Great course worth playing, but only good value with discounted green fee
Round £60. Par 71. Value (out of 5) 3.
Edzell Golf Course, in the nice village of Edzell close to the Angus Glens, was established in 1895. It is located close to the main A90 between Dundee and Aberdeen so is very easily accessed and well worth playing.
The course was designed by Bob Simpson, with further input from James Braid in the 1930s and recently in 2015 was upgraded by Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert a company with a growing and prestigious global catalogue. The current course lays testimony to golfing architecture at its best; the course fits naturally to its surroundings with, in particular, a great array of fairway bunkers which will especially challenge the longer hitters.
The dangerous 9th hole approach – keep it left!
The course is part heathland part parkland but the fairways are generous. The greens are very large, with some subtle fairway hollows, making it important to check your yardage. Some of the front flag locations are very tricky when coupled to the tight greenside bunkering.
The par 3 14th at Edzell emblazed with Winter sun
After a relatively straight forward par 4 first, the 2nd, 4th and 5th are all long par 4s, at well over 400 yards. The 6th is also a tricky par 3 with 5 green side bunkers, where most golfers will be using a hybrid or fairway wood. After a bit of respite at 7 and 8, the par 5 9th presents a hazardous approach with a steep river bank close to the right of the green. Play well left with your second and third shots, in my advice.
The 15th, with a typical array of dangerous fairway bunkers
To score well at Edzell you need to get through the first 9 without disaster (I didn’t!). I suspect many cards are deposited in a waste bin before the 10th tee!
Of the many highlights on the back 9, my favourite was the aptly named 16th, the “Spion Kop”, with 2 very large green side bunkers on a devilishly sloping bank. Don’t take on a front pin here.
The relatively straight forward par 5 18th, with the fine clubhouse and Edzell village in the background
The course was playing winter tees but full greens when I played and in excellent condition, although several of the bunkers were undergoing re-construction; this didn’t dilute my enjoyment though. I played pretty well for a 97, or 29 stableford points, including the front 9 disasters.
My only gripe is I think the headline green fee, at £60 in summer, is slightly high, no doubt subsidising the £550 membership fees. However, I played using teeofftimes and got a good deal.
Some Facts
Course Type: Parkland/heathland
Par 71 (2 par 5, 13 par 4s, 3 par 3s)
Distance yards: 6182
Moly’s Gross Score: 97
Moly’s Edzell Scorecard – played better than the score of 97 suggests, for 29 points (16 hcp)
