Category: 9 holes (Page 7 of 12)

71. Anstruther. 31st Oct 2017.

November 1, 2017 / Moly McMillan

Take on the UK’s toughest par 3, “The Rockies”.

Summary: Round £28. Par 31. Value (out of 5) – 3

Anstruther Golf Club sits on the Fife coast between the villages of Anstruther and Pittenweem about 9 miles south of St Andrews. It was established in 1890 with 7 holes with 2 further holes (the current 1st and 9th) added in 1892. Old Tom Morris advised the club in 1896 to extend the course, but it’s not clear whether he did any re-design.

“The Rockies”, UK’s toughest par 3!

The course provides excellent views over Anstruther Harbour and out to the Isle of May, Bass rock and the North Berwick coastline. However, I would recommend playing this course solely to play the par 3 5th hole, which was voted in 2007 as the “toughest par 3 in the UK” by Todays Golfer magazine. “The Rockies” is a coast hugging 245 yards into the prevailing wind, having a blind tee shot from an elevated position into a small green surrounded by a fairly steep cliff bank on one side, with the coastal rocks on the other. I imagine many a member has never parred this hole from the white medal tee, or even the main yellow tee at 237 yards. Cynics could conclude that it’s the hardest par 3, because it’s really a par 4! Disappointingly when I played the tees were placed about 40 yards forward from the bottom of the cliff side, completely altering the hole. Given that the Golf Club make such a big thing about the hole in there website advertising, they should always use the main tee area in my view.

The nice looking par 3 6th hole at Anstruther.

The 5th hole makes up a bit of an “Amen’s corner”, along with the par 3 6th and par 3 7th holes, but other than these holes the course is a little featureless to my eye, other than the 2nd hole which is a short par 3 played towards the coast and called “Monument” due to the adjacent WWI War memorial – a “baronial tower”.

The WW1 “Baronial” War Memorial adjacent to the well guarded Par 3 2nd hole at Anstruther.

One interesting quirk is that the course was closed during WW2, during which time the course was trenched and numerous poles erected to prevent the landing of enemy aircraft. There are also some small wartime gun placements and shell stores which are integral parts of the course.

The course was in pretty good condition when I played and, along with the first light breeze I’d played in for a while, I shot 39, 8 over, and about exactly to handicap (17).

The rather featureless 8th tee shot at Anstruther, with some WW2 relic buildings in the background

Other than the magnificent par 3 5th, the clubhouse restaurant is apparently highly rated and given its delightful location is another reason to visit.

Facts:

Course Type: Links

Par 31 (4 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 2252

Moly’s Gross score: 39

67. Bridge of Allan. 11th Oct 2017.

October 12, 2017 / Moly McMillan

A 9 hole course from bygone days worth experiencing.

Summary: Round £20. Par 33. Value (out of 5) – 4

There can’t be many golfers who play Bridge of Allan for the first time that find the par 3 1st green with their tee shot; less than 5% I suspect, probably much lower. It’s not that it’s the most difficult par 3 ever, it’s just also so unusual. It’s 223 yards up a steep slope (40% they say!), with a blind plateau green that has a dry stone dyke across the fairway about 30 yards in front of the green. Welcome to one of Old Tom Morris’ famous holes. Thankfully not all of Old Tom’s holes are as demanding as this, otherwise golf in Scotland may not be as popular as it is!

The very demanding first shot at Bridge of Allan – the long par 3.

Old Tom Morris designed this nine-hole golf course in 1895, in the affluent Victorian spa town of Bridge of Allan and the course has commanding views of the surrounding hills and countryside, including Ben Lomond, and also Stirling Castle which is only a few miles away.

According to the golf historian, Robert Kroeger, in his book ‘ The Golf Courses of Old Tom Morris’, Bridge of Allan is “the best preserved in that the layout and length of holes and greens are exactly the same as they were in 1895”. So for historical reasons alone, it’s worthwhile playing here, and that is why I’ve said this is a 4/5 for value.

Fine views from the 1st, which also shows the typical flat greens

However, I suspect the course will not be to everyone’s taste. Most of the holes have out of bounds (OOB) in play, mainly for the right handed hooker. OOB areas are also tight behind some greens, especially the 4th which also has a dyke in front of the green. There are hardly any flat lies as the course is so hilly. The greens are however pretty flat, which meant that when I played 2 greens were out of action due to being waterlogged. Of course, Old Tom mainly designed links greens, which naturally drain much better than parkland.

The semi-blind par 4 7th at Bridge of Allan

Old Tom makes much use of existing dykes which are in play on several holes and also blind tee shots by carefully using existing tree lines – this is especially true on the 6th and 7th holes, which need to be played more than once to get a feel for the line from the tee.

I had a difficult time on the day, including three 7s in my 13 over for 9 holes. My day was typified by hitting a magnificent drive (probably about 240 yards) at the 7th, but I never found my ball as it was very likely plugged.

The difficult par 4 8th, another uphill hole at Bridge of Allan

The course was very wet when I played which was a pity, but the fairways were in good condition. I think that it must take several rounds here to get used to the tricky layout. The highlight holes for me in addition to the 1st were the 4th, 5th and 7th.

Facts:

Course Type: Parkland

Par 33 (0 par 5s, 6 par 4s, 3 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 2517 (9 holes)

Moly’s Gross score: 46.

Moly’s Bridge of Allan Scorecard – 46

65. Lochore Meadows. 1st Sep 2017

September 1, 2017 / Moly McMillan

Good value 9 hole course managed by Fife Golf Trust

Summary: Round £12. Par 36. Value (out of 5) – 3.5

Lochore Meadows is one of 7 courses managed by the Fife Golf Trust which was established in 2011 to take over Fife Council’s directly managed courses. This is becoming a common practice by Local Authorities in Scotland to manage golf courses. The golf club is private, like many Scottish clubs associated with public courses.

The 1st at Lochore Meadows, with a mine shaft a reminder of better times for this poor area.

Lochore Meadows Golf Course, located within Lochore Meadows Country Park, was formerly called Ballingry Golf Course. It was founded in 1981.

The country park is just north of Lochgelly, in the Benarty area, comprising the separate villages of Ballingry, Lochore, Crosshill, and Glencraig; this is a poor part of Scotland still in need of economic regeneration following the demise of the coal mining industry – a former mine shaft being a major feature to the left of the first hole.

The 3rd green at Lochore Meadows.

The 9 hole golf course is really good value. It has a very traditional layout with 2 par 3s and 2 par 5s, and at over 3000 yards, from the yellow tees, is a full length course. It was also in very good condition when I played, with the medal tees looking like they would have been at home on a much more prestigious Fife course.

The par 5 8th hole at Lochore Meadows with the hazard in play for the second shot.

The fairways are very generous so you can take driver on most holes. There is also a stream running across the course which comes into play on the 1st, 8th and 9th. The large greens were also in great condition when I played.

There are some lovely views of the surrounding hillsides, which coupled with the good course, means that it is worth travelling to play Lochore Meadows.

Key Facts:

Course Type: Parkland

Par 36 (2 par 5s, 5 par 4s, 2 par 3s)

Distance (yellow):3010

Moly’s Gross score: 48.

Moly’s Lochore Meadows scorecard – 48 for 16 points (off 17 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

Category: 9 holes (Page 7 of 12)

71. Anstruther. 31st Oct 2017.

67. Bridge of Allan. 11th Oct 2017.

65. Lochore Meadows. 1st Sep 2017

58. Falkland. 12th Dec 2016.

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