Leslie Golf Club - course no 272

I played here on 2 April 2010 after my round at nearby Auchterderran. Leslie is a private club and was great fun to play. However, I must begin by an appreciation of the warm welcome I had here from Ian, the Club's President. I'd not arranged anything in advance, but Ian gave me the warmest of welcomes (and a copy of the Club's excellent Centenary book) and put me out with Colin, a new club member who'd just taken up the game again after a break of several years. Colin has made a wise choice joining Leslie, as this was one of the friendliest village courses I've played so far. This is a view from the second tee, with the clubhouse to the right and the village in the background.



Leslie is a 9 hole course of 2470 yards, par 31. I didn't realise this at the time, but looking at my scorecard now, I see that I didn't get a single par in my dismal round of 46. It wasn't the course, which was in pretty good condition considering the harshness of the winter and recent storms. I'd gone round a relatively straightforward short 9 hole course in 15 over par, but such was Colin's company and the friendliness of the place that scoring didn't really matter. I even handled an unsettling s---- at the 4th (leading to a 9) without losing my composure. For those who know me well, that will be difficult to believe, but it's true. Here is the excellent par 3 149 yard 5th hole. I somehow found the green with a 6 iron, only to 3 putt from 20 feet. The way this round was going, anything could happen and it was with some relief that here at the 7th, I managed to avoid the burn to the left of the green. Colin found it though and I think we halved the hole with double bogeys. Even at the last, a good drive was followed by a couple of duffed chips and a bogey 5. I hope that one day, when I've completed the ultimate Scottish golfing challenge we have set ourselves, I can go back to Leslie and take it to bits, or at least get under 46. I'd like to think I couldn't play it so badly again.

Thanks again to Ian and Colin for making my visit so enjoyable.