Category: Parkland (Page 17 of 25)

60. Dalmahoy West. 7th May 2017

May 18, 2017 / Moly McMillan

Pleasant parkland course which would be ideal for the more social of society golf days.

Summary: Cost “between £30 – £55”. Par 68. Score 88. Value (out of 5) – 2.

So it has taken until 7th May to blog the first course of 2017, due to various travel, work commitments and poor weather!

The 8th fairway at Dalmahoy West, a typically open hole on this short parkland course

Marriot Hotels run the Dalmahoy Hotel, Golf and Country Club, which is on the South East of Edinburgh about a 10 minute drive from Edinburgh Airport. The resort has 2 courses; the East course is a championship layout designed by James Braid and hosted the Solheim Cup in 1992; I played the East course in 2014; the West course is a much shorter later addition. Both course are part of a 1000 acre estate surrounding Dalmahoy Manor, which was built in the 1720s and converted to a hotel and golf resort in 1927, becoming part of the Marriot organisation in the 1990s.

The Par 4 5th green at Dalmahoy West

The East course, like the West course, is an open parkland layout, where there is ample opportunity to be wild off the tee but able to recover and retain a flattering score. If you’re like me, this will suit you, as it allows a freedom to be aggressive, especially off the tee. Additionally, there is only one of the par 4s (the stroke index two 8th) which is over 400 yards, so for all bar the shortest of hitters you are hitting short irons into most greens.

The 15th tee, at Dalmahoy West, the start of the trickiest stretch on this resort course. The church to the left of the green is a Scottish Episcopal chapel on the grounds.

The highlight of the layout, is the 3 tricky holes staring from the 15th; water is in play to the right of the par 4 15th, and then in front of the short 16th which makes it important to play long, especially into the wind. The 16th is another par 3, but with 3 well positioned greenside bunkers. I suspect these 3 holes have damaged many a medal scorecard.

The well guarded par 3 17th green at Dalmahoy West

The course was in reasonable condition when I played, with nice greens, however the tees were poor. It was not good value for the price: I paid £23 for a twilight slot based on a price match with Teeofftimes.co.uk, although the rack rate states the price between “£30 – £55”, and it would be robbery if paying greater than £40 here. It would nevertheless be a really good society venue, particularly for societies where golf is rather secondary to the socialising.

I carded an 88, for 34 points, but had a couple of disaster holes: a 7 on the par 4 2nd and an 8 on the par 4 11th. When will I next get a round without major error!

Key Facts

Course Type: Parkland

Par 68 (1 par 5s, 12 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 5051

Moly’s Gross score: 88.

Dalmahoy scorecard – 88

59. Edzell. 15th Dec 2016.

December 15, 2016 / Moly McMillan

Great course worth playing, but only good value with discounted green fee

Round £60. Par 71. Value (out of 5) 3.

Edzell Golf Course, in the nice village of Edzell close to the Angus Glens, was established in 1895. It is located close to the main A90 between Dundee and Aberdeen so is very easily accessed and well worth playing.

The course was designed by Bob Simpson, with further input from James Braid in the 1930s and recently in 2015 was upgraded by Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert a company with a growing and prestigious global catalogue. The current course lays testimony to golfing architecture at its best; the course fits naturally to its surroundings with, in particular, a great array of fairway bunkers which will especially challenge the longer hitters.

The dangerous 9th hole approach – keep it left!

The course is part heathland part parkland but the fairways are generous. The greens are very large, with some subtle fairway hollows, making it important to check your yardage. Some of the front flag locations are very tricky when coupled to the tight greenside bunkering.

The par 3 14th at Edzell emblazed with Winter sun

After a relatively straight forward par 4 first, the 2nd, 4th and 5th are all long par 4s, at well over 400 yards. The 6th is also a tricky par 3 with 5 green side bunkers, where most golfers will be using a hybrid or fairway wood. After a bit of respite at 7 and 8, the par 5 9th presents a hazardous approach with a steep river bank close to the right of the green. Play well left with your second and third shots, in my advice.

The 15th, with a typical array of dangerous fairway bunkers

To score well at Edzell you need to get through the first 9 without disaster (I didn’t!). I suspect many cards are deposited in a waste bin before the 10th tee!

Of the many highlights on the back 9, my favourite was the aptly named 16th, the “Spion Kop”, with 2 very large green side bunkers on a devilishly sloping bank. Don’t take on a front pin here.

The relatively straight forward par 5 18th, with the fine clubhouse and Edzell village in the background

The course was playing winter tees but full greens when I played and in excellent condition, although several of the bunkers were undergoing re-construction; this didn’t dilute my enjoyment though. I played pretty well for a 97, or 29 stableford points, including the front 9 disasters.

My only gripe is I think the headline green fee, at £60 in summer, is slightly high, no doubt subsidising the £550 membership fees. However, I played using teeofftimes and got a good deal.

Some Facts

Course Type: Parkland/heathland

Par 71 (2 par 5, 13 par 4s, 3 par 3s)

Distance yards: 6182

Moly’s Gross Score: 97

Moly’s Edzell Scorecard – played better than the score of 97 suggests, for 29 points (16 hcp)

58. Falkland. 12th Dec 2016.

December 12, 2016 / Moly McMillan

Flat uninteresting course with a football pitch on the second fairway!

Round (9 holes) £10. Par 34. Value (out of 5) 2

I had been looking forward to playing Falkland, home of the historic Falkland Palace, for such a long time. As a sought after location in Fife, within commuting distance to Edinburgh and set close to the Lomond Hills, I had been expecting much more than I found. Especially, after reading of the “undulating parkland with breathtaking views” on the club’s web site.

8th at Falkland, the only 2 tier green on the course

So here are the facts: the course is very flat; the 2 dog leg holes (7 and 9) are enforced through right angle fences of adjacent property; and there is a football pitch on the 2nd fairway! There are, granted, some nice views of the Lomond Hills but they are in no way “breathtaking”.

The 2nd fairway at Falkland and football pitch!

The 9 hole course was founded in 1902. However, there are records of golf being played on 3rd Feb 1503 in the vicinity of the Palace by King James in a match against the Earl of Boswell who reportedly won.

On the day I played, the clubhouse was closed although the green keeper was very friendly, and also fully engaged on treating the greens to rid them of the moss which has set in.

Approach to the 7th at Falkland with Lomond Hills in view

The course presents an interesting challenge off the tee, if you are a hooker of the ball that is, with out of bounds coming into play on holes 1, 2, 3 and 7. Other than that there wasn’t much to write about of interest, other than the view beyond the 9th green of the majestic Falkland Palace.

Approach to the 9th at Falkland with the Palace in the background

Ata price of £15 for 18 holes, this is a course, in my opinion, suited for those taking up golf or just an occasional golfer, but likely to be a disappointment to many well travelled golfers. On the day I shot 43, including hitting it out of bounds at the 3rd!

Some Facts

Course Type: Parkland

Par 34 (1 par 5, 5 par 4s, 3 par 3s)

Distance yards: 2494

Moly’s Gross Score: 43

Moly’s Falkland 9 hole scorecard – 43

57. Stonehaven. 1st Dec 2016

December 3, 2016 / Moly McMillan

A curate’s egg of a course with great views and some excellent par 3s

Round £37. Par 66. Value (out of 5) 2.5

Stonehaven golf course in Aberdeenshire sits atop a cliff on land called the Braes of Cowie just to the north of the seaside town of Stonehaven. The cliff top vantage provides for some outstanding views of the coastline, North sea and the town.

The open 1st hole at Stonehaven.

The course, founded in 1888, has a convoluted architecture influenced by 2 distinct lines; the east coast train line which goes directly through the course and the Highland Fault line (dividing Scotland from east to west). The Fault Line forms “The Gully” feature which dominates play on holes 13 and 15 where it has to be carried.

3rd green at Stonehave looking south towards the town.

The course is played on arable land and to the east of the train line, with 14 holes, it has no trees, whereas the 4 holes on the west of the train line has trees; the overall course feels typically parkland, with pretty generous fairways. On the east of the line, the major hazards are the cliff tops and the gully, which collectively impact about 6 holes, and these are the real challenge here. The remaining holes are fairly bland, with only few fairway bunkers.

The tough mid-iron par 3 14th, with green beside the cliff!

The tough mid-iron par 3 7th, with green beside the cliff!

Although the major design work was completed by 1897, the course is a designated James Braid “design”, as he and Archie Simpson, the Royal Aberdeen professional, are deemed to have planned improvements to the course, although I couldn’t find out what they are. An interesting design note, is the presence of “Hitler’s bunker” a crater hole between the first and second fairways, caused by, you’ve guessed it, a bomb during WWII.

8th at Stonehaven with Winter sun

The course is around 5000 yards, so distance is not the issue here. The feature holes are those where the cliffs and gully are in play. In particular the mid to long iron par 3 7th hole, requires a cool head to go to the heart of the green, and the long par 13th at 220 yards uphill over “The Gully” will need driver for all bar the long hitters. Note these were played as holes 14th and 5th on the winter card (see below).

Overall, play to keep the ball away from the cliffs and you’ll be rewarded. I did so, but my putting let me down on the day, although the greens were in excellent condition for the time of year. In fact the course was in all round good condition.

The typically small 18th green with church ruin and graveyard…perhaps an apt epitaph for some rounds here!

My only gripe with Stonehaven was how the website oversells the course as “The best value golf in the North-East of Scotland”. It is a really nice golf course, with great views, and is worth playing, but this self-declared “value” is a exaggeration in my opinion, which is a shame.

Some Facts

Course Type: Parkland

Par 66 (1 par 5, 10 par 4s, 7 par 3s)

Distance yards: 4458

Moly’s Gross Score: 86

Moly’s Stonehaven scorecard, 86 – note this is the winter card, which has a different layout.

Category: Parkland (Page 17 of 25)

60. Dalmahoy West. 7th May 2017

59. Edzell. 15th Dec 2016.

58. Falkland. 12th Dec 2016.

57. Stonehaven. 1st Dec 2016

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