This flat and featureless links is a poor Montrose companion
Round £25. Par 66. Value (out of 5) 2
Golf was first recorded on the Montrose Links in 1562 which makes it the fifth oldest links in the world; only at St Andrews has golf been played continuously longer on the same land.
First at Montrose Broomfield – a typical hole on this flat course.
Montrose is therefore heaped in golfing history, but whilst the Medal course can lay claim to historical greatness, one should not get over enthused by its smaller neighbour – the Broomfield course. It was originally a 9 hole course laid out in 1907, and then extended to 18 by the renowned architect Harry Colt, during a time when he was significantly altering the Medal course, one of his earlier golfing works.
The 9th green on The Broomfield close to the Montrose town.
The Broomfield is a short and pretty flat links course, which will vary in difficultly wholly dependent on the wind. At only 4822 yards from the common white/red tees, this is a course that is within reach of most golfers, and there are several birdie opportunities, evidenced by my score of 79, the first time for several years I have broken 80, including birdies at the par 4 1st and 15th holes. I was playing off my new handicap of 17:)
The secret of good scoring was keeping the ball on the fairway, and avoiding the relatively few, but deep, bunkers, plus avoiding the small burn that came into play on the 3rd, 4th and 13th fairways and in front of the 5th and 12th greens.
The 11th on The Broomfield, one of the few more defined holes.
When I played the greens were in good condition, but the tees were in need of more care – the fairways were typically dried out allowing significant roll, meaning approach shots had to be judged carefully.
Par 3 17th at The Broomfield in Montrose
The highlights for me were the holes played towards the town, namely the 9th and 15th, which give a real sense of the historical closeness between the people and golf. There were also a couple of holes, the 8th and 11th, which being more enclosed by surrounding shrubs, making them more memorable.
In summary, Broomfield is a good course to learn the game, or for a warm up before playing the Medal, but not worth going out of your way to play on its own.
Some Facts
Course Type: Links
Par 66 (12 par 4s, 6 par 3s)
Distance Yards 4822 (white)
Moly’s Gross Score: 79
Moly’s rare Broomfield scorecard – a 79!