A guide to green fee value for money

Category: Dundee & Angus (Page 1 of 6)

162. Panmure. 24 Aug 2022.

Course with a brilliant stretch of holes including a Hogan favourite.

Round £145. Par 70. Course/Slope Rating (blue) 69.1/128. Value (out of 5) – 3.5

Moly’s score – 100

With it’s ‘Hogan’ room and surrounding legend one could conclude Panmure Golf Club’s role as pivotal in American Ben Hogan’s1953 Open victory at Carnoustie.

Yet, in Gene Gregston’s seminal biography, “The Man Who Played for Glory”, the lengthy chapter dedicated to Hogan’s 1953 trip, doesn’t have a word of Panmure. Even the company NCR (National Cash Registers) gets a mention for accommodating Hogan in Dundee’s Taypark House.

The magnificent 6th, a mid length par 4, and reportedly one of Ben Hogan’s favourite holes.

These contrasting perspectives intrigued me. So many Hogan myths exist, there are books and podcasts dedicated to them. Had I stumbled upon a myth? Had Hogan really ‘played’ here?

There are no photographs of Hogan playing Panmure, although several of him on the Carnoustie Championship and Burnside courses. Other than the Panmure Club’s website I couldn’t readily uncover corroborating contemporaneous evidence. The more I researched Hogan, the meticulous preparer for tournament golf, the more skeptical I became of the story. Hogan was not on holiday, surely he would not have played Panmure, if he could play at Carnoustie. Henry Cotton’s article “Reflections of the 1953 Open”, focused on Hogan and his ‘ten days of preparation’, but again no mention of where.

Ian Ponton, of the Oz Bar in Edinburgh, putts up to the 6th green.

Researching Gregston’s writing finally uncovered a ghost written article for Ben Hogan, in one of America’s oldest institutions, The Saturday Evening Post. In ‘The Greatest Year of My Life’, published on 17th Oct 1953, in Hogan’s own words there it was…. ‘Barry’. But it was only by a quirk of fate.

The superbly bunkered short 11th hole, with the wider view of the Barry links land.

Panmure Golf Club originated in 1845, as one of several clubs using Monifieth Links; the Panmure Ladies Club, of which my wife is a member, still play at Monifieth. Due to golf’s growth the Panmure Club built the Barry course, which is midway between Monifieth and Carnoustie. Initially 9 holes laid out by Old Tom Morris, then 78 years old, it was called Barry Links or Panmure Barry, names still used by locals. James Braid remodeled the course in 1922.

The challenging 12th hole, ‘Buddon Burn’ a par 4, and stroke index 4, at Panmure.

Panmure is one of Scotland’s ‘posh’ and, until 2018, ‘men only’, clubs. One may not realise nearby Broughty Ferry, home to many of the initial Panmure members in their grand houses, was once ‘one of the richest suburbs in Europe’, due to the then industrial might of Dundee. The area’s economic reach still highlighted by Panmure’s impressive clubhouse, a replica of Calcutta Golf Club, a vestige of the British Empire.

Moly drives at the 18th towards the replica of the Calcutta Golf Club clubhouse.

The golf course is exceptionally maintained to professional playing standards. It is a classic out and back clockwise course, with any OOB being on the right. It plays into the prevailing wind on the outward 9 (except for the 7th which doubles back), so I would suggest trying to ensure you stay in play going out, as there will be opportunities to catch up coming home.

The course rates very high nationally, but for me it starts and ends rather tamely. What it does have is an outstanding middle section of holes, starting from the par three 5th, before one of Scotland’s greatest holes, the par four sixth.

The greens and surrounds are championship quality, here shown at the 168 yard 9th hole.

The 6th, ‘Hogan’, is spoken of as Hogan’s ‘favourite Carnoustie hole’, and it’s understandable why. It is a slight dogleg left, with the approach played directly into the prevailing wind, meaning the tee shot is about the worst wind direction for anyone other than the very best ball strikers. Although only 360 yards from the blue tees (Panmure’s equivalent of ‘yellow’), with a blind tee shot into a larger than seen landing area, it becomes nigh impossible in any high wind, as the approach plays to a plateau green through an ever narrowing channel. It has mesmerising natural framing. Like many great holes it’s risk-reward, as the fairway narrows at full driving length. Play it as an easy par 5, to avoid double bogie or worse. The 6th is also the part of the course with natural grassy hummocks, characteristic of this coastline.

Moly’s approach at the 12th, ‘Buddon Burn’, with the grassy hummocks in full display.

How many great holes does it take to make up a great course? That’s a question worth thinking about, especially when one is pondering value? As a Dundonian, I played Panmure several times in the 1970s and 80s, when the price was relatively much cheaper. As with many ‘well heeled’ Scottish clubs nowadays, visitor prices have focused on the more wealthy visitor fees on offer, aided in Panmure’s case by the closeness of Carnoustie. At £145 for a summer season round, I think it’s overpriced, hence my score of 3.5.

Colin Snedon at the par five 2nd, ‘Lochside’. Another mystery as there is no loch, but a pretty cottage!

Returning to the Hogan story, here’s what my investigation concluded. He started off practicing on Carnoustie, as was his plan, but found that its practice area was located next to the Barry Buddon military firing range. For Hogan, this was too noisy! So he then practiced for “an hour to an hour and a half each day at Barry” (Hogan’s words), using the 17th fairway and green (which he had cut shorter), as his practice area. As he was adapting to the smaller UK ball he was focused on his ball striking and yardages. He then went on to Carnoustie each day for his practice rounds and, late into the evenings, meticulously measuring the course, for key distances, as a modern caddy would do for his professional. He played 3 balls on each tee (to left, centre and right of the fairway). He missed one fairway in 4 rounds.

The 5th hole, a short but still very tricky par 3.

Given that he was practicing at Panmure for about a week, for about an hour a day, I think it’s highly unlikely he ever played a round at Panmure. Why would he, when he needed to learn Carnoustie’s monstrous 7,200 yard course.

As to the story of the 6th hole being Hogan’s favourite? Well, intriguingly, Carnoustie Championship course’s 6th hole is also called ‘Hogan’, with its famed ‘Hogan’s Alley’ describing a portion of land created between a loop of the Barry Burn. Might he have been confused? Nonetheless, both 6th holes are candidates for inclusion into a list of great Scottish holes.

The 17th, Ben Hogan’s driving range, helping him prepare for his 1953 Open victory.

Panmure is a great course, full of history, with a brilliant stretch of holes; however, other than for the soldier’s firing on the range, the ‘Hogan’ room at Panmure Golf Club would need another name.

Interestingly, there are still no red tees at Panmure.

Facts:

Course Type: Links

Par 70  (2 par 5s, 12 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance (blue): 6113 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 100

Moly’s 100 included only 1 par. In high winds and wet, just too challenging.

154. Montrose 1562. 11 July 22.

Spectacular natural links, but undermined by misleading branding.

Round £100. Par 70. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 70.3/126. Value (out of 5) – 3

Moly’s score – 91

Golfers often stand on a tee and ask “Where’s the green?”. On Montrose’s first tee, I can imagine a newcomer to links golf asking “Where’s the course?”.

The expanse of links land on view from the Montrose 1562 first tee, albeit in 1562 there would have been no course in this view!

Montrose’s 1562 layout is one of the most natural of all links courses, and as such should be a priority for those wanting to experience this form of the game at its most basic.

Bear in mind the prevailing wind is left to right at this very formidable tee shot at the second on Montrose. Like many, I suspect, I found the brilliantly positioned left hand fairway bunker. I don’t think there can be many holes where the right hand side OOB starts to your left?

Formerly named the Montrose Medal, the ‘1562’ label has only been used since 2018; ‘1562’ derived from the claim that golf has been played on the land from that year. The current course’s story and location actually begins in the 1860s, and evolved over a 50 year period during which a number of legends, starting with Old Tom Morris and ending with Harry Colt who designed the existing course in 1913. Colt had laid out the Montrose Broomfield course a few years earlier (My earlier blog here). So in fact, the more ‘junior’ of the two Montrose courses, ‘Broomfield’, actually pre-dates the ‘1562’ course!

Frank Crowe playing a typical links shot with the putter from well off the 6th green, with the poor fairway condition on show.

Like a number of Scottish Links, there were several different golf clubs that played on the same course, often in club matches versus each other, but sadly only two of them – Royal Montrose Mercantile and Montrose Caledonia – still exist and can be used by visiting golfers.

Brian Fearon putts onto the par three 12th green, one of the holes on the east-west spur away from the coast. Looked over by Gordon Samson

The course is a really honest test of links golf, set on the robust and fast running links land of the Angus coastline. There are six northbound coastal holes, starting from the daunting 2nd, then turning back south for a couple of holes, before an east to west and back gorse-laden spur from holes 10 through 15.

The par three 16th, a very difficult hole. Arguably plays like a par 4, in the prevailing wind.

The par three 16th and par four 17th are then two holes that are good enough for the Championship course of Carnoustie; fitting, as Montrose has been used as a Final Open Qualifying venue. Many a good round will have been destroyed on those late holes.

The characteristic feel of the Montrose 1562 course, here at the “Valley” 8th hole.

Unfortunately, when I played alongside 3 of my former Apex trustees, for the inaugural “Apex Trophy”, the course was not in great condition. We encountered the ‘choice’, but very accurate, language of a few local members of this hardy Angus town, mid way between the cities of Dundee and Aberdeen. I was ‘telt’ by an old guy (in his 80s, fully adorned in football colours) that “Son, the course is in its worst …… state I’ve ever seen and I’ve been a member for more than 50 years!”. It was certainly not conditioned good enough for the £65 twilight round fee, never mind the £100 daytime fee.

Moly teeing it at the final hole, one of the easier holes at Montrose. The original course was off to the left of this hole.

Nevertheless, the bunkers and greens were decent, and the quality of the layout and challenge was never in doubt, with the yellow tees still presenting 6137 yards in length. A strong wind would undo any golfer here.

I played pretty well for 91, but this was nowhere near good enough for the trophy with Gordon Samson shooting an excellent 83 (40 points), and will be severely cut for the next trophy outing!

Facts:

Course Type: Links

Par 70  (1 par 5s, 14 par 4s, 3 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 6137 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 91

Moly’s Montrose 1562 scorecard – 91

152. Forfar. 9 July 22.

Incredible and possibly unique golf course.

Round £50. Par 69. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 67.2/119. Value (out of 5) – 5

Forfar is an incredible golf course. Although I’m a native Dundonian and played football in nearby Forfar many times, I had never actually played the golf course – I had no idea what I’d been missing all those years. Whenever I’ve mentioned Forfar to my non-Scots friends, I always get “Forfar four, East Fife five!”. It should be famous for its golf course.

The 4th, ‘Cat Law, a tough par four, with Forfar’s terrain on show.

Having read many reviews of Forfar golf course, I was struck by the number of writers commenting on the unusual terrain – “it’s an ‘inland links'” said many.

The majestically bunkered 17th hole – this is typical of the views playing Forfar.

The geology is very marked. It has hummocks and undulations with so much similarity to a links. Look at the fairways, and it could be Scotscraig, near St Andrews. Look at the numerous Scots Pine, with the hilly surrounds, and it could be Boat of Garten in the Highlands. The wonderful heather and bunkered green surrounds, would make their way easily onto Lanark, Edzell or any number of the great heathland courses.

The blind tee shot at the par four 2nd hole.

I’ve played over 200 golf courses throughout the world, from the Monteray Peninsular, through the championship layouts of South Africa and Australia. Ryder Cup parkland courses and Open Championship links. Asian tour venues. Forfar is both like none of them and yet like all of them, simultaneously.

The green complex at the fifth, a challenging long par 3.

On land influenced by the remnant boulders of the last ice age, Forfar sits only 15 miles north of Carnoustie and 15 miles south of Glen Clova in the Angus Glens. The golf course has a lengthy history, claiming to be “the 4th oldest 18 hole course in the world and is the very first Club to have an 18 hole course from inception and inauguration”.  This latter comment is carefully contructed, since there are many earlier 18 hole courses, for example the Lundin/Leven Links (blog here) 18 holes dates to 1868, 3 years before the creation of Forfar.

The approach to the seventh, the par four, ‘Quarry’, SI 2 hole. Play long and right, if you can hit the green in 2.

The course was designed by Old Tom Morris, at a time when no major earth moving was done in course construction. So all that you walk on is natural. The green surrounds are at times genius, which makes sense since James Braid carried out a redesign in 1926, but the majority of the holes remained the same. Overall, its a beautiful golfing challenge.

The tricky 18th green to find from a blind approach shot. I was lucky to choose the right club, to get my 3rd birdie of the day. Very unusual for me!

Despite having a few weaker holes, notably the par three ninth, there are many that are memorable. When we played on a calm, July day, the course was in great condition. The fairways were dry and fast running, the turf was firm, the greens slick, the bunkers consistently first class and the teeing grounds all excellent.

The wonderful 12th hole, the SI 1 hole on the course. A par four of 422 yards (yellow).

Value for money is undoubtedly 5 star, at the £50 mid-week rate; we paid only £20 through a Golfnow ‘hot deal’ for a Saturday twilight time. In fact, unbeatable golfing value.

The 10th, a mid length par 4, where storms had left their mark with a loss of trees.

If I had to select only 10 courses that collectively represented the range of golf in Scotland, Forfar might just be be my number one pick, it is that unique. As to its overall ranking, it regularly appears in the “Top 100” Scotland courses, typically around 70th place. This doesn’t do it justice for me, I think it’s easy to justify a top 50 placing.

I can’t recommend Forfar high enough.

Facts:

Course Type: “Inland Links?”

Par 67  (1 par 5s, 13 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 5754 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 84

Moly’s Forfar scorecard – a commendable 84. 3 birdies and 3 triple bogies!

148. Ballumbie Castle. 5 Jul 22.

Perennial struggle for Ballumbie Castle

Round £25. Par 69. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 68.3/122. Value (out of 5) – 2

With good municipal courses still available in Scotland, but declining in number due to council budget cuts, the race is well underway to see whether courses like Ballumbie Castle survive.

The dog leg right 2nd hole, the common feature on this fairly uninspiring and ‘tired’ course

I know this course and area well, it being a stone’s throw from my wife’s family home. I was intrigued during the late 80s and 90s when several courses were built in the wider area, including Letham Grange, near Arbroath, which finally closed in 2019. I was skeptical about the business case for these courses, often heralded as part of housing or leisure developments. My question was why pay more to play Ballumbie than nearby municipal Caird Park or Monifieth Links? Moreover, why pay more for Letham Grange when as an Angus resident you qualified for nearby world class Carnoustie?

The par three 11th, the best hole on the course, not surprisingly the area dominated by overlooking houses.

Look closely at the 20 years of Ballumbie Castle’s history and you uncover a repeated saga of dissolved companies or companies in administration and protracted housing development applications. The last point is the open secret, the land’s inherent value is in housing, not golf which is often a means to an end. The former dream of living in a golf development must be a bitter pill for those still housed overlooking the former Letham Grange course landscape. Ballumbie Castle Estate householders must wonder how long their golf course views will remain.

Fran at the par three 4th hole, where we both nearly made birdie.

The course itself is laid out in 4 varying sized parcels of land around a small hill and housing access roads, with fairly long walks between the sections. There is a nice mix of holes, but the predominant feature is of dog-leg right par fours, with seven of them. Not great if you are a mid length fader of the ball, like most mid to high handicap right handers. Low handicap faders though must revel on this course.

12th green at Ballumbie Castle, a short par three at 141 yards

Over the years, the course condition has declined steadily, matching the financial struggles of each management regime. Whereas the tees were previously pristine with great tee box markings, those days are long gone, with only one tee box marker (the 17th) being left from its glory days.

The greens and fairways were still okay, but the bunkers could have been better kept.

Moly at the 11th green, a long par 3, which should have a higher stroke index in my book.

I played very well, shooting 82, the best I’ve done here, picking up birdies at the par three 4th and the par four 9th. But my decent round doesn’t deflect from the general ‘tired’ state of Ballumbie. If you get a good deal, through golfnow as I did, it’s worth playing, but there’s better value to be found nearby at the full price.

The very strong par four finishing hole at Ballumbie Castle, take at least one club more to get up to the green, take two more if the oin is on the upper level.

The current planning application for housing being debated will see several of the holes being replaced with housing, so it remains to be seen the golfing future of Ballumbie Castle.

Facts:

Course Type: Parkland

Par 69  (2 par 5s, 11 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 5716 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 82

Moly’s 82 at Ballumbie, including two birdies and two 7s.
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