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.