Panmure GC - 6th "Hogan"
There are two words synonymous with
Scotland: golf and whisky and, at Edzell Golf
Club, they blend together perfectly. Gin
may be making inroads but whisky is the
shining beacon. Edzell Golf Club is a sweet
and well-aged parkland, with ingredients
that include a bomb crater created during
World War II, and splashes of history around
the clubhouse. Right next door, the 4 star
Glenesk Hotel makes a splash of its own
with the Guinness Book of Records for the
most number of whiskies available to guests
and visitors. The 360° Bar is stacked high
with gleaming bottles, and you will have
your work cut out for you as you choose
from the 1,013 whiskies on offer. There might
be a favourite you have in mind or an elusive
label you’ve been seeking for years… chances
are it will be here and John, the barman,
will find it for you in an instant. And he’ll
recommend any number of other labels
based on your tastes.
Half an hour away, on the coast, whisky is
quickly forgotten as you prepare to play the
fifth oldest (1562) recorded golf links in the
world. Only at St Andrews has golf been
played longer over the same golfing ground.
And what a peach Montrose is. Framed
by flaming gorse, the scent of coconut
is overwhelming as you head up into the
dunes above the sea for a stretch of holes
that will take your breath away. Holes 2 to
6 are glorious, streaking along the coastline
and dancing across dune tops that have
been eroded by nature over recent decades.
A tee hangs on the very edge, roped off,
demonstrating how links and coastal courses
are at forefront of climate change. On the
150 yard par three 3rd – named ‘Table’ for
Volume 4 • Issue 44
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