Cruden Bay Golf Club sits on the Battle of Cruden (also known as the Battle of Crochdane…Slaughter of Danes) site between the Scots and Danes in 1012. The Scots won the battle over Canute’s forces and the terms of victory included the Danes withdrawing from Scotland. Prince Canute later went on to form a Kingdom in England. A chapel was eventually dedicated to the dead on both sides of the battle…St Olaf’s (Patron Saint of Norway). The restored font from this no longer existing chapel is in the sanctuary of St James The Less, Cruden Bay.
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Jumping forward almost 900 years, the course was commissioned in 1894 by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) Company and fully opened in 1899. The inner nine hole “ladies course” was also laid out at the same time. The original course measured 5290 yards, but by 1908 more people were involved in making changes and the course had been extended to 5929 yards. The course was part of the facilities offered by the Cruden Bay Hotel, which was another GNSR project which opened in the same year. The pink granite hotel was nick named the Palace in the Sandhills and even had an electric tram connecting to the Cruden Bay Train Station. Sadly, the hotel survived just over 50 years when the demolition was finished in the early 1950s after passenger service to Cruden Bay was halted in 1932. The club and course soon fell on hard times. The largesse of local businessmen saved the course from oblivion and they built a new house in 1961 which was replaced less than 50 years later....both on the same site as the hotel.
1921 Simpson & Fowler map of the courses. The Championship Course shown in red is basically the same today. The Olaf Course shown in blue is somewhat different after the recent changes.
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GNSR must have had faith in the success of the resort because Simpson & Fowler were engaged to redesign Cruden Bay. The ladies course was also redesigned at this time. Much of the course followed the path of the OTM/A Simpson design, but there are significant differences. I don't know exactly who did what because there were more people involved between the original design and the T Simpson work, but I believe the general credit can be started as follows:
1. Simpson & Fowler
2. OTM & A Simpson green
3-5. Simpson & Fowler
6. OTM & A Simpson green
7. OTM & A Simpson
8. Simpson & Fowler
9. OTM & A Simpson, Mackenzie tee
10. OTM & A Simpson, Mackenzie tee
11. Simpson & Fowler
12. OTM & A Simpson (green reworked?)
13. Simpson & Fowler using two holes from OTM & A Simpson
14. Simpson & Fowler reworked OTM & A Simpson
15. OTM & A Simpson
16. Simpson & Fowler, green reworked Mackenzie?
17. OTM green (reworked?)
18. Simpson & Fowler
Cruden Bay runs in a figure of eight through uplifting dunes with the 8th being the linchpin of the design. Many of the holes are separated by sandhills and as such create a feeling of inwardness. The views are scintillating, especially from the new 9th tee. Cruden Bay seems to break design rules here and there yet is perfectly logical and entertaining.
The opener is named after Slains Castle, which is associated with Bram Stoker who often visited Cruden Bay. It is thought Stoker started writing the novel during one of his stays in 1895. This game aptly began in an eery light fog which struggled to completely lift. Even so, the rumpled fairway provides a solid start to the round. I appreciate the view straight down through the 2nd.
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Named for the battle mentioned above, Crochdane is a puzzling hole for me. I am not convinced by the bunker placement or aesthetics of the bunkering down the right.
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Cruden Bay gets going on the 3rd; a short two-shotter which twists blindly around a large hill on the right.
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Behind the green.
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More to follow.
Ciao