Nestled near the Campsie Hills north of Glasgow, the Allander course at Hilton Park Golf Club offers a rich blend of history and natural beauty. Opened in 1928 and designed by James Braid it represents a good example of Braid’s artistry of balancing challenge and fun.
The approach to the first, presents a typical view of this Allander course.
Set within an area of beautiful scenery of rolling hills and lush heathland greenery, full of flora and fauna, the course is nice just to walk around.
The par four 5th on the Allander course, fully justified as the Stroke Index 1 hole.
I was particularly impressed by the friendliness of the PGA Pro, Ewan Grimes, who went out of their way to make me feel welcome. His knowledge and welcome were second to none, along with his stories.
Moly teeing off at the 15th on the Allander course at Hilton Park, a mid iron par three.
The course was in good condition. However, the drainage seemed poor, which was unexpected given the heathland conditions. Given the conditions there were several winter greens in play, which was a disappointment.
The tree lines framed many holes, but in fact the fairways were quite generous. Here at the par three 17th.
One of two courses at Hilton Park, the Allander is very much the secondary, shorter course. It would be worth playing though on in a fine summer day.
The Allander 18th hole, a mid length par four, with the impressive clubhouse.
So what do I think of using AI? It created a very bland and flowery draft, which was frankly difficult to take seriously. Clearly influenced by Golf Club websites, full of standard phrases ‘course for all all abilities’, ‘challenge for all’, etc etc, after editing it left me with no more than 4 meaningful sentences.
Price £45.
Discount: Golf Now, £15, against the Winter rate of £30.
One of the great clubs and excellent value in Winter
Value 3.5/5
Blairgowrie’s Pro explained many members lived quite far from the club, meaning competition days, Wednesday and Saturday, were incredibly busy. Therefore, playing Rosemount on the first Thursday in December, I anticipated a fast round, before finding myself behind one of those 4-balls – you know the kind – those avoiding eye contact!
The 5th, a typical tree lined hole on Rosemount. I was stuck behind a four ball, that steadfastly refused to acknowledge me. They were the rudest golfers I have ever encountered and did nothing to make Blairgowrie feel a welcome place for visitors.
Blairgowrie, or more correctly ‘Blairgowrie and Rattray’, is a twin burgh in eastern Perthshire, and a popular gateway town to the highlands. With a population of 9000, it has some quaint but dated shops. It also has a fine golf club with 3 courses, 2 of which are listed amongst the very best in the UK.
The impressive Blairgowrie clubhouse behind the difficult 400 yards plus 18th on Rosemount.
The Rosemount course (originally called the Lansdowne) is regarded by many as the jewel in the Blairgowrie crown; designed by the Yorkshireman, Dr Alister MacKenzie, in the 1920s, with further developments by James Braid and Donald Steele. Blairgowrie’s newer 18 hole course, with the inherited Lansdowne name, was designed in the 1970s by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas. Both courses have been further updated by Scottish Designer, Graeme Webster.
The strong 17th hole, a par 3 of 163 yards; although not as “Plateau’d” as the holes name would suggest. Easy to three putt on this very large green.
‘Lansdowne’, was in fact the original name of the current 9 hole ‘Wee Course’, blogged here. This was the founding 1889 course at Blairgowrie, named after the Dowager Marchioness of Lansdowne, a local aristocrat. It is often cited as one of the best 9 hole courses in Scotland.
The 11th tee, a typical tee shot at this course, so much so I can understand why it could be considered monotonous.
The two main18 hole layouts are championship standard and the Rosemount course hosted the European Tour in the 1970s and 1980s. It was the venue of Greg Norman’s first European tour victory in 1977 with The Martini International on 11 under par with the South African Simon Hobday in second place.
The wonderful bunkering at Rosemount, seen here at the 2nd, a short par 4 of 340 yards, and one of the good birdie chances.
Set in a large tree encrusted heathland property the courses are easy walking, and more forgiving off the tee than what meets the eye. Many of the holes feel similar and with the forested surrounds, there are limited views. Depending on the time of year, this landscape could even feel like California or Portugal.
The course is a highly attractive amateur Open venue due to the ever increasing summer green fees, which are now £140 (2023), whereas the Winter fees are less than £40. Although I played off mats and forward tees, the greens were in play. Given the greens are part of the magnificence of the course, this represents excellent Winter value golf.
The 15th “Wee Dunt”, a lyrical, and potential ryme, for this tricky par 3.
I played very well, scoring 81, and therefore I may have to thank the four ball that slowed me down. Maybe that’s the secret – taking time and concentrating.
In summary, if you are looking for a golf course that combines history, beauty, and challenge, then you might want to visit Rosemount in Blairgowrie. Especially on a nice winter’s day.
Round List Price £140.Actual Paid £30 (Winter rate).
Moly’s Score – 81 for 37 points (off 14)
Course/Slope Rating (winter) 68.8/121
Course Type:Heathland
Par 68 (14 par 4s, 4 par 3s)
Distance (yellow): c 5500 yards
Moly’s 81 on Rosemount off their winter tees, but full greens
Strathtay golf course, in Highland Perthshire, is the delightful 1909 creation of “Captain Steuart of Ballechin”. With so many good holes on this well crafted layout, I wondered who “Captain Stueart” was. Surely this had to have been designed by an experienced architect?
The picturesque stone cottages make the first hole feel like a village green. The Victorian village of Strathtay maintained strict planning laws, demanding use of certain stone, and became a beacon of the Affluent in society.
This 9 hole course is short, at under 2000 yards, with 5 par threes and 4 par fours, although the “11th” is played as a par 4 on the “back 9” from a back tee. Being set into the slopes above the Victorian village of Strathtay, the course feels much longer, with plenty of guile.
The 6th, a tough slight dog leg left par 4, making good use of the natural contours of this landscape. The green to the right of the picture is actually the 4th.
The “Captain” turns out to be John Malcolm Stueart, an officer in the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own). His nearby home, Ballechin House, was an ancestral seat of the Jacobean Steuart’s (‘Steuart’ being the French spelling of ‘Stewart’). John’s great uncle of the same name, Major John Steuart (1806-1876) had become intrigued with Indian religions, and reportedly came back after his death as a reincarnated dog, resulting in Ballechin house being termed “The most haunted Scotland!”.
One starts to admire the architecture on the 196 yard 2nd hole – a very strong par 3, which requires a long drawing ball, or to be played using a par 4 strategy.
The golfing “Captain” was clearly one of those highly sporty people, and regimental chronicles cite his being the best shot in the battalion, being placed first at rowing and leading the regiment’s best team on sports day. There is also mention of his proficiency at Highland dancing!
The tricky par three 7th hole, “Chapel”, another of the well designed holes. Play to the measured yardage, as if looks longer than it is, with a very difficult chip if you go long.
The Rifle Regiment also fought in the Boer War and, whilst it cannot be said with certainty, there is a good chance that Captain Steuart fought at the Battle of Speionkop, which is relevant to the course; the 5th hole is dedicated to the people who died in that battle. The 5th hole is so steep, it is impossible for trolleys and buggies to ascend to the green. It would feel very fitting that the course designer had actually been to the real Spion Kop (see the Craigie Hill blog for the back story).
The 5th hole, justified as a par 4, although only 203 yards, with Moly seen climbing the steep “Spion Kop” slope. Buggies and Trolleys have no access.
The course was in excellent condition when we played, despite the recent very wet weather. The small greens are often set into or alongside trees, with some sharp greenside drop offs, making up for the absence of bunkers.
The steep drop at the par 3 third hole, with the Perthshire Hills in the background.
We paid just £10 and thought this was excellent value, given the condition and general ambiance of the course. There is also a nice little clubhouse which I can imagine is a great place to sit on a warm summers day. Highly recommended.
Round List Price £15.Actual Paid £10 (Winter rate).
Most golfers don’t know the hole names on their own course, yet would instantly know the locations of “Road Hole”, “Hogan’s Alley”, “Postage Stamp” or “Golden Bell”. Some stretches of holes become famous, such as “Amen Corner”.
The original Boer War “Spion Kop”(top left) presents an uncanny resemblance to the Craigie Hill fifth hole (bottom right).
As a carry bag player, the hole name “Spion Kop” fills me with dread and Craigie Hill’s 5th hole was no exception. It is a worthy candidate for the toughest “Spion Kop” in Scotland.
The outstanding views of the Perthshire countryside seen from the top of the “Spioen Kop” 5th, with Moly lining up a rare birdie attempt on this SI 1 hole.Hit long and slightly right on your approach.
“Spioenkop”, means ‘lookout hill’ in Afrikaans/Dutch, and became famous after the Boer War battle of the same name at the dawn of the twentieth century. “Spion Kop” has become a commemorative name for steep standing terraces in many football stadiums in the UK. It is also a common name for several Scottish holes (Edzell 16th, Traigh 2nd and Strathtay’s 5th) in memory of the Scots who fought at Spioenkop.
Moly playing an approach to the par 4 first at Craigie Hill, a typical undulating fairway at this well laid out course.
Craigie Hill was founded in 1911 and well designed by two of the best architects of its day, Willie Fernie and Joe Anderson. It sits on the south of Perth and is the course seen from the M90 which bypasses Perth. Like many readers, I’ve seen this course hundreds of times as I’ve driven past over the years.
Fran playing off a forward winter tee at the par 3 eighth hole.
Craigie Hill is a tough trek and therein lies one of the big challenges for such clubs. The aging golfing population (the average age of Scotland’s club members in 2020 was 55 years old) means that physically demanding courses will struggle to attract older people and societies. Although a very nice course and attractively priced, I was advised that the membership was in decline (around 200) and the course would likely “reduce to 9 holes within three years”. The state of the buildings were also run down.
The 13th, another of the tough par 3s at Craigie Hill
The course had several holes where it was necessary to carry over long gulleys. Again, I imaging this also a struggle for golfers without a long carry in their armoury and has likely contributed to the declining membership.
The approach to the 15th, a par 4 of 319 yards.
The undulations of the course though meant that drainage was very good with the greens in decent shape for the time of year. Unfortunately, all bunkers were “GUR”. The all round fairway condition was excellent. I can well imagine this being a spectacular place to play on a mid summer evening.
The difficult 17th at Craigie Hill, looking back towards the tee, a Par 3 of about 200 yards.One of the holes that might put people off joining Craigie Hill.
We payed only £10 for a winter round, albeit we couldn’t access the clubhouse and no score cards were available, luckily a local member had a spare card and was very helpful to Fran and I.
The Club website says its “dog friendly”. That was certainly true, as one of the greenkeepers dogs ran off with my ball!
For the record, I managed a par on the “Spion Kop”.
