St Andrews may be the Home of Golf, but nowhere breathes golf quite like Gullane. There are five courses within a brisk 15 minute walk of the famed Old Clubhouse...and that isn’t including the Children’s Course adjacent to Gullane #3...which by and by is free to play. Several other courses which are a short car ride from Gullane hug the south coast of the Firth of Forth and include Kilspindie, Renaissance, Archerfield, Craigielaw and North Berwick. Muirfield, or more properly The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, is the oldest and most prestigious of the Gullane clubs. However, Gullane GC is rightly famous for its three courses and as a host to the odd big occasion.
At just over 5200 yards from the back markers, the #3 course is about 1000 yards shorter than its illustrious championship neighbour's yellow tees. Yet, this Willie Park Jr (he also designed #2) design which is now over 100 years old has champions of its own. Recently passed Archie Baird preferred #3 to the other two courses and it’s easy to understand why. In many ways, the course is stylistically quite similar to #1. Okay, #1 is lacking the idiosyncrasies of #3 and it certainly is more heavily bunkered, but when standing on Gullane Hill all three courses share the same essential qualities of ancient golfing ground...that is no nonsense firm links turf and true greens. Indeed, the courses are so beloved that the waitlist for membership is so long it is closed.
For my tastes, at least half of #3's best holes are on the visitor's house side of the A198. All six holes (1-3 & 16-18) either run over compelling terrain and/or have an interesting design shape. In fact, with the exception #12, all the doglegs are on this side of the property. The opener plays over low-lying, but rumpled terrain with OOB hard to the right. The intriguing aspect of the hole is the approach.
The short second too is supplied with ample bunkering. It almost seems a shame to use this lovely terrain on a par 3.
Legging a bit left, when into a head wind, it is all too easy for drives to slide that much too far right on the third. The 4th is across the road in the background.The opening three holes totals 778 yards and completely hook me into the game.
Unfortunately, we now must climb Gullane Hill for the 4th. This is a trait all three courses share and am I not convinced any of the trio provide good golf for the climb. The 5th is a bit deceptive. It may appear rather bland, but there is some good shaping around the green. The drive on 6 looks very straight-forward with bunkers sandwiching a generous fairway, but all is not what it seems. My playing partner suggested I play very near the left bunker or else risk, what turned out to be a blind bunker on the right. After the two visible bunkers, the land cascades right and in truth the blind bunker may save a lost ball. Of further interest is a gully on the left feeds the left bunker. I expect in summer months the play is to lay up unless one can bash a driver 300 yards. The plateau green is nestled in a rock outcropping with a sharp fallway back right. I have a lot of time for the 6th.
The course descends in dramatic fashion for the 7th, another among a plethora of short two-shotters. Luffness New is cheek by jowel on the left.
A tough short hole, the 8th plays between bunkers to a slightly uphill green.
The straight-away 9th features a raised and slightly punchbowl green. At 450 yards, the 10th is the first hole over 350 yards! As is often the case at G3, the land is mildly humpty bumpty...just enough to create awkward lies which necessitate care with ball flight.
After the 7th, the course slowly ascends to the top of the property. However, the short 11th seems to will golfers up the hill in a manner akin to the 4th; that is with harsh abruptness. The interesting aspect of the green is it runs front to back, a trait Willie Park Jr is well known for. Looking back to the tee.
Perhaps the toughest par 4 at G3, the 12th emphatically breaks the string of straight holes. A down n' up reverse camber hole, tee shots naturally whip left once landing. As a consequence of the hard slope, I suspect many drives find the right rough. For rear hole locations there is a backboard which will feed approaches back toward the hole.
More to follow.
Happy Hockey