The thing I love about Scotland is that there are links courses with little reputation that are must plays for the true golf addicts. The Balcomie Links at Crail sit about a half hour south of famed town of St. Andrews and does not carry any of the reputation of the courses in that immediate area. But in some ways Crail, perched high on the rocks above the North Sea, with a unique combination of three par fives, six par threes, and nine par fours measuring a mere 5900 yards is one of the most fun filled afternoons of links golf you can play. The vistas this course presents all through the round will have you repeatedly grabbing for your camera to capture another digital moment.

The Crail Golfing Society was instituted in 1786 and is the seventh oldest golf club in the world. Old Tom Morris laid out the holes of the Crail Balcomie Links in 1895 exposed across rugged and hilly terrain where the wind will batter your ball without compassion requiring you to play an unusual diversity of approach shots where the ground is your friend. Tidbit, I have read that this first known course on record to use iron cases as hole liners.

The ominous quarry wall makes it’s presence known throughout your walk today

 (Click on any picture to get an enhanced view of the image)

The golf shop is a small, quaint affair perched high atop the Craighead ridge overlooking the course below. The separate clubhouse replete with all sorts of memorabilia has an equally stunning view of the North Sea and the last four holes. No practice facility I could find so it will be a couple of putts and then unleash it off the flight deck of the first tee.

What really makes the Balcomie Links unusual is the sequencing of holes which was clearly determined by the ground that nature presented to Old Tom. It begins with a relatively easy downhill par four followed by a routine par 5 that climbs back up to a ledge overlooking the North Sea.   The golf challenge picks up quickly as the next three holes are played on the most exposed land on the links. This is no time for heroics take the prudent land line on all shots.

There are no shortcuts you want to take on these seaside holes

From six on you are working back in the direction from whence you came. The eighth, one of the longest par fours of the day, wanders back up the steep hill into the prevailing wind to a double green it shares with the eleventh. From this green you can probably make out the Netherlands.

From the double green of 8 and 11 you can just make out The Hague on the horizon

Three billy goat down, up, and down holes follow setting you up for a most interesting finish. This part of the course the holes are so tightly configured that you will swear there are groups of eightsomes in front of you but it is likely just a second group playing up the adjacent hole. Better check your Titleist carefully on every shot or you might find it has changed unexpectedly to a Srixon.

Now it gets really funky as you will play four par threes in the last six holes. It seems Old Tom struggled to fit in the full 18, but do not be fooled by that because this is one of the hardest scoring stretches of the day.

The view off the flight deck on the 14th tee is spectacular

Mystical interlude: Michael Murphy found enough intrigue in this place that he chose it as Burningbush, the fictional playground of Shivas Irons, in his famous book “Golf in the Kingdom”. He used the Craighead hole (#13) and the quarry and caves beside it for the memorable scenes where Shivas Irons introduces the young traveler to the mystic truths of True Gravity and the perfect golf swing. You too can pay homage with a visit to the caves as you make your way around the quarry path between the 14^th green and the 15^th tee.   If you listen closely you may just make out the shuffling steps of Seamus MacDuff in the crevices behind you.

The shot up the gorse face on the 1th will test your nerve and patience

The final four holes are an eclectic finish to this unconventional track as they wind up and down the hills on a sliver of beachfront below the massive quarry wall facing the North Sea. Once again the exposure to the wind makes the distance of the holes irrelevant to determining the difficulty of getting to the bar with a scorecard in tact. It is a real thrill ride right to the end.

The finishing hole from the high tee, across the gorse, to the enigmatic green below

Once you have had a chance to reflect on it, the Balcomie Links will remind you of the favorite rumpled sweatshirt you love to throw on for the yard work on Sunday mornings. It is without pretense, comfortable, and has witnessed many of your most unheralded accomplishments without feeling a need to pass judgment. Balcomie Linkes presents an opportunity you don’t want to miss, a memorable windy walk along the coast of Scotland with a baffin’ spoon in your hand.

Crail, Scotland

Architect: Old Tom Morris (1895)

Tees                 Par    Yardage      Rating         Slope

White               69        5861          69.7             122

(Click here to review the complete Crail Balcomie Links hole-by-hole descriptions)

For more pictures click to review Northern Scotland-Day 8:  Crail Balcomie Links

Dating back to the formation of the Society of Golfers at Aberdeen in 1780 Royal Aberdeen is the sixth oldest golf club in the world. A sense of golf legacy is felt everywhere you go on the property. For the first hundred years golf was just played on ground within the town but in 1887 the land just north of the estuary of River Don at Balgownie was leased and the Simpson Brothers helped bring this historic links to life. Willie Park Sr. and Tom Simpson later took their part at shaping these links.

The simple but stately clubhouse is full of evidence of Scottish golf tradition

The first nine holes are considered by some among the very best in Scotland as they wind through the full rapture of links features-towering dunes, rolling fairways, gorse, heather, and tightly textured seaside turf. You cannot help but be caught up in the course’s beguiling solitude and seclusion. As you often see from courses of this era Royal Aberdeen is the classic out and back links arrangement.

The Par 3 third is typical of the enveloped look of the front side holes

The second nine is shorter and runs along the high plateau overlooking the front nine. You are likely to see an opposite direction in the wind influence over the inward nine. Some say this side lacks many of the features that make the front so memorable but there is an array of blind tee shots, hidden troughs, and very difficult putting surfaces to keep the challenge fresh.

Sea is over the dune behind the Par 3 8th-just a postcard moment

What I enjoy about this place is that the links design gives the greens keeper the latitude to make the course playable each day as the wind changes. The greens are sufficiently long to allow for back pins down wind and front pins when the gale is in your face. Plenty of options to use the ground as your friend on approach shots. Take careful note that often the fronting green side bunkers are not at the green but well short of the putting surface to accommodate this option to feed approach shots onto the green.

A typical green complex approach #15..bunkers set off the right-passing access from the left

Covering the Wailing Wall from the middle green side bunker on #15 is intimidating

The greens have lots of undulations which again provide the creative player with ways to carefully maneuver pitch shots to snuggle up to the hole. The game inside of fifty yards at Royal Aberdeen may provide some of the most lasting memories of the day.

The back nine climbs to the plateau and gives wind a maximum chance to affect your game

As mentioned tradition is on display in troves throughout the clubhouse. You will see documents that show the first interclub tournaments held in the late 1800’s with guys from St. Andrews, Dornoch, Prestwick, and others. Those away games must have been a hoot. In 1783 the folks at Royal Aberdeen were responsible for establishing a five minute time limit on search for a lost ball. The Royal and Ancient adopted this practice shortly thereafter.  Other concepts Royal Aberdeen introduced include that the winner of a hole is entitled to the “honor” of playing first on the next hole and that the ball furthest from the hole is played first.

Here is one we found in the gorse within the allotted five minutes

There are elaborate uniforms of the membership, endless pieces of competitive memorabilia, and wonderful pictures of the recognizable champions who have played and won in competitions contested on these links. Make sure to lunch in the grill room that overlooks the first tee it provides one of the great panoramic views of links golf in Scotland.

Last look up the 18th you see the clubhouse peering at the green through the mist

The golf shop is a kitchy little building just below the first tee. Nooks and crannies full of stuff you will be temped to buy. As is often the case in Scotland, no practice area is evident. Hit some putts on the practice green and just soak in the gestalt of this place to prepare to play. If you are a discerning player this is a links experience you will never forget. Don’t say you were not warned……..the devil is in the details so make sure to read the hole-by-hole descriptives below.

Aberdeen, Scotland

Architect: Robert and Archie Simpson (1890)

Tees      Par     Yardage     Rating     Slope

Blue       71         6861         74.3        145
White     71        6497          72.7        142
Yellow    71        6214          71.3        140

(Click here to review the complete Royal Aberdeen hole-by-hole descriptions)

For more pictures click to review Northern Scotland-Day 6b:  Royal Aberdeen Golf Club

Introducing a new championship links course in Scotland is a rarity these days and for someone like Donald Trump to adopt this as a project made it’s realization even more unlikely.  As with all things Trump the creation of the Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland bruised a few egos, ruffled a bunch of feathers, and alienated a lot of locals.  But in the end a first class links course got built on a marvelous a piece of links real estate.  The quality of the result is attributable to the creative genius of Martin Hawtree who drew from this narrow strip of coastal dunes a memorable collection of 18 holes for the ages.

The Aberdeen region of Scotland has a rich history of great links golf with iconic courses like Royal Aberdeen and Cruden Bay as well as lesser known gems like Murcar and Fraserburg among others.  The addition of Trump International simply ups the credential a notch and probably increases the likelihood of this neighborhood becoming a regular stop for prestigious events like The Scottish Open or other European Tour championships.

It is all about the dunes at the Par 3 6th..Pat Ruddy would nod his approval.

Hawtree was blessed with a stunning piece of land abutting the North Sea with sea grass covered sand dunes the size of office buildings.  Places like Enniscrone, Ballyliffen Glashedy, and the European Club in Ireland come to mind as you stare out at the expansive range of these imposing dune fields.  If must have been a challenge for Hawtree to simply decide where to begin.

Defying the traditional out and back approach to links design he placed the clubhouse in the center of the property and tracked four holes south with the sea on the left and five holes back on the inland side.  The back nine does the opposite with four holes working up the inland side to the north before the last five meander up and down among the coastal sand dunes coming back.  Though you rarely see the sea it’s proximity provides a steady wind influence lurking over top of the high dunes.

Trump wanted a stout championship course so he could woo a major championship but something playable enough for the retail golfers who would foot the bill for it’s existence every day.   To this goal there are six sets of tees and 112 tee boxes which might seem like a bit of  design overkill.  In reality this volume of teeing grounds allows the greens keeper to set up each hole to play to the same level of challenge for every caliber of player.  It also affords a flexibility in daily course set up to match the prevailing wind direction and intensity and make the severity of the challenge consistent in all conditions.   You just may need a GPS device to assist in the location of your tee box.

Full challenge at the 2nd-forced carry, burn, and a tuck-away green complex.

From the tips the measure is close to 7500 yards but if you pick the appropriate tee you should find a manageable golf challenge.  First glance at the blue tee scorecard reveals three of the four par fives are 500 yards or less and only five of the par fours are 400 yards or more.  But the devil is in the details (see link at the bottom for hole-by-hole detail) because the routing vis-à-vis the prevailing wind can make the effective playing length much longer.   Hope is that once the course sets in a few years they let the fairways firm up and this lengthening will get mitigated as it does on all links courses.

The first impression you have after you get over the scale of the dunes is how green this place is for a links course.  The quality of the grass in the walking areas between greens and tees would be the envy of the highest end country club in the states.  The emerald color actually takes away from the links character and Americanizes the course but again I am sure this is what the boss wanted.

Bunkering is the next thing that will capture your attention.  Cluster bunkering in some fairways and green approaches makes a number of those holes appear like an arcade game.  But in fact there are a greater number of holes with very sparse bunkering, often a single bunker at the green’s edge, so the use of sand is by no means overdone.  Having said that, the bunkers out there are fierce.  Many are funnel deep, revetted bunkers that can exact a full stroke toll where a sideways escape is the only way out.

Greens protected by their own contours…tightly mowed surrounds make bunkers into ball magnets.

As with many links courses the greens are massive to provide the opportunity to make approach shots more manageable based on the day’s wind direction.  Hawtree segmented these greens in a way that there are often three greens within the green so the proper angle of approach requires forethought based on the day’s pin location.  Raised surfaces with fall offs, collection hollows, and a few nasty bunkers demand approaches with conviction or else you can spend the day inventing recovery shots you never imagined.

The Hawtree genius is on full display in the look off the plateau tee on #5.

The good news is that everything you encounter, driving areas and green complexes is right in front of you.  No blind shots, very few severe uphill shots, and plenty of bail out room where you need it.  But as discernable as your targets are many are fraught with existential topography and hazards that can have their way with your best intent.   You will encounter the full array of mounds and hollows, severe bunkers, furry sand dunes, and even marshy wetlands.  The wetlands seem a bit onerous and out of character on a links course and may be where he stepped across the line.

The course opens with a relatively straight forward five par that puts almost all of the above into play out of the gate.  The pressure ratchets up quickly with a burn bisecting the second followed by the postcard par three third-the only place you witness the sea first hand all day.    When you get to the perched tee at the par four 5th you are sure you have stepped into a J.R.R. Tolkien novel….there have to be trolls and hobbits lurking in these surrounds.  The 6th makes you feel like you have been transported across the Irish Sea to European Club south of Dublin-this hide-n-seek par 3 is pure Pat Ruddy.  From 7 to 9 you get the full challenge-a short technical par four and two brutishly heroic par fours before you get a chance to catch your breath and an Irn-Bru at the turn.

Nestled in the dunes the 14th is pure eye candy.

The inward nine follows a similar pattern with a straight forward five par followed by a couple of manageable par fours and a very linksy par three.  The wow meter jumps to double digits when you step on to the tee box at 14.  What rolls out beneath your feet simply will take your breath away.  A beautiful midrange par four brings to mind Royal Country Down, fairway swaddled between dune ranges with the North Sea peering over the top.
Another tantalizing short par four before you turn back south for the final run.  There is no let up from here to the house you have to play your best golf of the day because you are likely playing into the wind.   The par three 16th will test your trajectory and distance control with a well protected green that is 45 yards long.  In spite of it’s handicap designation, the 17th into a two club wind may be the hardest hole to par since the Road Hole at The Old Course.  There is one last Kodak moment is ahead, walk to the top of the back tee on 18 where the hole measures 651 yards and a sea of 18 bunkers, count em, stands between you and the final green.  Maybe there is a bit of Trump showmanship in this one but it is a very interesting finishing hole.

The last 9 of the 18 bunkers on the approach to the finishing hole must be avoided.

Trump did not cut any corners in the creation of his golf nirvana and the fare you pay will indicate that. Unlike most venues in Scotland there is an elaborate practice ground with a full driving range, wonderful short game preparation area, and expansive practice putting greens at your disposal.  The Trump Links clock overlooking the range, the black and bronze signage throughout the course, the classic stone bridges that cross the burns, and even the cherry wood trash cans with the Trump International Crest remind you that this is a Trump creation.  The Donald would have it no other way.

Aberdeen, Scotland

Architect:  Martin Hawtree (2012)

Tees       Par      Yardage     Rating      Slope
Blue       72        6602         73.8         140
White     72        6329         72.3         133

(Click here to review the complete Trump International hole-by-hole descriptions)

For more pictures click to review Northern Scotland-Day 5: Trump International Links

At the end of the 19th century the great railway expansion took place in Scotland which provided a mode of transport to a string of new links courses established in that era.   Cruden Bay,  just north of Aberdeen, came on line in 1899 and one more magnificent links venue was within reach.  Nestled amongst some of the tallest dunes on the east coast of Scotland Old Tom Morris staked the original Cruden Bay course in Aberdeenshire and it fast became a favorite destination for holiday travelers.  It was updated and expanded by Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler in 1926 to take on the unique character that we enjoy today.

The clubhouse sits on a hill overlooking the sprawling links below.  As you step out of the golf shop the panoramic view is a strong hint at the special day of links golf that lies ahead.  James Finegan describes this view, “Below, in all its turbulent splendor, lies one of the most awe-inspiring stretches of linksland ever dedicated to the game….sand hills rise as high as sixty feet, their shaggy slopes covered with long and throttling golden grasses.  For sheer majesty of setting, no Scottish course surpasses Cruden Bay”.

Even through the haar you can see the splendid topographical combination Finegan describes.

 (Click on any picture to get an enhanced view of the image)

The tallest dunes dominate the north end of the course early in the round creating a mixture of elevation changes and alcove holes between the dunes to challenge your judgment and your will.  Coming off the valley floor the first four holes present a unique array of technical links shots that are a splash of cold water on the face.  Negotiating a successful approach shot to the table top green at number two demands creativity and dexterity.  The carry shot on the signature par three fourth is a blend of terror and thrill if it lands and stays on a putting surface suspended off a towering dune.

Green complex on the Par 4 #2 is downright elusive to your approach shot.

If you survived the opening volley the rest of the front side you wend amongst the low gorse and grassed covered dunes that define playing lines for each hole.  The view off the tee box of the sweeping par four fifth is mesmerizing as the hole turns left into a small subdivision of sand dunes.   Two full metal blows are required to reach the putting surface.  A Captain Hook dogear left three-shot par five follows-with the first incursion of a Scottish burn defining your lay up position and putting the vise grip on your approach shot into a treacherous green setting.

Negotiating the burn and green side bunkers on #5 is a major challenge.

As you start a slow climb up to the high ground the next two are quintessential links par fours.  The seventh would feel at home at Ballyliffen Glashedy or Enniscronne in the northern reaches of Ireland.  Your tee ball requires restraint as you play into a narrowing landing area leaving a steep uphill pitch to a long putting surface that seems to shed approach shots without very distinct intention.  The driveable eighth will leave many a long hitter with tufts of hair between their fingers if they fail to make birdie on what seems to be a most gettable hole.  The steep march that follows to the ninth tee has you gasping for air as you look out over a hole draped across the ridge of one of the tallest dunes on the course.

Resplendent view from the 10th tee of the dune wall that frames the holes coming in.

The wind off the sea on #11 makes this short pitch very compelling.

Exposure to the sea breeze creates a remarkable run of holes from the 9th to 16th .  The short par three 11th reminds me of the three pars on the inward half at Royal Dornoch-there is only one line to play and it has to be with proper resolve to mitigate the wind’s effect and offer a chance to make par.

The influence of the sea is ever present throughout the back nine.

Turning back to the North you are playing to the farthest reach of the links.   The sound of the sea crashing on the rocks just over your shoulder adds to the sense of remoteness of this part of the course.   Against all macho temptations to be heroic, controlling your line and the subsequent roll outs on both the short par four 12th and the serpentine par five that follows is essential.  The green complex on the 13th is as Old Tom found it, a small blind shelf wedged between a low dune and the tall dune wall behind just begging for a putting surface.

This sunken green lurks behind the dune on your approach into the Par 4 14th.

Blind is an important operational term since it is the major factor on the next three holes.  There is so much existential fate woven into them Søren Kierkegaard would feel right at home here.  After a controlled draw up the ramp shoulder of the tall dune on the 14th your second shot is a full faith play over the directional pole where your target is a large Turkish bath of a green sunken into a hollow on the back side of a low dune.  The punch bowl effect is helpful but the green is so long that gauging distance to the pin is crucial-an important hint is provided in “the box” next to the tee.

A dogleg left par three follows-yes I said dogleg.  Totally blinded by the right scapula of the big dune you have to visualize a draw shape and trust that there is an ample receiving area round the bend.  Don’t fail to notice the engineering marvel of the bell and rope warning system provided to let the group behind you know when it is safe to hit.

You can barely make out the flag in front of your target off the blind 16th.

One more blind man’s bluff in a middle sized par three on the 16th where the teenie green is hidden over top edge of a low dune surrounded by the coffins that give the hole it’s name.  Aim at the refuge house on the hill and be prepared for a birdie putt.

The chef left one of his creations in your way in the middle of the 17th fairway.

One last links diddie awaits you on the 17th tee as you start your descent to the valley floor from where you began.  The driving area is dominated by a huge fallen soufflé of a mound in the center of the fairway.  Trusting that you can slip it by one side to get a look at the raised plateau green is another act of faith.  The final hole is a bit mundane compared to the rest but it still has plenty of challenge if you need a par to win the third leg of the Nassau bet.

Sipping a cold one in the clubhouse bar overlooking the splendor that James Finegan described you will have a remorseful sense of a links adventure experienced that ended too soon.  A second exploratory trip around might just be in order.

Aberdeenshire, Scotland

..
Architect:  Old Tom Morris (1899)
Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler (1926)

Tees         Par    Yardage      Rating

White        70      6263           71

Gold          70     5862           69

(Click here to review the complete Cruden Bay Golf Club hole-by-hole descriptions)

For more pictures click to review Northern Scotland-Day 6a: Cruden Bay Golf Club

For even more photos click our 2016 posting Cruden Bay Golf Club-Revisited

Gil Hanse and Mark Parsinen had the intention of designing a golf course with great visual impression that afforded a playability factor an average golfer would enjoy.  Standing on most of the tees a player sees an expansive and receptive landing area for their drives-not a whole lot of fuss to clog the mind-yet obvious tactical choices are available and it is easy to process them at first glance.  The result is a championship course to challenge the best players in the world that is playable by mere mortals full of memorable vistas that create pulse racing shot opportunities without the imminent doom awaiting every good intention gone awry.

For me the design has much of the look and feel of David Kidd’s creation at Bandon Dunes.  Expansive landscapes stretching along the Moray Firth with accents of gorse and heather covered dunes and rugged natural bunkering that looks like it was blown out by the seaside winds.  The bunkering is a blend of the raw appearance accented by selective landscaping, some sleepers, and hand revetting to give them a wild but finished look.  The style of bunkering belies the recent vintage of the course-it looks like it has been there for a hundred years.

The beauty stretches out in front of you in the first three seaside holes.

 (Click on any picture to get an enhanced view of the image)

The generosity of the driving areas are not harrowed with disaster, they provide opportunities to find your ball and figure out what to do next.  The next is full of challenge because rumpled fairways, roll offs, and punitive bunkering can put you in a spot of bother.  But Parsinen says it was not their intention to terminally punish you for a mistake, rather your fate is still in your hands if you have the imagination and courage to play the recovery available to you.  Not many “in your pocket” experiences.  Instead there are going to be some very gratifying recovery memories when you are done, true postcards for the mind of the thrill of the little challenges that add up during your round here.

Lay up position on the Par 5 2nd gives you lots of options on how to attack this green.

The opening holes on both the outward and inward nines are literally on the sea and share an intimacy with the beach and water.  The first three holes have a tall gorse dune wall on the left and open exposure to the Firth on the right so wind behind or off your right shoulder will present an opportunity to challenge the short length of the holes .  Your position off each tee will help determine how aggressive you should be on your approach shots.  Take the bait if the reward outweighs the risk because the second part of the outward nine will not afford many scoring chances.  The key to doing well on this course is to get to the fifth tee close to par.  This may happen because of a birdie or two or simply resisting adrenaline decisions and protecting par.

The green on the 4th seems dwarfed by a castle almost a mile away.

From five to nine the holes sit atop an ‘old sea cliff’ and meander high above the coast like the middle holes at Pebble Beach with panoramic views of the Firth and the Kessock Bridge in the distance.  Being on the high ground the wind is more influential because you have no tall dune wall to protect one of your flanks.  Five, six, and seven are long holes with plenty of fairway contour to deflect your approach lines so navigate carefully, using the ground as your friend, to avoid roll offs into arduous bunkers or gorges of heather and seagrass.  The last two holes before the halfway house don’t scare you with length but you have to carefully manage your misses to protect par.

The contours created by the dunes play into and off of the hazards that lurk.

The halfway house is tucked in a bunker building with the starter’s station just above the first and tenth tee.  Dry, wind protected, and not a bad cup of soup will provide a welcome sanctuary.  If you are going to indulge in the chocolate bars make sure to ask for the frozen ones they are a real treat.  Eventually they will throw you out to face the elements again on the inward nine.

The back begins with holes framed by the dunes on the starboard side.

The first three holes are scoring opportunities of similar ilk to the opening holes just headed in the direction of the Chanonry Lighthouse to the North.     Between all the photo opps you will have to hit some shots with clear intention but if you pull them off there can be good numbers to add to your scorecard.  Be aware that the left side is not as buffered from the Firth as it was on the opening segment.  Three pars will do fine to get this side off to a successful start.

The looks do not get any better than this-the 12th green set against the Moray Firth.

After a cardio climb up the face of the dune (do not ignore the water oasis station half way up if for no other reason than to rest your aching quads) the finishing six are the balcony seating in this theater where you will enjoy exhilarating views of the Moray Firth.  The next three par fours are very demanding as they traverse the high ground and provide little opportunity to make up ground.  A par and a couple of bogies would set you up for one last dash down the final three holes.

Looking back down to the tee on 13 you can appreciate how far up you have journeyed.

If you are hopelessly down in the match don’t despair because lots of things can happen on these closing holes.  A driveable par four, very difficult par three, and a five par with lots of options could make a 3-4-4 finish to steal the bacon a real possibility.

The Par 3 17th has intimidating look backed by serious consequences.

The key is to get through the seventeenth without serious harm-as a par three with the sixth handicap hole designation you have to blend some courage with sanity to get to the eighteenth with a chance.  From the last tee you see the entire links set against the sea below and it will take your breath away.  Cue the camera there will be a full handful of Kodak moments over this last 500-yard walk.

The upper decks of the S.S. Castle Stuart.

 The clubhouse is an art deco design which looks like the stacked deck on a cruise ship.  Full featured with a nice golf shop, casual grill room, and locker rooms from a first class private club make sure to take the time to wander about and enjoy the amenities.  The view of the sea from the deck is just astonishing-take a moment to take in this moment from the balcony off the locker room. The layered windows from each area provide sitting opportunities within for watching the golf below.

How about this look from the captain’s deck at the end of the day.

A rarity in Scotland this place has a first class practice ground-driving range, short game area, and practice putting greens.  One should take advantage of this before or after a round.  The yardage book for course is supreme as it has topographical detail that helps on the shot planning and very nice color photos of each hole for some fond remembrances months later.

All in all they have provided a creative, challenging, and forgiving design for you to enjoy.  If you have spent the week getting thrashed by one course after another on your Scottish Tour this will be welcome relief if you can put together some solid shot making.

Inverness, Scotland

Architect:  Gil Hanse and Mark Parsinen (2009)

Tees               Par     Yardage     Rating       Slope

White              72        6553          71.6         133

Green              72        6153          70.2         126

(Click here to review the complete Castle Stuart Golf Links hole-by-hole descriptions)

For more pictures click to review Northern Scotland-Day 4: Castle Stuart Golf Links

Golfers can be a hardy bunch but even for them a trip to Brora is a bit of a trek.  For those making it the pilgrimage to Royal Dornoch, a mere three shot par five down the road, this is one worth adding to your itinerary.  You won’t venture much further North than this for a round of golf as it sits on the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska.  But what you will find is a delightful links layout that, as James Finegan says, “is packed with shot-making demands over as rewarding an expanse of duneland-every natural contour from moderate wrinkling to fantastic billowing-as any golfer could yearn for”.

The clubhouse has a commanding presence over the links below.

James Braid, a five-time Open Championship winner, laid this in the classic links in and out routine on a narrow strip of linksland just two holes wide.  The outward nine follow the contour of Kintradwell Bay with the ever present shore line on the right giving full view of the sea.

The Par 3 9th binds the sea and the stunning mountain backdrop to the links.

(Click on any picture to get an enhanced view of the image)

The exposure of the entire links to the sea makes for a serious wind effect almost every day.  Don’t be overconfident when you look at the yardages on this scorecard because the wind will notch up the challenges considerably.

Looking down the third you take in the serene beauty of the Northern Highlands as a backdrop.

The tees and green are often nestled between the dunes which increases how unpredictable the ever-present breezes will be affecting the flight of your ball.  David Brice says “Brora is a character-filled layout, brimming over with personality and an obvious sense of humor.”  The variety of the holes with full links features will make you play all the shots in your repertoire.  Something worth noting was Braid’s routing  the four par threes each facing a different point on the compass as to insist that you must deal with all variations of the wind on any given day.

There are no mild bunkers on these links and they tie seamlessly into the greens.

One unusual aspect is the unpaid landscaping service of cows and sheep that wander the property greens (ergo the local rule that animal droppings are to be treated as casual water and hoof prints through the green are considered ground under repair).

The Toro sheep have a long standing agreement for lawn maintenance.

To keep the maintenance troops in check, they have electric fences around every green so pay attention as you enter the green complexes.  As Hugh Baillie says in his book on Brora, “It has been said that Brora golfers are instantly recognizable  wherever they play….they automatically lift a leg going on to a green”.

The electric fencing here at 13 is a hurdle you traverse into every green complex.

Much like Royal Dornoch Brora was a playground over 100 years ago for rich men and people with royal pedigree on their summer holidays.  One of the regular holiday visitors was the Duke of Sutherland who stayed at Dunrobin Castle north of Brora.  During a round when his Grace was apparently not on his “A” game his regular caddie, Slogger, when asked by the Duke on the 10^th tee “What’s the line here?” he responded “For as much good as you’re doing here you’re as well to take the Inverness-Thurso railway line”.  Guessing that Slogger was losing the side bet of the day on his Grace’s play.    There is so much history to this place, it is the headquarters of the James Braid golfing Society whose members include the Australian Golfing Great, Peter Thomson, Peter Aliss, and Ben Crenshaw.

Sunset from the clubhouse gallery presents a true postcard moment.

Brora is a great day of windy links golf awaiting.  Make the effort to get there and you will not be disappointed.

Sutherland, Scotland

Architect:  James Braid (1924)

Tee                  Par       Yardage          Rating

White               70         6211                 70

Yellow              70         5951                 70

(Click here to review the complete Brora Golf Club hole-by-hole descriptions)

For more pictures click to review Northern Scotland-Day 2: Brora Golf Club