The Golf House Club, Elie

"On the periscope. What a beautiful view!"

Ok, we were not looking down on earth like Alan Shepard, the first American in space, but we could see people putting out on the first hole at The Golf House Club, Elie.

This submarine periscope, rescued from HMS Excalibur in the 1960s, rises 10 metres from the starter's hut and is believed to be unique to this Fife gem.

It added to the sense of occasion of playing Elie, where Mrs W and I were more nervous on the first tee than we had been for years.

This was because it was a blind shot over a steep hill, and the day was warm enough for scores of players who had completed their rounds to be sitting outside of the clubhouse watching on.

The starter looked through his watching device, gave us the all-clear thumbs-up and, much to our relief, we launched our balls over the horizon.

From then on, we had an enchanting day on links, which offer some of Scotland's most dramatic and scenic holes.

Five-time Open Champion James Braid was born nearby and won his first tournament here when he was eight.

We don't aspire to such talent, but we also had a rewarding day.

Early arrival at The Golf House is worth it when the sun shines. We lunched outside, watching group after group of American tourists face the challenge of that opening drive.

A few struck down the right of the hill and would have found their balls either out of bounds or in two fiendish bunkers.

Mrs W and I were on the fairway but still had a fair distance downhill to a green framed by the trees in the forest just outside the course.

Elie is most unusual because there are no par-fives and only two par-threes. However, the variety of the par-fours means that interest is always peaked.

The second runs adjacent to the first to the highest green on the links.

The greens at Elie are among the most consistent we have encountered this year, so once we had established the correct pace, our concentration could be focused on the right line. We were surprisingly successful.

It is worth playing off the white tees for the experience of the par-three, 214-yard third hole alone.

The tee looks down towards the sea, and the green is cut inside the wall that divides the two sections of the course. I was a ball revolution away from a birdie.

Most of the par-fours are less than 400 yards, but they all have challenges. For example, out-of-bounds beckons down the left of the fourth, which has Elie's trickiest green with a devilish central ridge.

At 252 yards, the seventh is a curiosity because top golfers can reach it with an iron. Mrs W and I kept away from the bunkers around the target and were able to putt our second shots. Sadly, not for the first or last time, birdie chances were missed.

While the rest of the course entertains, Elie's big draw is the section next to the sea.

The 288-yard tenth is a spectacular hole. It features a blind drive followed by a steep run down to the pin. Incorrect club selection could well see the ball tip onto the rocky beach that frames the green.

The par-three 11th tee is right next to the sea, and the player must guide a wedge from the right to prevent the ball from sliding onto the sand.

I thought my two pars on those holes were ideal preparation for the 466-yard 12th, which runs along the coast.

However, I was so intimidated to see much of the horizon filled by the beach that I didn't hit far enough right and found the shoreline.

I fought back straightaway on the magnificent 13th with a drive down the right, allowing me to flush an approach up the steep bank into green and inside the lurking bunkers.

The target is set underneath towering black cliffs, and I was thrilled to find a par that matched the setting.

The 15th is the last of the blind holes with an approach over the brow towards the sea. I thinned mine into a greenside bunker whose sand was so fluffy that I could complete an up and down for par.

The inspiration remained until the final hole – a 399-yard par-four with deep fairway traps and a green perilously close to the clubhouse and car park.

I was a yard away from the latter with my approach and duffed my chip but nailed a 25-foot putt to save par and complete a truly satisfying round on these historic links.