ABERFOYLE GOLF CLUB (Full 18 hole tour): Quirk in the Trossachs

[Robin_Hiseman]

Time for the tour to continue.

Coming off the 14th green you take a short stroll through the woods and over a thickly wooded burn. On this walk my father told me about the last time he played the upcoming 15th hole in a fourball better ball team competition. They somehow conspired to lose seven consecutive tee shots before finally getting one in play. At this moment I was still playing with the ball I'd teed off with on the 1st. I laughed at his story as I was keeping it on the short grass off the tee. I should have known better...!


Hole 15: Ladybank, 326 Yards Par 4
It's an intimidating view playing up to this narrow fairway ledge. Wasn't familiar with what was over the crest of the hill, so played safe with a hybrid. Didn't help as I tugged it left into the bracken!



From the left side you can see the flag but nothing much of the fore green.



I'll know for next time to try to keep the tee shot to the right, from where much more is revealed.



Once again a pretty tiny green.



Hole 16: Altskeith, 345 Yards, Par 4
Starting to tack back down the hill to the clubhouse with an exciting tee shot. You can see yet another marker post in the distance and sense that there must be a fair drop beyond it, but you can't really see much to aim at. There's actually a ton of room over the big tree on the right, as the semi rough joins up with the adjacent 15th hole. The yellow tee was so near the bracken that we had a real bother to avoid drilling a perfectly good drive into the ferns five feet in front of us.



As suspected the hole drops away sharply towards an unguarded green. Just a lovely shot in prospect. Either lob it in high or drop it well short and let it gather in towards the flag. You can see the 17th tees in the background which play back across the 9th fairway passing from right to left.



Looking back up to the fairway. That's a very healthy patch of daisies just in front of the green.

[Robin_Hiseman]

Working late in the office, waiting for the photocopier to print off reams of tender documents, so time to finish off this tour.


Hole 17: Coombie's Walk, 352 Yards, Par 4
We're heading up to that narrow saddle on the skyline to the left of the tree copse. After a bunch of constricting tee shots it was nice to find acres of short grass once more. We tee off over the 9th fairway, that plays from left to right of frame and that's the 16th green to the left. I've only just noticed the hidden bunker behind it!



If you don't get one way, or you tug it left then this is the kind of view you have left! There is a marker post up to the left of the hill, but make no mistake this is a proper old school blind shot from a bygone era.



From the right semi you can just about see the red flag at the toe of the mound. Aim left you think and let the ground move it in, but...



...what you can't see is the bunker that pinches in the left approach.



Hole 18: Home, 368 Yards, Par 4
An absolutely great hole with which to finish. Can it get much better than this? Glorious scenery, an elevated tee, and a nice wide fairway beckoning you. The green is tucked around to the left and we'll play over the 1st fairway to get to it. The small green pavilion is the original Aberfoyle clubhouse.



And it just gets better! A good drive will give you this view of a terrific little green complex and a pair of wonderful centreline bunkers, the like of which we haven't experienced at any point before. An utterly perplexing little shot made all the trickier by the shallow green orientation and a bit of a reverse camber. You would need to land it like a fairy wearing slippers to go directly at the hole from here. A great finale.



A closer look at the bunkers.



And so we come full circle, with a backwards look up to the lofty 18th tee and a forward glance to the 1st fairway stretching away. You'll want to head back out, but you'll probably want a pint and a sandwich first. Looks like that's what the old fella had in mind too!



The old clubhouse.



Don't mind if I do!



Yes, Alastair had it right.



I'm sure I will.

[Thomas Dai]

A fabulous photo-tour Robin. Really enjoyable, amusing, educational and eye-opening too.

"You would need to land it like a fairy wearing slippers to go directly at the hole from here" - a wonderfully descriptive line. There's a Darwin Room at Aberdovey - with wordsmith skills such as this a Hiseman Room at Aberfoyle surely beckons!

Not wishing to go into much detail about the course, but I get the impression that some of the holes might be pretty wet during part of the year.

atb

[Paul Gray]

Classic. Absolutely classic.

I believe Mr Arble might just have some competition!

[Greg Taylor]

Super tour Robin - thank you.

I hate to use the phrase "hidden gem"... but the cap fits perfectly in this case.

[Adrian_Stiff]

The best bits of GCA are finding out about these golf courses. Well done Robin.

[Paul Gray]

Super tour Robin - thank you.

I hate to use the phrase "hidden gem"... but the cap fits perfectly in this case.

Absolutely. A much overused term but, in this case, spot on. Actually, length makes this one a 'little gem' in my book.

[John Mayhugh]

I've really enjoyed this tour.  Thanks, Robin.

Variety like this is one of the great things about the game.  Am I the only one who wishes they would fix up the old clubhouse?

[Robin_Hiseman]

Thank you all. It's been fun putting the tour together and I agree, it is lovely to get a window onto some of the lesser lights. That was a clear motivation for me to let you all see Aberfoyle. And you never know, maybe you'll one day stop by. I'm sure they'd be very pleased to see you.

Just a little housekeeping to attend to, so here is the scorecard and hole map.




I'm going to send the club the link to this thread. Maybe someone will be able to enlighten us with some good anecdotes about the history.

[Rees Milikin]

Thanks for the tour & photos, love places like this.

[James Boon]

Nice work Robin, an excellent first photo tour!

I'm certainly keen to see Aberfoyle now so will hopefully find my self in that part of Scotland soon. Having said that, despite my constant suggestion that people look out for these lesser courses whilst in Scotland, its taken me quite a few visits to my Mum and Dad's to tear myself away from Dornoch and Brora to play the various little nine hole courses in that area as I did earlier this year...
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,58483.0.html
Don't delay everybody, play these hidden little courses as soon as you can!

Looking forwards to your next photo tour Robin...

Cheers,

James

[Robin_Hiseman]

Cheers James.  Reigate Heath next.

[James Boon]

Excellent, I look forward to that one!

Cheers,

James

[Sean_A]

Very fine Doc, very fine.  What is the normal lost ball count?

Ciao

[Robin_Hiseman]

Very fine Doc, very fine.  What is the normal lost ball count?

Ciao

I lost only 1, but I reckon it could be a 3-4 ball course.

[Niall C]

ah, this is where Ran has hidden this thread !

Robin

Terrific tour. I recall the elevational changes but remembered it as more open and then saw the last few holes which is more like I remember. Am I right in saying the "clubhouse" is the local pub or am I just imagining that bit ?

Niall

[Robin_Hiseman]

Sorry for the temporary loss of photos. I have exceeded my bandwith for the month. It will reset to zero again in a few days and then they will appear again.

Niall, you are imagining that bit. Wishful thinking more like!

[Robin_Hiseman]

The photographs are available to view again now. I exceeded my 10GB download limit last month so they went down for a while.

[Paul Gray]

Because this just deserves to be bumped. 

[Sean_A]

Very fine Doc, very fine.  What is the normal lost ball count?

Ciao

I lost only 1, but I reckon it could be a 3-4 ball course.

1!  You must of had a good day

Ciao

[jeffwarne]

Played this gem today.
Golf in the garden.
Fiery firm and fast fairways- the course was in great shape-wonderful turf.
A great way to end the trip en route to GLA.

[Robin_Hiseman]

Jeff


It's terrific that you made the time to take in Aberfoyle. It's quite a wild ride isn't it? I imagine it was looking pretty purple at this time of year, with the Rosebay Willow herb in full bloom.


If i'd known you were over that way i could have fixed you up at Royal Balfron.

[jeffwarne]

Jeff


It's terrific that you made the time to take in Aberfoyle. It's quite a wild ride isn't it? I imagine it was looking pretty purple at this time of year, with the Rosebay Willow herb in full bloom.


If i'd known you were over that way i could have fixed you up at Royal Balfron.

Robin it was stunning-really felt like a garden-with the added bonus of super firm and fast.
Watching my 18 year old son obliviously hit low burning lefty cut drivers into the left to right slopes was a bit infuriating though as I was having trouble getting 6 irons to stay in play-the bounces grew exponentially if that's possible.
Hard to give 8 shots(cut from 10) to someone hitting drivers 300 in play on rock hard ground on a 4900 yard course.
He only lost 2 balls all day(both on #4 a 257 straight uphill gem to a tiny sliver of a green where he DIDN'T hit driver))
Thank God for the one down presses




The course was a wild ride and a tough walk but absolutely beautiful.


Was only in the area en route to GLA for a Saturday return.


Also played Gairloch and Durness because when you're based in St. Andrews, they're right around the corner.
Threw that in for Sean

[Sean_A]

Jeff


It's terrific that you made the time to take in Aberfoyle. It's quite a wild ride isn't it? I imagine it was looking pretty purple at this time of year, with the Rosebay Willow herb in full bloom.

If i'd known you were over that way i could have fixed you up at Royal Balfron.

Also played Gairloch and Durness because when you're based in St. Andrews, they're right around the corner.
Threw that in for Sean

Death March 2018....nothing less is expected.

Ciao