Scotland Golf Bible

A guide to green fee value for money

Category: 4.5 star (Page 2 of 5)

142. Kingsknowe. 23 May 22.

August 5, 2022 /

Brilliantly priced golf course with divergence of views

Round £35. Par 69. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 68/113. Value (out of 5) – 4.5

When I played Kingsknowe, pronounced Kings-NOW, on a magnificent May day, with clear skies and beautiful views, I was struck by how much the surroundings of the golf course must have changed over the last 100 years, since its foundation in 1908. It has literally ‘lived’ amongst the great social changes of the 20th Century.

Great downhill par three first of 167 yards, a tough par to start, with longstanding views towards the Queensferry Crossing, the Tillicoultry Mountains and Ochil Hills

Sitting on the western side of Edinburgh, Kingsknowe is only 4 miles from Edinburgh Castle, obviously well within the city boundary. However, go back over 100 years, and the course would have been surrounded by countryside. At the time, the nearby Union Canal, was one of the main traffic routes near the course.

The long third hole, 470 yards, into the prevailing wind, with Arthurs Seat in the background.

Initially laid out by the 1902 ‘Champion golfer of the year’ Alec Herd, the first major impact the club suffered was the loss, during WWI, of 27 of its members, commemorated by a plaque in the clubhouse and recorded on the Imperial War Museum website here. During the second world war, by which time James Braid had been commissioned to implement some architectural changes, some of his changes were turned to farming use to support the war effort.

The justifiably chosen stroke index 1, par four, 5th hole, at well over 400 yards.

The course opens with a tricky par three, very untypical of a Braid Course, which normally has a straight forward short par four to get things going. The course character is further reinforced with the dog leg right 2nd, then a long par five into the prevailing wind. Playing to handicap through the first three is a challenge.

The 10th green, with the dominating views of Wester Hailes housing estate. Many of the holes could be named “Wester Hailes”

With several more undulating and dog legs, I was very surprised by the Slope Rating of only 113 (yellow), but I guessed this may be due to its relatively short length and the fact that there are no – yes zero – fairway bunkers. This bunker situation makes me question the validity of Braid’s involvement in the design, as he placed so much emphasis on this element of architecture. If anyone knows of his exact involvement, that would be interesting.

The actual “Wester Hailes” hole, 12th par 4, surprisingly not the one with most views of the estate.

Another great social change, is highlighted at the 12th, “Wester Hailes”, a mid length par 4. Named after the revolutionary housing development immediately to the north of the course, the social housing is actually visible on a great number of the holes. The large and formidable wrought iron boundary fence, tells only a fraction of the story.

Following slum closures elsewhere in Edinburgh, in the 60s, Wester Hailes, a development of over 4000 homes was to be one of the most ambitious housing projects in Europe. It transpired within 20 years into a haven of crime in which parts of the development were referred to as “Vietnam”. The Edinburgh News writes about “How a field of Dreams turned into a Concrete Jungle“. The building of the housing required the culverting of the Union Canal.

Whilst the ‘polis’ were dealing with major crime one side of the golf course, just over the fairways sits Merchiston Castle, the last all male boarding school in Scotland. Such a contrasting start to life, so close to each other. I wonder what percentage of the membership is from Wester Hailes?

17th, “Plateau”, a short par 4, where like many I suspect I grossly under-clubbed with my second shot. Take 3 more clubs.

Back to the golf – tree lined, but not interfering too much, Kingsknowe, with its fine clubhouse, serves as a excellent society day. It’s is very well priced for visitors, I got a rate of only £22 through Golfnow, but the full summer fee of £35 still represents excellent value.

The course was in excellent condition, especially the teeing grounds. The greenside bunkers were great, highlighting the lack of fairway bunkers hadn’t diminished the green keeping skills.

The magnificent clubhouse as a backdrop to the welcoming 18th green.

In a very high wind, up to 30 mph, I shot 87, four over net. This included almost driving the short par 4 finishing hole, but ending in a small copse left of the green. I won’t describe the rest of my play in recording a 7, but still came back in 40 shots.

Well worth playing at this well manicured and highly enjoyable course, where the hole names are also worth taking note with their clues – “Wee Drap”!

Course Type: Parkland

Par 69 (1 par 5s, 13 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance: 5728 (yellow)

Moly’s Gross score: 87

Moly’s Kingsknowe scorecard, 87. Good back nine of 40, including a tripple bogie on 18th!

135. Bellshill. 28 Mar 22.

June 16, 2022 /

A great lesson in the use of internal OOB at this excellent course, built on a key social history site

Round £25. Par 69. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 68.3/120. Value (out of 5) – 4.5

I really liked playing Bellshill. Set in lovely parkland alongside Strathclyde Country Park, it is a popular venue for golfing societies given its central and easily accessed location. Founded in 1905, with 9 holes, and later extended to 18, it has an excellent history documented here by one of its former captains Alexander Gardner; it doesn’t record the course designer.

The quality is clear right at the start at Bellshill – here the long par four (449 yards) opening hole.

Look deeper into the course’s history and you uncover a remarkable story of societal development, that I suspect the vast majority of local golfers know nothing about.

It’s very fitting you enter the golf course through a humble, working class area. Go back 200 years and you would be sited on the Orbiston Community, set up by ‘Owenites’, the followers of the Welsh social reformer, Robert Owen (1771-1858). It was a community of ‘co-operation and equality and to social provisions, such as education and welfare’. Robert married a local Scottish woman, hence his association to Lanarkshire. Like many ‘utopian’ projects, it didn’t last forever, albeit the par three 8th hole is still called “Orbiston”.

Moly about to drive at the mid length 12th hole – the 351 yard par four, stroke index 6 hole. Beware the tree in the fairway at about 220 yards, just visible here.

The course has 9 holes either side of a main railway line, with the first five and last four being on the side of the clubhouse. There is excellent signage to navigate between holes and either side of the line.

If you look at the first hole and the last 4 holes, you get a sense that it was an experienced course architect who first laid out Bellshill. Variety, undulations, appropriate bunkering and good green surrounds are testament to the quality of the designer.

The brilliant short par four 6th hole. Both “easy” and a “potential nightmare”

There are some memorable holes, in my book most notably the sixth. A short par four of only 292 yards, from both white and yellow tees, it has a blind tee shot over a slight brow about 140 yards from the tee. With a green fronted bunker and a front to back sloping green, it is impossible to drive. I was very lucky to unknowingly hit driver, which came up just short of the bunker. With a front pin, it was then impossible to get close to. Somewhat lucky to get a par 4, I preceded to have an interesting conversation with a greenkeeper on the next hole. He said many members don’t like the 6th hole, but the more experienced golfers, “just hit two short irons hoping for a single putt”. Alternatively, with a good bunker game, a shot into the front green bunker is also an option. A good example of a short hole giving good options, at all levels.

Many courses can learn from Bellshill’s good use of an internal OOBs, here shown at the 4th hole where OOB is on the right of the hole.


The course had very few fairway bunkers, but that was compensated by many undulating greens, some very difficult. The good finish, from holes 15 to 18, includes some card wreckers, most notably the stoke index 4, 16th par four. The 18th, with OOB right, is also a difficult green to hit in two.

The 8th hole “Orbiston”, a tough par 3, named after the community founded by Robert Owen the 18th Century social reformer.

I had a solid game, scoring 88, or net 74, 5 over par. Any time over 30 points on a new course, I’m very satisfied. The condition of the course was superb when I played. At an annual membership just under £600, it represents a great value course to play on regularly amongst the many available in this urban area of Central Scotland.

The difficult par three 17th hole, ‘Babylon’, part of the very fine last four hole stretch at Bellshill.

I had a great and welcoming conversation with two local members in the changing rooms and did indeed get a feeling of ‘community’ which somehow felt right. They told me a great many members volunteer to maintain the course in such good condition. I was let wondering if they knew how fitting that was and how proud Robert Owen might have felt at that feeling of community.

Course Type: Parkland

Par 69 (0 par 5s, 15 par 4s, 3 par 3s)

Distance: 5818 (yellow)

Moly’s Gross score: 88

Moly’s 88 at Bellshill – a solid golfing day.

134. Fereneze. 27 Mar 22.

June 9, 2022 /

What a great surprise to find this course, so close to Glasgow

Round £30. Par 71. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 67.7/123. Value (out of 5) – 4.5

“Go and play Fer-En-Eeze”, said the helpful professional at Gailes Links in Irvine, when I told him my mission of playing all golf courses. “I’m talking about Scottish golf courses”, said I, thinking his suggestion sounded more Italian than Scottish. “It’s in Barrhead” he said. That, of course, didn’t make it any easier to understand the name.

The first, but by no means the last, magnificent view towards Glasgow. Here at the second, looking back towards the tee. A difficult short hole at 140 yards, playing at least 1-2 clubs longer.

Fereneze has been, to date, the most wonderful surprise of courses I’ve played. A quite remarkable heathland setting with exceptional views over Glasgow and the Clyde valley. Set only a few hundred feet above the tough town of Barrhead, a place more known for products most peed on by UK residents – i.e. Armitage Shanks porcelain!

The start of the moorland holes, the par five third, is also the most difficult hole at Fereneze. Keep your drive left to avoid finding the gorse at this left to right sloping hole (bottom right quadrant highlights).

The ‘rough’ town claim is well justified; when searching for information on Fereneze Golf Club you keep finding stories like local youths setting fire to the heathland or the greenkeepers spending much of their time cleaning up the cans and bottles from heathland parties. None of that, however, should put you off playing at Fereneze, which provides excellent value.

The lovely par three 7th at Fereneze at 148 yards.

As to the the origin of Fereneze golf club, little is really documented other than on its crest showing it was established in 1904. The club sadly no longer operates a web site. The course is situated on The Fereneze Hills and the origin of the name is reportedly from a Gaelic name “Fernieneese” as it is spelled in some old records—meaning, fern, or alder [reference: A History of the Parish of Neilston].

The drivable par four 9th at Fereneze, where Moly 4 putted from just off the front of the green….ouch!

Back to the golf course. The Gailes Links professional, was spot on. Fereneze is well worth a visit. After a severely uphill par four opening hole, followed by a tricky par three, your walk to the third tee leaves you in no doubt what you are then facing. A magnificent piece of moorland; dry fairways, gorse and broom in abundance. Thankfully, I played on an exceptionally dry and unseasonably warm March day. I can imagine this being a windswept landscape that takes no golfing prisoners.

A more successful hole for Moly, here just missing a birdie at the 320 yard par four 11th hole.

The course is a par 71, but relatively short at 5676 yards. Most of the variety is in the front nine, with the back nine having only one par three (the 14th) and the rest being par fours. That makes for a fairly imbalanced layout; with the last few holes being the most disinteresting. But there is still plenty of variety in the use of blind shots and dog legs, to retain your interest. The course was in excellent condition and playing like a June day, not a March one. For example, I nearly reached the green at the par four 9th (300 yards) and actually reached the green at the 377 yard 18th which was both downhill and downwind.

The severely downhill par four 18th hole at Fereneze, Moly 3 putted for par after driving the green. That typified the day really.

The greens were very fast and the sand excellent. Although generous off the tee, finding the rough or gorse tended to mean double bogie. Stay on the fairway, even if that means taking iron from the tees. I shot 92 for 30 stableford points, and felt I played more solidly than my score suggests.

The shop staff were a little cold, and not particularly helpful towards my wife in seeking where the ladies toilets were. It was the only downside of an otherwise memorable golfing day.

Course Type: Heathland

Par 71 (3 par 5s, 11 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance: 5676 (yellow)

Moly’s Gross score: 90

Moly’s 90 at Fereneze, a course well worth playing.

121. Newbattle. 22 June 2021.

February 24, 2022 /

This oasis might be the cheapest Harry Colt course in the world?

Round £40. Par 69. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 68.1/127. Value (out of 5) – 5

Drive through Dalkeith, which might appear a bit drab, and through the car park of Newbattle GC and you are met with a graceful parkland layout, with many magnificent trees, that just seems so unexpected. The course is an easy walking affair, other that the 2 holes (2nd and 17th) that play across the river esk valley that sits between the opening and closing holes and the rest of the course. With a substantial club house, this makes Newbattle a great venue for a group or society day out.

The delightful 17th at Newbattle, a par 4, stroke index 4, which must be a formidable match play hole. The River Esk is just visible, and never comes into play.

We know about the genius of some golf course design; the majestic Augusta of Alister McKenzie, the natural beauty and guile of The Old Course, the brutal nature of Pete Dye’s Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. Sometimes though, great golf course design is difficult to put your finger on.

When I played Newbattle, in Dalkeith near Edinburgh, it felt great, not because I played well, not because the weather was nice, but because ‘it just did’. It was almost indescribable why the course flowed so well and that I think is real genius. That was what Harry Colt design can be.

The very well bunkered par three 11th hole, ‘Roundel’, at Newbattle.

Although the Newbattle club was formed in 1896, the current full 18 hole course, the Colt legacy, was built in Dalkeith in 1934. Originally linked to Dalkeith Golf Club (1880), it’s called Newbattle as it’s within the historic boundary of Newbattle Abbey, a Roman Catholic monastery, and a key part of the Scottish religious story.

The tee markers, here at the 9th, are typical of the small yardage differences at Newbattle

When Fran and I played on a delightful mid summer day, the course was very busy, but never seemed to get back logged. The tees, fairways and greens were immaculate, with the bunkers still unraked due to the ongoing Covid Pandemic.

After pulling my opening drive about 2 yards out of bounds left, then hitting my second ball over the back of the first green, that turned out to be my only ‘blob’ in returning an 89, for 35 stableford points. If it were a competition though, it wouldn’t have troubled the scorers on this ideal day for golf.

The approach to the 13th at Newbattle, with Arthur’s Seat in the background

Play aside, this is a great little course well worth playing as part of an East Lothian tour. In terms of East Lothian value for money, it must be near the top of the pile. It’s certainly underrated in my opinion. The stand out holes for me, were the 5th, a long par 4, and easily the Stroke Index 1 hole and the long par 3 14th hole. To score well though, you need to avoid the clever and penalising bunkers.

The relatively easy finish at Newbattle, except if you find the copse of trees beside the green

There is an argument to say Harry Colt, the main contributor to many of the world’s great courses, including 3 on the Open Championship rota (Muirfield, Royal Liverpool, Royal Portrush), is the foremost designer of his age. I think Newbattle might just be the cheapest green fee of the more than 100 courses designed in whole or part by Colt.

Course Type: Parkland

Par 69 (1 par 5s, 13 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance: 5753

Moly’s Gross score: 89

Moly’s scorecard – a very decent 89
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