DESTINATION GOLF 2022 SCOTLAND 2022
Murcar Links
Fraserburgh
Fraserburgh is well known for having 16 wonderful holes … and a sedate opening and closing hole . Certainly you get no hint of what is to come standing on the 1st tee . Once you climb the 2nd , however , with views over the green to Fraserburgh town and much of the course below , you ’ ll get a surge of adrenaline . Holes cavort through the dunes , beautifully shaped and channelled by what nature has provided . There are few flat lies and the rough is penal , so it is a links to be tackled with caution . The routing favours an east / west direction , with winds hustling in from both Fraserburgh Bay ( north ) and the North Sea ( east ). This is the 7th oldest course in the world and the oldest to retain its original name . The intriguing , short par four 13th will bamboozle the best .
Meldrum House
A parkland course only designed and opened in the 1990s , Meldrum House boasts a surprisingly short par 72 ( under 6,400 yards ) but one that has water on many holes , imaginative bunkering ( an enormous bunker complex fronts the 11th ) and some heavily contoured , intriguingly shaped greens . There are additional flourishes to catch the eye , so this is certainly a charming place to play golf . Most notable are how the changes in elevation show off the landscape … and the holes , particularly the charming water features . They are rarely just for show and prove magnetic . Of course it is the trees of this ancient estate that bring the landscape to life and several of these are employed to create stand-out holes . You must stay at the hotel to access the course .
Cruden Bay
This is one of the prettiest golf courses you will find anywhere . The car park and clubhouse sit high above the 27 holes and from the bar it ’ s all laid out below . It is a stunning sight , stretching out over the water to Scaurs Rocks and Slains Castle , but the golf is even better … as are the views from the towering 9th tee . The naturally rugged terrain bounds over heaving dunes , offering high tees and dramatic views of holes as the course forms a figure of eight . Greens can sit on natural , elevated sites or down in pockets , and the blind ‘ bathtub ’ green on the iconic 14th is magical . ( Look down from the 9th tee for the perfect view .) It is followed by a blind par three ! Truly memorable holes throughout and an unforgettable adventure .
Murcar Links
Sitting so close to Royal Aberdeen that golfers could accidentally play ( and have played ) the wrong course , Murcar Links is a more chaotic and tumbling extension of these gorse-drenched dunes , next to the North Sea . It is also one tricky encounter , especially for the wayward . Fairways are tight and the hummock-like terrain won ’ t always be kind to good shots . At least such terrain promises high tees , sweet shapes and naturally sited greens . And then there are the views . Murcar Links may not be overly long ( back tees : 6,500 yards , par 71 ) but this is a course to be tackled with care and common sense . There is simply too much going on to go blasting it about . A very different links to Royal Aberdeen , but still heaps of fun .
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