Scotland’s “Best” Nine-Holers ?

[Mark Pearce]

Niall mentioned Strathtay.  Haven't been there for more than 20 years.  I'm not as good at mountain climbing as I was back then.....

[Niall C]

Thank you Tony, only 44 years after my first one !


Niall


ps. the pin was on the left and I was aiming for the middle on the basis that angles don't matter but fortunately I pulled it slightly 

[Enno Gerdes]

I played New Galloway on the way to Turnberry for the 2009 Open. It's a classic starts in the valley, most of the course is on the moor layout. The course says that members believe it to be Scotland's best nine holer on its website; well, I'm not so sure about that, but once you get up the enormous hill that takes up the first two holes and out onto the open moor, it's certainly very nice. They allow you to cut across from 8 to 3, hence playing a 15 hole round and avoiding going down the hill and back up again if it is quiet. Which was nice.

Adam


I'm very pleased to say that I eventually managed to get to New Galloway at the weekend and very much enjoyed the course. It's much as you describe although I would say the upper level isn't entirely open although it isn't brutally tight either. It's the landforms that make it. Even though the greens were as hairy as my brothers wee Scottie dug, there was enough slope on them to give some interesting borrows. Of course having a hole in one on the 7th perhaps makes me look at the course with rose coloured glasses but I don't think so. There is a lot of good fun golf.


Later in the day I also went back to St Medans and was very pleased to find it as much fun as I remembered. The south west of Scotland is an area that really doesn't get as much attention as it should and while the golf isn't maybe championship standard there's still a lot of fun to be had.


Niall

Good stuff, congrats, Niall!

[Ian Mackenzie]

I played Durness Golf Club in late September with a buddy.
Fantastic experience. It's either Durness, Reay or Wik that is the northernmost course in the UK.


https://www.durnessgolfclub.org/


Last 30 miles was basically on a road the size of a cart path.
Pictures are insane. Wish I could post them.

[James Reader]

I played the Hillhouse 9 at Kilmarnock last week - frankly not even being aware it was there until a couple of days before - and was impressed. After a fairly ordinary looking opening tee shot, it’s nine holes of really good golf - particularly in the strong wind we had on the day I was there. A number of the greens are very good and the 7th in particular is a great short par 4 (the photo below is from behind the green).


As Niall said, if you’re looking for 9-holes to add on to a round in Ayrshire, you could do a lot worse.

[Ken Moum]

Other than the famous long cliff side par-3 what’s the 9-hole course at Anstruther like?

Completely forgot about Anstruther when doing my top-10.


Windy, really windy! Otherwise pretty rudimentary. The first tackles an abrupt rise, which is driven down from to finish, and from there it is flat, exposed cliff-top with the exception of the two back-to-back threes. Worth a quick run around just for a crack at the impossibly difficult three.

Just finished a Mixed Greensomes there with my wife, and I have to say that Rockies ain't no hard par three.  It's a driveable par four... or perhaps five.   


Given that I broke my left wrist on June 2, my expectations were very low, and we managed to get below them.


Still, playing with a member and her brother (a long-time St. Andrews caddy) was as much fun as usual, and the tariff of 15 GBP for both of us for 18 holes was brilliant.


Currently trying to get on TOC through the ballot while cycling on our off days.


And we're booked into a Mixed Open at Nairn Dunbar next Sunday.

[Matt Schoolfield]

Jim Hartsell seemed to really, really like Gairloch in his last book.

[Garland Bayley]

I played Durness Golf Club in late September with a buddy.
Fantastic experience. It's either Durness, Reay or Wik that is the northernmost course in the UK.


https://www.durnessgolfclub.org/


Last 30 miles was basically on a road the size of a cart path.
Pictures are insane. Wish I could post them.

Orkney golf club is farther north. And, It is my impression that it is not the northernmost.

[Niall C]

I have another two to add to the list but first I had a revisit to Tarbat (Portmohomack) which I previously only walked. I was lucky enough to play it during the summer with a couple of GCA friends and it was as much fun as I imagined it would be. A complete antidote to the Championship courses with big green fees, welcome packs and a starter on the first tee. At Tarbat you just put your greenfee in the honesty box, tee it up and a way you go.


The other two;


Leadhills - located about 5 to 10 miles off the A74 to the south of Glasgow, it is an open moorland course run by volunteers. Easily the slowest greens I've played for many a year but with enough slope on them for putts to have borrows. About as rustic as it gets. The clubhouse is a wooden shed that has been condemned with "No Entry" signs on it. Leadhills is reputedly the highest course in Scotland but due to the hills round about it doesn't feel that high relative to Pitlochry or Dufftown but it certainly feels more remote that the two courses mentioned. Greenfees are paid at either the local hotel or the shop next door. It's not compelling golf and wouldn't crack my top ten but still good fun and worth a play if looking for something different.


Gatehouse of Fleet - I played this on the way down to this years BUDA and didn't know what to expect. Its located in the SW of the country where there are a number of nine-holers and Gatehouse of Fleet is the third I've played after St Medan and New Galloway. I loved both of those and pleased to say that GoF provides the same adventurous and quirky golf with an abundance of blind and semi-blind shots. Possibly the only holes without any semblance of blindness are the three par 3's, two of which are drop shots (that tells you something about the terrain) and the other a long par 3 that is possibly the most strategic par 3 I've played. I'm already looking forward o going back next year.


Niall   


 

[Niall C]

I forgot to mention Bonar Bridge. I'd previously walked the course but managed to play it this year on the same trip as I played Tarbat. The fact that I forgot about it kind of says something about the course. While it is in a lovely part of the country and has plenty of elevational change it somehow lacks in character. I don't know if it is because it is a relatively modern design/build that has managed to somehow iron out all the interesting wrinkles of the land, but the holes just seemed too "conventional". The golf certainly isn't bad and it was an enjoyable enough round I just didn't love it the way I do with a lot of Scottish nine holers. Anyone else think the same ?


Niall     

[Sean_A]

New Galloway, Gate of Fleet or St Medans? I am leaning toward St Medans. Folks who know, what say you?

Ciao

[JohnVDB]

I forgot to mention Bonar Bridge. I'd previously walked the course but managed to play it this year on the same trip as I played Tarbat. The fact that I forgot about it kind of says something about the course. While it is in a lovely part of the country and has plenty of elevational change it somehow lacks in character. I don't know if it is because it is a relatively modern design/build that has managed to somehow iron out all the interesting wrinkles of the land, but the holes just seemed too "conventional". The golf certainly isn't bad and it was an enjoyable enough round I just didn't love it the way I do with a lot of Scottish nine holers. Anyone else think the same ?


Niall   

Niall, I felt the same way, it's ok, but I'd rather play Tarbat any time.

[Clyde Johnson]

New Galloway, Gate of Fleet or St Medans? I am leaning toward St Medans. Folks who know, what say you?

Ciao

I played all three in one beautiful spring day a couple of years back, and found plenty to interest at each.


St Medan's might just be the most unusual. The fourth is one of the best drivable (for the mere mortals) par-fours I have played anywhere, and for that it should probably get the nod.


New Galloway has a steep initial ascent, but after that there's just the right amount of adventure. The second drives over a drystone wall and bank of gorse, then pitches blindly over a rocky outcropping to a green backing another wall.


A couple of fine holes at Gate of Fleet too, including the par threes to open and close. The majority of the course plays across slope.

[Adam Lawrence]

I think I've posted this on this thread already, but I played New Galloway with my Dad on the way to Turnberry for the 2009 Open and -- apart from the rather lung-busting ascent on the first two holes -- enjoyed it quite a lot.

I recall at the time it was described, presumably on the club website, as possibly Scotland's best nine holes. I'm not qualified to make that judgement, but it was fun.

Adam

[Niall C]

Adam


You certainly have posted that story before and it was that post that put the course back on my radar to pay it a visit and I'm very glad I did.


Sean,


Which to pick between St Medan, New Galloway and Gatehouse of Fleet ? That's a tough one. It's like being handed the sweet menu and having to pick between Chocolate Gateaux, Tiramisu and Sherry Trifle. The only proper course of action is be like Clyde and go for all three !


I counted up recently and I reckon I've now played about 40 Scottish nine-holers and these 3 are definitely top 10 in my book. They all have that sense of adventure that the best nine-holers tend to have. Lay of the land courses laid out on scrap bits of ground, with an added rustic charm of basic greenkeeping. I might be doing GoF a disservice in that last regard as the greenkeep was out and about on an impressive bit of kit cutting the grass. More than that, it was evident that quite a lot of scrub and undergrowth had been cleared to give a bit of elbow room.


In terms of points of difference, all of them are on small sites although St Medan at 27 acres is comfortably smaller than GoF at 39 acres and NG at 47 acres, which it manages to overcome by way of a number of holes playing across each other. St Medans is also shorter being 2,272 yards from way way way back from the tips, whereas NG is significantly longer at 2,503 yards and GoF a relative monster at 2,521 yards.


But as we know, yardages don't really tell the story for these types of courses. Each course has some great holes. Clyde mentioned the 4th at StM which is a wonderful driving hole but then the 3rd isn't too shabby either as a long par 3. NG has the holes on top that Adam and Clyde described with the par 4's definitely the pick. GoF is the only one of the 3 with a par 5, which has a blind drive, blind second and depending on how long you are possibly a blind approach ! It does have a couple of drop shot type par 3's but for me the pick of the bunch is definitely the 8th at 189 yards. The direct approach is all carry whereas for shorter hitters they can go left and the ball will come round off the hill and possibly onto the green.


I'm not sure which I'd pick as the best of the three but GoF is the one I want to go back to first, maybe because I played it most recently and it is fresh in my mind, but larger to see if it is as good as I think it is.


Niall         

[Sean_A]

Thanks all. Still leaning toward St Medan.


Merry Christmas.

[Sean_A]

I played the Hillhouse 9 at Kilmarnock last week - frankly not even being aware it was there until a couple of days before - and was impressed. After a fairly ordinary looking opening tee shot, it’s nine holes of really good golf - particularly in the strong wind we had on the day I was there. A number of the greens are very good and the 7th in particular is a great short par 4 (the photo below is from behind the green).


As Niall said, if you’re looking for 9-holes to add on to a round in Ayrshire, you could do a lot worse.

Is Hillhouse worth a detour from Oban? Or is Leadhills the better bet?

Ciao

[Garland Bayley]

I played the Hillhouse 9 at Kilmarnock last week - frankly not even being aware it was there until a couple of days before - and was impressed. After a fairly ordinary looking opening tee shot, it’s nine holes of really good golf - particularly in the strong wind we had on the day I was there. A number of the greens are very good and the 7th in particular is a great short par 4 (the photo below is from behind the green).


As Niall said, if you’re looking for 9-holes to add on to a round in Ayrshire, you could do a lot worse.

Is Hillhouse worth a detour from Oban? Or is Leadhills the better bet?

Ciao

You're going to Oban? Tell Bobby or his dad that I am a fan.

[David_Tepper]

We are hoping to get to the Isle of Skye for the bank holiday weekend in May. With so much else to see and do there, is the Isle of Skye GC/Sconser worth playing?

[Ken Moum]

We are hoping to get to the Isle of Skye for the bank holiday weekend in May. With so much else to see and do there, is the Isle of Skye GC/Sconser worth playing?

Can't say about the course,  but Lavera wants to play it because the holes are named in Gaelic.


 

[Niall C]

In recent months I've managed to add three more courses to the list of Scottish nine-holers played. The first of those was the Dinvin course at Portpatrick in SW Scotland. Its basically a 9 hole par 3 course with holes ranging from 84 yards to 189 yards. Very much an add on to the main course but not one to bother about unless you have extra energy and looking to kill some time. In a similar vein is the 9 hole course at Caird Park in Dundee. It has two par 4's of 260 odd yards and the rest are par 3's. Greenkeeping is basic and with the greens mainly comprising small circles sitting on larger rectangular green pads. Add the lush rough and tree encroachment and it is a course that has been left to go to seed. It will never be a great course but with a bit more love and attention it could be a good bit better.


Of a different ilk all together is the third course, which is the Arran course at Turnberry. I can't swear by it but I think some of the holes at least were formerly part of the old Arran course that got transformed a few years back into the King Robert the Bruce course by Donald Steel. I'd assume therefore that the non-original holes on the new Arran are also Donald Steel. I think I'm correct in saying at that time Tom MacKenzie and Martin Ebert were part of Donald Steel team so who actually was involved I can't be certain. (the starter advised it was designed by Colin Montgomerie )


What I can say is that I was very much taken by the course. Firstly, its proper links turf albeit the course is fairly flat. There is also a good bit of gorse and while not being particularly tight it does make you think twice as to how much run up you take when hitting your drives. The best bit about the course though is the greens. Nicely shaped with plenty of movement. Frankly, a good bit more interesting than some of the new greens on the Ailsa. It's not all perfect as there is a bit of a disconnect between the first two holes and the rest of the course but still nothing to taxing. Quite how good this course is will be determined by another play but I think I can be confident in saying that it will be in my personal top ten.

Niall

[Ian Andrew]

I'm going to second Clyde's cheeky comment of the Eden Course. The front nine holes is brilliant and one of the best golfing experiences in the UK. There are three or four truly inspiring greens. It's really something special. It makes the perfect none-hole finish to a 27 hole day.

[Emil Weber]

I don't know if it's ever been mentioned here, but the Pans course at Machrihanish has a couple of cracking holes and is a good warm up for an afternoon round on the Championship course!

[Sean_A]

Thanks all. Still leaning toward St Medan.

Merry Christmas.

I leaned toward St Medan, but serendipity intervened and we also played Gatehouse. Both are comfortably worth playing. I gave Gatehouse a 1*, liked it that much. However, I could easily see myself reversing that opinion if I played the courses a few more times…which I would happily do. Given the side hill nature of Gatehouse perhaps it is at its best during winter when the course is less keen? Conversely, perhaps St Med is best during summer.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

I finally played St Olaf…very fine. Although it is a very different course to the pre 2024 version. There has been a major redesign. Anyone know what has changed?


Ciao