Muthil GC - Course no 389

 I played this course on 29 March 2011 after my exploits at Culcrieff.  Although I was pretty tired after my recent gardening and earlier golf at Dougalston and Culcrieff, I still had a few hours to kill before picking Polly up after a meeting she'd been attending in nearby Perth.  It was still a lovely early Spring day and I would finally get a crack at Muthil, after passing it some months before.  Muthil is a 9 green course with 18 tees, making it an 18 hole course so I played it Benbecula-style (see my blog entry for Course No 278) playing balls off each of the twin tees, saving time and precious energy.

Muthil is short at only 4438 yards, par 65, but is great fun to play.  There are 7 par 3's ranging from 106 to 201 yards and 11 Par 4's, from 220 to 378 yards, with pretty small greens and fast running fairways (and some more hills!).  I thought the best holes were 3/12, playing to 244 and 260 yards downhill, as shown here.  My tee shot off the 244 yard 3rd finished 20 yards short and right of the green leaving an awkward pitch skirting close to a bunker.  However, my drive off the longer 12th was just short of the green, from where I birdied the hole, scoring a par with the ball I'd played off the 3rd tee. 

I also liked the 8th/17th, playing to 329 and 325 yards respectively, with OOB on the right and  blind second shots played to a small plateau green.  I was happy enough to bogey both holes after almost going out of bounds off the 8th tee and being too far left off the 17th tee.  Muthil's signature holes are definitely 9/18, a couple of par 3's playing to 201 and 195 yards respectively.  This is a view from the 18th tee, with the 8th/17th green in the foreground.  The club's website refers to the last green as being just large enough to park a small car.  I don't know about that, but it's certainly tricky to find.  I bogeyed both holes and went round in 75, net 65, level net par, with 29 putts.   I really liked Muthil as a small village course and I'd recommend it.

Culcrieff GC Par 3 Course - Course no 388

I played here on 29 March 2011 after my round over the main Culcrieff course.  The Par 3 course has only 5 holes, totalling 502 yards, Par 15.  This is a view of the 97 yards downhill 1st hole.  This is really only a beginner's course, but don't go thinking it's a pushover.  The holes are all short ranging from 84 to 125 yards, but the greens are tiny, with those on holes 1-4 sloping down away from the tee.  Accordingly, it looked as though it would be unwise to try to hit any of these greens directly from the tee.  That's my excuse anyway for under-clubbing and failing to hold any of the greens in "regulation".  At least my pitching was up to the mark, as I scored 3,4, 3, 3, 3 to go round in 16, or 1 over par, with only 6 putts.   The greens were super-slick compared to the main course. 

The best hole was probably this, the 5th, an uphill 103 yards.  Anything too big here ends up in the car park or runs down the road.  The Par 3 course is also overlooked by the nearby clubhouse windows, just to the right of this shot, so this is not the place to make a mistake.  Thankfully, my wedge stopped in the fringe of grass between the green and the hedge behind and a good lob wedge left me a tap in.

A good wee course for beginners, though.

Culcrieff GC - Course no 387

I played here on 29 March 2011, the day after I'd played at Dougalston, hard on the back (in more ways than one!) of several day's hard work trying to knock my garden into shape before the perennial weeds get a grip.  Culcrieff is owned and operated by Crieff Hydro, a large up-market hotel in upland Perthshire.  Although Culcrieff is short at only 4876 yards, par 66, it is extremely hilly and physically demanding.  Either that, or I'm not as fit I should be, since I was pretty tired by the 10th hole, yet another steep climb.   This is a view of the 1st green, giving a good indication of the hilliness of the course.   It was only after a few holes here that I remembered a conversation with a member at nearby Crieff Ferntower about hilly courses, which included a friendly warning about Culcrieff not having a single flat hole.  Still, the scenery was outstanding and despite the hills, this is a really good course, well worth a visit. 

I'd gone out in 39, or 5 over par, and not too bad.  Thankfully, the back 9 was the slightly shorter half of the course, since it was even more hilly. This is the 12th green (not even the highest point on the course!).  I missed the birdie putt, but it was a lovely early Spring morning and I'd time to take in the view, with the distant mountains still showing the last (I hope!) of the Winter's snow.  I'd parred holes 10, 11,12 and 13 (almost flat!) so all was well with the world, despite some tiredness.  The 14th was an easy looking downhill 132 yard Par 3, but I forgot to hit through the ball with my 9 iron and was lucky to escape with a bogey, much to the amusement of the greenkeeping staff working  beside the tee.  Honest guys, I'd been playing OK earlier!

There are some really good holes at Culcrieff, but I particularly liked this, the 18th.  This is a steeply downhill 212 yard par 3, with outside seating by the clubhouse and a children's play area alarmingly close to the back of the green, hence the sign by the tee cautioning golfers not to over-club.  I'd hit a suitably cautious 7 wood to the right of the green and managed to almost hole a pitch and run for a closing birdie.  Still, my closing par meant I'd come back in 34 for a 73, net 63, or 3 under net par.  I'd taken 32 putts on greens that were surprisingly good for the time of year and exposed nature of the course,

Culcrieff is a good test and even if you're not up to it, the views are great.  Give it a try.

Esporta Dougalston GC - Course no 386

Polly and I played here on 28 March 2011.  Dougalston GC is 5653 yards, Par 68, off the Yellow tees.  Some Winter tees were still in operation, so the course was probably playing more to 5500 yards.  Dougalston is owned and operated by Esporta, a prominent leisure company and is part of a large and impressive multi-sports complex to the north of Glasgow.  Although it's situated close to some pretty up-market housing, the feeling is more of a rural heathland course.   We pretty much had the course to ourselves, the peace being disturbed only by the air conditioning unit on top of the sports hall, which could be clearly heard on several of the holes and more significantly, the many low-flying planes coming into Glasgow International Airport - the course is directly below the main flight path.  Those minor distractions aside, I thought that Dougalston was a really good course, full of interest and with some challenging holes.   This is a view from the tee on the 1st, a 259 yard par 4.   The drive looks intimidating, but the landing area is quite generous and after a good drive and sand Iron, I duly canned a 15 foot putt for an opening birdie.  Indeed, I had 6 pars in the opening 9 holes, to go out in 36, only 2 over par. 

This is the 8th hole, a 357 yard par 4, with Polly striding ahead (she'd laid up in front of the pond, finishing only a few feet short of the hazard).  Credit where it's due, she played the hole really well! The 8th looked as though a fade was required off the tee, but I'd not noticed that the hole was named Aquarius.  Sure enough, there was a large pond in front of the green.  Not only that, my second shot from around 130 yards was obscured by some low branches.  I opted for a low-punch with a 5 iron, which miraculously came off, stopping around 12 feet behind the flag.  I missed the birdie chance, but I'm not complaining, as this was the Stroke Index 2 hole.

The 10th, a 403 yard uphill Par 4, is rightly the Stroke Index 1 hole.  The fairway is extremely narrow, with trees on both sides.  Some pine tress had been cut back on the right, but only a dead straight and long drive would do.  I was just short of the green in 2, but took 3 more from there for a disappointing bogey.  This is the 11th, an outstanding 163 yard Par 3, played from an elevated tee to a small target with a pond to the left of the green.   My tee shot finished only 20 feet to the right of the hole, but I'd not noticed how downhill my putt would be, so 3-putted the hole.  Very poor.

I'll not go through the agonies of the 16th, a tight 427 yard par 4, or how I managed to take 6 shots from 40 yards out, for a ruinous 8, but there was a sh--- involved which ended up in a water hazard.  That hole contributed to my 43 on the back 9, so I was round in 79, net 69, with 32 putts, so 1 over net par after such a good front 9 was a bit disappointing. 

Dougalston was in really good condition and is well worth a visit, but be warned, it's far from flat and there are a few tight holes to catch the unwary, not least this, the 9th.  This is a 175 yard (very!) uphill Par 3, which plays longer than it looks.  I'd hit a good 3 wood to 25 feet, but had a steeply downhill putt, hence the bogey.  I'd certainly play here again.

Lanark GC - 9 Hole Course - Course no 385

I'd played the outstanding heathland course at Lanark GC some years ago with my friend Martin and had fond memories of the round, which Martin won quite comfortably.  Although Lanark is a heathland course, it plays more like a links in the Summer and is in my view one of the best inland courses in Scotland.  The last hole finishes right in front of the clubhouse bar windows, with the  green perched on a shelf with a steep bank off to the left.  Martin was playing off 8 or so at the time, but had the yips with his pitching wedge, such that he'd often hit it far too hard, the ball careering through the green into whatever undergrowth etc. lay in wait.  On that particular day, Martin's approach to the green had finished around 10 feet below the green to the left, leaving him with a steep bank to negotiate, before a small gallery of club members watching from the bar.  Indeed, from where his ball had finished, only the top of the flag was visible, with the bar windows in view alarmingly close behind.  Now Martin is blessed with a lovely languid rhythm to his swing and being quite tall and lean, he looked the part.  However, his chip up the bank was nothing like his elegant practice swing and sure enough, his ball bulleted over the green, hit the clubhouse window frame, bounced back onto the green and trickled back to his feet.  His next failed to climb the bank at all and if memory serves, a sh--- was next, but at least he was finally on the green.  The obligatory 3 putt followed, much to the amusement of the ghouls hovering by the bar window.  It was a warm day, so I wasn't going to miss out on a cooling beer, though  I suspect Martin could happily have missed the opportunity to meet his audience.  Luckily, he has a great sense of humour!

I mention all of this because there's a 9 Hole Course at Lanark that I'd not played.  Lanark is only a few miles away from Douglas Water, so the 9 Hole Course was my third round on 21 March 2011.  This little course is 1337 yards, Par 28, with holes ranging from 75 to 233 yards and is primarily for practice.  This is a view of the 2nd hole, with some houses  close behind.  Since the 9 Hole Course is used by beginners, I'm not sure I'd want to live there, despite the outstanding views over the championship course.

The best hole is probably the 6th, a short 233 yard Par 4 that gives a flavour of the bigger course.  As might be expected, the 9 Hole Course greens were pretty small.  I managed a Par on the 6th OK, but I'd taken the opportunity to play 2 balls (this being a practice course!) and birdied the hole with my 2nd ball.  However, the Par counted on the scorecard, so I was round in 31, 3 over par, with 14 putts.  This is a good practice course and if you ever get the chance to play the championship course at Lanark, take the time to loosen up on the 9 Hole Course. 

This is a view of the 9th hole on the little course, with the excellent clubhouse in the background.  The greens had been top-dressed and played remarkably well.  The championship course also looked to be in excellent condition and I'd strongly recommend a visit to Lanark GC.

Douglas Water GC - Course no 384

I played this good 9 hole moorland course on 21 March 2011 after my game at Leadhills.  The Douglas Water course is 2951 yards Par 36 off the White tees.  The scorecard doesn't list the yardage from the Yellow tees I played from, but I guess the Yellow yardage was about 2800.  The first thing you notice about Douglas Water is the impressive new clubhouse, as opened a couple of years ago.  The old clubhouse is still standing (just) by the 1st tee and rather detracts from the quality of this course, but one step at a time as this is a small village club with, I imagine, modest resources.  Accordingly, it was all the more impressive that the club waived my green fee (a real bargain at only £6), so that's yet another small donation into the cancer research charity we're supporting. 

The second thing you notice about Douglas Water is that it's very hilly, as this look back down the 1st hole shows, with the new clubhouse and my car (the only one in the car park!) in the background  As this photo may also suggest, the greens were superbly maintained, running fast and true.  Indeed, these were the best inland greens I'd played on this year.  The rest of the course was in equally good condition and far better than some of the bigger courses I've played over recent weeks, so well done to the greenkeeper. 

Just how hilly this place is can also be seen from this view of the 4th green, with a low-flying RAF cargo plane passing by below the level of the green.  I'd parred the opening 4 holes by that time, but just when I thought that a really good score was on, Douglas Water struck back with two back to back Par 5's, the first into a strong head wind, and the second, at 565 yards to a tiny green, the Stroke Index 1 hole.  I dropped 3 strokes over those 2 holes, but managed to par the last 3 holes, including the 8th, a downhill 382 yard Par 4.  This is the view from the 8th tee, with OOB to the left and a temporary water hazard (after all of the recent rain and snow) 100 yards or so from the green.  A large open cast coal mine on the horizon is at odds with the tranquility of the course itself - I was alone for most of the round apart from a guy walking his dog.

However, I really enjoyed the course and went round in 39, 3 over par, with 15 putts.  Seven pars out of 9 isn't bad at all, for me anyway.  If you still have the energy after playing one or more of the other courses in the area, give Douglas Water a try.  You'll be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the course, despite the hills.  The greens are great, but if there's a flat bit on this, the 9th, I certainly didn't find it, after spending some minutes practising my putting after the round.  I'd missed the 9th green to the left (the green is blind from the tee) but hit a lob wedge to within a foot and thankfully I don't miss from there too often.

Leadhills GC - Course no 383

I played this remote 9 hole moorland course above the village of Leadhills in the Borders hills on 21 March 2011.  The course is easy to find but take care, as the single track approach road is in terrible condition!  At over 1,500 feet above sea level, this is officially the highest course in Scotland and is built on land that still shows traces of long-closed lead mining in the area.  This is the modest clubhouse.  Leadhills is short, at only 2084 yards, Par 33 off the Yellow tees.  Although there had been high wind warnings for all Scottish mainland road bridges and it was far from calm when I played, there was certainly none of the wild weather that can trouble this very exposed course.  The course was also showing some of the effects of the Winter, with the tiny greens being particularly difficult to find, hold and putt on.  Despite that, I managed a decent score going round in 36, or 3 over par, with a couple of birdies, so not too shabby. 

The 3rd is a downhill and blind 135 yard Par 3.  This is a view of the green.  I'd played an easy 8 iron and miraculously (given the roughness of the green) holed out from 12 feet for an unlikely 2.  The landscape really is as bleak as the photo suggests, fit only for sheep (hence the abundance of their droppings across the course) and dedicated golfers.  Leadhills GC survives only thanks to the hard work of its members, so well done to them for keeping the sport going in such a remote and testing environment.   Winters up there must be pretty hard. 

This the 8th green, a hole named "Highest Tee" for obvious reasons.  The 8th was a downhill 229 yard Par 4, but needed a driver into the wind and a short pitch to leave a tricky 15 foot putt with 3 feet of break from the left.  The greens had been tined recently and were pretty bumpy, so I was delighted to birdie that hole, from the highest tee in Scotland.  The highest green in Scotland is the 9th, an uphill 206 yard Par 3 (into the prevailing wind, often at gale force, this would be a formidable test).  I bogeyed the 9th after going through the back (and another 3 feet higher!) with my second shot. 

I've now played the highest, the lowest (surely Garmouth and Kingston - unless you know better), the most westerly (Barra) and we're playing the most northerly and easterly (Whalsay) in June 2011.  That will leave only the most southerly (St Medans) and many in between.  There's still a long way to go, but Leadhills was a significant marker towards our final target.