MORAY GC OLD COURSE

[Sean_A]

Originally the port for much larger and nearby Elgin, Lossiemouth is often referred to as the jewel of the Moray Firth. Jutting into the Firth like a fist, the town is flanked on the west by the two courses of Moray GC and to the east by a striking beach which begins in town where River Lossie meets Spey Bay. Despite nearby RAF Lossiemouth, the town is fairly quiet. Indeed, the area around the splendid Moray clubhouse is one of the busier areas. This may be due to the few hotels in town being scattered near the 18^th green of the Old Course.

While perusing the website I did confirm that Old Tom Morris designed the original 16-hole course in 1889. Very quickly the course was extended to 18 holes when more land was leased, although the architect isn’t mentioned. Instead, there are a few paragraphs about the club malts, of which there have been very few! For those who might be interested, since 2002 the club malt is a 12- or 15-year-old Glen Moray.
 
Unfortunately, the club may be most famous for striking future Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, a son of Lossiemouth and keen golfer, from the membership roll for being an anti-war Labour MP during WWI.  The unpopular MacDonald would lose his seat in the 1918 elections. Apparently, the Welsh thought more of MacDonald for his phoenix like rise to power began in 1922 as the MP for Aberavon in Wales!  Fourteen months later King George V called on MacDonald to form a minority Labour government. He was one of the first Prime Ministers to come from a working-class background and not be university educated. During MacDonald’s second turn as Prime Minister in 1929, the club rescinded the motion to remove MacDonald from the membership rolls and extended an offer of membership. MacDonald refused and it is thought after being booted from the club he never played the course again. 

Painting by Solomon Joseph Solomon




Starting in town, the opening four holes are not the best of the course, but each are highly varied with a bit of something. #1






The second legs left to a sunken green.




The unattractive tee shot for the 3rd turns well right to a hidden plateau green.


The 4th is the true exception to the opening statement. One of the best on the course, this hole opens the par three account with the most interesting of the short holes.


It may seem like balls will come in from the left, but this isn't the case. The front left of the green shoves balls toward the left rear bank.


OoB lurks!


More to follow.

Ciao

[Tony_Muldoon]

Well it seems like we may not be in agreement here.


1 lovely gentle handshake welcome to Moray
2 Interesting drive and what a greensite - with subtle movement. 
3 The raised green falls away fore and aft. Needs a great shot to hold and a deft recovery is most  likely called for. Lovely and this is getting most interesting.
4 Agree


Please carry on.

[Sean_A]

MORAY OLD CONT

5-8 are across the road. The 5th is sort of in the same vein as the 2nd; a legger left with a green slightly sunken. Given the extremely firm conditions, none of the short holes were toss-away holes, but the 6th is fairly straight-forward.


Looking a bit more heathland-like, the 7th continues the flat terrain golf. 


For mine, Moray Old starts to come into its own on the 8th. Still quite flat, but this hole is a bit more interesting.  The drive is between two echelons of bunkers.


Tightly guarded by sand and a bit raised, the green is a tough target on this 435 yarder.


A pair of short two-shotters come in succession and by short I mean well under 300 yards.  The 9th.


The 10th is a mere 252 yards, but arguably more interesting than its cousin.


Bunkers guard the left side of the fairway which will perhaps convince people to drive to the right....where the angle of approach is not terribly inviting.  It was here that I noticed old man-made dips. I suspect these were old bunkers since replaced by the pot bunker style. In some instances these old bunkers were more imaginatively shaped and placed. For the most part, Moray Old is a study in playing between bunkers.


More to follow.

Ciao

[Steve Lapper]

Sean,


  You can't possibly deprive the masses of the front-nine's most interesting juxtaposition: it's proximity to the end of the very active RAF Lossiemouth main runway. All those roars heard over the Firth of Moray start and end just a lob wedge from the course. Golfer's often must control both their trajectory and earbuds....and apply extra suntan lotion to inhibit the burn from the Tornado jets afterburners!

[Sean_A]

Sean,

You can't possibly deprive the masses of the front-nine's most interesting juxtaposition: it's proximity to the end of the very active RAF Lossiemouth main runway. All those roars heard over the Firth of Moray start and end just a lob wedge from the course. Golfer's often must control both their trajectory and earbuds....and apply extra suntan lotion to inhibit the burn from the Tornado jets afterburners!

That show didn't happen...at least I don't recall large planes nearly hitting me.

Ciao

[Ally Mcintosh]

Sean,

You can't possibly deprive the masses of the front-nine's most interesting juxtaposition: it's proximity to the end of the very active RAF Lossiemouth main runway. All those roars heard over the Firth of Moray start and end just a lob wedge from the course. Golfer's often must control both their trajectory and earbuds....and apply extra suntan lotion to inhibit the burn from the Tornado jets afterburners!

That show didn't happen...at least I don't recall large planes nearly hitting me.


Ciao

They almost touch your head on the 7th tee if coming in to land from the coast. My playing partner threw himself on the ground in fright.

[Niall C]

Sean,

You can't possibly deprive the masses of the front-nine's most interesting juxtaposition: it's proximity to the end of the very active RAF Lossiemouth main runway. All those roars heard over the Firth of Moray start and end just a lob wedge from the course. Golfer's often must control both their trajectory and earbuds....and apply extra suntan lotion to inhibit the burn from the Tornado jets afterburners!

That show didn't happen...at least I don't recall large planes nearly hitting me.

Ciao

Sean

We played the Old on the Saturday and they don't tend to fly at the weekends unless there are some Russians nearby. We saw plenty of them on the Monday when playing the New but the New is a wee bit further away from where they make their approaches to land.

Ally

The flightpath is actually about 30 yards in front of the 7th tee and I've been told that on occasion someone has hit a plane with their teeshot which II could well believe.

Niall

[Brian_Ewen]

Not sure what the air base is being used for nowadays as it has been quieter.

This photo was taken about 20 years ago, and in those days it was used for training, so it was constant landings and take offs during the whole round.

[Niall C]

Brian


The planes are certainly still there and do there circuits. It's now used for the larger Eurofighters as well as the Posieden (?) planes used for hunting subs.


Niall

[Thomas Dai]

Splendid. Looking forward to the rest of the tour.
Atb

[Sean_A]

MORAY OLD TOUR CONT

A difficult two-shotter bending left over a burn, the 11th will heighten the senses. It was quite clear by now that the fairways were as a whole very dodgy.  To save frustration, we should have played winter rules.


The Covesea Lighthouse is on full display.


A lovely legger left, the 12th rolls along. I think in recent years the tees for the New and Old 12th were swapped thereby easing the angle of the dogleg on the Old.


Nestled in a ring of dunes, the green looks inviting.  However, featuring a false front and sharp drop-off right, this green is a tough target.


A similar shape to the 12th, #13 instead plays to a grade level green whose challenge is not obvious.




More to follow.

Ciao

[John Mayhugh]

An Elie tee box example.
DSC00717 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
Thanks for this tour.  I'm liking the greens.

[Sean_A]

MORAY OLD TOUR CONT

The last hole heading out prior to turning for home; the 14th continues the theme of play between bunkers.


Not as good as the 4th, but hugging the coast and a more linksy short hole, the 15th plays over dead/broken ground to a generous green.


More to follow.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

MORAY OLD TOUR CONT

The Old finishes in style with attractive holes. 16 & 17 are along the coast before moving inland for the grand finish. The 16th below.


Our crowd didn't seem to mention the 17th as a standout hole, but I think it one the Old's best. A shortish par 5 legging left, the green is discreetly tucked in an upslope with bunkers loosely guarding the approach.






Few home holes can match Moray Old's rollercoaster ride.


The marvelous clubhouse hints at a more glorious past.




The green is deceptively large.


That is Moray Old and a very enjoyable course it is. The course is chocker block with good holes, the 4th, 8th, 17th & 18th being the standouts...with 18 as an All Scotland candidate. My only criticisms are the rather dull bunker scheme and awful condition of the fairways. I might well give the course a star when the fairways improve. That said, we were given a rather good 2 day deal to play both courses so its hard to be too cumudgeonly.  Moray Old is the obvious big gun in this neck of the woods and should be sampled if you are nearby. It was a pleasure to work with the Moray Secretary, Mr Stevie Grant. He went out of his way to make sure our group was well looked after. Additionally, the clubhouse is a great place to spend time. There is a refreshing local vibe about the bar.  2021

Covesea
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,69959.0.html

Moray New
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,70026.0.html

Cullen
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,69999.0.html

Ciao

[Ally Mcintosh]

I liked Moray a lot. As with Niall’s other club (Gailes), I think it doesn’t get as much love as it should.


I agree with much of what you say although I seem to remember the bunker scheme actually being quite interesting / strategic in places. My memory is hazy though.

[Thomas Dai]

Thanks for this tour Sean.
Does look a little parched (which is fine by me though).

Atb

[Niall C]

When I win the lottery, which I plan to do quite soon, one of my many holiday homes will be in Lossiemouth. I can't think of a better golfing set-up in terms of access to some great links golf in conjunction with such a friendly and casual vibe. If I have a concern about threads like this though, it is that the better known the course becomes the more it becomes a tourist trap and booking a tee-time becomes mandatory etc.

Sean - I agree with Ally, I think you're being overly hard on the bunkering. Admittedly there had been some changes since I was last there and they had reduced the size of a couple of the bunkers thereby diminishing the character of them but they still served a function and were by no means all simple round pots. One thing I like about Moray is that the old bunkers are still there in shape and haven't been obliterated.

Niall

[Sean_A]

When I win the lottery, which I plan to do quite soon, one of my many holiday homes will be in Lossiemouth. I can't think of a better golfing set-up in terms of access to some great links golf in conjunction with such a friendly and casual vibe. If I have a concern about threads like this though, it is that the better known the course becomes the more it becomes a tourist trap and booking a tee-time becomes mandatory etc.

Sean - I agree with Ally, I think you're being overly hard on the bunkering. Admittedly there had been some changes since I was last there and they had reduced the size of a couple of the bunkers thereby diminishing the character of them but they still served a function and were by no means all simple round pots. One thing I like about Moray is that the old bunkers are still there in shape and haven't been obliterated.

Niall

Niall

It wasn't the shape of the bunkers as much as the placement, although varying shapes would be very welcome. Much of the time, the bunkering was about left/right and playing between them....far from ideal, but not horrible for sure.  I do think the course could be improved quite a bit with a new scheme.

Ciao

[Niall C]

Sean

I think you get a good mix of bunkering. By no means all of the holes are left and right and even those that are the bunkers are staggered and at an angle to play. They basically call for good line and distance and probably are better appreciated when they've caught you out a few times and you have to work out a safe or desired line given the likely distance.

On top of that you have a couple of holes with echelon style bunkering and others with some good centreline hazards and yet others still with only fairway bunkering on one side. A good variety I think.

One thing I forgot to mention beforehand and only recalled after I played but the general rule of thumb at Moray is to play for the outside of the corner on the dog-legs as that invariably leaves you the best approach.

Niall

[Tony_Muldoon]

I believe they said they have had a problem with the irrigation to some parts and they aren't happy with the condition of the fairways - BUT this is traditional links golf and |I admit to being a little surprised and methinks thou does't protest too much. I've always enjoyed that challenge. Today even Rye doesn't get brown in summer and you have to go to really minor links like Dawlish to see what players learnt to cope with - and with the smaller ball!  I don't recall divot holes being a problem - so play it as it lies. Great to see Gorse being decimated.


Having been spared the overhead noise thanks to the money saving device of only protecting our shores Monday to Friday, I was also delighted with the walk (OK I'll also ignore the road crossing).   The fairways were not without dimples and interest and I loved the overall test.  The switch to two short 4's after two bangers, leads to a variety of challenge on the way in.  Only par 5 off the Yellows is 17 and cant say I noticed.  6228 yards Par 70 will do for me.  The club is perfect for 36 hole days and I look forward to an early return.

[Sean_A]

I believe they said they have had a problem with the irrigation to some parts and they aren't happy with the condition of the fairways - BUT this is traditional links golf and |I admit to being a little surprised and methinks thou does't protest too much. I've always enjoyed that challenge. Today even Rye doesn't get brown in summer and you have to go to really minor links like Dawlish to see what players learnt to cope with - and with the smaller ball!  I don't recall divot holes being a problem - so play it as it lies. Great to see Gorse being decimated.

Having been spared the overhead noise thanks to the money saving device of only protecting our shores Monday to Friday, I was also delighted with the walk (OK I'll also ignore the road crossing).   The fairways were not without dimples and interest and I loved the overall test.  The switch to two short 4's after two bangers, leads to a variety of challenge on the way in.  Only par 5 off the Yellows is 17 and cant say I noticed.  6228 yards Par 70 will do for me.  The club is perfect for 36 hole days and I look forward to an early return.

Spangles

I understand the club has irrigation issues, but I can only speak on what I see.  By any reasonable standard the fairways were dreadful and our group had tons of balls in little fairway dead spots...a bit below the surface.  If super fast & firm means fairways like that...no thanks.  Although, if we would have known, the remedy is quite simple and effective. I am sure things will turn around, but it will take some time. I think Doak gets it right...6. Good day out at nice club.

Ciao

[Mike Sweeney]

It's now used for the larger Eurofighters as well as the Posieden (?) planes used for hunting subs.

Niall

Sean A,


Any post that has great golf and P-8's in the same thread put you at the "next level". Sincere thanks for your contributions all these years. This is one of your best.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Don't wish to labour points but....




Doak (08/1982 a very busy month) has it as a 4 and only he and Masa have been there! But someone should have pickedup between editions that there are two courses at Moray and its the other one that has had input from Cotton.


I'm at a loss here.  Yes it lacks dramatic views but there's variety - a surprising no of doglegs for a links and cool greens e.g. 14 and a really thrilling closing hole (which is not often the case on a links). Solid from start to last which again is not always the case.  If we agree that any reasonable links starts as a 5 then its clearly a notch or two above the starting point.  The old Peugeot/Rolex guide has it at 17/20 which feels closer to me.

 
Clearly to each his own but I rate as a more interesting play than e.g Dunbar, Dundonald, Eden, Lundin, Leven, RND, Portsalon, Tenby, Princes as they all have weaker or repeitative sections.


Courses I'd place on a similar level: eg  Rosses Point, Enniscrone,  Wallasey, Gullane 1 + 2.

All of the above are better known/appreciated on here.

[Niall C]

Sean


The fairways weren't good but I don't know that I'd call them dreadful and I also don't think they will take long to get into reasonable shape. The experts on here will be able to comment better than me but I wonder if in the long run if the problem of the irrigation, or lack of, will be a blessing in that it might encourage finer grasses ahead of the broader ones ?


Tony


Clearly a couple of days travelling with me bending your ear on the merits of Moray have paid off !


Niall

[Garland Bayley]

Sean,

You can't possibly deprive the masses of the front-nine's most interesting juxtaposition: it's proximity to the end of the very active RAF Lossiemouth main runway. All those roars heard over the Firth of Moray start and end just a lob wedge from the course. Golfer's often must control both their trajectory and earbuds....and apply extra suntan lotion to inhibit the burn from the Tornado jets afterburners!

That show didn't happen...at least I don't recall large planes nearly hitting me.

Ciao

A couple took off while I was there. However, after they vacated the area little was heard from them. It wasn't until I played Tain a few days later when I got to hear a lot from them, as they seemed to patrol the area.