Scotland Golf Bible

A guide to green fee value for money

Category: under £20 (Page 1 of 11)

175. Strathtay. 30 Nov 2022.

February 27, 2024 /

Enchanting Course from a ‘one off’ Architect?

Value 4/5

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).

Moly’s Score – 39 for 16 points (off 12)

Course/Slope Rating (yellow) nk/nk

Course Type: Heathland

Par 31  (4 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 1745 yards

Moly’s Gross 39 on this delightful golf course.

174. Aberfeldy. 30 Nov 2022.

February 22, 2024 /

Better Days

Value 1/5

I played the three 9-hole courses of Aberfeldy, Mains of Taymouth and Strathtay on the same wet Highland Perthshire day. This is important context, because whereas Mains of Taymouth and Strathtay were well presented, Aberfeldy was in awful condition.

The 8th green at Aberfeldy, on a day the course should have been closed.

All three courses sit along a 12 mile stretch of the River Tay, between Kenmore and Grantully, and experience the same climate. It’s evident Aberfeldy GC is struggling to maintain the course with its small membership, with volunteering a critical resource.

The length of fairway meant Moly lost 3 balls from shots hit into the “fairway”.

Finding the course in such a bad state, especially from the 2nd hole onwards, leaves me somewhat uncomfortable in writing a review, as I’m sure there will be reasons why the course was effectively unplayable. Nonetheless, I’m committed to writing what I found on the day; all it would have taken by the club was a “course closed” sign on the first tee.

The Moness Burn, which feeds the Tay, is the key feature and hazard, which has to be crossed several times, here shown on the approach shot to the par 4, 7th hole, one of the more difficult holes. Beware the dog walkers, as the burn seemed a well used route.

Golf in Aberfeldy, much like in Scotland overall, is a story of expansion and contraction; the websites Missing Links and Breadalbane Heritage collectively tell Aberfeldy’s story, but there are gaps likely created by the old matter of ‘club’ versus ‘course’. There is also a book, intriguingly “Never an Old Tin Hut”, by local historian Jack Rees, published to mark Aberfeldy’s centenary in 1995.

The 2nd green was GUR. It wasn’t the worst!

In summary, Breadalbane GC and course, was founded in 1895 at its current location and would later be renamed Aberfeldy GC. But there are records of 2 other courses as early as 1891, in nearby Weem and in a place called Welar, the latter course can still be made out on Google Maps just north-east of Camernay. The current very flat course was characterised by sharing its ground with cows for many years.

The course expanded to 18 holes in 1995 including 6 holes north of the river, but was returned to 9 holes in 2016, due to the drop off in demand.

The “advanced composite footbridge” over the Tay, shown here from the 5th hole, made accessible 6 holes on the north of the river between 1995 and 2016.

The pictures tell their own story about the course condition. With much better courses nearby, one can’t see the long term survival of Aberfeldy GC. The local interest in golf can also be gauged in the lack of business sponsorship, even although Aberfeldy is base to one of the great whiskey distillers, Dewars. Plus, Breadalbane Academy, Highland Perthshire’s main school, is only 500 yards away, yet sadly has no mention of golf within its sporting curriculum.

The 9th green, adjacent the main road and clubhouse, was the most manicured.

This was a sad day for me, but I’m sure many people have fond memories of Summer golf in Aberfeldy. I thought the course condition when I played might be reminiscent of the course in the late 1890 – ever an optimist.

Round List Price £15. Actual Paid £10 (Winter rate).

Moly’s Score – 45 for 14 points (off 13)

Course/Slope Rating (yellow) nk/~65

Course Type: Parkland

Par 35  ( 1 par 5s, 5 par 4s, 3 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 2688 yards

Moly’s score of 45 included losing 3 balls on fairways doubling as rough!

168. Rouken Glen. 16 Oct 22.

November 9, 2023 /

David Lloyd course fails to meet top council standards.

Value for Money (out of 5) – 2.5

Rouken Glen golf course, originally called Deaconsbank after the neighborhood it sits in, is close to junction 3 of the M77 between the Shawlands and Newton Mearns areas of South-West Greater Glasgow. The course was founded in 1923 by the Greater Glasgow corporation and its management was transferred to the David Lloyd sports club in 1999 at which time the Rouken Glen name was adopted. It is still leased from the council.

The short par three 8th green at Rouken Glen, which was in poor condition when we played.

The course is managed by the sports club as one of many activities on offer, and when you play it’s clear that golf is not the priority of this predominantly tennis club. Although specific golf annual membership is on offer for around £400, I suspect many members pay for golf as part of the wider sports club membership. I was previously a family member of the David Lloyd (now Nuffield Health) in Milgavie, which owned Dougalston Golf Club, for which golf as part of the whole family package represented good value.

The first at Rouken Glen, a decent uphill par 4 of 322 yards, is one of the better holes.

When investigating a golf club one doesn’t know, price is the best measure. At typically £15 for a pay and play summer round using Rouken Glen’s variable pricing (I paid £12), the price is well set for what’s on offer.

Nice views north towards Glasgow and the Campsie Hills from Rouken Glen’s downhill par 4 12th, a hole probably drivable in the faster running Summer months

The course actually felt pretty ‘beat up’ on this “end of season” October day, with unkempt greens, bunkers and tees. The course showed a sever lack of green keeping investment. A few greens had actually been “lost”. Overall, the condition was worse than the average council run courses in Scotland, in my experience.

Moly driving at the 9th hole, a dog leg left at 351 yards.

However, at only 4742 yards from the white tees, this par 65 generally open parkland course gives the mid teen handicap golfer the chance of “breaking 80”, that seemingly mythical number. On the day I shot 81, a score made worse by my triple bogie 7 at the downhill short par four 12th, the stoke index 18 hole – two balls were needed.

Fran trying to find a decent place to tee off at the par three 16th at Rouken Glen.

Although a short course, with several bland holes, it is a pretty tough walk and there are a few challenging holes – most notably the uphill par three 5th hole, where driver will be required for all bar the really long hitters. With such a congested golf course area, with several courses nearby, I rather think that without the Sports Club backing, Rouken Glen, would really struggle.

The open aspect of Rouken Glen shown here at the short par three 14th

This is no more than a 2 star quality course, but its cheap pricing means that an overall 2.5 for value is reasonable.

Facts:

Round List Price £15. Actual Paid £12.

Course/Slope Rating (yellow) 62.6/109.

Course Type: Parkland

Par 65  (11 par 4s, 7 par 3s)

Distance (white): 4742 yards

Moly’s Scorecard at Rouken Glen – 81

158. The Heritage Links, at Playsport Golf EK (East Kilbride). 19 Aug 22.

January 11, 2023 /

Like watching a ‘tribute band’, very enjoyable but at times a bit ‘corny’.

Round £15. Par 32. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 32.1/116. Value (out of 5) – 4

Moly’s Score – 44

‘Playsport’ is a multi-sport commercial site in north East Kilbride, a town of almost 80,000 making it the 6th most populated conurbation in Scotland. ‘Playsport Golf’, the golfing brand of the business, operates a two-tier driving range, a very large golf store and a 9 hole course, called Heritage Links.

The 5th at The Heritage, inspired by the 4th at Royal St George’s with it’s “Himalayas” Bunker on show. Both this hole and the inspiration from Sandwich are similar length.

As the name suggests, Heritage Links is a homage to Open Championship venues, with each hole inspired from a specific hole of the world’s best links courses.

The final hole at The Heritage, homage to Royal Lytham’s short 9th hole, the only hole numbered the same as the doner inspiration for the hole.

East Kilbride lies on a plateau, just south of Glasgow, and the golf course is fully exposed to the elements; on the day I played there were 40 mph winds and some heavy showers. These are ideal conditions to go alongside the course’s design aim of replicating some the challenges faced in The OPEN. In addition, the course has outstanding views.

The 4th, inspired by the 16th at Carnoustie, with the Playsport sports arenas in the background. My par 3 score highlights it plays much shorter than its inspiring hole!

Although this could feel a little ‘corny’, the resulting course is a great test of your game, not least because it’s the bunkering from the host courses that are mainly used to create the inspirational feeling. However, this is not “replica” golf, so take it for what it is and enjoy the layout.

The opening hole at The Heritage, inspired by Turnberry’s 2nd, shows the good ‘links’ quality of the course.

The course opened in 2009, built to high specifications, and has become a popular venue. Despite the inclement weather forecast when I played it was very busy, so ensure to book ahead. With multiple sports on the same site, there are activities for non-golfing partners and kids.

The 6th, based on Muirfield’s 13th, shows the top quality of the bunkers at Playgolf EK.

Although heavily played the course was in very good condition, with greens and bunkers excellent. At £15 for 9 holes, this is very good value.

The 8th hole, showing the “road hole” bunker from St Andrews.

Playing as a singleton, a 4-ball kindly let me tee off first, then watched me rack up a 9 and the par 4 first, playing into the teeth of the wind. I got much better after that, when they weren’t watching. Don’t you sometimes hate getting asked to ‘play through’.

Facts:

Course Type: Parkland/Faux Links?

Par 32  (1 par 5s, 3 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 2307 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 44

Moly’s 44, or 37 net (5 over net), with a 9 and the par 4 first!!
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