After my early morning start at Bonar Bridge I headed south to Brahan Golf Club, the work of Jon Wiggett and his wife Claudia. Brahan has been open for 3 years now, though it currently closes over the winter months, and is set over undulating former crofting land. Jon has crafted a very interesting 9 hole routing through this landscape, where a selection of tees and slightly larger greens allow for the course to be played as 18 holes, when 2 flags are used per green in the summer. On the day I played the course hadn't actually opened yet for the summer so there was only one flag per hole and much of the rough still needed a good cut to take it down to semi rough length. The fairways are quite narrow in places but Jon maintains the course quite wide open with plenty of semi rough.
The
first is a short par 4 that doglegs to the left. This is the pitch to the green which runs away from you and has a hump in its middle. A feature which on a manufactured course with fast greens would be just crazy, but as Jon has pretty much just mown as found and top dressed where needed to create these greens, a feature which is enormous fun!
The
second heads back to clubhouse and is a medium par 4. The approach is played over a burn to a green sitting just past a small ridge.
Whilst most of the fairways and greens have been cut as found, very much in the style of Askernish on the Outer Hebrides, the bunkers and mounds which surround the greens are very much man made, but they are kept rough enough so that they still play as a hazard while nature trys its best to reclaim them so that they are already blending in very well with their surroundings. Here is the hollow and bunker over the back left as seen from the next tee.
The
third is a medium par 3, played to a green with a large front left and a narrow but steeply sloped back right area where the flag was on this day. this back right are is also protected by a deep pot bunker and humps and hollows short right, but a ridge along the back left encourages a low left to right running approach.
A closer look at the green
The
fourth can play as a medium par 4 or a short par 5 depending on the tee. Here is the view from the forward tee, where your drive should hopefully get over the rise to set up a view of the green.
The approach favours a shot running in from the short left, avoiding a bunker some 30 yards short right of the green. The back drop to the approach is a view through the trees to the next two holes, and though this photo perhaps doesn't do it justice with the overcast weather and still slightly dormant look of much of the grass, is possibly a contender for the "My favourite vista" thread?
This view looking back at the green shows a piece of land found thanks to the inspiration of the 16th at North Berwick!
The
fifth is a long par 3 but Jon sets it up as a short par 4 due to its challenge. There is also a shorter tee which makes it a medium par 3 without such a tight angle. The green is very narrow and set tight to a burn that follows the boundary line down the left. There is plenty of room to bail out right but this leaves a tricky pitch between or over a number of grassy hollows.
A closer look at the green shows it also slopes from left to right and just how much the grassy hollows protrudes into the putting surface!
And the view looking back towards the tee.
The
sixth is an uphill medium par 5, the fairway for which has been seen in the distance on the previous two holes. Once the slight hill is climbed it leaves a pitch to another green full of interesting undulations, that isn't far from the boundary.
The
seventh is another mixed par hole. From the back tee its a short par 5 or from a more forward tee off to the left in the trees, its a long par 4.
Played across the higher ground of the property the lay up or approach is to a green with a slight skyline feel, which actually sits just over the far side of the skyline and is running away from you.
The
eighth is a long par 3 with a large green which looks much smaller that it is away in the distance, cleverly disguised by the number of tiers stepping down the hillside.
The flag is on the top tier, seen here from closer in, with room to run an approach in from the right.
The
ninth or last, is a long par 5, which played a real brute into the wind when I was there. Once the drive is away, the second has to play across a dip in the fairway, skirting a small woodland, but the eventual approach is to one of the larger greens on the course, though this is protected by a burn short and a steep back to front slope.
The golf at Brahan is a fantastic experience! Golfers with and ego, wanting perfect conditions and a chance to beat their handicap should possibly stay away, however those with a sense of adventure shouldnt miss a great (not so) wee nine hole course like Brahan! I cant wait to get back in the height of summer, when the full experience of 2 flags per green and perhaps some slightly more favourable conditioning, are to be had!
I've now had the pleasure of playing 2 courses with their designers, who in both cases was also involved in the construction and again in both case didn't have extravagant budgets but had to use either old fashioned or creative ways of developing the course and making it a challenge (I suppose 3 if you include wandering around Askernish with its chairman). To experience first hand this passion for the game is a real honour and leaves me feeling that this low budget, architecturally interesting golf is the way forwards for the future?
Cheers,
James