Category: Members (Page 19 of 26)

61. Ballater. 2nd Aug 2017.

August 3, 2017 / Moly McMillan

Good course in the heart of Deeside which offers challenge for all levels.

Summary: Cost £35. Par 67. Score 94. Value (out of 5) – 3.

Ballater seemed a good choice to return to golf blogging after several months absence due mainly to my sojourn to watch the British Lions take on the All Blacks. Ballater is 40 miles east of Aberdeen, in the heart of Royal Deeside, an area I spent many happy years hill walking in during my teens. The “royal” tag comes as Balmoral Castle, The Queen’s summer residence, is only a few miles away.

18th green and large clubhouse at Ballater

A nine hole golf course was founded in Ballater in 1892, and extended to 18 in 1905, the pedigree of the course demonstrated by an exhibition match between James Braid and Harry Vardon in 1906.

Although the course is described on it’s web site as mainly heathland with parkland characteristics, I beg to differ and say it’s actually the other way round, and felt much more parkland to me. Although surrounded by hills and forest, the course is surprisingly flat and offers an easy walk. With many fairways adjacent to each other, with only light rough in between, it offers regular opportunity to be wild off the tee and still easily find your ball – something I unfortunately took advantage of often! However, overall this is not an easy course with some very tricky greenside bunkers (some of which are blind to your approach shots) and some very penal rough.

The very large 1st green at Ballater

Although the course lies close to the River Dee the river does not come into play as often, by comparison, as Braemar (further along the Dee). These open fairways and lack of water in play, means the course is quite good for holiday golfers. However, the course is quite busy and I would recommend booking, especially during the Summer months.

The course has some challenges in particular the opening six holes are very tough – I double bogied the first 5 holes, and actually felt I struck the ball well! The 3 par 3s on the opening 9 holes are particularly tough, culminating with the 9th hole which has a semi blind small green.

The typically Scottish 2nd green at Ballater with the town houses in background

The course was in all round good condition when I played, with good greens and lush but firm fairways. I played better than my scorecard would suggest. It felt like a 30 point day, but with 3 balls lost, for 6 penalties, made it only 25 points. I had a nice birdie 2 on the par 3 17th though.

I played having booked through the teeofftimes.co.uk website and paid £22.50 versus the course published price of £35 for a midweek round. At £22.50 it would be worth 4/5 for value but only 3/5 using its rack rate.

It’s worth playing this nice course, which also has a big bar and good value restaurant food.

Tricky Par 3 5th at Ballater

Note: I had to use my phone for pictures, which are not the usual standard….sorry!

Key Facts

Course Type: Parkland

Par 67 (0 par 5s, 13 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 5582

Moly’s Gross score: 94.

Moly’s Ballater scorecard – 94 for only 25 Stableford points:(

59. Edzell. 15th Dec 2016.

December 15, 2016 / Moly McMillan

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)

58. Falkland. 12th Dec 2016.

December 12, 2016 / Moly McMillan

Flat uninteresting course with a football pitch on the second fairway!

Round (9 holes) £10. Par 34. Value (out of 5) 2

I had been looking forward to playing Falkland, home of the historic Falkland Palace, for such a long time. As a sought after location in Fife, within commuting distance to Edinburgh and set close to the Lomond Hills, I had been expecting much more than I found. Especially, after reading of the “undulating parkland with breathtaking views” on the club’s web site.

8th at Falkland, the only 2 tier green on the course

So here are the facts: the course is very flat; the 2 dog leg holes (7 and 9) are enforced through right angle fences of adjacent property; and there is a football pitch on the 2nd fairway! There are, granted, some nice views of the Lomond Hills but they are in no way “breathtaking”.

The 2nd fairway at Falkland and football pitch!

The 9 hole course was founded in 1902. However, there are records of golf being played on 3rd Feb 1503 in the vicinity of the Palace by King James in a match against the Earl of Boswell who reportedly won.

On the day I played, the clubhouse was closed although the green keeper was very friendly, and also fully engaged on treating the greens to rid them of the moss which has set in.

Approach to the 7th at Falkland with Lomond Hills in view

The course presents an interesting challenge off the tee, if you are a hooker of the ball that is, with out of bounds coming into play on holes 1, 2, 3 and 7. Other than that there wasn’t much to write about of interest, other than the view beyond the 9th green of the majestic Falkland Palace.

Approach to the 9th at Falkland with the Palace in the background

Ata price of £15 for 18 holes, this is a course, in my opinion, suited for those taking up golf or just an occasional golfer, but likely to be a disappointment to many well travelled golfers. On the day I shot 43, including hitting it out of bounds at the 3rd!

Some Facts

Course Type: Parkland

Par 34 (1 par 5, 5 par 4s, 3 par 3s)

Distance yards: 2494

Moly’s Gross Score: 43

Moly’s Falkland 9 hole scorecard – 43

57. Stonehaven. 1st Dec 2016

December 3, 2016 / Moly McMillan

A curate’s egg of a course with great views and some excellent par 3s

Round £37. Par 66. Value (out of 5) 2.5

Stonehaven golf course in Aberdeenshire sits atop a cliff on land called the Braes of Cowie just to the north of the seaside town of Stonehaven. The cliff top vantage provides for some outstanding views of the coastline, North sea and the town.

The open 1st hole at Stonehaven.

The course, founded in 1888, has a convoluted architecture influenced by 2 distinct lines; the east coast train line which goes directly through the course and the Highland Fault line (dividing Scotland from east to west). The Fault Line forms “The Gully” feature which dominates play on holes 13 and 15 where it has to be carried.

3rd green at Stonehave looking south towards the town.

The course is played on arable land and to the east of the train line, with 14 holes, it has no trees, whereas the 4 holes on the west of the train line has trees; the overall course feels typically parkland, with pretty generous fairways. On the east of the line, the major hazards are the cliff tops and the gully, which collectively impact about 6 holes, and these are the real challenge here. The remaining holes are fairly bland, with only few fairway bunkers.

The tough mid-iron par 3 14th, with green beside the cliff!

The tough mid-iron par 3 7th, with green beside the cliff!

Although the major design work was completed by 1897, the course is a designated James Braid “design”, as he and Archie Simpson, the Royal Aberdeen professional, are deemed to have planned improvements to the course, although I couldn’t find out what they are. An interesting design note, is the presence of “Hitler’s bunker” a crater hole between the first and second fairways, caused by, you’ve guessed it, a bomb during WWII.

8th at Stonehaven with Winter sun

The course is around 5000 yards, so distance is not the issue here. The feature holes are those where the cliffs and gully are in play. In particular the mid to long iron par 3 7th hole, requires a cool head to go to the heart of the green, and the long par 13th at 220 yards uphill over “The Gully” will need driver for all bar the long hitters. Note these were played as holes 14th and 5th on the winter card (see below).

Overall, play to keep the ball away from the cliffs and you’ll be rewarded. I did so, but my putting let me down on the day, although the greens were in excellent condition for the time of year. In fact the course was in all round good condition.

The typically small 18th green with church ruin and graveyard…perhaps an apt epitaph for some rounds here!

My only gripe with Stonehaven was how the website oversells the course as “The best value golf in the North-East of Scotland”. It is a really nice golf course, with great views, and is worth playing, but this self-declared “value” is a exaggeration in my opinion, which is a shame.

Some Facts

Course Type: Parkland

Par 66 (1 par 5, 10 par 4s, 7 par 3s)

Distance yards: 4458

Moly’s Gross Score: 86

Moly’s Stonehaven scorecard, 86 – note this is the winter card, which has a different layout.

Category: Members (Page 19 of 26)

61. Ballater. 2nd Aug 2017.

59. Edzell. 15th Dec 2016.

58. Falkland. 12th Dec 2016.

57. Stonehaven. 1st Dec 2016

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