Golspie!

[David_Tepper]

Nice article in Golf Course Industry:

https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/article/scotland-numbers-game-golspie-wharton/

[Stewart Abramson]

If anyone is interested here's a link to photos of Golspie from June 2022


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72177720300310566

[David_Tepper]

Stewart -

Thanks for the link to the excellent pics.

The Golf Mates visited Golspie not too long ago. They liked it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7DuGui-9Zk

Yes, too much conversation. Not enough golf!

DT

[Ira Fishman]

If you go to Dornoch and don’t play Golspie, you of course don’t know what you are missing. But you really would be missing something very good. The Golf Industry article says it well except for not delving into the merits of several holes in addition to number 16 (which is a wonderful par 3). The variety of landforms presented by the routing of a relatively short course really is unusual in a positive way.


I post yet again about Golspie because but for this discussion board, I would have missed playing it.


Ira

[Niall C]

Ira


Well said. Personally I think Golspie is better than Brora with probably the best set of par 3's in the north. What amused or perhaps bemused me about this article though was that it took the writer two trips to the Highlands to discover Golspie. He must have been wearing blinkers and ear plugs the first time to come away oblivious about the place.


Niall

[David_Tepper]

Niall -

I still have conversations with visitors at Dornoch who are not aware of Golspie. The bus tour crowd is in the Highlands to play Dornoch, Nairn & Castle Stuart. But even some of the people traveling about on their own either have never heard of the course or don't know of its quality. I do my best to encourage them to go play there.

DT

[Ken Moum]

Niall -

I still have conversations with visitors at Dornoch who are not aware of Golspie. The bus tour crowd is in the Highlands to play Dornoch, Nairn & Castle Stuart. But even some of the people traveling about on their own either have never heard of the course or don't know of its quality. I do my best to encourage them to go play there.

DT

Stop it! You're messing with my honey-hole. LOL


BTW, we're booked into the Stones Throw for about two weeks next Sept.  Got a place in Pitgrudy Caravan Park for the month prior to that.

[David_Tepper]

Ken -

Thanks for mentioning the Stones Throw apartment attached to the Golspie clubhouse and overlooking the course. It is one of the best onsite "stay & play" packages in Scotland.

https://www.golspiegolfclub.co.uk/stones-throw-cottage/

DT

[Sean_A]

The first thing I do when seeing these threads about 2nd/3rd tier golf is look up the greenfee. I paid 10 quid as a visitor when last there. Golspie is now £90. I like Golspie, but that's a lotta dosh.

Ciao

[Stewart Abramson]

The first thing I do when seeing these threads about 2nd/3rd tier golf is look up the greenfee. I paid 10 quid as a visitor when last there. Golspie is now £90. I like Golspie, but that's a lotta dosh.

Ciao

But you can get a Brora + Golspie ticket for £140 which gives you a round on Golspie and Brora on either the same day or consecutive days. This summer a round at Brora was £125 for non-UK residents and £95 for UK residents. so we in effect played Golspie for £15. Even at the additional £45 it would be for you, that not a lot of dosh (or bread, dough or lettuce). The two round deal  is going up to £160 in 2023. In any event, it makes a lot of sense for anyone in the area to get the ticket and play both.

[Sean_A]

The first thing I do when seeing these threads about 2nd/3rd tier golf is look up the greenfee. I paid 10 quid as a visitor when last there. Golspie is now £90. I like Golspie, but that's a lotta dosh.

Ciao

But you can get a Brora + Golspie ticket for £140 which gives you a round on Golspie and Brora on either the same day or consecutive days. This summer a round at Brora was £125 for non-UK residents and £95 for UK residents. so we in effect played Golspie for £15. Even at the additional £45 it would be for you, that not a lot of dosh (or bread, dough or lettuce). The two round deal  is going up to £160 in 2023. In any event, it makes a lot of sense for anyone in the area to get the ticket and play both.

So now I need to pay another 50 quid to get a so so deal at Golspie? 🙈

Ciao

[Stewart Abramson]

So now I need to pay another 50 quid to get a so so deal at Golspie?

Ciao

Do you really think £50 is extreme for a round at Golspie?  This summer, Tain was £80 and Fraserburgh was £100. What are the better bargains in the Highlands?

[Sean_A]

So now I need to pay another 50 quid to get a so so deal at Golspie?

Ciao

Do you really think £50 is extreme for a round at Golspie?  This summer, Tain was £80 and Fraserburgh was £100. What are the better bargains in the Highlands?

It's not £50 for Golspie. Its £140 for Golspie and Brora. I wouldn't pay that. £80 for Tain doesn't interest me. We all have our limits.

Ciao

[David_Tepper]

Sean -

I have played at Golspie almost every year since 2000. The green fee for visitors has never been as low as 10 quid in that time. If I remember correctly, the visitors' green fee was 30 pounds or so around 2000-2002. Perhaps you played at the "guest of member" rate (which used to be 10 pounds, but now is 20 pounds).

DT

 

[Sean_A]

Sean -

I have played at Golspie almost every year since 2000. The green fee for visitors has never been as low as 10 quid in that time. If I remember correctly, the visitors' green fee was 30 pounds or so around 2000-2002. Perhaps you played at the "guest of member" rate (which used to be 10 pounds, but now is 20 pounds).

DT

I think we were offered a £5 discount from £15 because the club was desperate for visitors. I have only been to Golspie twice. Neither time was as a guest. Even if we paid £30, it is now 3x that. That kind of rate hike doesn't work in my world. If a bottle of wine I like went from £10 to £30 my attitude would be similar.

Ciao

[David_Tepper]

Sean -

Visitor green fees at many, if not most, of the courses in the Highlands have tripled over the past 20+ years.

On the other hand, a visiting 4-ball wanting to play Golspie twice could have one player join as a Country Member (310 pounds) and have the other 3 players play at the guest of member rate (20 pounds) twice.

310 + 60 + 60 = 430 pounds, divided 4 ways over 2 rounds equals = 53.75 per player per round.

DT

p.s. It would not surprise me at all if there are wines that have doubled or tripled in price over the past 20-25 years.

p.p.s. Link to good blog on UK green fees. Of the Top 100 UK courses, only 11 of them charge less than 90 pounds for visitors.

https://www.ukgolfguy.com/golf-blog/2022-summer-green-fees

[Matt Wharton]

 

Nice article in Golf Course Industry:

https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/article/scotland-numbers-game-golspie-wharton/

Thanks for sharing my column David! I absolutely loved Golspie and can’t imagine a trip to the Highlands without visiting. Can’t wait to give it a go with hickories.

Cheers