Nice course  – play on Sunday after 3pm for best value golf in the area

Round  £25.   Par 67 (yellow).  Value (out of 5) – 3.5

The small and beautiful 3rd green at Muir of Ord

Muir of Ord is an interesting heathland course, about 13 miles north-west of Inverness close to the Beauly Firth.  The course is bisected by the Inverness-Wick railway line, with the track being a significant hazard on several of the holes.  I played on a Sunday afternoon, taking advantage of a fantastic standing offer of only £10 for a round after 3pm, which is very popular deal.  On the basis of that price the value rating would have been 4.5, rather than 3.5 using the midweek standard price of £25.

The tricky approach to the 4th with the railway line close to the green

The course was established in 1875 and is party laid out by James Braid.  Apparently there has been several changes since Braid’s involvement, but the current layout has some great holes, many unchanged from Braid’s time.

7th tee at Muir of Ord

The first 4 and last 3 holes are on one side of the railway line and are flat and almost links like, with the 5th through 15th on the other side, where the course is more undulating and very different in character.

The tough 14th tee shot

The highlight for me was the 4 hole stretch from 11 to 14.  The par 4 11th, is the stroke index 1 hole, followed immediately by 2 very different par 3s, the 12th is a hazard laden 200+ yard hole and the 13th is a 100 yard hole with a 100 ft climb to a tricky green – the 14th presents a very challenging drive with the railway line tight along the left of the hole.  I suspect these 4 holes will heavily influence your card.

Another hole worth mentioning is the 4th, with a drive and approach again both influenced by the railway.

The course was in beautiful condition when I played in August 2015, with the heather in full bloom, it would be worth playing at this time of year just for the floral colour.   The tees in particular were very well maintained.

I played as well as I’ve done all season, chipping and putting very well, with several single putts in a gross 86, for 37 stableford points.  I had an interesting 6 on the 14th, including playing out of a bush where my ball had come to rest about 2 feet off the ground!  Happy day all round on this very nice course.

A first for me - playing out of the bush to the right of the 14th green.

Why not pray for good weather after 3pm on Sunday!

Some Facts

Course Type: Heathland

Par 67 (13 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow)   5229 yards

Moly’s Gross Score  86

Stableford 37

Moly's Muir of Ord Scorecard - 86, best for a while!

Moly’s Muir of Ord Scorecard – 86, best for a while!