Hardest course in Scotland?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Golf Weekly reports:

'Guthrie Castle GC, a private course near Arbroath with a membership of one, opened to the public in October to raise money for charity and defeated all but a handful of challengers.  The course is reckoned by its owner, American multi-millionaire Dan Pena, to be sp tough that he challenges anyone to play within 10 strokes of their handicap on their first visit, and he bets that few will survive his par-69, 6,034-yard challenge without losing at least one ball..... a 2-handicapper established a new course record of 78....a PGA pro, who wishes to remain anonymous, who returned an 83.  

More charity events are planned for the future.

The course was opened in 1995, but there are no details of architect etc.  

[Mike Hendren]

I had wondered whatever happened to Sidd Finch.  Perhaps the archie of the subject course?

Mike

[ChipOat]

That tough at 6000 yards?

If so, can't imagine that's it not so tricked up as to be, shall we say, "controversial".

[Mike Hendren]

My double, double, triple, double, bogey, triple, double (take that Van de Velde!) finish at Carnoustie two weeks ago into a stout north wind spitting sleet would suggest that Mr. Pena is mistaken

Regards,

Mike

[Joel_Stewart]

There was a post on GCA about the course about a year ago with pictures.  The club also has a web site with photos, if you Google around I'm sure you can find it.  Its very gimmicky and quirky.

[TEPaul]

"Google around"!? I like the sound of that! I might try to do that for the rest of my life.

"How've you been Tom?"

"Not bad at all thanks, still just "googling around" a lot!"

[allysmith]

I googled around a lot as a youngster and it badly affected my stroke!!

Cannot see past the monster that is Carnoustie as the hardest course in Scotland

[Mike Hendren]

Ally,

I did not google around as a younster since I was told it will make you go blind or grow palm hair.

Master of my domain,

Mike

[Robert Thompson]

Here's a link with a story about this so-called hardest course in Scotland. Sounds kinda goofy to me -- tricked up to the extreme:

http://www.scottishgolf.com/features/feature_display.cfm?feature_id=317&feature_cat_id=11

[THuckaby2]

It sounds to me like a shorter, Scottish version of PGA West - Stadium.  And I mean that as a compliment.

I'd love to play the course, sounds like a lot of fun, in a masochistic way.  

Which is how I've always described PGA West - Stadium....

TH

[Robert Thompson]

I know what you're saying Tom -- and I'll even consider putting it on my itinerary for a Scotland trip in late April. However, I've never been fond of courses that are simply too difficult, allowing essentially no ability to recover from even slightly wayward shots. I'm not sure that is how the game is meant to be played.
Interestingly, at least in Canada, most architects have stopped building courses that are very difficult, regardless of what tees the player uses, and instead placed the difficulty largely in the length. It sounds like this little Scottish track is bucking the trend...

Robert

[THuckaby2]

Robert:

Oh, I agree!  If every course were like these, what a sad golf world it would be.  And believe me, having a chance at success is a lot more fun for me than this type of masochism, that's for sure.

Just as a change of pace, a course at the extreme like this does sound like it would be fun, and I too might be tempted to add this one to a Scottish itin, just to see it.

And in any case, if we're going to have an extremely difficult course, I'd say it's better to favor the accuracy difficulty over length, that's for sure.  

For all these reasons this sounds like a very unique course... not that I'd want to play it all the time, mind you!

TH