GULLANE'S Gravy - #2

[Sean_A]

I don't know how many times it will take for me to tire of traveling down this road.


A Willie Park Jr 1898 design, Gullane 2 is another of the courses along Scotland’s Golf Coast Road which exemplifies why East Lothian is one of the foremost golf destinations on the planet. While not nearly as famous as its elder brother, #2 did feature two holes on the 2018 Scottish Open routing. #s 8 & 9 are unassuming uphill holes which are far from the best #2 has to offer. If content to play the daily tees, there isn’t a serious difference in the yardage or test between
#s 1 & 2. Perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising as there are over 100 bunkers bunkers placed across the links. Although, there is a plethora of holes in the 335 & 385 range. Once the wind and elevation changes are taken into account many of these holes have their own identity which makes it easy to retrace the results of a round. 



Like the 1 & 3, 2 starts on the Links House side of the A198, but these holes merely open and close the round. The other sixteen holes are across the road and yes, they do require some climbing. Yet, we start on what has to be one of the flattest holes Gullane has to offer.  The hole is so flat that a large slit bunker breaking in from the right is hard to see from the tee.


More ticklish than the opener, the 2nd in firm conditions, the sloping left fairway can cause early grief despite its short yardage. The right bunkers are perfectly placed. The Luffness New house is to the far left.


While the green is very good, I don't have much love for the savage 3rd...233 yards uphill and blind. Oy vey. The reward for enduring the 3rd is the 4th, what a cracker.






I think the green on the left is #15 on Gullane 1.


More to follow.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

Gullane 2 Tour Cont

A solid short hole, the 5th has a few cool hole locations which work well with the rear bank.


The 6th is a rather a plain par 5. A bit more appealing, #7 runs downhill to the sea. Good bunkering keeps play lively.


As mentioned previously, 8 & 9 were used in a recent Scottish Open. Both holes play slightly uphill, the 9th has an evil hole location on a front end shelf. The run to the middle of the green is downhill. A down and up hole, its easy to see why #10 has its admirers. 


A dramatic short hole, in these f&f conditions the 11th requires the touch of a surgeon. Just beyond the hole is a hidden bunker. Just carry the bunkers and hope mother nature does its job. An odd mini haar seemed to hover over the green for the briefest of periods.


#12 is a longish par 4 which feels a bit different from the remainder of the course. The green abutts a nature reserve, but the bunkers don't seem to set into green pad as well as other bunkers. I suspect this hole has been altered in the modern the era.


More to follow.

Ciao

[MCirba]

I've only played #1 and fell in love but lord I need to return.  Thanks, Sean.

[Bill Crane]

Thank you for posting.


Guys - I know that the Gullane courses go up and down Gullane hill.   How hard a walk are these courses?  More challenging that Royal Dornoch?   


Hilly but not that bad? Or, actually a very challenging and a tiring walk?


Thanks.

[Sean_A]

Thank you for posting.

Guys - I know that the Gullane courses go up and down Gullane hill.   How hard a walk are these courses?  More challenging that Royal Dornoch?   

Hilly but not that bad? Or, actually a very challenging and a tiring walk?

Thanks.

They aren't too bad, but more hilly than Dornoch. #2 seemed the hilliest to me.

Ciao

[Marty Bonnar]

Thank you for posting.


Guys - I know that the Gullane courses go up and down Gullane hill.   How hard a walk are these courses?  More challenging that Royal Dornoch?   


Hilly but not that bad? Or, actually a very challenging and a tiring walk?


Thanks.

They aren't too bad, but more hilly than Dornoch. #2 seemed the hilliest to me.


Ciao

Hilly, but not too bad if you're fit. On the other hand, if you're the proud possessor of sixty year old arthritic hips, they're bloody horrendous!
F.

[Sean_A]

Gullane 2 Tour Cont

Back up the hill we must go! 13 is a monster par 4 which most will not be capable of reaching in two, but its a goodun'. One may think the green will offer respite, but its back to front slope can be showcased as severe with some hole hole locations.




The 14th is a butt puckering driving hole and a stern target for a green. Yet, the yardage is managable.




I didn't think I could hold the green so I tried to bounce one in. I was caught out by the blind front-right bunker after thinking I hit a winner.


The short 15th is an inexplicably average short hole.

More to follow.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

GULLANE 2 TOUR CONT

A rugged uphill par 5, the 16th can be had if one keeps it in the fairway.


All the Gullane courses have a severe drop-shot hole late in the round to get back to the house. Gullane 2's may be the best of the three. Like #1, it is reachable, but 17's fairway doesn't cosy up to the tee. An element of carry over the over the rough is necessary to get home.


A closer look at the green.


Looking back up the hill.


Another short par 4 finishes Gullane 2. The drive isn't up to much, but the approach is knotty.


I must admit that #2 isn't as intriguing as Gullane 1 or 3. There is perhaps an additonal hole or two which seem to fill out the walk. I would like to know the history behind the 12th as it feels out of place. Maybe not out of place, but the 15th is a dull hole that is perplexing.  That said, there are several outstanding holes such as 4, 11, 13, 14 & 17 which will greatly reward any golfer who chooses to play #2. Not being overly keen on steep downhill holes, I am surprised I like 11 & 17 so much.  However, these holes bring the added effort of going up and down perhaps a bit more than 1 & 3....it feels more hilly. All in all, while not quite in the class of 1 & 3, Gullane 2 is a fine course that is part of the Gullane family and that can only be a good thing.  2022

Ciao

[Ed Brzezowski]

Great post, drove by last week and couldn't stop in.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I think you are right in your conclusion that No.2 is not quite in the same class as No.3.


Nevertheless, Gullane’s 54 holes are a delight. What a great club to play at.

[Niall C]

It's been a few years since I played no.2 but back when I played 2 and 3 a lot I don't recall thinking that 2 wasn't in the same class as 3. It is clearly longer and a shorter version of 1 but certainly not a lesser course, even if my preference would probably be 3.


Niall

[David Jones]

It's been a few years since I played no.2 but back when I played 2 and 3 a lot I don't recall thinking that 2 wasn't in the same class as 3. It is clearly longer and a shorter version of 1 but certainly not a lesser course, even if my preference would probably be 3.


Niall

I'm with you Niall. I play both a dozen or so times a year and I don't see a big difference in class between the two. Both serve slightly difference purposes I think.


The green settings on 3 are great but the rough on 2 gets a little more curation and as such the course is more playable. Members probably have a slight tendency to 2 over 3. The loop of 6 on 3, without going over the hill, is perfect for an evening's stroll though!

[Michael Whitaker]

Sean - as a member of Gullane for two seasons now I have a good understanding of the three courses. In general, the members reckon #1 & #2 are comparable from the yellow tees. What sets #1 apart is it’s increased challenge from the white tees… a challenge #2 can’t match. But, from the yellows, #2 is considered a bit tougher to score on than #1 by the members.


As for difficulty in walking the courses… anyone who knows me knows that walkability is an important feature to me. I find all three Gullane courses eminently walkable. Each has a tough-to-walk uphill hole early in their routing, but once that climb is navigated it’s fairly clear sailing. I would not call any of the three a terribly difficult walk. If they had been I wouldn’t have joined.

[Sean_A]

Sean - as a member of Gullane for two seasons now I have a good understanding of the three courses. In general, the members reckon #1 & #2 are comparable from the yellow tees. What sets #1 apart is it’s increased challenge from the white tees… a challenge #2 can’t match. But, from the yellows, #2 is considered a bit tougher to score on than #1 by the members.


As for difficulty in walking the courses… anyone who knows me knows that walkability is an important feature to me. I find all three Gullane courses eminently walkable. Each has a tough-to-walk uphill hole early in their routing, but once that climb is navigated it’s fairly clear sailing. I would not call any of the three a terribly difficult walk. If they had been I wouldn’t have joined.

Whitty

I agree.

Ciao