I started a thread inquiring about places to play near Haltwhistle and then came down with a summer cold serious enough to keep me off the game for a week. I did manage the front nine at Brampton in a buggy but didn’t have the energy for any more. There was some nice there, especially the 3rd.
A couple of days later we stopped at Gatehouse of Fleet to get some Cream of Galloway Ice Cream and I drove out to look at the little nine holes on the outskirts of town. I had looked at course several days earlier and been intrigued by the first hole as my cursory examination left me clueless about where the opening tee shot go. I had to return thereby honoring my oft stated credo “If you punch holes in the ground I will play there—at least once.”
Once I went to the club house and obtained a score card, a course guide ( written) it made sense. The first is up hill 200+ blind to a green benched into the hillside. From then, although there are several blind shots, the course turns into a very playable and challenging course with, to my eye, considerable merit. My initial thoughts were that it would be a goat ranch, but once you climb up onto the plateau there is sufficient width to make the course one that demands quality but not perfect shots.
There are no hog backs and while the third tumbled down a hillside with its green near a boundary fence you can either try to fly a blind drop shot onto the green or land something short and let it trundle on.
The 4th requires a blind tee shot that leaves a second to an elevated green. It’s quite a nice hole that is outdone by the sixth, the lone par five, which climbs on its first two shots and then leaves a third over a small escarpment to a green that has a gradual runaway.
The 7th Has an approach that is a less severe version of the the 3rd.
The most discussed hole is the 9th which is 160 yard drop shot with an OB to the left marked by a stonewall and a fall off to perdition behind if you manage to avoid the rear bunkers.
But the best hole in my regard is the 8 th. slightly downhill at 185 yards, it plays to a green that clings to a hillside that falls away to the right and pretty much dooms any fade to the whins or worse. There is plenty of room to play left and the green is large enough and receptive enough to reward a well struck approach. However, the visual intimidation is significant.
It’s good exercise for an old man carrying raven a Sunday bag, and if anyone else has played it I’d be interested in hearing their impressions.