed over the wall on the eighth—a dogleg to the right before an uphill approach. Thankfully, I was in good shape and scored par, but that wasn’t good enough because my opponent nailed a monster putt for birdie.

I was holding my own as we turned next to the old stone barn, which was turned into a ladies’ toilet at the far end of the property.

However, we were rightly warned that this next stretch was Dunbar’s greatest defence.

The 11th is a 460-yard par-four off the whites, and from the tee, all I could see was rough on the right and that old barn on the left.

I thought I had recovered after a poor drive, but the undulating green provided a kick in the tail, and I could only manage a six.

The 12th is a similar length and even more intense because the rocky beach is so close to the right-hand side, threatening to ensnare drives and approaches to what seems like an infinity green.

One of my Dunbar favourites is the 13th—a par-four with a blind approach into a green in a deep hollow. It is marvelously quirky, and I could play it over and over.

The most stunning vista is from the 14th tee with the boathouse behind the hole and Bass Rock in the far distance. This is another devilish long par-four.

Unfortunately, our super matchplay came to an ignominious end on the par-three 16th, where the wall comes back into play on the left-hand side.

My ball found one of the two big bunkers in front, and I failed to extricate it first time.

Without the pressure of competition, I could play the daunting 17th with freedom. This is just as well because there are two burns, the shoreline, and cunningly placed bunkers to avoid.

The home hole is on the other side of the wall, which runs down the right-hand side, forcing players out to the left, where bunkers and gorse await.

It completes this most attractive of hidden gems.

I had taken too long to visit Dunbar. I hope it is not so long before my next game there.