Changes to some links courses

[Philippe Binette]

While playing Fraserburgh last spring, the course was pretty good in the dunes except the 1st and 18 hole which were on the farmland flat and boring.

Kyle Franz like the course but said it was dissapointing because it could be a 7 or 8 at least if they move some holes one dune closer to the water.
I told him not to blame the designer Braid since back in 1900 or so, they probably didn't have the technical capacities to build some holes into higher dunes that required some earth moving.

My question is, with the new projects like Barnbougle, Pacific Dunes and Sand Hills to some extend, is there some links courses in Scotland that could or would like to change a part of their course to use better piece of land that was not available before?

I've heard about that for Spey Bay...

[Matthew Hunt]

RCD has alwayed moved further and Further into the Dunes.

[David_Tepper]

Portstewart in Northern Ireland built 7 or 8 new holes in adjacent dunesland to replace an equal number of holes routed on flatter terrain about 12-15 years ago. Enniscrone in Ireland did the same within the past couple of years.

Golspie (north of Dornoch) has dunesland adjacent to the course that I would love to see used to replace at least two of the less interesting inland holes, but a caravan park has been built there instead.

In my (limited) experience, it is very rare to see a links course that has all 18 holes built in the dunes. It seems like there are always at least 2 or 3 holes (usually near the clubhouse) built on flat, open land.    

 

[Phil McDade]

Philippe:

Fraserburgh -- known locally as Corbie Hill, and that's the hill that leads to the dunes portion of the course -- is a very good links, underrated by many, and often bypassed by those who go north to Cruden Bay and no further. It reminds me a bit -- along your comments -- of Machrihanish, where you leave the heaving dunes for the last two holes, which are somewhat undistinguished, and nearby Peterhead, where the first three holes are played in a meadow on the town side of the creek. Fraserburgh is a fairly modest club, and I'm not sure they'd have the financial wherewithall to move some holes.

[Paul_Turner]

In the few photos I've seen, Fraserburgh always looks great.  A true hidden gem that nobody bothers playing, including me.  

(Even Donald Steel missed it in his wonderful book)

[Brian_Ewen]

I think Fraserburgh have got far more important things to attend to than changing the course .

Survival for one .
http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=149235&command=displayContent&sourceNode=149218&contentPK=16416844&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

[Philippe Binette]

Fraserburgh is really good and there is some unique holes and features that you cannot see anywhere else.

the par 3 7th with its green surronding a bunker
the par 4 10th which kind of plays like 13 at North berwick. no wall, but driveable
the par 4 13th with its 2 mounds protecting the green (when you have 4 ways to get the ball to the same hole location from 100 yards, it's pretty unique)

It's not Cruden Bay, but it's really good.

I have some pics of the course, if I can email it to somebody who could post them for me, I'll do that