Golf courses in Scotland and Slovakia

Golf in NE Scotland

Don't be fooled by the claims of the Dutch, the Chinese, or the Iroquois or the French or any of the other people who've lately jumped on the bandwagon! Perhaps the Chinese were hitting stones with sticks while we Scots were still wearing woad and kicking lumps out of the Vikings or English or anyone else who wanted to have a go, but golf started in St Andrews. There are hundreds of golf courses in Scotland and hundreds of web sites dedicated to them.

Golf is played in Scotland all year round, so don't let a little bit of bad weather put you off.  Links courses, generally, play off normal greens and tees all through the winter but some parkland courses must switch to winter tees and greens during a hard frost. The courses are usually closed if they are under two feet of snow, but as a matter of fact it does not snow very much in Scotland.

Below, you will find descriptions of:

In our Links section, you will find web links to these and other courses and to sites of golfing interest.

Aboyne Golf Club

Aboyne Golf Club is in the popular and picturesque town of Aboyne, home of a noteworthy Highland Games. The club was founded in the 1880s but has undergone some changes since then. Now, it boasts a well-founded pro shop and welcoming bar, lounge and restaurant in the “new” clubhouse which was opened in 1980.
From the whites, the length is 6,009 (par 68), from the yellows 5,744 (par 68) and from the reds 5,408 (par 72). There are 2 par 5s and 6 par 3s, of which the 1st and the 18th are both long 230 yards. Most visitors remark on the contrast between the front 9 and the back 9 particularly on those holes around the 11th, 12th where gorse and whins come into play.
Aboyne, like so many of the courses in Aberdeenshire, offers not only a good test of your game but provides you with magnificent scenery while you're playing; so get your head up and look around, there's more to life than golf!

Alford Golf Club

Alford Golf Club opened in 1982 as a 9 hole course and was extended to 18 in 1992. It is a relatively short and very flat course which makes it enjoyable if not particularly challenging. Off the yellows it’s a par 67, with only one par 5 – the 502 yard 13th. There are some interesting par 3s and some curious stroke indexing. Why the 5th is SI 1 when it is an undemanding 382 yd par 4 and why the 247 yard par 3 15th is SI 18 isn’t at all clear – unless it’s because of the very tricky green. Or the 222 yd par 3 11th which is SI 16 when the pin is guarded by a big oak tree which can’t easily be gone over or around from the tee. But these are only matters of opinion and the scores which have been submitted determine the SI. The course is worth a visit. The club house is welcoming, the Ale and Steak pie and the Haddock and Chips are first class, the lentil soup is very filling. Links

Brechin Golf and Squash Club

Brechin Golf and Squash Club was founded in 1893 – as a golf club. Since then it has been expanded with holes on both sides of the busy A90.  The course is a parkland course situated on the east coast of Scotland, midway between Dundee and Aberdeen. It’s not a particularly long course, being 5,673 from the yellows, 6,116 from the medals and 5,310 from the ladies tees. Write-ups of golf courses always say that they offer a “challenge” so that has become a hackneyed word; who would provide a golf course that isn’t a challenge? Well, perhaps Alford isn’t particularly demanding. Brechin has a good variety of holes from a wide open fairway on the 1st hole to a tricky dog leg on the 18th to finish. The 2nd has OOB on the right to catch the slicers. There’s a big dogleg to the left on the 9th and not many people can cut it out. Links

There’s an attractive clubhouse with a fair selection of food – there’s better food in some other clubhouses but food is only one part of the experience.

Duff House Royal Golf Club

Duff House Royal Golf Club is in the town of Banff, on the North East coast of Scotland. Banff is a fine example of a solid Scottish town founded back in the 12th Century when it was an important Hanseatic trading town. It received its royal charter from no less than Robert the Bruce in 1324. There are many fine examples of Georgian architecture and the notable Duff House of which the foundations were laid in 1735. The Golf Club makes use of what, presumably were the grounds of the House.

Duff House Royal is a parkland course laid out by James Braid and redesigned in 1923 by Dr Alister Mackenzie, who designed Augusta. It's not a long course being a par 68 measuring 5991 off the yellows (6161 off the whites). There is only one par 5 but the par 3s make up for being 131, 161, 178, 201 and 234. The 16th, known as "Venus" is a 234 yd dogleg left par 3 well protected by bunkers and the River Deveron. It's SI 14 which seems odd to say the least, especially when the 7th is SI 1. Most visitors feel the 16th is the toughest hole on  the course, so clearly local knowledge lets the members play the 16th well. Our Golfing Correspondent nearly refused to play the 18th; it runs alongside the busy Fraserburgh road and just begs for duffers to hit a slice into passing vehicles.

The Club House is welcoming, the Beef Steak Pie is excellent (though the same can't be said for the vegetables cooked a l'Ecosse). Bacon rolls in the morning and soup and sandwiches for lunch are all excellent value.

Duff House Royal Golf Club is strongly recommended .... but watch out for that 18th. Links

Fraserburgh Golf Club

Fraserburgh Golf Club is a links course on the north east coast of Scotland, to the east of the town of Fraserburgh and about an hour’s drive north of Aberdeen. It was founded in 1777 and is said to be the 7th oldest club in the world, the 5th oldest in Scotland and the oldest club north of R & A of St Andrews. In other words, it’s been there for a long time.

Fraserburgh golf course is not overly long at 5835 off the yellows, and 6308 off the medals. It’s quite hilly so be prepared. As with any links course, the rough is rough and there’s often a wind, if not a gale. So keep it low and straight.

The par 70 18 holes offer a delightful game of golf. There are two par 5s of about 500 yards from the yellows, 4 par 3s and the remainder par 4s. The opening and finishing holes are both friendly, though why they are SI 7 and 6 respectively isn’t clear. If the opening hole leaves you feeling ready for an easy round, the 2nd soon wakes you up being uphill over a fairway dotted with bumps. The 4th will live in your memory if you can’t get it onto the green as the apron slopes down and into a small but steep bunker – which applies to most of the bunkers. The 10th is a short par 4 at only 277 yards but the green lies in the throat of a narrow entrance. The 9th or Lang Whang, a common enough name for a long hole in Scotland, seems easy enough from the elevated tee – but the fairway is narrow and slopes away to the left.

In August, in a howling gale, Fraserburgh Golf Course is tough but always, always enjoyable. The first and last are featureless, but you can’t say that about any other hole.

Fraseburgh Golf Club has a a very pleasant club house, bar and restaurant – but check when it opens in the morning. And don’t bank on buying balls, tees etc when you get there – there’s no pro shop.

Gairloch Golf Club

(in the west, not in NE Scotland)

Gairloch Golf Club is on the A832, south of the small town of Gairloch, in Wester Ross which in turn is in North West Scotland. (Not the North East!) The course is a demonstration of squeezing a quart into a pint pot. Somehow the club has managed to wedge 9 holes into an area which looks barely large enough for a couple of par 5s.

At 4,108 yards from the yellows it’s classed as a par 62. A game won’t take too long as there are only 4 x par 4s, 1 x par 5 and the rest are par 3s.

It sounds a bit patronising to say that it’s a challenging wee course but it is and it puts a premium on accuracy.

Don’t hook your tee shot on the 1st – at best you’ll be in the groundsman’s area and at worst you’ll be on the road. The 4th is blind and the 8th, the par 5, has a blind approach from 200 yards or so out. The 6th and 7th have elevated tees from whence you drop onto a small green. The 8th fairway can be a traffic jam as it’s crossed by the 5th and the 9th. Wayward tee shots from the 6th mean you need to keep a sharp eye on the 5th fairway. Some of the groundsmen wear hard hats – hardly surprising. Someone wrote somewhere that the 8th is the finest “natural par 5” in the country. Quite what that means is unclear, but it’s an interesting 490 yard hole. There’s a satisfying 120 yard par 3 to finish on. Links

Huntly Golf Club

Huntly G.C. is a very attractive, if rather short, course in what were, presumably, the grounds of Huntly Castle. The area is steeped in history, with a castle having been present since late in the 12th Century. The town centre (not that Huntly is large) is just that – a centre. You enter the golf club area through the portal of the Castle Grounds. Two rivers, the Deveron and the Bogie run down the side of the course, meeting at the 12th green/13th tee.

The course is 5359 yards off the White tees (SSS 66, par 67), 4904 off the Yellows (SSS 64, par 67) and 4749 off the Reds (Ladies) (SSS 68, par 68). There are no par-5s for the Gentlemen and only one for the Ladies. It’s not a long course, there aren’t very many hazards and you will have a very enjoyable, relaxing round.

Lift your head from the course and there’s the distraction of trout rising in the Deveron, trains rumbling by, farmers in the fields. Links

Inchmarlo Golf Centre

Inchmarlo Golf Centre lies on the western edge of Banchory. It’s a comparatively young course but has excellent facilities. There’s a 9-hole course, the Queen’s and an 18 hole championship course, the Laird’s. Facilities include a large covered practice range, teaching area, putting green, members’ and visitors’ restaurants and changing rooms. The pro shop is well equipped, if a bit small, and the staff are friendly and helpful.

The Lairds course is 6218 yards. It opens with what looks like a simple par 4 – but be aware that everything slopes to the left. The second is a narrow par 3 with trees on the left within a yard of your tee shot. Try for a birdie on the 3rd. The 4th is a par 5 with water on the right to catch your drive and a burn across the fairway. The 6th, Massie’s Well, named after the famous Bob Massie, has a wood on the right which has swallowed hundreds if not thousands of balls. A par here is good. 7th is par 5, you’re doing well to get on the green in 2 but it is doable. 8th, another par three to a green guarded by trees left and right. 9th, the green is guarded by a pond. 10 is a bit of a dogleg. 11th, no excuses here, a short par 3. 12th, 13th and 14th are long and wayward shots are punished by bunkers. The par 3 15th green is well guarded. The 16th needs a well judged 2nd shot. 17th is harder than it looks. The 18th is a great hole. Long par 4 from an elevated tee with woods left and right, and a burn just in the landing area. If you can’t get a long drive on the fairway, you’ve little chance of getting on the green in 2.

The 9 hole Queens course is much shorter than the Lairds, but demands accuracy. Links

Inchmarlo is well worth a visit.

Kemnay Golf Club

Kemnay Golf Club is a 6362 yard par 71 course set in a very beautiful part of Aberdeenshire. The very attractive course runs through parkland on the Kemnay Estate. The club opened in 1908 but it was not until the 1990s that the club had a full 18 holes.

The first hole is a straightforward par 4 over the brow of a small rise with OB on the left. That’s one of the features of the course, some of the OB areas are marked with signs warning of instant execution for any golfer who goes to retrieve a ball from the surrounding fields or nurseries. Another feature is the number of doglegs, of which the par 5 2nd is the first one you come across. Then the 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th,11th, 13th, a little bit of one on the 15th. The par 5 8th is a dogleg only for the last few yards. The dogleg on the par 5 11th leaves most average players with an interesting 2nd shot – boldly over the trees to cut the corner and grab a birdie, or take it easy? The final hole, is a tricky short par 3. It’s tricky because it’s very narrow, with the road running down the left hand side.

Kemnay Golf Club has changing rooms for visitors as well as members and a well equipped pro-shop and starter combined, by the first tee. The club house is comfortable and the food enjoys an excellent reputation amongst golfers from other clubs.

Montrose Medal Course

Lying between Dundee and Aberdeen on on the NE coast of Scotland is the town of Montrose. There's been a settlement here since Viking times and written records show that as far back as Robert the Bruce the town was given a teacher and hence a school was founded. There's very old links golf course here which is rated by some as a "hidden gem."
If the town of Montrose has a long history, so does the golf course. A young man called James Melvill has left a written record of being taught to play golf at the age of 6 - and he was born in 1556. So golf has been played on the links for more than 400 years.
There are now three clubs using the links; the Mercantile Golf Club, the Caledonia Golf Club and Royal Montrose Golf Club. There are two courses, the Broomfield and the Medal course. This latter was used as a qualifying course for the 2007 Carnoustie Open. If you want to play it, our correspondent suggests that February is not the best time to play. The greens were in excellent condition but the winter tees left something to be desired. In winter with a very strong wind blowing, it's difficult to get a feel for the qualities which make it a hidden gem but be assured that most people who play it rate it very highly indeed.Like all links courses, there's a premium on keeping the ball on the fairway so a stright tee shot is to be recommended.

Off the yellows, the opening hole is a 379 yard par 4 with SI 3 but the good thing about it is that there's space, unless you punch the ball well over 250 yards. The 3rd, called Table is a par 3 with no fairway between you and the green. The longest hole is the 15th at 522 yards (555 off the whites.) The 16th is a testing par 3 at 226 yards.

The cost of a weekend round in winter is Ł22. Contact the pro shop on 01674 672932. Links

Murcar Links Golf Club

Murcar Links Golf Club is located just north of Aberdeen, adjoining Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. There's a fine club house offering a reasonable, but not exceptional, choice of meals. A well equipped pro-shop, with occasionally some very young staff who have a lot to learn about putting the customer first, before gossiping with their pals. There's an excellent practice area, one of the best in the region. Not only a driving range, but a place to practice long irons, chipping, pitching and putting, and bunkers.

The course is famously difficult. A handicap here is probably somewhere between 2 and 4 strokes better than a handicap on a parkland course. And when you factor in the weather, then the next time you meet a single-figure golfer from Murcar treat him or her with some respect!

The course is open all through the year. The writer has most recently played in late January 2008 on a day which started bright but finished grey and with a gale blowing into your face on the back nine. The fairways and greens were in superb condition and what was noticeable was the amount of work going on to get the course ready for the 2008 season.

It's not a particularly long course, playing 6303 yards from the white (medal) tees and 5850 from the yellows. There are also some blue tees which extend the length another 200 yards. For the Ladies, it's 5569 yards.

If it's not long, why is it difficult? Because there are some long carries to very narrow fairways and small greens. The greens are generally flat, unlike, say, the 17th at Tale in Slovakia. The rough, however, is a mixture of whins, and gorse bushes - not very nice. Recently the greenkeepers have eliminated a lot of the gorse.

Off the whites, the first 3 holes are par 4s. The 4th hole is 489 yards, which isn't a very long par 5 by today's standards. The 6th is a 162 yards par 3. It's called "Plateau" for obvious reasons. There's not a lot of room for a mistake. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are all par 4s with their own challenges. From some of the white tees there are magnificent views of the coastline; shuttle tankers at anchor in the bay; the terrific beach in front of the less than temperate North Sea.

The back 9 seem different. A little bit more fairway to play with. 6 par 4s, one par 5 and two par 3s. The 12th, Strabathie, par 3, is SI 16 and a welcome change. The 16th, par 3, is SI 18 but one can only say that some courses have holes with an SI of 1 which are easier than the "Nipper." It's 160 yards over a bit of a valley into which your ball can disappear never to be seen again. The 18th is a fairly simple par 4 of 329 yards.

To sum up, this is a great test of golf - a true links course. Well worth it. And what's more the web site and on line booking work properly, the staff reply to e-mails. (See Links.)

Tarland Golf Club

Tarland Golf Club lies in the small Aberdeenshire village of Tarland, which is 30 miles west of Aberdeen. The area is worth a visit in its own right lying as it does in the scenic Howe o’ Cromar and on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park. The 5,900 yard 9-hole course was created in 1908. It’s a par 67 from the whites, 66 from the yellows and a 69 from the reds. One of the attractive features is that several holes have different white tees depending on whether you’re playing the “front” or the “back” 9. For example, the 3rd/12th is 171 yards from the 3rd tee box and 221 from the 12th. The 6th/15th are 450 and 415; the 8th/17th are 437 and 486. The 17th is the only par 5,  There’s a small, welcoming club house but no pro shop – so make sure you take what you need with you.

See Links 

Golf in Slovakia

Think of Slovakia and you don't think of golf. But times are changing. 15 years ago, there were few courses in what is now the Czech Republic, and now there are dozens. In Slovakia, golf is a new sport but one which is gaining in popularity.

SkotSlov Golf

The best known course is at Tale, the Gray Bear Golf Club. Set in simply stunning scenery this is a superb course which presents a tough challenge to players. We know it, we've played it often and we strongly recommend the hospitality of the course, of the hotels nearby, of the restaurant at the 18th.  

There is a new 18 hole course, Black Stork Golf Club, in Velka Lomnica which opened in August 2005. Nearby there's a 9 hole with the most magnificent views of the Tatras mountains - play it in springtime and you can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon.

Slovakia, Scotland, Tourism, Employment, Accomodation, Business, Holiday

 

 

Username

Password

Remember Login

Stories



Web Hosting & Development