Whalsay GC - Shetland

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

I came across a mention of Whalsay when I was researching Reay.  I believe the local community built the course themselves and it looks like they had a wonderful piece of coastline to work with.  Certainly rough around the edges, but I love finding places like this.

While it is difficult to get to since it is in the Shetlands, at 50 pounds for 1 WEEK of golf, it might be a nice place to fall off the grid and just play.

http://www.whalsaygolfclub.com/coursephotos.htm

Has anyone ever played there?

[David Stamm]

Wow. This looks like some spots along the California coastline. Great land!

[Brian_Ewen]

Geoffrey
I come through Shetland quite a bit with my work , and now and again we get fogged in at Lerwick .

I have played Dale which is just outside Lerwick by just turning up , and borrowing a set of clubs from one of the very friendly members .

I have never got to Whalsey as its a drive north from Lerwick , but I really would like to play it one day , as its the most northerly course in the British Isles .

There is also another course in Lerwick itself , which if I remember is a 9 holer .

They all have great views , and would be a pleasure to play in the long summer evenings here .

[Bill_McBride]

That's a great looking punchbowl green!  Think how diabolical that hole would be with no 'bumper rail' along the left and back sides!

[Alex Miller]

Wow, great pics!

I just checked it out on google earth. All I can say is they must let it go brown too! Looks awesome.

[Emil Weber]

 

The more I see these courses, Askernish, Whalsay, Fort Augustus.... I ask myself if golf needs championship courses with 100pound + green fees.

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

The more I see these courses, Askernish, Whalsay, Fort Augustus.... I ask myself if golf needs championship courses with 100pound + green fees.

Emil, I vote no.

[James Boon]

The more I see these courses, Askernish, Whalsay, Fort Augustus.... I ask myself if golf needs championship courses with 100pound + green fees.

Emil, I vote no.

Spot on! In fact its exactly the sort of outside of the box, forward thinking, fresh take on things that a young man can bring to these things that mean I'm not just going to vote for the policy but I vote to make Emil president, prime minister and king  Only joking Emil, dont worry!

On a serious note though, you are right! Its the likes of those courses, or others like Painswick and I expect Kington, that make golf a real delight. Sure I love playing some of these courses that charge £100 plus, but I get a great deal more satisfaction playing a wee course that is just as much if not more fun than said championship courses, yet I have only had to part with a quarter of the money or so! 

Cheers,

James

[Melvyn Morrow]

Emil

IT IS GOLF AS WE SHOULD KNOW IT EVERYWHERE  – love to see Tiger at Askernish on a windy day. He might even end up hitting himself with his own club, perhaps the best way to learn a lesson and minimise these  tantrums of his.

The Open at Askernish, well would sort the men out from the boys, love the idea.

Melvyn

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

The only online review I could find on Whalsay:

Shaun McLaren wrote on: Mar 1, 2001

"Pretty wild but I loved it! No-one else on the course when we played (in July) 50 mile an hour winds, total isolation and great fun. Ropey fairways but the greens were surprisingly good. If you like your golf to be a bit 'different' then try Whalsay!"



Tell me that doesn't get you a little bit excited about testing your shot making skills!

[Tom_Doak]

Looks like a great place, though I would expect tough conditions to prevail most of the time.

I have never heard the term "ropey" fairways before.  Does anyone know where this comes from?

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

Tom,

At what point would you pass on a project because the weather/wind would be too extreme?  That concern first crossed my mind looking at the southern coast of the Big Island in Hawaii which has some great topography but 40 mph winds are almost constant at times.

[Brian_Ewen]

I have never heard the term "ropey" fairways before.  Does anyone know where this comes from?

No idea Tom , but I have used that term all my life , to mean something that is not quite at its best .

[Jon Wiggett]

Tom,

as Brian says 'ropey':

ropey, ropy [ˈrəʊpɪ]
adj ropier, ropiest
1. Brit informal
a.  inferior or inadequate
b.  slightly unwell; below par
2. (of a viscous or sticky substance) forming strands or filaments
3. resembling a rope ropey muscles
ropily  adv
ropiness  n

typical expression in 'my neck of the woods'

Whalsay looks in a similar mode to Wick or many of the other brilliantly simple courses scattered across northern Scotland.

[Brett Hochstein]

I have been fascinated with this course for a few years now with its simplicity, isolation, and odd landscape.  What almost seems strangest is the water color in most pictures has this deep rich blue to it even in grayer skies.  I really like scenery details like that.

I can only hope that I am around this way in the summer and find a way to get to some of these places--Whalsay, Wick, Askernish, etc. 

What would the conditions up there be like this time of year or over the winter?  I can't imagine 'pleasant' to be a proper adjective, but I may be wrong.

[Jon Wiggett]

Brett,

the scottish weather is very unpredictable. At the moments the days are getting shorter but it is still quite mild. We have had our first day of rain in Dingwall since I arrived in mid September so it has been very dry especially compared with further south. If you hit a sunny day it will be cold, but often it is the best time of year to play. Low greenfees, courses usually still in okay/good nick and completely empty You do need to wrap up well though and keep up a brisk pace.

[Brett Hochstein]

Jon,

Do you know if there is anything against playing on St. Andrew's Day next Monday (I am still not yet well versed in Scottish holidays and could see that as a 'nae play' sort of thing)?  That might be a good day for me to get out and play somewhere new.   

[Tom_Doak]

Geoffrey:

I have yet to see the site that I would pass on because it was too windy / weather too severe.  I think the only reason I would do so is if it appeared to be too severe to get the golf course built and grown in.  If we could get it built, then there ought to be enough people who could withstand the same conditions to play it.

I have told a couple of potential clients that I only know of three projects in the last 20 years where the owner seriously worried that the weather was too severe for golf, and studied whether or not that should preclude them from building the course.  It's a good club to be in:  Sand Hills, Bandon Dunes, and Barnbougle.

[Jon Wiggett]

Sorry Brett,

don't know the answer to your question. It wouldn't suprise me either way and may depend upon where you are.

[Marty Bonnar]

Jon,

Do you know if there is anything against playing on St. Andrew's Day next Monday (I am still not yet well versed in Scottish holidays and could see that as a 'nae play' sort of thing)?  That might be a good day for me to get out and play somewhere new.   

Brett,
all of Scotland will be open next monday. We've yet to embrace St Andy's day the way the Irish, ehm, 'celebrate' St Paddy's!!!
cheers,
FBD.

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

I thought I would bring this back after I responded to the old Durness thread from roughly the same time.

[jeffwarne]

I thought I would bring this back after I responded to the old Durness thread from roughly the same time.

I find it interesting that in the home of golf, where they have these facinating natural impressive landscapes providing the a la natural landscapes most of us crave, that they play year round "winter rules"
No doubt the fairways may be a bit "ropey", but in those pictures it would appear that they are at least in a good enough condidtion to play it as it lies for at least a reasonable portion of the year.
It's almost as if they apologising for the conditions most of us covet

[Brian_Ewen]

It's almost as if they apologising for the conditions most of us covet

Jeff, I blame the telly