Back 9
No.10 - The Gully - 109 Yards, Par 3, SI 18.
This is shortest hole on the course, and often nothing more than a long pitch over a deep gully. Five bunkers surrounding the green will punish anything offline. The prevailing wind comes from the left, so a tricky crosswind is always part of the problem when selecting the club here. This is a good chance to start the back nine off with a birdie if you gauge the distance correctly from the tee.
No.11 - Allermuir - 278 Yards, Par 4, SI 10,
Possibly the most unique short par 4 in the Lothians, this hole features the awesome backdrop of the Allermuir peak of the Pentland Hills. Longer hitters can try to drive this hole, but into the wind it can play a lot longer than it looks. The ideal teeshot is a positional one up the left side, avoiding a bunker at about 220 yards. This leaves a clear approach shot to a narrow two-tier green. An easy par 4 is a potential bogey or worse if the approach is misjudged.
No.12 - Windylows - 300 Yards, Par 4, SI 6.
A tight out-of-bounds line up the left and an elevated green sloping front-to-back present a formidable test of strategic golf. A layup off the tee and a well-struck pitch are the recommended shots here. With the green sloping away, only a firmly hit pitch will hold, otherwise you risk bringing a drystane dyke into play at the back of the green. Take care reading this green, it is deceptive and extremely fast.
No.13 - Caerketton - 243 Yards, Par 4, SI 14.
Almost a par 3, but this hole rises uphill to a plateau green and plays long. The green is the highest point of the course, and the views over Edinburgh and out to the Firth of Forth are stunning. A solid drive can get you home and leave the possibility of an eagle, but out-of-bounds up the right and a deep knoll of rough to the left make it a gamble in most circumstances.
No.14 - Hillend - 580 Yards, Par 5, SI 2.
At 580 yards and all downhill, this sounds like the ideal hole to open your shoulders and crank out a big drive, but out-of-bounds down both sides mean that many members hit an iron off this tee. The green is generally out of range in two, so positional play is the order of the day with the second shot. The green sits high on a steep ridge and slopes considerably from left to right. A true three-shot par 5.
No. 15 - Dykeside - 351 Yards, Par 4, SI 16.
A hole where local knowledge can yield a birdie. You can drive the green here downwind if you can pick the correct line off the tee - towards a marker post some 240 yards out. Anything leaked to the right will run down towards a fence and leave an awkward pitch-and-run. This green looks flat but borrows left-to-right and is very fast.
No. 16 - The Burn - 320 Yards, Par 4, SI 4.
Arguably the best hole on the course. The drive is tight - gorse flanks the fairway on both sides - and by keeping the driver in the bag, a bunker at 230 yards out is brought into play down the left side. The green is shaped somewhat like an up-turned saucer and is extremely fast from the middle down to the back. If your drive does find the fairway but is too close to the green, the only option is a delicate chip and run.
No.17 - The Valley - 307 Yards, Par 4, SI 8
A signature hole at lothianburn, and a classic short par 4. Played uphill through a valley of gorse, this hole presents itself as a birdie opportunity, but in reality par is always a good score. The green sits on a plateau and if the pin is anywhere other than at the back of the green, its all but impossible to get close with the approach.
No. 18 - The Smiddy - 281 Yards, Par 4, SI 12.
On the card, at less than 300 yards, you'd expect to finish with a birdie - and if you keep your head with a safe accurate teeshot that's exactly what you get a chance for. But this hole is a real score-wrecker. Gorse spells disaster either side of the fairway, and as with most James Braid holes which feature a blind drive, the aiming post is always the safest line.
