Jedburgh Golf Club - course no 274

I really enjoyed playing this course on 8 April 2010. Jedburgh had been a 9 hole course until 3 years ago and is now a 5664 yard 18 hole course, par 69 off the yellow tees. Some of the new holes from 6-14, are still settling in being higher than the rest of the course. However, this is a terrific upland course, with lots of character and interesting features not the least being the old clubhouse dating back to 1894. The course sits high above Jedburgh and has lovely views across the rolling Border hills. However, it is exposed to the weather and the strong wind made scoring tricky, with the downhill 1st and the long uphill 15th into the wind being particularly difficult.

This is a view of the new 7th, a 183 yard par 3 that played far shorter than it looked ( I took a 7 iron), with a large water hazard to the left. Some bunkering to the right and some reshaping of the green would make this an even better hole, tightening the tee shot and toughening up the hole generally. By then, I'd noticed just how slow the greens were. Given the tough winter and recent snow, the greens had been mown conservatively, to protect against frost and other damage. As a result, it was really difficult to get the ball up to the hole and it was something of an achievement avoid three-putting. I managed to reach the turn in 43, thanks to some pretty effective scrambling around the greens. For example, the new 8th was an easy looking downhill 374 yard par 4, so I thought I'd land the ball short and let it run down onto the green. The club had run out of score cards, so I'd nothing to forewarn me of the hidden stream and pond in front of the green. My approach shot almost found the pond, so a bogey there was OK.

The best new hole is undoubtedly the 13th, a 275 yard downhill par 4 demanding absolute accuracy off the tee and a delicate pitch over a large pond. Here's the view from the tee. the landing area for the drive is about 20 yards wide, but with the prevailing wind being from right to left, it's a hugely difficult tee shot. I got that bit right, but over-cooked a sand wedge pitch over the pond, leading to another bogey. Best shot of the day was my drive at the 17th, a downwind par 4 of 328 yards. With 4 local members stepping to the side of the 1st green right in front of the 17th tee to let me play, I hit my best drive for ages and had only a short pitch with a sand iron for an easy 4. Another good drive and a blind 7 iron up the hill to the last green, a couple of putts for a closing par and I was back in 39 for a gross 82, net 71. Not too shabby, given the understandable slowness of the greens and the windy conditions.

It was a pity that the photocopy of the scorecard that I had to use did not include the names of the holes. This one, the 185 yard par 3 16th, should surely have been "Are you Insured?" given its alarming proximity to the main road!

Forrester Park Resort Course - course no 273

Polly and I played this pay as you play course on 5 April 2010. We'd left it late to book a game, as this was Easter Monday and we expected that other courses would be pretty busy. Perhaps it was the heavy rain earlier in the day, but the course was pretty quiet. Alternatively, the difficulty of this course might simply have persuaded others to go elsewhere. Indeed, the starter expressed some surprise that Polly was playing, saying that the course was very difficult and did not attract many female visitors. At 6009 yards par 72 off the yellow tees, Forrester Park is certainly not short, but its setting amongst rolling hills, with ponds or streams coming into play on 9 holes, adds to the difficulty. Throw in saturated ground, early season greens, really tricky bunkering, some difficult long holes and a blustery wind with occasional showers and Forrester Park becomes a pretty brutal test. Above is a view of the 1st hole from the 10th tee, giving a typical impression of the hills and water features. Given the threat of more rain, I didn't loosen up much and some early sloppy play led to a couple of opening 6's on an easy par 4 and a short par 3. However, I parred the next 4 holes to get the scoring back into line. The 7th is an awkward uphill, downwind par 5 of 526 yards, but my third shot found the cavernous bunker in front of the green and unfortunately this was the one bunker that appeared to be in need of some pre-season maintenance. Suffice to say I ended up with an 11, having given up trying to go direct for the flag after several attempts to overcome an overhanging lip. To make matters worse, the 8th was Stroke Index 1, a 407 yard par 4 played directly into the wind, with a blind uphill second shot. I was happy enough with a bogey, only to find that the 9th was a par 5 from an elevated tee, straight into the wind, with another long uphill approach to the green and a river awaiting the drive. Another bogey followed and I was out in 49, needing some inspired play on the back 9 to rescue the score.

The wind had been strengthening and was enough to blow our trolleys over by the time we we got the 10th tee. Here's a view of the 10th hole, with the 18th fairway on the left. There are 8 large pot bunkers within driving distance of the tee, but since the hole is a left hand dog leg, the shortest route is up the 18th fairway. Even the rough between these holes was pretty short, so my drive up the 18th left only a wedge to the green. I'd managed a par on a particularly hazardous hole, but since the back 9 holes are over 400 yards longer than the front 9, potential trouble lay ahead. Indeed, that was to be my last par of the round, as a combination of poor putting on huge sloping greens and increasing trouble with the by now very strong wind meant that scoring was becoming hugely difficult.

Here is a view of the 18th, a par 4 of only 322 yards. Factor in the elevated tee, the strong headwind, another river, an extremely steep approach to the green and severe undulations on the green itself and the Stroke Index 13 rating looked to be wrong. A 3 wood to the green for my second shot landed just short, but rolled 70 yards down the hill, leaving a completely blind wedge approach. The hole had been set on a severe slope so another 3 putt followed for a closing double bogey and a disappointing 48 on the back 9. I'd gone round in 97 and although most of that was down to my mistakes, some of the conditions didn't help. Forrester Park is certainly a very challenging course and I was just glad that I hadn't played it off the Blue tees, from where the course is 6855 yards. Now there's a future challenge for Craig to consider!

Leslie Golf Club - course no 272

I played here on 2 April 2010 after my round at nearby Auchterderran. Leslie is a private club and was great fun to play. However, I must begin by an appreciation of the warm welcome I had here from Ian, the Club's President. I'd not arranged anything in advance, but Ian gave me the warmest of welcomes (and a copy of the Club's excellent Centenary book) and put me out with Colin, a new club member who'd just taken up the game again after a break of several years. Colin has made a wise choice joining Leslie, as this was one of the friendliest village courses I've played so far. This is a view from the second tee, with the clubhouse to the right and the village in the background.



Leslie is a 9 hole course of 2470 yards, par 31. I didn't realise this at the time, but looking at my scorecard now, I see that I didn't get a single par in my dismal round of 46. It wasn't the course, which was in pretty good condition considering the harshness of the winter and recent storms. I'd gone round a relatively straightforward short 9 hole course in 15 over par, but such was Colin's company and the friendliness of the place that scoring didn't really matter. I even handled an unsettling s---- at the 4th (leading to a 9) without losing my composure. For those who know me well, that will be difficult to believe, but it's true. Here is the excellent par 3 149 yard 5th hole. I somehow found the green with a 6 iron, only to 3 putt from 20 feet. The way this round was going, anything could happen and it was with some relief that here at the 7th, I managed to avoid the burn to the left of the green. Colin found it though and I think we halved the hole with double bogeys. Even at the last, a good drive was followed by a couple of duffed chips and a bogey 5. I hope that one day, when I've completed the ultimate Scottish golfing challenge we have set ourselves, I can go back to Leslie and take it to bits, or at least get under 46. I'd like to think I couldn't play it so badly again.

Thanks again to Ian and Colin for making my visit so enjoyable.

Auchterderran Golf Club - course no 271

This is another of the excellent courses operated by Fife Council, keeping golf in local communities. Auchterderran is in Cardenden, a former mining village and is a 9 hole course of 2318 yards off the yellow tees, par 33. I played the course on 2 April 2010, a couple of days after a severe storm had dumped heavy snow and rain over most of Scotland. Having splashed my way to the first tee, I went back to the car for the waterproof trousers, as it looked like being a very soggy round. However, only the first couple of holes were waterlogged, and pretty forgettable if truth be told.

Auchterderran came alive on the 3rd, a difficult 397 yard par 4 that weaved its way between gorse to an uphill green. This is the view from my drive, for once in the middle of the fairway. A good 3 wood, a duffed pitch and run (more of an arthritic limp) and a couple of putts followed for a bogey at the Stroke Index 1 hole. The 4th was an easy par 4, with a blind wedge over a ridge to the green "aided" by 2 marker poles that were nowhere near the right line from the middle of the fairway, where my drive was, again. The 5th was just plain silly, a supposed par 3 of 231 yards, with only a marker pole to aim at, between out of bounds on the left and gorse on the right and dead ground in front of the green. I'm not a fan of blind par 3's at the best of times, but come on, Fife Council, make the hole a par 4 as the difficulty of this hole is completely out of character to the rest of the course.

My favourite hole had to be the 7th, a par 4 of 243 yards, with gorse to the right of the fairway. My drive was perilously close to said gorse, but found a large puddle (remember that storm I mentioned?) I managed to persuade a young woman walking her 2 dogs to retrieve my ball (though the water almost came up to the top of her pink wellies) and chipped in from 20 yards for an unlikely birdie. This is a view of the 8th green, a 306 yard par 4 played into the wind and requiring an accurate wedge to a semi-blind green. I scrambled a par with a couple of good putts. The last hole was a short par 4 of 288 yards, with out of bounds on the left. I almost made the OOB and had a tricky 9 iron over some trees to the green for my second. I just missed the 10 foot putt for another birdie, but went round in 37. Overall, this was a pretty good wee course.

Leitfie Links Golf Course - course no 270

Leitfie Links is the smaller of the 2 courses at the Strathmore Golf Centre and at 1666 yards, is a 9 holes par 29. It's not a links course, being set in Perthshire countryside, but that apart, it's great fun. I played it on 29 March 2010 after playing the adjacent Rannaleroch course. Leitfie looked to be a particularly good course for beginners, such as the 2 somewhat elderly ladies I caught up with. They really were hacking about, but they were enjoying themselves and good on them for trying. This is a view of the 5th, an 83 yard flick with a sand iron (and a wedge out of the trees behind!) I managed a par with a superb wedge to within 6 inches but I guess there must be a simpler way to play the hole. If I ever play it again, I'll maybe try to avoid thinning a sand wedge 110 yards to within a few feet of the course boundary.

My favourite hole was this, the 9th, an uphill par 3 of 110 yards that plays slightly longer. I ended up with a bogey and went round in 33, but the highlight of the day was still to come. The 9th green is to the side of the 1st tee and I'd found an old discarded ball between the green and that tee, about 10 feet in front and outside of the 1st tee markers. There was no-one around and I couldn't resist one last shot, so out came the wedge. The 1st hole is 117 yards downhill, so a solid shot was required. I didn't really line the shot up very carefully, but a full swing and away it went, straight for the hole. A couple of bounces, a roll, and in it went. I've still never had a hole in one, nor would that shot have led to one. Even had I played it from the tee, it might have ended up 10 feet past the hole, but such are the daft things that happen on golf courses!

Rannaleroch Golf Course - course no 269

This is a view of the 1st green at Rannaleroch, the larger of the 2 excellent courses at the Strathmore Golf Centre. I played both courses on 29 March 2010, having driven through rain and snow to get there. Indeed, the snow stopped when I got to Perth and amazingly, no rain or snow fell when I played the courses, though it was pretty cold. Rannaleroch is a fine parkland/moorland course of 5848 yards, par 70, off the yellow tees, with outstanding views of the Perthshire countryside. Usually "outstanding views" means more hills to climb (the last thing I needed, having struggled round my home course off the medal tees at the day before in a howling gale!) and although the course is far from flat, it is pretty easy walking. The course was also in great condition and I thoroughly enjoyed playing it.

It's also a great design with many interesting holes and surprises. For example, this is the 4th, a 173 yard par 3, with water on both sides and trouble behind. I almost got an elusive birdie after a good greenside pitch, but was happy enough with the par. By then, I'd caught up with a couple of guys using a buggy. Progress was slow, as the course was busy with girls practising for next week's Under-16's Scottish championship competition. The guys in front soon gave up waiting, and I found myself behind a couple of fine young golfers and their caddies. I didn't mind them taking 2 or more balls at every shot and it was a pleasure to see such good golfers at work. Later, I found out that one of the girls was only 12 - a very impressive player for her age.

I'd somehow done the front 9 in 41 against the par of 35, despite having a near-shank at the 7th and some poor play on the 8th. I also hooked my tee shot at the 10th out of bounds for a double bogey, so I needed to steady the ship and quickly. The 11th turned out to be a lovely little dog leg 280 yard par 4. Here's a view of the green. I should have birdied it, missing a short putt, but golf is full of "should have" "could have" etc. A really good hole though. From there, the course has a succession of really good holes, culminating in the 18th, a hugely difficult 440 yard uphill par 4 finishing, as all good 18th holes should, right in front of the clubhouse windows. I'd played some pretty indifferent shots with my short irons, so a 40 yard pitch over a bunker to the flag was not easy. At least I hit it straight, if a little long and played a second ball to within 20 feet. I missed both putts, but this was a super hole and a great end to a lovely course. I went round in 82, net 71 or 1 over net par, so that wasn't bad, considering the battering I'd taken over The Glen the day before. I hope that Craig and Stu can play this course in warmer weather, when the course is in peak condition. They're in a for a treat!

Kames Golf Course - course no 268

This is the shorter of the 2 courses at Kames Country Club and at only 3394 yards, par 62, looked to be pretty easy. However, it is quite hilly and accuracy off the tee is essential at most of the holes. The Kames Course is also more moorland in nature, lying on land above the bigger course. The greenkeeper had just cut and rolled the greens and although they didn't look 100%, the roll was very true, hence my 5 single putts in the front 9, to go out in 36. This is the 9th, a good 111 yard par 3. The pheasant to the right of the green, was, however, the only birdie I was to get all day! I particularly liked the 11th, another very short hole of only 91 yards. However, the hole is built in a fire break within pine woods, so absolute accuracy is needed, as the view from the tee suggests. I managed a good 3, but what a scary little hole! I managed a gross 70, net 59 and had a great time, despite being a wee bit tired due to the hills and having played the longer Mouse Valley course earlier. If there's a better short 18 hole course in Scotland, I've yet to see it. I loved this course, a great companion to Mouse Valley.

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Over a Diet Irn Bru (honest!) in the bar, the Pro told me he'd once had a putt for a gross 59 at the Clober course. He'd told himself not to be short, but had over hit the ball so much it went off the end of the green into a bush, turning a lifetime best score into a 63 and losing the chance of winning. A sad tale that led me to think that it's not just us amateurs who do daft things on golf courses. The difference, is, I suspect, that we're not as good at learning lessons. Overall, this was the best day's off-season golf I'd had for a long time. I hope to play both courses again (and again!)