Comrie GC - course no 359

Polly and I played this excellent 9 hole course near Crieff in Perthshire on 4 November 2010. Comrie is pretty short at only 2699 yards, par 35, off the yellow tees and is a moderately hilly course that reminded me of Strathtay or even Crieff Ferntower. The many trees in and surrounding the course made Comrie look spectacular in the Autumn sun. Although the course was pretty wet underfoot after recent heavy rain, the course was in great condition for the time of year, the only problem being the many leaves and pine needles on the greens that made putting quite tricky. I'd been advised by a couple of locals some weeks before that Comrie was really good and well worth playing and how right they were. The course is certainly short, taking Polly and I only just over an hour to go round, but this is a must play course if you're in the area.

Comrie starts with a short right dog leg 320 yard par 4 with a blind tee shot over a small hill. Anything right is dead and the line is just to the left of a marker in the trees above the second tee. The steeply sloping green is set in a hollow and was only a short wedge for an easy par. The 2nd, as shown here, is a good 238 yard par 4. A decent drive left a lob wedge and I managed a good birdie after a 10 foot putt through the ever-present pine needles. However, the green is tiny and sits on a shelf in the hill, so although the hole is short and drivable, the 2nd deserves respect. The 3rd hole is an awkward uphill par 3 of 146 yards that plays its full length. As it was cold and the wind was against us, I played a punch with a 5 iron and ended up with a bogey. This is the view from the tee. The 4th is a 355 yard par 4 played into a valley from an elevated tee, with an uphill second shot that I completely overhit into the trees beyond the green for another bogey. The 5th is a good par 3 of 152 yards, requiring an accurate drive to a small green well protected by bunkers. Another good putt rescued my par so after 5 holes I was only 1 over. The 6th is a really good 476 yard par 5 played directly into the prevailing wind. The recent heavy rain meant there was no run on the fairways and after a poor fairway wood I was on in 4, over 20 feet from the hole. However, another good putt secured an unlikely par and another par at the downhill 7th, a 310 yard par 4, meant I was still on track for a good score.

However, and it seems there's always at least one, I lost concentration on the 8th, a tricky 335 yard par 4 into the wind. I'd had a good drive and had only a 7 iron to the green, but blocked the shot way right, leaving myself completely stymied behind a large tree. I then compounded that error by hitting a duffed pitch and run, ending up with a pathetic triple bogey 7. Lunch was beckoning and another mistake off the tee at the 397 yard par 4 9th led to a closing double bogey. I'd dropped 5 needless shots on the last 2 holes, ending up with a 41, or 6 over the par of the course. A disappointing finish, but I really enjoyed the course. This is a view of the 9th and the homely clubhouse. Play Comrie if you get the chance.