Arbroath Pitch and Putt Course - Course no 658

I played this pitch and putt course in hot and sunny conditions after my excellent round with Craig at nearby Kelly Castle.  With 9 holes ranging from 32 to 65 yards and a total length of around 420 Yards, this little course wasn't much of a challenge, nor was it much fun. Although most leisure facilities on the beach frontage at Arbroath were open and relatively busy, the pitch and putt course was deserted, the booth for hiring clubs and paying green fees was closed and there were no flags in any of the holes.  I'd visited the course a few weeks earlier after playing at nearby Guthrie Castle and had the same impression i.e. the pitch and putt course was closed. However, Craig subsequently told me that there are never any flags in the holes. Maybe petty vandalism is a problem, or more likely the local Council that runs the pitch and putt course can't afford to pay anyone to collect the green fees, hire out equipment and put out the flags each day during the summer months, when apparently this little course is supposed to be open.

With no sign of anyone ready to tell me otherwise when I re-visted the course on 11 September 2014, I just assumed that the course was open, took my lob wedge and putter and got on with playing.  The course was generally very well maintained, making it easy to see where the greens were and the hole signage was good too, but the absence of flags made me feel as though I was tresspassing rather than enjoying one of Arbroath's beach-front leisure facilities.

Anyway, I managed to par all of the holes, apart from the 65 Yard 5th and the 58 Yard 7th, which I birdied after decent tee shots to within a few feet of the holes.  25 shots in total, with 11 putts wasn't bad but this was one round I was happy to get finished as quickly as possible.  It's a long time since I've been chased by the Parkie, and I'm not quite as fast on my pins as I used to be!

It's a pity that this course isn't at all welcoming, as it could be fun for families to play on a casual basis.  Here are a couple of photos, for the record, but I definitely wouldn't want to play this course again.