This is a pay as you play 9 Hole Par 3 Course, measuring just 1135 Yards, Par 27, located a couple of miles inland from Kircudbright. I played here on 16 April 2012 after the round at nearby Kirkcudbright GC. Heavy rain had been forecast for the afternoon and sure enough some ominously dark clouds were gathering just as we left Kirkcudbright GC after lunch. This is a view from the 1st tee at Tongland, a couple of minutes before the first downpour. With the course being so short, I judged that I could get round pretty quickly, but an elderly couple were also getting ready, so if I was to get onto the course first, I'd need to take my full bag of clubs and run! Bad idea, as it would be difficult running round even this short and hilly course with a full bag. The rain duly started in earnest on the 2nd Hole and my competitors for pole position on the tee opted for a cup of tea and the adjacent sheltered driving range.
This is the 3rd, an awkward 120 yard steeply downhill Par 3 with OOB on the right and a small pond protecting the right side of the green. The rain doesn't show up particularly well but I can assure you it was heavy enough to encourage running between shots, full golf bag or not! The other feature of play worth mentioning is that although the rough had been cut back severely, none of the clippings had been removed. The result was that any ball hit even remotely offline risked being lost.
I scored an impressive 31 gross, net 26, or 1 under net par, with 14 putts, in just under 35 minutes! Speed Golf after all the golf I'd played in recent days was not what I'd planned, but at least I'd got round Tongland in reasonable time, minimising the soaking. A good beginners' facility, but unless you can hit it straight take a bag of balls if the rough hasn't been fully tamed when you front up to play here.
A final view of the course from the 9th green just as the rain eased enough to let me get back to the car.
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