Category: 1901 – 1945 (Page 12 of 14)

31. Garmouth & Kingston. 8 Sep 2015

September 15, 2015 / Moly McMillan

Lovely Parkland & Links Course! – worth playing just for the 15th Tee shot!

Round £20. Par 67. Value (out of 5) – 4

Garmouth & Kingston Golf Club lies on the west bank of the mouth of the River Spey, which comes into play only on the 15th, but still probably eats up a great deal of golf balls – more later.

2nd tee – Garmouth & Kingston

The course was founded in 1932, and at a little over 5000 yards presents, in theory, a reasonably straight forward test of golf, with several short par 3s and par 4s. Its a very interesting layout, with a parkland front 9 and a links back 9 – it is literally 2 different golf courses.

5th Green at Garmouth & Kingston – course is in beautiful condition

It’s also very flat and an easy walk, with some good views, especially of the Moray Firth on the links side – its a really great course for a round whilst on holiday, with many local attractions for the non golfer.

13th green with the Moray Firth in the distance.

The course was in perfect condition when I played, with beautiful fairways and greens. At only £20 for a round it is great value golf.

There are a number of nice holes, with most of the par 3s quite short, but they are well guarded so club selection is important, and I suspect difficult if any wind gets up.

The frightening 15th tee – pray for a left to right wind.

The highlight of the course is the par 3 15th played alongside the River Spey – a right to left wind would make this hole a nightmare, and must destroy many a medal round. I played badly, except for the 15th where an 8 iron to only 7 feet left me my first birdie for a while – highly enjoyable.

Worth playing just for the 15th! Lovely little course and great value.

Some Facts

Course Type: Parkland & Links

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

Distance (yellow) 5046 yards

Moly’s Gross Score 99

Stableford 29

Moly’s Garmouth & Kingston Scorecard – 99

25. Boat of Garten. 4 Aug 2015

August 8, 2015 / Moly McMillan

“The Boat” – the “must play” highland course

Weekday round £45; weekend £49. Par 70. Value (out of 5) – 4.5

The Ladies 2nd tee,, with Cairngorms in the background

“The Boat”, close to Aviemore in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, was founded in 1898, with the current 18 hole layout designed by the renowned James Braid in 1930.

The course could serve as the definition of what a “highland course” should be – a good variation of challenging holes carved into a surrounding landscape of trees, heather and broom, against a backdrop of the Cairngorm mountains.

The magnificent 6th “Avenue”

On a good day, especially if playing well, then this may be as close to golfing paradise as it gets. This has been recognised through the many accolades the course has won, including being “Scotland’s No 1 Hidden Gem”.

8th approach – Boat of Garten

The combination of (invariably) wind, changeable weather and some undulating fairways, makes “the Boat” feel and play longer than its 5876 yards from the white tees. Play to your handicap here versus the SSS 69 and many will rightly be referring you to the Handicap committee.

Regardless of your play, this is a beautifully architected course. The unusual opening par 3 first hole at nearly 190 yards is normally played into the prevailing wind – with danger left and right – par or bogie is a good start. Then the 2nd and 4th played in the same direction, mean that getting to the 5th tee with your score intact is key to your overall score. After a bit of respite at the 5th, normally with the wind, the 6th, called “Avenue” is a magnificent longer par 4, played to a plateau green.

Boat of Garten – 11th Ladies Tee

There are then many further great holes on this course, with only the 9th and 10th being the main easier birdie contenders. The 18th is a fantastic hole, demanding a long drive if you are to have any chance of holding a shot on the plateau green.

The course was in lovely condition when I played, with the greens true and fast.

Boat of Garten’s 18th approach

Due to its celebrity this is a popular course with visitors from both home and abroad, therefore ensure to make a booking. I played a twilight round (after 4pm) at only £30 – brilliant value.

Some Facts

Course Type: Highland

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

Distance (white) 5876 yards

Moly’s Gross Score 99

Moly’s Boat of Garten Scorecard

23. Auchterderran. 15th July 2015

July 16, 2015 / Moly McMillan

Good value golf on an interesting little course.

Summary: £10 for 9 holes, £12 for 18. Par 33. Value (out of 5) – 3

Nice views from Auchterderrans 6th green

Although Auchterderran golf course, located in the Fife village of Cardenden, was established in 1904, in many ways it feels a younger, less mature course. It is one of 7 courses managed by the Fife Golf Trust which was established in 2011 to take over Fife Council’s directly managed courses. This is becoming a common practice by Local Authorities in Scotland to manage golf courses.

The devilishly difficult long par 3 5th, “Burma Road”

It’s a nice layout in the space available, with a good mix of holes. This is a course for all, with some are pretty straightforward holes, but the 3rd, 5th and 8th are potential card wreckers that will challenge the low handicap player.

3rd green looking down fairway

The long par 3 5th, at 241 yards, called Burma Road, is a very tough par 3, which for most golfers should be played as a 4. It has a small green, and out of bounds down the left. A bogie 4 is a good score in my book. Another tip, which I did not follow (meaning 2 lost balls) was playing safe on the 8th, which has a narrow gap at driving length. Given another chance I would have played a 7 iron off the tee.

2nd green towards adjacent water (not in play on course)

The course is maintained by volunteer members and therefore the condition is not great, but then again the price is very reasonable, so it still represents good value golf. The fairways in particular need a lot of work, but the greens were good and true.

The people I met were very friendly. It’s worth a game, if you have an hour or 2 to spare on your travels.

Key Facts

Course Type: parkland

Full Green Fees:

Par 33 (0 par 5, 6 par 4s, 3 par 3s)

Distance (yellow) 2318 yards

Moly’s Gross score:

Moly’s Auchterderran 9 hole scorecard – 46

21. Kirriemuir. 9th July 2015

July 9, 2015 / Moly McMillan

Kirriemuir – Gateway to the Angus Glens

Summary: Round Sun-Fri £24; Sat £28 . Par 68. Value (out of 5) – 3.5

Detail: Kirriemuir is the “Gateway” to the Angus Glens, the collective name for the six

Approach to 4th, with Angus Glens in the background

glens (Glens Doll, Clova, Prosen, Isla, Lethnot and Esk) which run in the same general direction stretching through the Angus countryside towards the edge of the Cairngorm National Park.

Kirriemuir, close to Glamis Castle, is one of several towns in the area with golf courses, therefore golf here can be part of a holiday, with walking, cycling and fishing being other sports abundantly on offer.

7th green at Kirriemuir

Kirriemuir is a lovely course, with spectacular open country views of the Glens, particularly on the front 9. The course is not long, so if you get off the tee well, you’ll be leaving your mid irons in the bag. I didn’t use an iron longer than an 8 off the fairway. Therefore, this is a course that most players can play well on.

13th Green at Kirriemuir looking towards the tee

The greens were excellent when I played, as were the fairways – overall a very well kept course, with ample fairways. The course has been described as Heathland, but I think Parkland if more fitting given the amount of trees. The main difficultly I faced was the slickness of the greens, which meant holding an iron onto the green difficult.

The only annoyance when I played was the use of mats on the par 3s, which given the condition of the tees was not necessary in my view.

16th Green at Kirriemuir

The highlights of the course for me, was the par 4 13th stoke index 1, which you need to be to the right of the fairway to approach the well guarded green. There was the unusual finish of par 3s at both the 16th and 17th holes, with the 17th being the toughest of the par 3s.

Long par 3 17th at Kirriemuir

Kirriemuir is a course where every level of golfer has the opportunity to play well, and is well worth a visit

Key Facts

Course Type: parkland/heathland

Green Fees:

Round: Sun-Fri £24; Sat £28
Day: Sun-Fri £32; Sat £36

Par 68 (0 par 5, 14 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance(white) 5223 yards

Moly’s Gross Score 91

Moly’s Kirriemuir Scorecard – 91