After some strenuous stretching and a few practice putts and I was standing on the 1st looking at the beach, the sea and the fairway (which looked further away than it was!). However, whilst the first is a fantastic looking hole it certainly isn't as imposing as the pictures suggest. Because of the way the hole is shaped if you have a natural slice then there is plenty of grass to find, only if you have a tendency to hook the ball will this hole be truly scary. Both myself and G nailed our opening drives and, for me, it was the best shot of the day! The first is truly Machrihanish's signature hole and it was always going to be difficult to maintain this quality.  The other 17 holes are fantastic tests of links golf, when you are walking through the dunes with the butterflies flitting around and the crickets providing their unique soundtrack you feel as though you have been transported back to the 1800s. There are no signs of any holes being man made, instead all of the holes seem to be have been placed within the dunes since the dawn of time. There are a number of blind tee shots and with the fairways rising and falling with the dunes you get the impression that you are the only players on the course at times. In my opinion, the front 9 were the highlight. I felt the back 9, which is further from the sea, felt a bit bland in relation to what had preceded it.

Number 12. Played Autumn 2011. Designed by Old Tom Morris / Tom Simpson & Herbert Fowler.

Well, where to start! G-Star and I had arranged a wee jaunt up the east coast to Cruden Bay.  We had heard great things about the course but when we stepped out of the car and walked around the side of the unassuming clubhouse we were blown away!  A truly spectacular golf course was laid out below us.  If the course played as a half as good as it looked from the clubhouse then we both knew we were in for a treat.

Fortunately member Ray Matthew was on hand to guide us round this quirky course.  There is plenty of gorse, tricky greens to hit and some impressive bunkers as well as a myriad of blind shots.  I would highly recommend a strokesaver or a caddy - if its wasn't for Ray I don't know were I would have ended up with half of my shots!  A tight opening hole with out of bounds on the left; gorse on both sides and some well placed bunkers.  This makes the tee shot reasonably difficult but your second shot should be easier as long as you accurate with your irons.  The greens were quick when we played the course and the traditional links bump and run golf is rewarded here.The second has a very scary table green - it is a large area but fear that you will be too big is unusually unfounded.  Trust in your iron play and you should be fine - however this is definitely a hole that looks far easier on paper than it actually is.  The first of the blind tee shots - I understand that this is one of the few par 4 holes in golf in which it is possible to get a hole in one, in fact the day before we played there were 2 at this hole! G-Star gave it his best shot with his drive shown in the picture below.  However don't be fooled by this hole, if you are not big enough then it leaves a tricky down hill shot and the green was also the one that I had most difficulty reading.

The fourth hole is the first par 3 on the course - it is a daunting shot as you playing across a grass hollow.  As with all links course - the wind here determines what club you will be using from an iron all the way to driver! Being big here is good as there is a bank that will gather your ball and helpful put it back towards the green.  The next hole is probably the most spectacular tee position on the course.  I was delighted to stand there and take in the view and also to realise that the wind was blowing right to left which meant my drive was the straightest I had ever hit!  It is a long hole and the bunker in front of the green is a tough to get out.  Even though the rough doesn't look too bad on the course - it did manage to snag a few of our balls on the this hole and that was only going to get worse!  This is a cracking hole and as you can see was my number 1.  The sixth is another fantastic hole - a proper par 5 with a testing tee shot followed up by a wood laid up before the stream before trying to hit another plateau green.  An extremely testing golf hole.

At this point you really do start to feel the changes of elevation as you make your way through the various dunes - some holes are completely surrounded and you feel as though you have been transported back to 1895 and fully expect to see Old Tom himself smashing a guttie towards one of these fine greens.  The seventh is another testing par 4 which is a dog leg left; two impressive sand dunes protect the green which is elevated.  The 8th is a short par 4, as you walk towards your second shot you should spot the flag for the fifteenth - take a note of the position as that hole isn't called "Blin' Dunt" (Blind Hit) for nothing!  The 9th is another spectacular hole offering you views across the course and towards Slains Castle.  It is a cracking driving hole and if you are big enough (or have the wind) the second shot might not be too difficult.  The tenth is another beauty of a driving hole - with out of bounds down the left and a burn which can cause concern to big hitters it tests accuracy over outright distance.  The green has two tiers and is one of the most difficult on the course - the pro tip is to hit your second shot below the flag as you do not want to be putting downhill on this green.  The eleventh is a short par 3, a quirky little hole which perhaps is a bit of let down after the proceeding grand driving holes however you do not want to miss the green as getting up and down could be difficult. The twelfth is a decent par 4 which is fairly wide and flat and, depending on the wind, should be a reasonable chance of par.

Another wonderful par 5 with dunes, bunkers and a burn to contend with.  My main thought as I hit my 2nd 3 wood from the fairway was that hole still seemed miles away! However, it turns out to be nestled behind a large sand dune so it is best to play up the left hand side to give you some chance of seeing the flag.  The next three holes are my favourite run of holes on the back 9.  They run along the coast before turning back in through the dunes and towards the clubhouse.  The fourteenth is a great hole - the pin position is shown on a box at the tee.  As you drive you want to be right of the bunker on the fairway but not too far right as you will be playing from the rough.  Your second shot will be blind to the sunken green shown above. You really want to try to miss the down slope as you don't know if your ball will stop if it does hit it! A great little hole.  The fifteenth is the blind par 3; which if you remember the pin position from earlier would help you a great deal! Oh and just to make it more difficult it is a dog leg and you need to hit your iron over the top of a large dune! There is a marker post to help but a daunting tee shot none the less! For the sixteenth you walk back up the side of the dune you have just driven over, remembering to ring the bell, and you are facing another par 3. You play across a lot of rough to the green - you want to land short of the green and allow the ball to roll down the hill.  However, that is easier said than done.  This hole has one of the original Tom Morris greens.

The penultimate hole is another good driving hole with a large mound in the middle of the fairway.  You also really need to avoid the monstrous bunkers which guard the green both left and right - Ray wanted my picture in one but I feared I wouldn't be able to climb back out!  A strong finishing hole with out of bounds on the left and burn to the right - if you are too far right you still should have a shot from the rough.  However the green is huge so don't be mean with your iron selection.  After we had finished on this enchanting course we all retired to the sanctuary of the clubhouse to partake in a few drinks and some fine food before heading back home.

Number 18. Played winter 2012. Traditional links.

Having enjoyed the delights of one of Scotland's best golfing destinations I returned with a sense of both excitement and trepidation. Excitement as I had loved playing the number 2 course earlier in the year and trepidation as I knew that I was playing the bigger course on a typical blustery November day! As expected the fairways and greens were absolutely superb, I understand the green teams from all 3 courses are very competitive regarding the standard of their course and it really shows. The course is wonderfully set up with one of the hardest par 4s I have played at the 2nd. I would suggest the back 9 is more benign than the front but both compliment each other very well. The weather was cold and windy, before becoming wet and windy and finishing with the sun appearing but no matter the weather I couldn't keep the smile from my face.


Thanks. A huge thank to my host Ian and to Mr Golf, Gordon Blackwood for setting the game up and also to Phil for his company and for the finest birdie I have seen (driver to middle of fairway, driver off the deck to the green and then a long-ish putt for 3). The weather may not have been kind but my group were, particularly about my wayward golf!

Number 19. Played winter 2012. Links designed by David McLay Kidd

The newest of the fabulous collection of links at St Andrews, the Home of Golf. The Castle has had mixed reviews and has undergone some revision since opening in 2008. These changes have helped to make the course slightly less demanding but the greens are still unbelievable difficult! I have to say I loved this course, I understand it is either a love it or hate it type of course. However, with the views of St Andrews as a backdrop, a sensationally spectacular signature hole at 17 and a challenging back 9 what is there not to like? If you dont have a good short game then this course will punish you. However, if you are visiting St Andrews I would highly recommend that you play this course. To show you how highly I rated this course, I would choose to play this course again instead of Kingsbarns; high praise indeed.

Number 21. Played Autumn 2012. Traditional links designed by Kyle Phillips.

Designed by Kyle Phillips of Kingsbarns fame, this is a new but highly regarded golf course. As Raymond our starter stated before our round, this course has generous fairways, hellish bunkers and long fast greens. It has some stunning par 5s, including the tough finishing hole and a collection of “proper” par 3s – no drivers need for these. It feels very much like a traditional links and feels older than its 8 years. It is an excellent course and its only probably is the local competition including Turnberry, Troon, Prestwick & Glasgow Gailes which prevents it from getting more exposure! However, if you get the chance you will enjoy the challenge.

Number 22. Played Autumn 2010 & Summer 2013. Parkland course designed by James Braid.

Arrived in plenty of time, the big decision was how to warm up; driving range or roll and sausage.  Fortunately, sense prevailed and we had 2 lovely square sausage roles!  That left us with just enough time for a few warm up swings on the tee box.  Lovely.  The first is a 429 yard dog leg left par 4.  It is not the longest of Rosemount's par 4s, but a combination of the fairly tight fairway (trees to the left; heather and more trees to the right) and an undulating fairway resulting in unexpected bounces and ricochets can make hitting the green in regulation challenging.  I hit a decent drive down the left hand side of the fairway before hitting my 5 wood to just off the green - a sign of what was to come, I under hit my chip and left myself with a fairly lengthy putt.  It must be said that the greens were in excellent condition and, as usual, were playing fast.  Forgetting the previous occasions on which I have played this course I prompted fired my first putt almost as far past the hole as I was before.  2 further putts and in for a double bogey start and a 3 putt.  Disappointing.  However  G-Star was just as bad, having hit his first drive into the trees on the right he promptly pitched out and landed in the rough on the left, his approach landed off the green and he too 3 putted for a half. A cracking start and, in my opinion, the best hole on the outward 9.

The second is one of the shortest par 4s on the course.  As you can see a straight-ish tee shot is required.  It is best to play from the left hand side of the fairway as there is a decent gap at the front left between the two green side bunkers for you to play into.  I was in the centre, G-Star in the trees down the left, having taken the play down the left tip literally.  After settling over my short iron I decided that the leaf that I had chosen as my alignment guide had left me too far right, I slightly altered my stance - hit a perfect iron which dropped beautifully into left greenside bunker.  If I had stayed where I was it would have been pin high.  Bugger.  G-Star had taken his  medicine and chipped out but then miscalculated his distance and left his pitch short.  I approached the bunker to find it close to the edge leaving me with a difficult stance but got it out in one.  2 putts for us both later and we left with a half.  I love this hole - it isn't the hardest on the course and the opening drive is fairly easy if you hit it straight but the green is small and well protected.   From here you can see the 1st on the Landsdowne and through to the 10th green and 11th tee.  It is a very picturesque hole and probably the best looking hole on the front 9.

Stepping up to the 3rd and I was fairly confident as this was one of the holes that I was receiving a stroke.  That was until G-Star hit his iron to within 7 feet!  With the pressure on , I duly hit my shot left and short.  A chip which didn't clear the rough on the edge of the green left me with a bump and run which was still short.  2 further putts and another 5 on the card.  G-Star missed his birdie but sunk the par, so my shot was to no avail.  It doesn't look too difficult a hole on the scorecard but the bunkers really do look large!  It does punish everything short but being long isn't too bad - if you hit the ball far enough.  It must be said that the 2 par 3s on the front 9 are nowhere near as strong as the 2 on the back 9.  The 4th is a dog leg left par 4.  A well placed drive is required; most of the long holes on the Rosemount are fairly wide although the threat of landing in the trees is never far away.  When the holes are bit shorter then fairways are a bit tighter and the course does make good use of dog legs to make playing for position paramount rather than just distance.  Once you have negotiated the first shot there is one large bunker in the centre of the fairway; the green is fairly large. Like alot of the holes on the course there are 2 greenside bunkers at the front right and left of the green.  I managed to win this hole after G-Star's errant iron ended up in the trees - giving me 2 putts to win which I duly did.

A long par 4 that, due to my lack of length, I play as a par 5! A couple of well placed fairway bunkers await drives that go right of centre.  To compound the difficulty today the wind was up and was headed right at us; once you avoid the first two bunkers on the fairway you are again faced with the Rosemount signature of left and right greenside bunkers - no trouble long except for the rough.  I managed to half this hole due to G-Star having some difficulty with his drive ending up in the first fairway bunker!  At this point the Rosemount enters it's blandest period of holes; that's not to say that they are bad holes on the contrary but just compared to what came before and particularly what follows, they aren't as entertaining or as memorable.  In particular the par 3 6th is the weakest of the par 3s.  It is a straight iron with only a left and right hand side bunker to worry about.  As is my want I made a pigs ear of this hole and fell one behind; even though G-Star had to recover from a bunker!

Plenty of space awaits your drive - the biggest issue is usually the three fairway bunkers.  The trees can be problematic if you cut the corner too much or a large slice.  As with almost all of the par 4s the usual greenside bunkers await.  Even though I am aware of these greenside bunkers after hitting the fairway with my drive I sliced my iron right and ended up alongside G-Star in the rough with the large-ish right hand bunker in front of us.  G-Star chipped over perfectly and managed to psych me out as I dropped mine short and into the yellow stuff!  Out in 1 but 2 putts weren't enough and G-Star went 1 up.  I am not going to detail my drive here - to say that is was my poorest of the season is not an exaggeration! It is a 331 yard par 4 measuring - however unlike most of the holes this a well protected green - instead of the usual gap in between the left and right greenside bunker this green is surrounded by  5 bunkers!  Having a shot here allowed me to grab a half and stop the rot.  The second shortest par 4, again is fairly typical of Rosemount.  Another dog leg left, fairway bunker and 2 greenside bunkers.  It is actually quite forgiving off the tee - particularly for those with a natural left to right drive.  A bogey for G-Star won him the hole - I finished the front 9 2 holes down.

The 10th is the last of the average Rosemount holes - it isn't bad by a long way but is just not that memorable!  However, whilst the holes may feel fairly atypical at times and with the trees at times helping to protect you from the worst of the Scottish elements it is the greens at Rosemount that are a joy.  Every one of them were in perfect condition.  They always seem to play faster than any other course - the borrows are deceiving.  It really is a joy to putt on these greens - even if I only 1 putted once in my whole round! This hole was a disaster for G-Star and allowed me to grab a hole back, even without the need for my stroke.  The 11th is a beast of a par 4 - measuring a stonking 473 yards; this is only 5 yards less than the previous par 5!  It is almost a par 4 1/2!  It is a dog leg right - the fairway has two bunkers on the left and right hand side of the fairway that will catch more than their fair share of drives.  Nothing more frustrating than smashing a drive down the middle to watch it trickle into one of the traps!  Managing to avoid these with my drive, I thought I was going to take the hole with G-Star hit is iron to within 2 feet to 1 putt and half the hole.  The 12th - venue of the inaugural Scottish100 Twit Vid!  G-Star has previous of driving the green here so it seemed like the best place to video his drive!  To be fair he didn't drive it this time!  However, it does show that this is an eminently birdie-able hole.  If you, like me, are not as a big hitter then as long as you can avoid the first trap you will easily be within a short pitch range.  Neither of us covered ourselves in glory at this hole but I was happy to win the hole to square the game.

The wind was up again on the 13th and this was certainly a case of unlucky 13 for me.  I had a nightmare.  Now this hole should be fairly straight forward, nothing to be unduly worried about apart from the length.  You don't want to miss the green on the left as there is a pretty steep little hill to negotiate.  I had a nightmare with my irons and G-Star capitalised to win the hole and take the lead.  Again. We are now entering the best section of the course, the long 14th, the tricky and pretty 15th, the challenging 16th & the exquisite 17th. The 14th is long!  493 yards - par 5.  Two bunkers await down the right hand side of the fairway for the sliced drive.  I hit a nice drive, avoiding trouble then had to pull out the 5 wood not once but twice to get close!  A small chip and then a decent putt that just wouldn't drop left me with a bogey.  G-Star (he is in the bunker in the artistic pic above) just didn't get going and eventually NR'd.  A win to level the game.  The 15th is gorgeous.  A short par 3, there is plenty of trouble in and around the green.  6 bunkers in all protect the green.  There are 2 pot-like bunkers to the left of the green but you certainly don't want to be right as there is a huge bunker awaiting you augmented by the large hill running down to the lake.  The first par of my day resulted in a win by P4H & to take the lead in the match.  The Black Loch is situated to your left as you approach the 16th tee.  I was glad that I didn't have to play from the whites as the loch is in play!  The "Martini Tees" which are further back into the trees and playing across the Loch look a joy to play but I understand that these are rarely used which is a shame.

The 16th is very good hole.  Playing up hill you have a fairly blind drive - you must get over the ridge to give yourself any sort of chance.  There are no fairway bunkers, but the change in elevation allied to the slight dog leg makes this a challenging hole.  It has a very good green and although G-Star was again erratic off the tee his iron shot (4th) to within inches.  I also bogeyed the whole but had a stroke on G-Star and this time it counted; I was dormie 2!  My favourite hole on the course,  a beautiful par 3 from an elevated tee across a valley to a two-tiered green.  The flag, as you can see was on the bottom tier but take plenty of club if it is on the top as you do not want to be putting up hill here!  I landed on the green and on the right level.  G-Star ended up in the sand - his recovery shot was good but he didn't make the putt.  This left me with 2 putts for the match and my first was weighted to perfection - the 2nd secured my 2nd par of the day and the win!  An excellent closing hole and after the run of holes from 14 onwards you really don't want it to end!  It is a charming par 4.  It is a fairly straight drive from the tee - you really don't want to be right as you will be in the heather and prevented for going for it by some trees and the  three bunkers which protect the right of the green. Position is key here as the green, like the 17th, is  large and two tiered.  You can hit the green in regulation but it is no guarantee of a par.  At this stage we played for the first drink in the clubhouse - G-Star actually woke up and played the last perfectly with a nice par.  I was too busy hacking about in the heather so trust me when I say it is best avoided!

The opening tee shot isn't particularly impressive. A fairly innocuous par 4 with out of bounds down the right but it does depend on the wind to determine how long the hole will play.  The greens are great and on the day we played they felt wonderful if a touch slower than we had anticipated.  The par 5 second is another reasonably friendly hole (weather dependant) but beware of the rough.  It doesnt look too bad at first glance but once in, it can be difficult from which to get out.  It is the wispy long grass that grabs at your club and helps to turn decent shots into terrible hooks or slices.  There are also plenty of bunkers awaiting errant drives or approach shots - however, there is ample fairway to play with if you are sensible.  

At this point the course starts to show its teeth with the dog leg third.  Finding the fairway off the tee is essential as getting out of the trees on the right will be tricky and bunkering awaits shots pulled left too.  Some traditional Braid green side bunkers result in a testing approach.  Through the trees takes you to the tee and at this point the White Tiger takes out his iron in fear of slicing off the tee and ending up in the caravan park to the right! I try my best but I'm not big enough to reach.  However, the sensible approach is to land on the undulating fairway as the green is elevated and anything short will leave a difficult chip to get close.  The first par 3 of the round is next - a fairly daunting tee shot as the green is partially hidden. Bunkers to the left and right as well as gorse if you go long added to the sloping green make this a tough hole to par. Getting on the green may be the easy bit as this is not an easy green to read for pace.

Next my favourite hole and the one named after the famous Ben Hogan.  This is a great golf hole.  From the tee you have a variety of options and it is forgiving as you can play from the 7th fairway if you slice the ball.  However, a large elevated green which slopes left to right is difficult to hit and with the infamous 'Hogan's Bunker' waiting to gather up any missed shots a Green In Regulation here is tough.  As with all of the greens at Panmure this is a testing green with a variety of subtle breaks. Pace is crucial - so make sure you get your eye in on the first 5 holes!  After trying to  break you the course offers you something on the 7th - a fairly straightforward hole with plenty of fairway to hit and a relative easy approach.  

The 8th is another of my favourites with two rather large hillocks showing you a tantilising look at the flag nestled between them once you are on the fairway. From the tee it is a blind shot but even some of the most errant shots should be salvageable.  One of the more demur greens - this hole should be viewed as a birdie chance.  The outward 9 finishes with a delightful par 3.  It is a heavily protected green by gorse, bunkers and the steep slope at the front and back. Another very tough green to read.

A good driving hole and another dog leg right starts the inward 9. You do not want to be in the bunker on the right off the tee - I have been and it isn't pleasent, easier to swallow your medicine and come out sideways rather than try to take this monster on.  Bunkering up the right awaits any pushed shots so you are best to try and come down the left. The green has a ledge at the front so you can use that to slow down your approach.  The 11th is another par 3 - it looks more daunting off the tee with the large bunker in front but the green is fairly large and the bunker shouldn't cause too many problems.  One of the easier greens to read too.

The 12th is best of the inward 9 holes - this a hole that requires so thought off the tee.  The buddon burn runs along the end of the fairway and you need to be on the fairway and in good position to float your iron on the elevated green. You do not want to be short as your ball will just roll back down the hill.  It is a picture perfect hole and well worth the money to play on its own.  The burn is heavily involved in the 13th hole as it snakes its way up the right and across the fairway again.  Being on the fairway is important to allow a good attempt at the green - the green is long and you can run your iron shot in from the front of the green. The final par 5 is a monster playing 533 yards with plenty of fairway bunkers and the railway running up the right hand side. Your second shot off the tee is best to play down the right so it opens up the green.  You can be short as anything long will be in trouble with trees and gorse providing protection.

The final par 3 is testing due to its length - playing short of the green and chipping close isn't a bad strategy depending on the wind.  A note here for the White Tiger's excellent chip that left him with a tap in par at this hole.  The 16th is a tight par 4 - driver off the tee isn't always advisable.  A small mound and a road run across the fairway if you get the correct club you can easily run onto the green and leave yourself a birdie chance. However, be wary of the green side bunkers as you wont be able to see them when you take your approach shot.  The 17th has out of bounds along the right - however a good tee shot will leave you with a lovely view of the clubhouse through the gap in the trees.  A couple of well placed bunkers await errant approaches, the pro tip is to play long as the green is deep and that is something with which I would agree.  The final hole is a fitting end, as the White Tiger would testify you do not want to go right as it is out of bounds and it can ruin a decent score.  A well protected and large green awaits your approach - do not end up in the left green side bunker as it is steep and deep (trust me on this).

A truly excellent seaside links course which will intrigue, frustrate and beguile you all in the same round - sometimes on the same hole! However, it is one that should be played especially if you are visiting the area to play Carnoustie.

Number 28. Played summer 2011. Parkland designed by Old Tom Morris.


We arrived in plenty of time for our tee off, so much so that I even warmed up!  Not that it made a great deal of difference but it was nice to think that I wouldn't make a complete balls up of my opening drive.  F² allowed me the honour of teeing off at the 1st.  This is a short par 4 (346 yards), both F² and I were on the fairway from the tee but struggled on the green which had been cored and top dressed.  One of only a handful of greens on the day in this condition.  F² and I halved this hole and decided that we would play for fun rather than competition.  Which by the end I was very glad that we did!  If the first was a fairly easy opening the 2nd is a long long way!  528 yards and fairly narrow, I hit a tree and only ended up getting past the ladies tee with my drive, a mere 80 yards further away!  F² was her usual long, straight self (how annoying) but a fairly decent 3 recovery from the rough followed by a meaty 5 wood helped to put me in position.  However the large two-tier green was particularly difficult and landing on the wrong tier resulted in a costly 3 putt.

The third is a dog-leg right; the big hitters may cut the corner but I took the safe route of landing on the fairway.  F² was in a bit of trouble off the tee.  This was the first hole that she did not play well and even though my second leaked right and ended in the rough off the green, my chip on left an easy putt for par.  However, that was one of the few highlights of my day!  My long iron play was particularly poor and my usual par 3 jitters recurred.  The 147 yard 4th is the type of hole that I have been struggling with - the well guarded green always looks too small and I tend to hit the ball fat.  Once again I hit it fat and landed in the rough at the front of the green.  F² was just off the front of the green and 2 putted for par.  I overhit my chip and my bump and run back was too light.  The 5th looks easy in the book and once your on the fairway it is straight forward, however from the tee box the trees and the close proximity of the 4th green make the drive much more nerve wrecking than it should be.  It was at this point that F² and I started to have some doubts about the yardage markers.  I was in the trees off the tee, chipped out and had according to the marker 130 to the green.  I had a solid 7 iron (average 130) and ended up 20 yards short.  F² did the same, this happened on more than one occasion and I was really starting to like the idea of a GPS by the end!  This green is pretty large but it is two-tiered and I managed to show exactly how badly you can misjudge a break by ending up not getting up the hill and instead rolling off the green!  F² was laughing so hard as I was further away after my putt than I was before it!

By the 6th we had caught up with the fourball in front and by the end of this hole they let us play through which was nice of them.  I enjoyed this hole, there is a lot of danger down the right with plenty of bunkers and the fairway is pretty tight.  It is a par 4 but both F² and I played it as a 5 which with the flag at the front of the green and the two greenside bunkers in play it seemed like the best decision.  Standing on the 7th tee with a fourball watching and a long par 5 (527 yards) in front of you is always a nervous time!  However this fairway seems larger than the previous 6 holes and I managed to get a good clean strike down the middle.  F² played the same consistently good golf and we both scampered up the fairway to try to get some distance between us and the 4 behind.  The green is pretty large but don't be long as it falls away sharply at the back - F² had hit a poor second and I was hoping to capitalise on this but another 3 putt (white hot.....hmmm I can think of a more apt phrase for my current putting and all you would need to do is replace the "w" with an "s" and remove "hot"!).  Having played the 7th to a decent standard I was actually pretty confident standing on this tee.  7 iron in my hand (I had been hitting this really well all day) - check my grip, choose my line, visualise the shot, practice swing, settle over the ball, swing, fat, 70 yards in the rough, "< @#*! ".  Same old , same old.  I then thinned the next shot and buggered up the bunker shot too.  F² was on the green and 2 putted for par.....you can really go off some people!  This was a hole to forget and on a card would have killed my round.  However, on wards and to the hardest hole on the course and my second favourite. 

It is a cracking right to left dog-leg with a fairway flanked with some superb trees.  The 8th, 9th & 10th holes have  a real parkland feel to them probably more so than any other part of the course.  I hit a good drive and then a strong 5 wood which left me short of the green and I chipped on but I was faced with another two-tiered green (a strong feature of the greens at Ladybank) and had to putt back up the hill.  I was happy to come away with a bogey.  After the turn the next hole was another short par 3, there seems little point in explaining my foray into the trees to recover my tee shot nor my chip that raced through the green to nestle in the rough.  You have read this story quite a few times in the this blog.  It is fair to say that F² comfortably won that hole and had no pearls of wisdom to offer!  Onto the 11th and with the exception of the 18th, more of which later, this was F²  's best hole.  She melted her drive down the middle before smacking her 5 wood straight onto the green.  A long putt got her close and she finished off with a nice par.  It was at this stage that I was really glad that we had decided not to play competitively as it was starting to look pretty messy on my scorecard!

The final par 3 on the course but one that is slightly better for me as anything over about 180 yards and I'm not hitting an iron so it seems easier.  I hit my recovery and fell just short of the green before chipping on and taking 3 putts to finish off!  Fortunately F² had the same problem.  It is a deceptive green and with the pin directly behind the bunker it was not easy at all.  However, the most testing par 3 on the course was my favourite!  I have to say that after this the next 3 holes didn't really do much for me.  The long par 5 13th is a challenging hole with a slight dog leg right to left with well placed bunkers but two fairly decent shots on the left hand side will keep you out of much trouble and compared with some of the greens this one was positively responsive!  The biggest danger is the heather which nearly swallowed up a ball or two of ours.  The next is another extremely long hole - 462 yards Par 4; my 5 wood certainly got a good work out what with the wind causing some issues by now (surprising both F² and I as we thought that the trees would have offered a bit more protection); the long holes did require a wood to get close to the green.  The 15th was a relief after the last two mammoth holes and it played well but as I said just didn't leave a lasting impression.

I enjoyed the 16th as it wasn't just a case of stepping up and hitting a driver, the trees on the left gave you plenty of options; short off the tee looking for position; hit over the trees (not recommended) or shape a shot round the dog-leg.  As I was not good enough for the last two options I played safe hitting to the middle of the fairway; F² took the trees on......and lost; however she fortunately bounced out and left a short iron from the rough into the green.  I hit another decent iron but was short once again (really don't trust the yardage markers at all) and had a wee chip on and 2 putt before heading up to the 17th.  Probably the straightest hole on the course; a small copse of trees is situated in the middle of the fairway but having played Murrayshall on many an occasion I was well used to avoiding trees in the centre of the fairway.  Like the 14th & 15th there isn't much to remember about this hole, after the 16th it was a bit disappointing.  The 18th was something of a surprise; firstly there is a slight change of elevation.  On most courses you wouldn't notice it but on the extremely flat Ladybank it comes as a welcome change.  Possibly the most daunting tee shot of the day as you look out over nothing!  Just a large dip and pretty of foliage to snaffle a topped ball.  The landing area cant be see from the tee and you really just have to pick a tree in the distance and hope for the best.  Both of us stepped up and hit straight drives.  In fact we ended up pretty close to each other on the fairway about 180 yards from the green.  I took my 3 recovery and melted it, in the air it looked straight and true and both F² and I were convinced it was on for a birdie chance but then it dropped.  It was well short of the green and was in fact just in front of the bunker about 50 yards short of the green.  We were both confused but when I walked to the left of the fairway I could see the problem, the trees had blocked my view of the clubhouse and the wind was blowing very hard back down towards us.  Having watched me drop short F² used her 5 wood.  What a shot!  Genuinely the shot of the day and nearly holed for an eagle 2.  The picture of where the ball landed is below but it helped F² birdie the last as I struggled in with a bogey.

We arrived at the hotel with plenty of time to spare as we knew we had to make use of the practice facilities. Clubhouse is top notch - although a cup of tea may set you back a £5. A few balls smacked around on the driving range with our complimentary range balls and a few practice putts to get a read of the greens and we were ready to make our way to the starters box. The starter was great, gave us our Gleneagles gift bag of tees, pencil, yardage book, scorecard and pitch mark repairer. He showed us the line to take and explained that there were very few people out after us - for a hacker like me that was great news. Time for the tee off.

The first hole should be a fairly gentle opening but I managed to find a bunker. It was a feature of my day that I spent most of it in the lovely bunkers of the Queen's course. The day in question was over a year ago from this blog and this was not something that I was considering doing when I played the Queen's course. Therefore I won't be giving a blow by blow account of my round but more my general thoughts on the day.  The course itself is exceptional - not long but certainly tricky. It is so secluded and due to the small numbers on the course when I played it seemed like our own. I particularly enjoyed the 4th, 5th & 9th on the front 9. The 10th was special as it was the first time I had the privilege of a halfway house! The burgers truly are a joy!!

The 13th & 14th playing alongside the lake are very picturesque. However my favourite hole was the 18th, teeing off from an elevated tee across the lake and then playing back to the clubhouse. A few drinks afterwards in the clubhouse reminiscing on the course and our game ended the perfect day.

The course opens with a long par 4 (its a par 5 off the whites & blacks) which has lots of fairway bunkering to gleefully collect any errant drives, the green is also protected at the front by a burn and therefore a par here must be taken with sense of relief.  It is a cracking opening hole and one that leaves you with no doubt that you will be in for a test.  The 2nd which runs back towards the first tee is another stern test with severe rough on the left and even more severe bunkering on the right; it looks fine from a yardage book but plays much harder from the tee!  By the time you reach the par 3 3rd you are looking for a bit of light relief.  Normally a 152 yard par 3 from an elevated tee box wouldn't phase me - yes the green is extremely well protected but it is a large enough target.  However, on the day I was pushing lots of shots left (unusual for me) and all I could see as I stood on the tee was the Out of Bounds car park and the gleaning Bentley parked in plain view!  You get a cracking view from the tee and if you can tear your eyes away from the car park it should be a fairly straightforward shot. I would suggest being short (not too short as there is a bunker in front of the green at around 115 yards) but short is better than long.  The green is large and is fairly undulating so even getting it onto the putting surface still leaves you with a difficult putt.  You then head through the wall and are faced with the beautiful site of the sea lapping on the shoreline, the smell of the seaweed and the Bass rock in the distance.  This is where Dunbar really came alive for me - all of the holes that played along the shoreline were lovely and the sea breeze reminded you that whilst we had a benign day this course would really bear its teeth with a bit of wind.

I would suggest that the 4th was one of the easier holes with a generous fairway and a green that wasn't offered the same amount of protection as the previous holes. The 5th is a decent little par 3 onto a raised green - dont be long trust me chipping back on to this green was a nightmare!  The 6th is another favourite hole of mine - out of bounds on your left and a burn running along the front of the green.  Most of the guys opted for a wood or recovery off the tee as it is only 338 yards and the OB is a real issue - I didnt take that advice and promptly sliced my golf ball over the wall.  If you tend to hit the ball left to right I would suggest playing the percentage game on this hole and take a hybrid from the tee.  Another good sized green with all the danger at the front - although chipping from the path to the right of the green isn't the best of positions to be in!  

The 7th is a dog leg with out of bounds again down the right.  All 3 of the visitors managed to lose balls here by sending the ball over the wall - in fact I think Jan may have lost 2 here!  The best line is to aim for the bunkers on the left.  The green is in a hollow and even your second shot may be blind, this is a really tricky hole and another where you need to really think about where you want to put the ball rather than just hitting and hoping.  The 8th is a short par 4 with most of the problems being from the fairway where plenty of fairway bunker await your drive.  Again the big hitters will either try to go over the bunkers or hit a hybrid for position.  This was one of the few holes I actually played well.  The final hole of the outward 9 is another par 5.  This time you are teeing off and playing up hill - the best line is to the left of the marker post - please remember to ring the bell after you have played your second shot.  This is a fairway that rises and drops down again.  There is rough on the left and right but it is a fairly straightforward hole and the big hitters may see this (depending on the weather) as a chance for birdie.

My favourite hole on the course is a classic Old Tom Morris long par 3.  At 202 yards the distance alone seems to make this a tough hole but with the fairway sloping towards a deep pot bunker on the left of the green and another bunker awaiting shots that miss on the right it is a very tough hole. Another hole that plays directly along the shore and back towards the clubhouse is next - with a tight fairway to hit and plenty of rough to gather sliced or hooked tee shots this a tricky hole.  At this stage any wind that was with you on the way out will now be your enemy on the way back.  At 406 yard I remember that this seemed to play a lot longer! The 12th is a drivers hole with a decent fairway and some light rough it is one of the few holes were you can feel that you can really hit the ball.  The shoreline doesn't really come into play until your second shot and the two tiered green is a tough green to read.

The 13th is another where you cant see the flag from the tee box, the best line is down the left as you should get a view of the flag from there.  If you are down the right your approach may be blind and with 3 very deep bunkers to negotiate protecting the green it is better to have a view of the flag.  A note on the bunkers at Dunbar they are filled with sand and some sea shells which was lovely and really made the course feel even more natural which I didnt think would be possible!  The 14th is another fairway that has a slight dog leg left, the fairway is pockmarked with bunkers.  The 15th is another of the back 9s reasonable wide fairways - this was one of the easier holes on the course.  However, by this stage we were dormie 3 and needed to win the last  3 holes just for the draw!

The final par 3 is an interesting little hole with the shoreline on the right and out of bounds at the back left of the green and with a large oval shaped green on two tiers - at this hole we lost the game 4 & 2 but it was a good hole to lose on!  The 17th is the final hole along the shore before heading back through the wall to play the 18th.  It has two lots of burns and plenty of well placed bunkers awaiting for any drives that dont stay on the fairway.  The green is another two-tiered green with the bunkering protecting the front part of the green.  The 18th has out of bounds on the right and we all, with the exception of Gordon, managed to lose balls over the wall! It is fairly easy finish to a testing links course.  We retired to the clubhouse to partake in a few drinks to discuss the days events and to allow Gordon the chance to tweet his victory!

Number 35. Played Spring 2012. Traditional links by Old Tom Morris.

Brora is a stunning traditional links, there is nothing fancy about this course.  It is laid out on the same piece of land for decades. The only changes from the days of Old Tom Morris are the electric fences circling the greens to fend off the sheep! It has virtually no rough (due to the sheep) but as it is an extremely open course the elements create all the challenge you need.  It is a worthly companion course to Royal Dornoch and should be a must play if you are coming to the highlands on tour.

The third is very pretty and is perhaps the Duke's signature hole.  A 146 yard par 3 the first thing that greets you is an expanse of golden sand!  The green is elevated so you will have a difficult second shot if you do not hit the putting surface and stick. After the difficulty of the third, the fourth is a welcome relief.  A sub 350 yard par 4 is fairly straight-forward aslong as you stay on the fairway from the tee.  The front right of the green is protected with a large bunker but it is better to be in there than in the left hand bunker short of the green - a much more difficult proposition from which to escape. Your tee shot from the fifth is blind as you will be playing over the large bunker in front of you.  It makes the fairway look tight but it opens out and should leave a fairly short approach to the green which is fairly deep.

The sixth is another of the Duke's long par 5s.  The fairway slopes right to left so landing on the right hand side is important.  A fairway bunker on the right will be in most golfers range so don't be too far right! A huge bunker complex lies in wait on the left in front of the green - you do not want to end up in there as trying to blast out and reach the green could prove very dangerous. The seventh is a dog leg right a large bunker on the right hand side is the big issue from the tee - the green isn't as well protected with sand as some but it is still challenging to hit.  The eighth is a pretty little par 3, being short isn't too bad as being long leaves a very tricky putt as I found out to my cost!  The ninth is a cracking hole and gives you a spectacular view of the clubhouse with sand and heather completing the picture. The fairway bunkers are sufficiently far enough from the fairway to only trouble the most errant of tee shots but the green is just a green oasis in a sea of sand! Hitting and sticking here is tough.

The ninth finishes at the back of the clubhouse but the tenth tee is back towards the starters box.  The tenth was my favourite hole on the course, although choosing just one was difficult.  It's a dog leg left but you have a decision on the tee as to whether to hit driver or not.  The second shot is over a burn to an elevated green with a large greenside trap to the left.  The green is deep but very undulating and even reaching the green doesn't leave an easy putt.  The eleventh is just ridiculous! The black tees are so far back from the green tees that I’m pretty sure it is the equivalent of a par 3! How anyone can play the full 640 yards is beyond me!  I played the mere mortal 501 yards and still struggled!  Bunkers are once again the order of the day and are the biggest issues from both the tee and the fairway – an added issue is the small burn running in front of the green.  This really makes you consider to take it on or play short; the true meaning of risk and reward.

After such a monster hole it is a relief to see that the next is a short par 3.  You tee off from an elevated tee box, again the wind can be an issue but a bigger problem is that damned railway line! The green is a decent size and is protected by some decent bunkering.  It is certainly not a gimme par.  The 6th plays over a wee burn and you are playing one of the few blind drives on the course.  Beware that the railway line cuts into the right hand side of the fairway and it is possible that what looked like a good drive from the tee could be ob by the time you wander down to find your ball! Here you now start to make your way back towards the starters box.  At this point if the wind which may have been your friend on the way becomes the enemy! The 7th is another 400 yard plus par 4.  This is possibly the most tree lined of the fairways now given a recent felling programme.  It has a lovely receptive green nestled in some dunes that is very pretty.  The 8th doubles back on itself and should be drivable for some of the big hitters at only 273 yards.  The green is pretty big and is certainly an easier hole than the SSI 16 states (in my opinion easiest hole on the course).  After a short par 4, the huge 532 par 5 is the final hole on the outward 9.  A decent drive should leave you positioned high above a big drop in the fairway.  It is best to avoid this dip as it is pretty waterlogged and from the bottom the green is difficult to locate.  A decent 2nd wood should leave an easy pitch to the green.  It feels like a tight green as you have 2 tee boxes – one at the back (16) and one to the right (10).
The 10th has a slight dog leg right.  It is another nice length and this variety helps to keep the course feeling fresh and challenging.  The first of the 2 par 3s on the back 9 is a decent 170 yards.  It is slightly downhill and the green is partially hidden by gorse.  It is a difficult tee shot and it has a number of greenside bunkers waiting for any errant shots.  The 12th and 13th are 350 yard and 400 yard plus par 4s.  Both have nice wide fairways and large receptive greens.  The final and shortest of the par 3’s is next.  It is a small-ish green surrounded by 5 bunkers.  Depending on the flag position you may be best advised to aim for the middle of the green as being too aggressive can result in you dabbling with the sand.  The 15th has a difficult tee shot, which is up hill and depending on the distance may result in the ball landing out of sight.  If you can get over the hill it does leave you in a good position to go for the green.