Castle Park Golf Club

We had a great time. The course was really impressive and the views on the back nine are stunning. The front nine is solid but doesn't really prepare you for the back 9. It is a hard walk but so well worth it and the two par3s are so tough. The welcome in the clubhouse was brilliant and it should be played if you are in the area

Played this today was a bit apprehensive after reading some reviews but after playing think some seem a bit harsh staff are great, course overall is good, some greens could maybe do with a bit work but aren’t as bad some reviews make them out to be

The course and club is very rough around the edges and definitely not worth £45, however pace of play is good as it’s a fairly quiet course. Greens are poor condition but the rest of the course is generally fine, though nothing glamorous. The driving range is basic but does the job. Overall Castle Park is average at best but easy to get a last minute tee time and would go back on a hot deal price for a quiet round.

Staff excellent, bar and food excellent course excellent greens terrible this place has so much potential but it’s tired looking just now

First impressions it looks like the course would be a good stomping ground. The facilities for a roll and coffee were up to scratch with a nice outdoor area.

They only have 2 (very dated) carts with 1 being faulty. The course layout can be quite confusing with no postage signs to where the next holes are. My biggest disappointment was the greens, absolutely shambolic, considering it’s was £45 for the golf, with a roll and coffee, then another £25/£30 for the cart (which is from the 1950s).

The value for money is not worth it. It’s a shame as this would be a great course, but with Gifford GC just being down the road, I wouldn’t rush back here at all.

The staff were superb, very pleasant. Which is a shame as the course condition for the price they charge just doesn’t add up.

I’ve been playing golf 18 years and never once felt the need to walk off a golf course due to the condition, that changed today, the tee boxes were shocking not one level stance on a tee box, fairway are acceptable, the greens… no words can even describe how shocking these were, ball spent more time in the air than on green during a putt, can’t stress enough how bad they are, would never recommend will never be back, daylight robbery

Walked off after 9 holes. Had high hopes as it was described gleneagles of Lothian. I honestly wouldn’t pay a fiver for this place. The greens weren’t green anyway. 8th hole the cup was in dirt. Honestly wish I had taken photos. Paid £35 and wish I really didn’t travel all that way and pay £35 to walk off but it was actually that bad.

The first 8 holes are pretty average holes, but after that the course is both scenic and challenging for novice golfers. The people who run Castle Park are warm and welcoming. Overall this was a really enjoyable afternoon.

Returned to play Castle park after many years and impressed with condition of this course. Many trees have grown and make the course a great spectacle. The course is set away from noisy roads and houses making it especially quiet and peaceful. There are many delightful holes particularly on the back nine. Don't hit the rough, keep it on the fairway as balls will be lost in the long grass. Definitely will be back soon.

Great course. Staff were outstanding and no winter greens which made it better.

Be warned that if you’re on a hot deal the staff will treat you like dirt.

Their attitude spoiled a good day out at a very interesting course such a shame.

Very poor experience on the 1st tee with a lady from reception screaming at an other couple to return to the 1st tee and play myself and my partner as we had booked a hot deal time and could not play separately as 2 two balls. This was incredibly bad as we counted only two other matches out on the course and obviously held up the rest of afternoon tee times on completion of our round I approached the reception to make my complaints as to the way the she spoke to us on the 1st tee but the guy on the reception who was also a castle park employee would not let me explain my complaint and interrupted me going onto rant at me about the way hot deal tee times work of which iam perfectly aware of and says if iam not happy take it up with golf now. Golf is a hospitality industry and if castle park thinks that this is the way to deal with customers complaint then they will not get many customers and certainly won't get any returning. If you have any influence then I would suggest they are removed from your database. I have never experienced just rude and unhelpful golf staff in all my life. Yours in Golf Tom Duff

We had booked a hot deal and went to check in and was met with a very rude man on the desk who greeted me not a hello or good morning but with a pointed finger and said you must stick to your time. I hadn’t even asked to go early as it was only about 15 mins before our scheduled tee time. I asked for a score card and he said you can only have 1 and thrust it at me. Asked for the ladies and gesticulated to the side door. Asked where the handicap calculation sheets were and he pointed to the board There were 2 tiny sheets which you couldn’t read. Was told to take a photo on my phone to enlarge it so I could read it. The whole thing is a joke. Another guy then said we had been paired up with another 2 ball as we were on a hot deal. We met one of them on the tee but he said his partner had just arrived and as there was no one in front of us to go ahead in front which we did. We were half way down the fairway when this screaming banshee of a woman with a black dog told us to come back and play with the other 2 ball. I would point out the course was deserted. Consequently because we were a 4 ball now we had to let a guy playing ion his own and a 2 ball through which would have totally been unnecessary had we been allowed to continue . Plus this put a dampener on our round of golf. It seems to me if you have booked a hot deal the owners think they have the right to treat you like dirt. This is exactly how I felt on arrival when trying to book in . My advice to anyone wanting to play this course is don’t book a hot deal

. Also had a couple of friends coming next week and we certainly wont be bringing them here. It’s no wonder the course was deserted if this is the way they treat visitors

Upon arrival we checked in and were told that as we had booked a hot desk we’d be playing with two others - no biggy as this is fairly standard. One of my party was running late due to road works in the area so the two other players suggested they tee off ahead of us (no-one had teed off for 25 mins and the course was really quiet) and we tee off at our scheduled time. You’d think this wouldn’t be an issue with such a quiet tee sheet? Wrong.

We were greeted by a staff member (with a large black dog) shouting down the fairway after the pair that had teed off “you need to play together, it’s against the rules!! Wait on the late comer and all play together!!”. So we teed off, all stressed with an angry onlooker after the two others had jogged back to the tee (equally as angry and bewildered at the situation) so we could catch up and play as a 4 ball.

We didn’t see another player ahead of us in our 4 hour round - to top it off we had to let 3 single players through causing us and them a delay in pace of play.

When we returned to the clubhouse after 18 holes to raise the issue with the starter, they were equally as unhelpful and shrugged the issue as “you were on a hot deal, play within that time as I don’t get any money for that one”. I get the issue if the course was busy for pace of play - but it wasn’t and the pace of play was slower as a result.

In general it was a quirky little course. Some nice risk and reward holes throughout, long par 4’s and testing par 3’s. Most bunkers were unplayable and not kept though. Fairways and greens passable given the rain we have had.

3/5 - would play again if I was in the area. Good value for money but make sure you obey their unwritten rules…

Fantastic day out from the moment I arrived with a meet and greet off the management team.

Condition of this hidden gem was superb with the best views you could imagine.

Used to be a great course, however going down hill rapidly. Green surfaces poor and very slow. Bunkers containing many weeds, little sand and if any totally compacted. Tee markers are simply bits of metal painted Yellow, scorecards appear to be homemade laser printed. The look of the course is far better than its condition. Fairways badly marked by cutting machinery. No real semi rough, so fairway with next to no run or deepish whispy grass which would mean many a lost ball even if just entering it. Pace of play was good because there was more or less no one else playing but not really a surprise in the end. Wont be back

I was looking forward to playing castle park as it was the last course I had to play in East Lothian and to be honest it was in terrible condition grass cuttings everywhere on the fairway semi rough was super long probably the worst condition I’ve seen a golf course in would not recommend