Scotland Golf Bible

A guide to green fee value for money

Category: 4 star (Page 4 of 10)

125. Gifford. 23 Sep 2021.

March 15, 2022 /

Like a roller coaster that leaves you wanting to get straight back on.

Round £25. Par 34. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 34.1/127. Value (out of 5) – 4

I can’t imaging many golfers not wanting to be a member of Gifford Golf Club. This easy walking nine hole course in the delightful and upmarket village of Gifford in East Lothian has an alluring appeal. No sooner than finished the ninth you’ll want to go straight back on – just like a great roller coaster, that you see kids jumping back in the queue time after time.

Moly driving at the very tough par four 6th hole at Gifford.

I imagine there’s been quite a few people have gone round here at least 4 times on a summer day – I wonder what the record for most times played in a day is? This is no easy course though. The Slope of 127 will tell you that.

It was designed in 1904 and by all accounts has not changed much since being laid out. It has by all account only had 4 greenkeepers in the nearly 120 years of its existence; that would explain the excellent all round condition including the greens which were quite varied and all challenging.

The second hole, a par 4 of around 350 yards, at Gifford is typical of the challenges awaiting.

Despite searching, I couldn’t find the architect, but I imagine it was a top designer given how well the course flows, the excellent hole framing and the variety of challenges presented.

The course starts with three holes played out into the prevailing wind – the first, a well bunkered par 3, one of only two par 3s on the course, needs enough club as the danger is all at the front. The second, although a relatively short par 4, is a difficult hole, where the approach shot into the green, is played over a small burn, and is difficult to judge – trust your distance device here. The third, is the SI 9 hole and is the only ‘easy’ hole on the course – I got a ‘blob’.

The excellent par four 7th, here showing the great condition of the teeing ground – a sure fire measure of greenkeeping excellence.

The remainder of the holes constantly change direction, making for great variety depending on the wind. Set in open and undulating countryside, you are exposed to the elements, so wind will normally be a dominating feature playing here.

I found the challenge of the wind when I played a little too difficult and I scored a 48, 14 over par, thereby using all my handicap on the “first” nine holes. There are a couple of the holes, which have significant alternative tees, to enable a “back” nine to be played, albeit I never consider this anything other than 9 holes. It would be like classifying different tee boxes as constituting a different hole.

The good greens at Gifford, here shown at the par four 5th.

The clubhouse is also delightful and give yourself time for the exquisite but homely baking on offer.

On having a discussion with the very friendly attendant/cook, I found out that many local resident of Gifford village – a very well heeled place – are members of both Gifford and Gullane. Now that does make me envious!

Worth playing Gifford.

Course Type: Parkland

Par 34 (7 par 4s, 2 par 3s) – “front 9”

Distance: 2882

Moly’s Gross score: 48

Moly’s 48 – for 12 stableford points – on this delightful nine hole Gifford course.

118. Callander. 4 Nov 2020.

January 25, 2022 /

A course down on its luck, well worth playing, but this is no “Gleneagles” as its web site infers.

Round £24. Par 63. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 62.6/105. Value (out of 5) – 4

There is a well known equation for individual business success – “under promise and over deliver”. Why do some golf clubs get this completely inverted by “over promising and under delivering”. Callander Golf Club is a perfect example of this error.

Callander golf club has seen much better days – its website is also living in the past.

The club has clearly seen better days – the photo above gives a glimpse of the state of its infrastructure. The ‘temporary’ clubhouse was a shipping container. Its web site includes the following statements, some quoted from media outlets:

“Callander Golf Club is probably the most scenic golf course in the UK“,

“The charming and challenging 15th is one of the most famous par 3s in Scotland“,

“‘The Scotsman’ includes Callander … ahead of Carnoustie’s Championship Course.“

“‘Golf Monthly’ rated Callander among the top ten courses in Scotland for visitors, alongside Gleneagles, Turnberry and St. Andrews.“

These statements, collectively, are so wide of the mark – in my humble opinion of course! Just image a touring golfer, having played Gleneagles, Turnberry, St Andrews and Carnoustie, turning up at Callander expecting something similar.

Callander’s 7th, one of the many short par 4s, this one called ‘Blind’ for obvious reasons off the tee.

Please, don’t get me wrong, this is a really fun and lovely golf course set within the beautiful Trossachs area of central Scotland, with very picturesque surroundings, some great and memorable holes and in decent condition.

The 6th at Callander, ‘Dell’, the most difficult of all the holes , in full Autumn colours

The course was opened in 1892 as 9 holes designed by Old Tom Morris, then Willie Fernie extended it to 18 holes in 1914. Heady architects both.

This is, in particular, brilliant holiday golf. It’s short, at well under 5000 yards from the yellow tees. It has fairly generous fairways, not too many bunkers and relatively straightforward greens. There is an abundance of par 3s, with five on the back 9 alone, including the cute 15th, where play is through, or more likely, above a tiny channel between tall trees. It’s memorable, and one of those holes that demands straight hitting.

The Slope Rating of 105, gives most golfers the chance of posting a great score for 18 holes – that’s always nice.

The 16th at Callander, with Ben Ledi in the background

Its well worth playing – but don’t expect to be playing Gleneagles – the green fee will tell the true story, and to that extent it’s also a great course for serious golfers to play as well, in order to experience the great value golf Scotland has to offer. Scots are known for being honest, so lets set the record straight on the web site.

The wonderful par three 15th – ‘Avenue’. But not as famous as, for example, the ‘postage stamp’

On a very wet Autumnal day, with colours in late bloom, Fran and I had the course pretty much to ourselves. I played decent to shoot 80

Course Type: Parkland

Par 64 (0 par 5s (although 1 on the white), 10 par 4s, 8 par 3s)

Distance: 4470

Moly’s Gross score: 80

Moly’s scorecard at Callander – 80

115. Gatehouse. 26 Oct 2020.

January 2, 2022 /

Joyful little gem

Round £15. Par 33. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 32/115. Value (out of 5) – 4

Can you only have fun playing golf if you play well? That was the question I pondered when assessing Gatehouse, a 9 hole golf course in Gatehouse of Fleet, a lovely little town in Dumfries and Galloway, which takes its name from the “Water of Fleet’ river that flows to the sea at nearby Kirkcudbright.

Moly at the short par three 5th tee at Gatehouse with magnificent Dumfries and Galloway backdrop.

It is a ‘highland/heathland’ course, with outstanding views. The clubhouse, a lovely little ‘shed’ type building, shouted ‘golf in its basic form’ to me. The course has been around for a hundred years (founded 1921) and probably has changed very little.

The second at Gatehouse, a beautiful mid length, par 4, with blind tee shot – plenty of room to the left of the marker.

The course has plenty of variety as well, requiring all your clubs (well me, anyway) – one par 5, four par 3s and 4s. The par 3s in particular are varied and collectively difficult. The first, an uphill par 3 of over 200 yards, played like a short par 4. The 8th and 9th are great finishing holes, with the downhill 160 yard 9th presenting a potential disaster if you go long – don’t do that.

The approach shot to the par 4 forth hole, at 322 yards (white), with the wonderful views.

I played well – scoring 37, 4 over par – on this course that I wouldn’t recommend for the ‘occasional’ golfer. It’s very undulating, a tough walk, has small greens and many blind tee and approach shots. It was quite slippery when I played and actually could be a bit hazardous (my playing partner Fran fell on one of the slopes).

The difficult par 3 eight hole, where being long is better than short.

Overall, its really great value golf. The greens and fairways were in excellent condition and overall this is highly recommended.

The ‘highland’ style clubhouse, typical of Scottish 9 hole courses.

But even without playing well, I think I would have come to the same conclusion – this is Scottish golf personified in many ways.

Course Type: Heathland

Par 33 (1 par 5, 4 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance: 2418

Moly’s Gross score: 37

Moly’s scorecard at Gatehouse – 37 and great fun

114. Wigtownshire County. 25 Oct 2020.

December 29, 2021 /

Great value and wide open links course is a means to experience, or more accurately feel like, history

Round £45. Par 70. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 68.3/124. Value (out of 5) – 4

Wigtownshire County golf course, set beside Luce Bay on the west coast of Dumfries and Galloway, will, I suspect, sharply divide opinion. This is links golf at its most basic, which I really like.

The 8th – a typically basic hole at this course.

It’s an open course, with many wide fairways, so several of the holes aren’t readily framed to the eye. It’s also made up of 14 par fours, with only 1 par five and 3 par 3s; to some this likely lacks the desired variety of holes.

Moly drives at “St Helena”, the dog leg right par 4 fourth hole, which hugs Luce Bay, at Wigtownshire County. Plenty of room to the left.

On the other hand, many golfers who prefer the natural feel of what courses were historically like, might love Wigtownshire County; however, to that extent, the course is also a bit of a façade. It was a 9 hole course (current holes 1 to 4 and 14 through18) when designed in 1894 by Charlie Hunter, who also designed Machrihanish and Royal Troon, so he has has great pedigree. It was only extended to 18 holes as recently as 1987, by designer Gordon Cunningham, whose work is really brilliant in that you really feel like you’re playing a joined-up 18 holes , unchanged for 100 years.

The 3rd at Wigtownshire, a decent par 4, one of the original 9 holes. This is a typical hole here.

Given the open aspect of the design and its coastal location, weather is going to dominate your experience here. I played in very high winds, with gusts up to 40mph, didn’t break 100, and racked up 4 triple bogies or worse. I suspect the wide fairways and relatively open approaches as well, would see very low scoring in benign conditions. Weather notwithstanding, the would be a great society day out. Good greens, no impossible challenges, 2 nice coastal holes and generally good course conditions.

The par four 10th, one of the very few undulating holes at Wigtownshire County. This was one of the new holes laid down in 1997.

If you’re a lover of links golf and like the historic feel of a basic layout, it’s worth going out of your way to play here, especially as the price represents excellent value and great natural drainage guarantees all year round golf.

Facts:

Course Type: Links

Par 70 (1 par 5, 14 par 4s, 3 par 3s)

Distance: 5829

Moly’s Gross score: 102

Moly’s Wigtownshire County Scorecard – a 102 in very high winds
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