Vogrie Golf Course - Course no 254

I played this course on 23 February 2010. Vogrie is a pleasant 2530 yard 9 hole parkland course owned and operated by Midlothian Council, within Vogrie Country Park. This is a view of the 5th fairway. The full course was in play, but there had been a frost earlier in the day and although the top of the ground had thawed out, the conditions were far from ideal and the greens were pretty slow and bumpy. I enjoyed the course and went round twice scoring 39 and 37 against the par of 33. That made the round 76 gross, or net 64 against a par of 66, so scoring was pretty good, despite the conditions.

I thought the best hole at Vogrie was the 7th, a 180 yard par 3, shown here, with good bunkering and a 2 tier green. My 7 wood on the first round just caught the front bunker and I took 4. Having been waived through at this hole on the second round, the 7 wood caught the bottom half of the green, pin high and I just missed the 20 foot putt. The 8th was another very good hole, an uphill right dog leg 373 yard par, stroke index 1, with a blind second shot to a small green. The fairway bunker at the corner of the dog leg doesn't really come into play and could be moved another 40-50 yards closer to the green. On both occasions, I had a 7 iron to the green and got my par each time. For reasons not immediately obvious, this hole was called Ha Ha Ditch, but there's no ditch, so maybe that's the joke.

The last hole, shown below, is also a bit odd. The card said 149 yards, as did the yellow tee box, but the hole is slightly downhill and looked far shorter. I hit an 8 iron each time and each time finished 10 yards through the green. I didn't have my laser range finder with me, but I suspect the yardage is seriously wrong. Anyway, Vogrie is a good little course, well worth a visit. Not difficult at all, and I imagine would be popular with beginners in particular.

Portobello Golf Course - Course no 253

I played this 9-hole course on the afternoon of 18 February 2010. Portobello lies a couple of miles to the east of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh and is 2210 yards, par 32 off the yellow tees. It is owned and operated by the City of Edinburgh Council and is a fine little course, made all the better by its excellent and friendly Starter, Johan. As I mentioned in my 25 November 2009 entry, Johan had also played the only course in Sweden that I'd played. It's a small world. I also met another equally friendly council official whose job appeared to be checking that I'd paid my green fee. He'd a tricky job, I guess, but I did wonder whether I looked so shifty that he approached me on the first hole. I was just glad I'd managed a good opening drive, lest he also mark me down for ability!

Given the slight frost earlier in the day, I was pleased that the full course was in play and that the greens were pretty good. Indeed, the course as a whole was in very good condition, with well-raked bunkers and some really good holes. This is the 8th , a 320 yard downhill par 4. I managed a par there, just missing the 30 foot birdie putt. I'd missed a far easier chance on the 7th, having been waived through by a father playing with his 3 young sons. As any golfer will know, being waived through can be a mixed blessing, fraught with hazards. The occasional frustration of playing behind someone slower is relieved, but is replaced by the pressure of having to hit the tee shot before an expectant gallery. Indeed, there is little more embarrassing in golf than being let through only to duff the tee shot, or worse still, lose it, with those who had been kind enough to let you through questioning their wisdom (and your ability). The 7th is 160 yards uphill, played into a low winter sun. I took my 7 wood, swung easily and hoped for the best, since the low sun meant I had no idea where it went. The swing felt OK, but it was only the welcoming cry of "good shot" from the father that led me to hope that the ball lying 10 feet to the right of the flag might be mine. Thankfully it was, but the rushed putt missed narrowly. Perhaps that was just as well though, since I suspect that it is equally poor etiquette to birdie a hole when let through, and risk the golfing gods ensuring that your next teeshot is a shank!

The best hole at Portobello is the last, an outstanding par 3 of 193 yards fit to grace many a nobler track, as shown here. The green is long and narrow and is surrounded by 4 deep bunkers. My 7 wood finished just short of the front right bunker and a (rare!) good lob wedge was needed. Sadly, I just missed the 15 foot putt. I'd gone round in 37, not bad at all.

I thoroughly enjoyed my round at Portobello. Craig and Stu are in for a treat.

Musselburgh Old - Course no 252

I played this course on 18 February 2010 after careful thought about which course to play for such an important milestone on the long road around every course in Scotland. The Old Links are certainly steeped in history, as the score card makes clear, with references going back as far as 1567 and the course producing 5 Open champions. I'm not particularly well-versed in golfing history, but it was a real thrill to tackle the course and to realise that golf had been played for hundreds of years on this old course. The Old course is now a 9-holer of 2668 yards off the yellow tees, par 34. I managed to go round in 41, due mainly to the bumpy and slow nature of the temporary greens that were in play. This is a view from the 6th tee back to the 4th green. The 4th is Stroke index 1, and is a difficult 412 yard par 4, with the green set tight against the out of bounds and Mrs Forman's pub, where in days gone by "refreshments" could be sold through a hatch to passing golfers. It's a great pity that such quirks are not allowed by current licensing laws. However, I thought that the 6th was a stronger and more interesting hole. As the club's website states, "usually played into the wind. The exposed tee can be very troublesome in windy conditions. Be very careful with your tee shot as two hidden bunkers await. Best line is down the left side of the fairway which will give a straight shot to the green. The green has a very steep step in the middle. Any shot too far right, left or long will find trouble. Probably the very first two- level green." I played it down the left as instructed, leaving myself with a 9-iron pitch to 20 feet. I holed the putt for my only birdie.

Below is a view across the course to the Racecourse stands. I'd originally tried to play the course yesterday, not realising that the Racecourse was being used. I did, however, get a good view of the last race of the day! I liked the Old course and would happily play it again in warmer weather, when the fairways are burnt by the sun and running fast, though sadly a refreshment from Mrs Forman's would need to wait until after I'd finished playing. Ah, the price of progress.

This is a view of

Melville Golf Course - course no 251

I played this course on 16 February 2010. The Melville golf course is part of a golf complex (including a good driving range) to the south east of Edinburgh. It's a 9 hole course of 2057 yards, par 33 and is a pretty good beginner's course, with holes ranging from 104 to 415 yards. This is the approach to the second, a short par 4 of only 273 yards.

I thought the best hole on the course was the 5th, a 330 yard uphill par 4, with a tricky undulating green. I took a 5 after missing the small green with my wedge. This is a view back down the 5th, with the Pentland Hills in the background. However, I made up for that mistake at the 6th, a 121 yard par 3 with good bunkering to protect the green. My 9 iron landed a few inches directly behind the hole and stuck there, such was the dampness of the green. An easy birdie that impressed the 3 old guys watching me from the nearby 7th tee, but that first hole in one remains as elusive as ever, after almost 43 years of trying. One day, Alan, one day! I went round Melville in 36 strokes and would hope to do better in summer conditions, when the greens were faster. Although the full course was in play, the conditions were pretty damp underfoot and the greens were painfully slow. A good beginner's course, and thoroughly enjoyable. I'd happily play here again and try to break par next time.

Fidra Course, Archerfield Links - course no 250

Craig, Stu and I played this absolutely excellent course on 15 February 2010. Considering that some of the courses I'd played recently had been using temporary greens, it was a relief to get back to proper golf, on a full course in such great condition. The Fidra course is 6560 yards, par 72 off the blue tees, which I played (Craig played the black tiger tees and Stu played the white tees, somewhat shorter than the blues). I'd been playing reasonably well recently on courses in much poorer condition than Fidra, so I was really looking forward to seeing how my form would hold up. Overall, not bad, as I went out in 43 and a 5 at the 395 yard par 4 15th would have given me a respectable 87, or 3 over net par. Sadly, my course management let me down, yet again. The middle 6 holes had been played in pretty persistent rain, such that the grip of my driver was soaking wet and even an all-weather glove didn't do much to inspire confidence off the tee. The final straw was a duck hook off the 15th tee, into some wet clinging rough. The lie was not too bad, so my trusty 7 wood seemed a sensible club selection. Wrong! Had I accepted my punishment and taken the wedge, I might have escaped with a 6. I ended up with a 10, so my score ended up as a 92, net 80. I'd hoped that this photo would also show the score, but you'll need to take my word for it!

We all agreed that Fidra was an excellent course and a really stiff test of our abilities. The rain didn't help, but such is the quality of the course that we didn't really mind. We'd played Archerfield's Dirleton course in November 2009, but despite considerable debate over a pint afterwards, we couldn't really decide which was best. Of the two, I think that Fidra is more linksy in nature and is marginally my favourite, although some design quirks that took me by surprise. For example, I thought that the manicured waste areas on the 6th and 12th holes, despite their plantations of coastal maram grass, were a bit out of character for a Scottish links links course. And although the upturned saucer greens provided some tricky run off areas e.g. the 9th, I thought that that design feature was perhaps a wee bit overdone. However, I don't want to sound too critical as overall, this was a really excellent course.

Despite my reservations over the waste area to the right of the green, I thought that the best hole on the outward 9 was the 6th, a 467 yard par 5. I managed my par, but the best shot on that hole was Craig's impressive recovery from a fairway bunker. I doubt I could have got myself into that stance but who cares, that particular bunker didn't really come into play for me - my drive finished 20 yards or more behind this bunker! My favourite hole on the course was the 11th, a 471 yard par 5. I'd pushed the tee shot short and right due to my hands slipping on a wet grip, but a good 7 wood recovery over some high Scots pines left me with a wedge to the green, which unfortunately trickled back off the green into a pot bunker. A bogey followed, but what a really pretty hole.

Below is the 17th green, a formidable 189 yard par 3. The last hole on Fidra is an absolute gem. At 563 yards for Craig, it looked well beyond my meagre ability and I was grateful that it was only 518 yards from the blue tee. Even so, I took 7 rather than the 5 I'd been hoping for to restore some respectability to my round after the debacle on 15. However, it was not to be. Perhaps another time, because this is a course that I would love to play again (and again!)

Bothwell Castle GC - course no 249

I played this excellent course on 12 February 2010. From the bleakness of Auchenharvie to a course that, from its impressive red sandstone archway to its great looking clubhouse, just oozes class. I'd been looking forward to playing here since reading its impressive website and was not disappointed, because this is one of the best parkland courses I've played in ages. Bothwell Castle is a par 70 of 5955 yards off the yellow tees. Unfortunately, temporary greens were in play, but even that did not detract significantly from the quality of the course and the enjoyment it offered. This is a view up the 4th hole, a lovely 378 yard par 4. I really should have birdied that hole, having hit my wedge to within a 3 feet - what great views the owners of the big houses behind the green must have!

I did manage a birdie on the 6th a good 323 yard par 4 with a blind tee shot and was out in 40, 4 over par. I played even better on the back 9, with 6 pars and 3 bogeys. The best hole turned out to be the 13th a dog leg to the right, aptly named "Curler" of 375 yards. This is a view from the tee. I also liked the 15th "Silverwell" and here is the well in question, which didn't really come into play from the tee, but a formidable obstacle, I guess.

For me, one of the great satisfactions in golf is seeing the shot and executing it precisely. The 16th at Bothwell Castle is a right dog leg of 391 yards, par 4, requiring a slight fade off the tee. I went down the shaft of my 3 wood and faded the ball around the trees to put the ball precisely in the middle of the fairway, leaving a short shot and a couple of putts. Job done!

I would love to play Bothwell Castle again. There are no poor holes on this course but there are many good ones that will stick in the memory for a long time.

Auchenharvie Golf Course - course no 248

I played this course on 11 February 2010, having played well earlier in the day at Lochgreen. Auchenharvie is basically a 9 hole layout with 2 separate tees for each hole to create an 18 hole layout. Auchenharvie is 5203 yards off the back tees, which I played, and has a par of 66. I played very well, going round in a gross 70, including a birdie at the short 275 yard par 4 4th hole, but I didn't really enjoy the course. There were some pretty good holes, the 3/12th and 8/17th being the most challenging. For me, the course was dominated by its surroundings, which were pretty dismal at best, with a couple of holes played between the local abattoir and the back of an undertaker's premises and others wedged between a railway, the main road and a housing estate. This is the only scenic view I could find on the course, looking back up the 3/12th fairway.

With so many excellent courses in the area, I wondered how Auchenharvie survives. I certainly don't feel the need to play it again any time soon, given the immediate surroundings. I played it in good sunny weather, but it must be a pretty bleak place on the kind of wild weather that can beset even the best of Scottish courses.