This is another good 9 Hole course to the South West of Dumfries but is more heathland in nature than some other courses in the area. At 2733 yards, Par 34, it's a good test and is a very interesting layout, with some modest slopes to contend with. I played here on 13 March 2012 after my exploits at Brighouse Bay and Castle Douglas the day before. This is the 1st, a slightly uphill 184 Yard Par 3. I'd carved my tee shot way left of the stand of pine trees and had a tricky wedge over to the green, so an opening bogey was fair enough after that bad opener. The 2nd is a 412 Yard Par 4 Stroke Index 1, played from an elevated tee with great views down the valley. The breeze blowing across the course would have been refreshing had it not been muck spreading time on seemingly every local farm and I suspect that a farm upwind from the back of the 2nd green was the main culprit! I'd found a greenside bunker with my second shot, so another bogey. The 3rd is a gently uphill dog leg left 342 Yard Par 4. OOB on the left doesn't really come into play unless you're really wayward and I managed an easy enough par.
The 4th is a 350 Yard Par 4 with the drive played blind over a hill. The fairway turns 90 degrees to the right after around 250 yards, so bigger hitters would need to be really careful. My drive was reasonably good, but another 10 yards would have been better, as I'd left myself this awkward wedge shot over trees to the green. I just missed the green to the right but a good pitch and single putt rescued the par. The 5th is a 306 Yard Par 4 played blind from an elevated tee into a valley, with a steep climb up to the green. this is another good hole and a chance to "open the shoulders" off the tee. The second shot is longer than it looks but a 9 iron and a couple of putts was good enough. The 6th is a short 285 Yard Par 4, running slightly uphill to a plateau green. The greenkeeper and some local members had been working on the green and had just finished coring when I arrived on the tee. The surface was still a bit bumpy so my 20 foot birdie putt was unlikely, but in it went, much to my surprise.
The 7th is a 314 Yard Par 4 running slightly downhill to a green that's half hidden from view by some folds in the land. Another easy par there and I was still only 1 over par. This is the 153 yard 8th, a flat Par 3 played between stands of birch trees. This hole is quite narrow and is probably even more intimidating when the trees are leaf-covered. I'd just missed the bunker on the right of the green but a good pitch and a short putt was enough to keep me at 1 over.
The last hole at Dalbeattie is a downhill 387 Yard Par 4 running past the clubhouse on your left and finishing alarmingly close to some houses at the top of the village. A bogey there and I was round in 36, 2 over par (3 under net par) with 13 putts. A good round on a very good course, which I recommend you play if you ever get the chance.
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