Polly and I played the 18 Hole parkland course at Hamilton GC a few years ago. Since then the club have added a 5 Hole Par 3 Academy Course and driving range, with the new Academy Course being intended primarily for juniors and beginners. The Hamilton Golf Club has one of the best 18 Hole parkland courses in the Greater Glasgow area and is well worth playing. The new facilities complete the package for members and visitors alike. When I left East Lothian early on 7 October 2014, it was pretty damp, but by the time I'd reached Edinburgh the sun had broken through and a good morning's golf seemed in prospect. However, I was soon in heavy fog on the motorway heading west, travelling at a snail's pace due to the fog and a bad accident blocking the eastward carriageway and other major roads in the surrounding area. I'd been planning to play the 18 Hole Course as well as the Academy Course, but by the time I got to the club, still in heavy fog and a 4 Degree C temperature, it seemed more sensible just to play the Academy Course and find a quieter way home.
There's no scorecard for the Academy Course, but this is what I scored
Hole Yardage Par Score Putts
1 155 3 3 1
2 92 3 2 1
3 89 3 3 2
4 106 3 3 2
5 132 3 3 1
Totals 574 15 14 7
As the yardages suggest, this is a pretty easy layout, made even simpler by the use of 6 inch wide holes, presumably to encourage juniors and complete beginners. Bunkers protect most of the holes, but these shouldn't come into play if you're reasonably careful off the tees. The Academy Course is an excellent facility for beginners and would be a good warm up facility before tackling the main course, which if memory serves, is pretty testing off the back tees. Here are some random photos of the Academy course, starting with a view from the 2nd Tee to the 1st Green, with the Driving Range in the background -
This is a view of the 2nd Hole -
This is the 4th Hole, backed by a new housing development under construction.
