Destination Golf Scotland 2020 * | Page 54

Carnoustie Montrose (Medal) Golf has been played on these links since 1562. That alone should tempt any golfer but this is as traditional as links golf gets. The design stamp of approval belongs to Old Tom Morris and Willie Park Jr., but you get the feeling this land had always been destined to host golf holes. It’s all in the rhythm and sway of the dunes and the firm fairways streaking between nests of gorse. You need to play smart golf here, both from the tee (there are some blind shots) and especially on approaches to large greens where you can find yourself a long way from the pin. You start beside the shoreline which offers the best views before returning slightly inland. There’s a second 18 here and the value is excellent for a course that hosted Final Qualifying for the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie. Pitlochry The golf club sits on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park, wrapped in all that Scottish mountain beauty. There are not many golf clubs up this way, but Pitlochry is worth the journey, rolling over heaving terrain that adds considerably to the challenges and also the charm of its location. It may be short but with its hillsides (the first three holes go up and up) it is testing… especially around the small fast greens. Your short game will need to be razor sharp as several of the par fours are around the 300 yard mark, and both the bunkering and green complexes can be devious. And yet every shot is a pleasure – especially the par threes. The club has changed little over the decades which only adds to its appeal. 52 Auchterarder Located right next to Gleneagles, this is a short and entertaining parkland with plenty to offer golfers looking for an alternative to the mighty Gleneagles experience alongside. At only 5,800 yards it may be short but this par 69 contains six par threes, with two of those over 200 yards. There is plenty of movement to the terrain and small greens to keep you from swinging wildly. And then there are the views towards Gleneagles and the Ochil Hills… the most intriguing view, however, might be from the 6th, where you can look down on the Gleneagles Centenary course. Carnoustie Widely regarded as the toughest course on the Open rota, Carnoustie is also one of the toughest courses, full stop. Certainly the closing three holes have delivered the most dramatic finishes in Open history (Paul Lawrie, 1999, and Padraig Harrington, 2007), but the entire links presents the sort of challenge to strike fear and awe into a golfer’s heart. Bunkering is deep and positioned to be penal – just look at the par five 6th (Hogan’s Alley) – but underneath that cruel veil lies an utterly brilliant and fair golf course. There are no blind shots so you know what is required as you play over low, tangled dunes. James Braid updated Old Tom Morris’s design in the 1920s, and the course has been mostly untouched since then. Beware holes 17 and 18, where you must cross the famous Barry’s Burn five times.