DESTINATION GOLF SCOTLAND 2024
Powfoot
Portpatrick ( Dunskey )
Combining rolling moorland and seaside heath , Portpatrick ’ s Dunskey course splashes gorse across an open terrain . It has many links-like attributes and an affinity with links skills will always prove useful given the wind whipping in off the North Channel . Modest greens can also prove difficult to find in the wind . Panoramic views across the North Channel to Ireland , the Isle of Man and the Mull of Kintyre prove especially attractive on the cliffside holes and from the signature short par four 13th : the tee sits high above the green with Sandeel Bay beyond . The course has just two par fives and only one par four over 400 yards … which makes it accessible to all golfers , and the excellent par threes show off the best shapes on the course .
Southerness
For a par 69 , with five par threes and two par fives , this might read like a short course but at 6,566 yards ( white tees ) it is a links with teeth . It is set out on low , mostly level terrain that embraces subtlety and strategy but the ever-present gorse and / or heather , and subtle doglegs throw in a touch of savagery too . In return , fairways give you room . Expect the traditional links challenges of wind , swales , humps and hollows , as well as some sneaky pot bunkering . It all combines to create a highly rated course that lies a little off the beaten track but one that ’ s worth making the journey to play . Views are endless – the mountains in the Lake District are clearly visible as is the Isle of Man – and you get very cosy with the Solway Firth on several holes , starting on the 8th .
Powfoot )
Tucked away in the south west of Scotland , Powfoot overlooks the Solway Firth . It is a course which owes much of its design to James Braid , combining links and parkland holes . Gorse cloaks the edges of fairways inland , giving holes an oppressive feel , while the rough proves mischievous especially on the links holes . In other words this is no place to go wild . The low , crumpled terrain also proves deceptive off the tee and around small natural greens , something compounded by careful bunkering . The course begins with links holes and it is not the easiest of starts as OB awaits on the right of the first four holes . Play smart , cautious golf to make the most of Powfoot . The crater on the 9th was created by a German bomb .
Stranraer )
If you ’ re a fan of James Braid ’ s designs then Stranraer should hold a particular attraction . It was the last course he designed and it opened for play in 1952 . The course sits on the shores of Loch Ryan and views over the loch and out to Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran all add to the occasion of playing this highly regarded parkland . Set up high and with a smart layout , visitors will find plenty of gorse and dense stands of trees ( especially on the back nine ) to trouble them . This is a stern test of golf , epitomised by the glorious par four 5th : from a high tee you drive down to the loch with no forgiveness if you miss the fairway . It is little surprise that the hole is regarded as one of the toughest – and best – in Scotland .
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