I had the pleasure of playing Tobermory Golf Club at the beginning of November and took a few pictures on the way round to do this short photo tour. Setting the scene with a couple of photos the first being of the harbour front at Tobermory which is a lovely little fishing village that now survives mainly from tourism.
The village offers plenty of things to see and several very good restaurants and pubs.
The second is of this rather splendid car parked outside the well known Mishnish Hotel driven by a dear old lady who was coming into town to do her weekly shop. A very luxurious mobility scooter.
Tobermory Golf Club was founded in 1896 but between the years 1900 and 1907 the club lapsed before ‘interested players’ resurrected the club with it playing over a new 9 hole course just north of town. 1935 saw the construction of an 18 hole course by the Western Isles Hotel designed by David Adams. The golf club moved to this new course in 1937, was then invited to manage the course and the club’s name was changed to the Western Isles Golf Club. There are no war time records suggesting that formal use of the course lapsed but it is mentioned that in 1947 it was reopened as a 9 hole course owing to the expense of its upkeep.
1987 the club reverted back to its original title "Tobermory Golf Club" and in the following year negotiations for the purchase of the course were finalised. At this point the order of the playing of the course was changed with the old 6th hole became the 1st and a new clubhouse was completed in early 1992. Since then steady improvements have been to the course with the elimination of bracken infestation and the construction of numerous new tee boxes.
Anyone thinking of playing this 9 hole course needs to dispel any notion of this being a push over. It is a brute of a course requiring not only good ball striking but also a high degree of accuracy. Par is a good score on any of its holes with the last hole being the only realistic chance at a birdie.
The course is not only a very good golfing challenge but plays much longer than the yardage suggests. It is laid out over some wonderful golfing terrain and my only criticism is it uses the land quite poorly, playing across three deep valleys sending the golfer on an arduous journey up and down the steep sides. In addition there are quite a few longish walks from green to the next tee. This not only makes the course quite tiring to walk but also make the use of trolleys very testing.
However, let this not put you off playing as those who do make the effort are well rewarded with some of the most spectacular views the west of Scotland has to offer. It is true that with the right routing there is the potential for an outstanding 9 hole golf course but this should not detract from the simple truth that what is here is well worth playing if you find yourself in the area.
Like most Highland 9 holers the club has a limited number of members which I am reliably informed is around the 70 mark all in. The greenkeeping work takes up about 40 hours per week through the summer and half that through the winter months. Taking this into consideration the course is in remarkably good condition. Despite the rain the day before the fairways were dry and the greens whilst a little long putted true and were a joy to play.
The clubhouse is a very simple one which is open but not manned most of the time. An honesty box was in use and the daily fee of £20 (flat rate no 9 hole fee) was well worth it. Inside there is some memorabilia of the visits of both Colin Montgomerie and golfing legend Tom Watson. The three dartboards in the main room also point to another sport being quite popular amongst the membership
The clubhouse and putting green from the first tee.
The first hole at 356 yards from the back tee gives you have no indication what a brute of an opening hole awaits you. The tee shot is blind up to a plateau set quite a bit above you on which sits a very generous fairway.
Upon reaching the fairway the golfer is treated to some fantastic panoramic views across to the mainland before having to tackle the first big shot of the day, the shot to the green. This shot is over a deep valley to a green sitting atop the slope on the other side which gives you an all or nothing type of challenge. I hit a good 3 wood off the tee followed by a solid 3 iron and only just made it.
The green is square, mid-sized with a small ridge running through it down the middle.
After a 150 meter walk behind the first green, turning back towards the clubhouse the second is also a mid-length par 4 at 381 yards from the backs. Once again it is a blind drive but this time slightly downhill to a generous fairway.
The second shot will be invariably played from a downhill lie to a green perched slightly above the golfer into the hillside opposite. It is all carry to the green if going straight at it and though there is room left to lay up, the fairway is broken up by a series of rough covered ridges running across it.
The green itself is benched into the hillside with the slope feeding in from the right and a steep banking on the left. The putting surface is generous enough once found with little contouring.
The view from the back of the green looking back down the fairway shows the aukward lie that the golfer must cope with
The course now turns away from the clubhouse to play the fabulous third which is a tough 229 par 3. This hole plays down and across a slight bowl in the hillside to a green nestled perfectly into the slope. The secret here is in convincing yourself to play far enough to the left to allow the slope to feed the ball into the green. Anything short or right leaves a tricky chip up to the putting surface.
Once again the green is medium sized with some subtle contouring. It has a slight bowled effect made by a little raised ridge round the back and right half so common on early golf courses yet sadly missing in today’s pursuit of the ‘natural look’.
The fourth turns once again back towards the clubhouse and is another good length par 3 at 213 yards. The tee shot requires the golfer to be long enough and up to the right of the green using the slope to feed the ball on to the putting surface.
After a fairly bland tee shot the golfer is rewarded with an absolute gem of a green. This two tiered lovely is set up back to front to the norm with the top tier at the front and a gentle step down to the bottom back tier. Miss right and you have a straight forward chip down but miss left and you face a demanding lofted wedge shot over a steep banking to a green sloping slightly away from you.
The fifth turns play away from the clubhouse one last time and plays along the lower border of the course. It is the 3
rd blind tee shot in the first five holes but at just 269 yards surely it must be a good birdie chance. Not really as there is little indication on the correct line off the tee and with OOB tight down the right it is better to play safely left. In doing so the player flirts with the series of rough covered ridges which will almost certainly leave an awkward ball below feet lie, playing a heavily angled shot to a green. Due to OOB close behind and to the right of it distance control is critical but with the shot being played out of deeper grass distance control is really difficult.
The green itself is large and fairly non-descript. This is a hole where par will be straight forward but one under a rare bird indeed. If there is a weak hole on the course then this is possibly it and to me it did not sit totally in harmony with the rest of the course. However, I suspect with multiple plays it might grow on the player so maybe I am being a bit harsh.[size=78%]
After quite an arduous climb up a winding path through the trees the player reaches the sixth. This is the next standout hole on the course which may be only be 397 yards on the card but plays uphill and requires two stout blows to get near its tiny green. A semi-blind tee shot up to a roll on the hillside is best left short of the crest of the roll so as to leave an uphill lie to launch the second shot up to the green set in a hollow far above.
The greedy player who tries to get too close to the green with the tee shot will be punished with a downhill lie making it all but impossible to get both the necessary elevation and distance on the next shot to reach the target. [/size]
The golfer is afforded only a glimpse of the top of the flag which is hidden behind the crest of a second roll directly over the marker post up by the lone tree.[size=78%]
Once reached the golfer is rewarded with a green that is perfectly bedded into its surroundings. It is possibly larger than it needs to be as the green gathers any shot in the vicinity. Walk off with a par and you have done very well.
Looking back down the fairway from behind the green.
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Now we come to the course’s most photo’d hole the short 142 yard par three seventh. This hole is played across one of the deep valleys that dissect the course to a green set on the lip of the valley side beneath a natural rocky outcrop. With a grassy hillock to the left, steep drop just short, rocky outcrop behind and OOB tight right there is little room for error.[size=78%]
The green itself is modest in size with a raised step on the right side. This is a wonderful hole that asks a very straight forward question. Get the answer right and you walk off feeling like a king. Get it wrong however and I shudder to think how many shots might be required.
These step found on the 7th tee are certainly unusual if of a somewhat foolhardy design.
With the 8
th we are back to a blind tee shot over a ridge set on the far side of a deep valley.
At 385 yards with the second shot being played steeply downhill it does not play long but will almost certainly be a blind to the green. This view is what the golfer sees when he walks forward to check the shot.
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The green, like the 4th is a two tier one with the lower tier at the back. There are indications of what might have been a bunker to the left of the green which is the only sign the course ever had sand and in fairness it does not suffer for the lack of it. Missing the green left or long leaves a very tricky chip so erring on the short side is perhaps the way to go.[size=78%]
The last hole is less dramatic after all the ups and downs of the previous few holes. At 120 yards it is played to a mid-sized green with a decent amount of contouring. However, it does require the player to hit the green or face a tricky chip. All in all a nice gentle end to the round and it is nice to play a final hole that is not a potential score wrecker.
Tobermory shows the classic Highland 9 holer at its best and I am glad that I was able to use it for my first photo tour of Highland 9 holers. [/size]
I look forward to seeing how it is received by the board and will try to answer any queries as best I can.[size=78%]
Cheers
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