Author: Moly McMillan (Page 41 of 45)

Moly McMillan lives in Somerset. He is a business management consultant helping businesses scale and also devotes time to playing all of Scotland's golf courses, assessing their value for money.

19. Camperdown. 2 July 2015. CLOSED

July 7, 2015 / Moly McMillan

Camperdown’s 1st hole – a wonderful start.

This might just be the best value golf in Scotland, if not the World!

Summary: Midweek £20 (round); £30 (day); weekend £25/£35 . Par 71. Value (out of 5) – 5

Detail: This championship quality golf course is within the grounds of Camperdown Country Park, on the North-East boundary of Dundee. The course is carved into the wonderful woodland surrounding, with many holes being unseen from each other. This, coupled with the undulating fairways, make it a truly great layout. Add the excellent fairway, green, tee and bunker conditions and the £20 per round fee, and you have incredible value golf.

Camperdown 3rd Green in bloom

Golfing visitors should make every effort to play at Camperdown, and ask themselves this question: Have I played better value golf anywhere else in the world? I have played golf in many countries and nothing comes close in pay per play value.

The long Avenue of trees which mark the 11th at Camperdown

Described in the national press as one of the ‘Magnificent 7’ courses in ‘Carnoustie Country’, this is a ‘must play’ for every level of golfer. However, be aware it is a tough test of golf, especially the back 9, which is more penal off the tee than the front 9, compounded by the legs starting to tire on this long walk.

I was out in 46 and back in 56, with a typically mercurial round: only 3 over for the first 6 holes, I was 18 over for the next 6, and a 9 at the 16th scuppered any chance of breaking 100. My 29 stableford points using 7/8 allowance, is a better reflection of my play.

Moly on Camperdown’s 13th Green

There are many fine holes at Camperdown, with the key premium being straight off the tee, the best example being the par 5 11th, played down a long avenue of trees with a small dog leg to the green, making it inaccessible in 2 shots (to my eye anyway!).

The magnificent backdrop to the 18th at Camperdown

The 18th is a magnificent final hole, played towards the Camperdown House with a wide variety of trees in view.

Although off course facilities are limited, the golf course is the star here – I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Key Facts

Course Type: Woodland

Green Fees:

Weekday £20 round (£16 concession), £30 day
Weekend £25 round (£19 concession), £35 day
Winter Greens £12

Par 71 (3 par 5, 11 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance(yellow) yards

Moly’s Gross score: 102

Moly’s Camperdown Scorecard – 46 out, 56 back!

18. Caird Park Main Course. 30th Jun 2015.

July 2, 2015 / Moly McMillan

A great example of why golf is Scotland’s “game of the people”

Summary: Midweek £20 (round); £30 (day); weekend £25/£35 . Par 69. Value (out of 5) – 4

Detail: Caird Park in the north of Dundee is a great example of Scotland’s golfing accessibility; it is the sort of local authority owned and managed course that golfing visitors to Scotland would benefit from playing.

Caird Park 1st Hole – a seductive straight forward start.

This accessibility did have a slight drawback when in the 1980s Caird Park was deemed Europe’s busiest course – although the course is no longer that busy. Current annual membership fees for concessions (Pensioners, unemployed, etc) start from around only £150. Given the quality of the course this is incredible value “golf for the people”.

It is also one of those course where playing from the yellow tees (white is only available to competition play) has a significant drawback, with 3 of the relatively short par 5s (all under 500 yards), becoming long par 4s on the yellow card.

Moly at the 5th tee – must keep that right nee bent!

To my mind these 3 shots to the card more than offset the other 600 yards given up.

After a relatively easy start over the first 4 holes, things get increasingly difficult. You need to score well on the first 9 at Caird Park as the back 9 is significantly longer. The course was in excellent condition on the day I played, with the fairways being particularly lush and welcoming. In fact, Caird Park has generally wide fairways so you can open your shoulders off the tee.

Chipping to the well architechtured 10th hole

The greens were also excellent, with subtle borrows. Only the tees could have done with a bit more care.

On the day I played, I was accompanied by my wife, and hence some of the photos are of the author in action – although that may not add to the entry!

Par 3 17th in the evening sun

I played the 4 par 3s very well, with 3 pars and a bogey. The 3 7s on my card contributed to my round of 92.

A typical Dundee Course Hazard? A wheelie cyclist with his dog!

Caird Park, is a very mature easy-walking course surrounded by mature avenues of trees and views north to the Sidlaw Hill. Opened in 1923, it also has a 9 hole course in the park grounds. It is well worth a visit.

Key Facts

Course Type: Parkland

Green Fees:

Weekday £20 round (£16 concession), £30 day
Weekend £25 round (£19 concession), £35 day
Winter Greens £12

Par 69 (1 par 5, 13 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance(yellow) 5772 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 92

Moly’s Caird Park Scorecard

17. Scotscraig. 23rd May 2015

June 13, 2015 / Moly McMillan

Great links worth the visit if you’re also playing St Andrews

Summary: Midweek £65 (round); £85 (day); weekend (morning) £80. Par 71. Value (out of 5) – 3.5

Detail:

Scotscraig 18th green and clubhouse

Scotscraig was founded in 1817 by some members of the St. Andrews Society of Golfers (later to be the R&A) and therefore became the 13th Golf Club in the world. Pedigree apart, it’s a great test of golf and has been a final qualifying venue many times when The Open has been at St Andrews. It has therefore played host to many of the world’s best golfers.

It is a fine links course, but with a layout more typical of a parkland course, therefore wind direction impacts differently on each hole, unlike many of the “out and back” links courses on the east of Scotland.

Par 3 6th at Scotscraig

Scotscraig also has a fair number of trees as well. This, coupled with a lot of broom, the indigenous Scottish links shrub, makes for a really nice vista on many of the holes.

The greens had recently been rotavated and treated by the newly appointed green keeper, and so were not typical of the good condition that I’d experienced here several times before – however, the rest of the course was in excellent condition.

Approach to the 7th at Scotscraig

Playing with an old family friend, David Husband, a member of Scotscraig for many years, I was reminded of the importance of local knowledge to playing links courses, especially when the ground around the greens becomes so hard, and the need to play the chip and run, sometimes from up to 100 yards out. Even if you’re not used to this form of the game, its nice to try this shot out.

There are some great holes at Scotscraig, with the par 4 fourth hole, stroke index 1, being the first major test, played to a steep sided plateau green, over a second shot carry from the fairway – settle for a bogey and move on. You also need to be aware from several of the tees of the adjacent greens and tees which criss-cross at times.

The par 3 15th with Moly’s best shot of the day!

There are also 2 really nice mid iron par 3s, the 6th and 15th, the latter to a 2 tier green would be a good “nearest the pin” for a society.

I had a mixed round, with 55 out and 45 home, the latter with an 8, but enough to win my match – but to be fair neither David nor I played to our handicap, on a day when the wind got up sufficiently to make scoring difficult.

A nice club house with good visitor facilities make this course well worth a visit.

Key Facts

Course Type: Links

Green Fees:

Midweek £65 round £85 day
Weekend £80 (morning)

Par 71 (3 par 5, 11 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance(yellow) 6310 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 100

Moly’s Scotscraig scorecard – 100

16. Downfield. 20th May 2015.

June 11, 2015 / Moly McMillan

Dundee’s other wonderful Discovery

Summary: (hi/lo season) £65/£45 (round); £75/£60 (day). Par 72. Value (out of 5) – 4

Detail;

Captain Scott’s Discovery in Dundee

Dundee, on the east coast of Scotland, can proudly boast of being a city closest to some of the greatest golf courses in the world, many being very accessible. It is less than 20 minutes drive to either St Andews or Carnoustie. The “City of Discovery”, named because of its association with Captain Scott of the Antartic, is blessed with another wonderful discovery – Downfield golf course.

Downfield’s 3rd Green

Downfield, nestled amongst Adler, Black and Templeton Woods, can safely be categorised as a Woodland course! It’s on the north-west of Dundee adjacent to industrial and large housing estates – entered via iron gates it soon becomes apparent you are in a golfing oasis. You could be in Surrey or New England once inside the fence!

14th Green towards the fairway

Surrounded by an arboretum, Downfield is a outstanding golf course, and well worth its place amongst the best courses in the UK. Tees, fairways and greens were all excellent when I played, as were the bunkers filled with some of the finest sand I’ve experienced.

Moly and Eric on the majestic 11th hole

Its very important to drive straight and keep the ball on the fairway – something I regularly failed to do for the first 13 holes. However, a good finish (2 over for the last 5) enabled me to win a close fought contest with Eric and Moira Brown, my partners for the day.

There are many highlights on the course, but the 11th is surely one of the best inland holes in Scotland:

From the 11th green towards the fairway with the water hazard in view

a drive needs to be on the right to view the green, which has a water hazard in front, not unlike something from Augusta.

Downfield also has a very impressive club house, with a fantastic view over the course. It would be well worth planning to eat there to take full benefit of the surroundings.

So, a classic layout, and a real gem in the industrial heartland of Dundee – please don’t miss this treat whilst on your tour of the hallowed links nearby.

Key Facts

Course Type: Woodland

Green Fees:

Day – Hi Season (May-Sep): £75.00, otherwise £60.00
Round – Hi season: £65, otherwise £45
Deposit, £20.00

Par 72 (4 par 5, 10 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance(blue) 6560 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 99

Moly’s Downfield Scorecard – 99

Author: Moly McMillan (Page 41 of 45)

19. Camperdown. 2 July 2015. CLOSED

Par 71 (3 par 5, 11 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

18. Caird Park Main Course. 30th Jun 2015.

Par 69 (1 par 5, 13 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

17. Scotscraig. 23rd May 2015

Par 71 (3 par 5, 11 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

16. Downfield. 20th May 2015.

Par 72 (4 par 5, 10 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Recent Posts

Useful Links