Did Tom qualify?

As I mentioned in my last blog entry about Bruntsfield Links, I'd agreed to caddy for Tom Coyne on 22 June in a Regional Qualifier for the 2015 Open Championship.  With 7 places in the final qualifying round up for grabs and well over 100 professionals and top amateurs from all over the world playing at Bruntsfield, competition would be tough.  Tom's preparation was to play around 110 courses over the previous 56 days, travelling the length and breadth of Scotland and a few rounds south of the border.  We'd arranged to meet for an evening practice round over Bruntsfield Links on Saturday 20 June, but Tom got fog-bound at Benbecula Airport after playing some of the Western Isles courses, so that plan had to be abandoned.  He did get the chance to walk the course on the 21st, but his first  ever shot at Bruntsfield would be "for real" and with the closing chapters of his planned new book on the line, the stakes were pretty high.  I'd not really thought of it that way, but as Tom said, this was a once only shot at The Open and understandably, he didn't want " A Course Called Scotland" to close with an embarrassing anti-climax.

Last time we'd met, at the Glen GC early in his epic journey around Scotland, Tom looked pretty fit, but I had to have a second take when this lean, sun-tanned guy sauntered into view in time for some warm up shots before his allotted 1134 tee time.  He'd apparently lost 22 pounds in his 36 holes a day marathon (Tom - there's another dieting book there) and he thought his cholesterol count was still OK despite 50+ full Scottish breakfasts over the past 8 weeks!  

With so much as stake, Tom looked pretty calm when the PA announcement "and from the USA, Tom Coyne" called him to the tee.  A slightly dodgy opening drive into the right rough, a good 7 iron and a couple of putts later, and Tom was on his way.  Being last off in his threesome, Tom could watch what the 2 Pros in our group were playing, which I thought might be helpful.  Mark and Callum had both taken long irons at the 387 Yard 2nd, but Tom preferred his Driver, the idea being to go for the left side of the fairway, setting up a short pitch to the flag.  10 minutes later, a trip into the woods far right of the fairway and a treble bogey was a real set back.  With a couple of Par 5s coming next, we'd hoped to regain ground, but it wasn't to be.  Bogeys rather than birdies were very unwelcome and Tom was not settling into the round.  We needed something good to happen, and quickly.  However, an outward 43 (7 over par) put Tom right out of contention.  The aim for the back 9 was respectability and Tom did himself proud, with a far steadier performance.  Easy pars on 10 and 11 and an unlucky bogey on 12 helped steady the ship and we were soon onto the 13th tee.  I'd found the 13th to be the most difficult hole at Bruntsfield in my earlier round there, so it was great to see Tom hit a fabulous drive and a 6 iron to within 6 feet of this 455 Yard hole, slightly uphill, wind behind.  The 13th green is close to the 3rd green and although Tom might not have recognised him, the unmistakable figure of Andy Oldcorn was watching from the 3rd as Tom holed his short putt for an impressive birdie.

Tom's game really steadied from then on and as his confidence grew, he began to relax and really enjoy the experience.  However, a dodgy drive on the formidable 17th led to a disappointing double bogey and with only the 347 Yard 18th to come, Tom's race was run. He was due to fly back home next day regardless of his score, but it was clear there would be no early return for final qualifying.  We'd a long wait to play the last.  After almost 110 rounds in the past couple of months, countless miles, shots and aching muscles, there was only one hole left.  Understandably, Tom was determined to par the final hole of an epic trip that had seen him tackle the greatest and most humble courses in Scotland, experiencing the worst and best golfing weather that Scotland has to offer.  Tom's Driver had not been his best club that day, so we agreed that 3 Wood might be be more sensible.  Thankfully, Tom hit a great drive setting up a 9 iron second shot, slightly uphill, to possibly the most undulating green on the course, right in front of the clubhouse windows and a few dozen spectators (but that's a few dozen more than usually watch Tom playing).  Tom hit one of his classiest shots of the day and I advised him to take his time walking onto the green and enjoy the moment.  OK, he knew that he'd not qualify, but this was the end of a long, long journey.  I'd an inkling of how he felt, having passed a few personal milestones on my own journey around Scottish courses and I was really hoping he'd hole the 20 foot uphill putt for a remarkable closing birdie.  He missed by a mere foot and holed out for a truly great par, given the circumstances. 

Tom had done the back 9 in 2 over par and returned an 80, 9 over par in total.  He wasn't remotely last, but it would have been understandable if he'd been pretty downcast after such a long build up to this Open qualifying round, with so much riding on it.  Mark and Callum were pretty stoic after their own scores had not been good enough to make the cut for final qualifying, but Tom's big smile coming off the 18th said it all.  He'd completed his epic journey by fulfilling a lifetime ambition to play in The Open and achieved a highly creditable score in the circumstances. His new book could have a positive ending and I was glad to have helped, albeit only marginally, in his final effort.  The gold-plated US Dollar coin I gave him as a new ball marker before the round didn't bring him much luck, but I hope that improves in due course! Tom is a fine golfer and an even better human being.  Although I've had many enjoyable times caddying over the past 5 years or so, that round will live long in my own memory as one of the most enjoyable, so thank you Tom, it was a privilege.  We'd had a side bet on the US Open, with £5 on whether Justin Rose or Brandt Snedeker would finish highest.  My debt duly paid (no luck, Justin), I'll be trying hard to get my money back if and when Tom gets over here again, with time to play another new Scottish course.  After all, he's played less than a sixth of the courses we have here and he's missed some great (and more humble) tests.

"A Course Called Scotland" will doubtless cover his trip from start to finish and I'm really looking forward to reading it.  If it's anywhere near as good as "A Course Called Ireland" it will be an absolute joy.

Update - the new book is being published on 3 July 2018.  I read a near final draft in early 2018 and although I'm no book critic, if this isn't golf book of the year internationally, I'll be very surprised.  Bruntsfield Links features prominently as do some lesser known tracks, alongside the wit and wisdom of a master story teller.

Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society

I'd played this course many years ago and really enjoyed it, but a curious turn of events led me to playing it again.  Some years ago, when planning a trip to play the wonderful links course at Carne GC in Ireland, I came across an extract from a book written by American golf writer Tom Coyne, entitled "A Course Called Ireland." This proved to be just about the best golf book I've ever read, full of humour and uniquely Irish episodes, as Tom walked his way around the Irish coastline, playing all the golf courses he came across.  I guess I've now played most of the courses he found, including gems such as Westport, Tralee, Ballybunion and Ardglass, and I really understood his experiences and love of Irish golf and its people.  I still remember asking for directions from a young lad in wildest Connemara and not understanding a word he said, but I digress! More recently, I read somewhere that Tom would be trying to play 107 courses in the UK over a 57 day period, including 90 in Scotland, for his planned follow up book  "A Course Called the Kingdom."  Knowing that I'd already played most of the courses in Scotland, the Golf Services Manager at my home club, Glen GC, asked me what I was doing on 4 May, as Tom was booked to play the Glen as part of his marathon trip.  I jumped at the chance to play with Tom and a couple of his American friends, Gene and Billy.  Here's Tom on the Glen's 14th fairway, with our famous 13th behind him. We'd a great time going round, swapping stories of our various golfing experiences. The scores weren't important, but somewhere around 78 for the 2 of us sounds about right.

The really important points from that game are that Tom told me his final round of his "Kingdom" trip would be at Bruntsfield Links on 22 June, at a Regional Qualifier for The Open Championship, no less.  When Tom learnt that I worked as a caddy, he asked me to caddy for him at Bruntsfield. I've caddied the odd round for a few top golfers, but a bag in the Open (even a Qualifier) will be a real thrill. I'd not played there for 20+ years, so I thought it would be sensible to play it again!  And so I played Bruntsfield on 3 June 2015 on a cool, sunny and windy day.

The Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society is the 4th oldest in the World, having been established in 1761. The Society's current course is in Barnton, one of the most affluent residential areas of Edinburgh dates back to 1898, as laid out by Willie Park Jnr. See www.scottishgolfhistory.org for  more on the history of the club and on the history of golf in Scotland more generally.  Although the name might suggest otherwise, the Society's course is actually parkland in nature and measures 6130 Yards off the Yellow Tees, Par 70. The Open Qualifier will be played over a course measuring around 6550 Yards, but at least I'd get an idea of the layout and green characteristics to help Tom, since after 106 rounds in 56 days, I doubt he'll not have much time (or energy!) for a practice round. Fortunately, the Society's website at www.bruntsfieldlinks.co.uk is really good, with great photos and descriptions of individual holes.  

The other good news for Tom is that the course is already in great condition with the greens in particular being true and smooth running. There's nothing quirky about it and accuracy rather than brute force is vitally important. For example, the opening hole is a 410 Yard  Par 4. The fairway slopes from left to right and there's an uphill second shot to a severely undulating green, primarily sloping from front left to back right. I'd left myself a short pitch to the green which finished just 6 feet below the hole, so an opening par was encouraging. The 2nd, as shown here, is a shortish downhill Par 4, easy looking, but the green is elevated on all sides, sloping from left to right. I'm guessing the 22 June pin position will be front left, bringing a tricky looking bunker into play!

Next come a couple of Par 5s, back to back.  The 3rd is only 487 Yards and is a Par 4 from

the Yellows. The 4th is the longest hole on the course, at 529 Yards for me and is the Stroke Index 1 hole. This is a lovely looking hole, with a downhill tee shot and a narrow 2 tier green. Next, the first of 4 Par 3s at Bruntsfield. This is 195 Yards from the Yellow tee, but will be a formidable 230 Yards for the Open Qualifier. I missed a 3 foot putt for par after finding a bunker, but this is a really good hole.  Next, a short Par 4 dog leg right, but the second shot is uphill and you won't see that the green slopes from back left down to front right. I was playing pretty well and only 3 over par when I got to the 7th, a 142 Yard Par 3. The green slopes wickedly from right to left, but the pin was on a flattish section on the left side, meaning the line was straight at the copper beech tree, as shown here.  An easy 7 iron duly took the borrow and finished 20 feet behind the pin.  The greens at Bruntsfield were great to putt on so I wasn't really surprised when my birdie putt actually dropped.  A couple of pars later and I was out in 37, only 2 over.

I liked the 325 Yard Par 4 10th, but I suspect there are easier ways to make par than carving your drive into the trees to the left, chipping out, hitting a wedge to 25 feet and holing the putt! I suspect that some over-ambitious would-be Open Qualifiers might be tempted to take Driver here, but the tee shot is blind OOB lurks to the left and bunkers protect the small green.  A more cautious approach might be more sensible, Tom. I thought the 13th was the most difficult hole on the course and at 445 Yards is the longest par at Bruntsfield.  The hole plays into the prevailing wind.  The pin was tucked away front left of the green, bringing a couple of bunkers into play. Generally, the bunkers here didn't look too testing but finding one here with my third shot still cost me a double bogey.  From there, holes 14-17 were pretty much downwind. The short Par 5 14th is a birdie opportunity, as shown here, but the green slopes from back right down to front left and is heavily contoured, so a long second shot is testing, particularly with OOB to the right of the fairway.  

The 17th was a 370 Yard Par 4 for me, with a generous fairway and a steeply uphill second, but I gathered from talking to the Greenkeeper that there's a Black tee which makes the hole a very demanding 447 Yards. The green is also pretty tricky so a par here is good - I stumbled to a bogey after a poor second.  The closing hole is a short 337 Yards from the Yellow tee and finishes in front of the clubhouse windows. I'd hit a decent drive but finished in light rough to the left of the fairway. I'd 116 Yards left to the middle of the green but by then it was a 2 club wind, and 9 iron was not quite enough.  I'd finished a few feet short of the green which is probably the most undulating on the whole course.  I borrowed around 8 feet for a 40 foot putt and even then that wasn't enough.  At least the pace was right and I holed out for a closing par, going round in 76 gross, net 4 under, with only 28 putts.  I'd really enjoyed the course and hopefully learnt enough to help Tom.  Even if all I do is carry his bag I'm sure that would help, as I'm not sure that 107 rounds over 57 days is the recommended preparation for an Open Championship Qualifier. Here's a last look at Bruntsfield. The green fee isn't cheap but it's well worth paying to play this excellent course.

Gleddoch Hotel - Academy Course - Course no 663

The Gleddoch Hotel and Golf Club sits high above the village of Langbank on the south side of the River Clyde. west of Glasgow.  I'd stayed there a few times on business and played the excellent 18 hole heathland course there one evening after a long day's work.  The main course is quite hilly in parts and is perhaps the best of the heathland/moorland courses along the Clyde estuary.  Try it if you're in the area.  It's a really good test and looked to be in great condition again when I played the Hotel's 4-hole Golf Academy course on 21 April 2015.  This little course is laid out in the grounds of the Hotel itself and you'll drive through the middle of it on your way up to the Hotel.

The first things I noticed about this course is that it needs some upgraded signage and better maintenance.  I measured the 1st hole, as shown here, at 112 Yards.  There was no sign at all, but this was clearly the logical start to the course, being closest to the Hotel, car parks and the main golf course.  This hole is steeply downhill, with excellent views north to Dumbarton and west to Ben Lomond and other nearby mountains.  A simple enough starter and an easy wedge to the green.  As I'd expected the green was slow and bumpy. Polly and have just joined Dunbar GC and its greens are fast and smooth running, so it was no surprise when I 3-putted this Par 3 hole.

The next hole, rather confusingly, was the Par 3 Hole 1 according to a sign on the tee and at 154 Yards, was steeply uphill towards the tee of the previous hole, starting almost at the entrance to the hotel grounds.  I'd only taken a few short irons and my putter, hence my bogey 4 at this hole.  Next and on the other side of the driveway to the Hotel, was the 3rd (signed as the 2nd, at 330 Yards). This hole is blind and downhill with a dog leg right after around 250 Yards to a small green, protected by a hole in the ground that many years ago was presumably a bunker, but is now just overgrown with weeds and moss.  

There's a path of sorts to the right of the green that takes you to a 4th tee and another blind tee shot, this time steeply uphill.  No tee signage, but the hole was around 395 Yards, with a dog leg sharp right after around 280 Yards, where a stream cuts across the narrow fairway. Another bogey there meant I'd dropped a shot on every hole, to go round in 18 strokes, with 8 putts.  This was not a great round, but the course isn't  a great test either. Indeed, my round was a rather dismal and under-whelming experience, despite the warm Spring sunshine.  

This 4-hole course is labelled as the Academy Course and whilst it might be useful for basic teaching, I doubt whether it would be particularly useful as a  warm-up for the main course, which I know is far better and a fitting partner to the excellence of the Hotel itself.  With some basic signage and more intensive green keeping this course could be real asset to the business. At present, it looks rather neglected.  A pity, because the setting is pretty good, as this final photo shows, with views to Ben Lomond and beyond. 

Pitlochry GC - Lettoch Links Course - Course no 662

I'd played the fantastic Pitlochry GC course a few times in past years.  A real treat for anyone to visit, really friendly and a great test of your game.  Don't take my word for it, though, try it yourself and if that's not immediately possible, explore the club's excellent website, at http://www.pitlochrygolf.co.uk/visitors. I'd read somewhere recently that the club had developed a golf academy, driving range and a 6-hole Par 3 course and the website confirmed that, so a stop at Pitlochry on the way back from Auchendean Lodge on 14 April 2015 was an obvious opportunity to play the new Lettoch Links course.

This is not a links course, being laid out near the geographical centre of Scotland and about as far away from the sea as it's possible to get. Having said that, the name is pretty unimportant, as this is a really good and imaginative development that looks set to promote golf in the area and help the members to improve their game. I'd called in on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, but the course was impressively busy, with a large party of Norwegian golfers just leaving, having clearly enjoyed the course and the 19th. 

The holes on the Lettoch Links range from 35 to 89 Yards and are absolutely ideal for beginners or for general practice/warming up for more experienced golfers.  Indeed, as I made my way onto the course, a lady who must have been well into her 80s stopped me, just  to say hello and talk about the new course. She'd been playing with a young lad who looked barely of school age.  That's another thing I like about golf.  Had we passed in the street, I doubt if anything would have been said between us.  

This is the downhill 4th, an 86 Yard hole with a small green and a nasty looking bunker which I was pleased to avoid.  There was some light rough to the left and I was glad that the course was playing relatively slow, as this hole looked as though it could get pretty fiery on a hot summer's day. I was playing OK, and after an opening birdie on the 35 yard 1st hole, I was still 1 under, after finding the light rough here and escaping with a par. I almost came to grief on the 5th, as shown below, after missing the green to the left. This is the longest hole on the course, at 89 Yards and was played into a strong head wind, requiring a full wedge.

This is the last hole, a 43 Yard hole with a wickedly sloping 2 tier green and a little bank at the back of the green covered in tough rough.  I'd just missed the green and had an awkward pitch from the rough to a flag no more than 15 feet away.  Anything even slightly strong would leave a very testing long uphill putt, but I managed to pitch my ball dead for a closing par and a 1-under total of 26, with 8 putts.  £10 for a day ticket was good value and if id had the time I'd gladly have gone round a few more times.  However, it was still the thick end of a 3 hour drive home so I reluctantly made do with one round.  The Lettoch Links is a great addition to the facilities at Pitlochry GC, one of my favourite inland courses.  I certainly hope to play the main course there again sometime and when I get the chance to do so, I'll also try to beat my gross 26 on the Lettoch Links.

Auchendean Lodge Pitch and Putt Course - Course no 661

We'd had Auchendean Lodge on our list of courses for a couple of years thanks to Graeme, who'd somehow found it on the internet, together with a whole bundle of other obscure courses we'd not known about.  We'd just not got round to contacting Auchendean's owners and it was only when I was reading the Scotsman's property supplement on 9 April 2015 about a large country house and former hotel being up for sale (and more of that later) that I realised it was the same place.  A couple of e-mails and a phone call later and Ian and Eric had very kindly agreed to let me play their little course, normally only accessible to friends and hotel guests.

14 April 2015 looked pretty unpromising weather-wise and heading up the A9 to Aviemore before turning off to reach Auchendean, just south of Grantown on Spey, the rain was enough to dampen my spirits, despite this being my first new course in 2015.  I needn't have worried, as the rain finally stopped just as I approached the Lodge.  Ian and Eric were busy in the garden so I was delighted that they took a break and generously provided morning coffee and biscuits, much needed after my almost 4 hour drive.  Ian had a sore back but was keen to join me on the course, keeping me right on how to tackle what he modestly described as a "tricky" course.  Auchendean apparently has its own micro-climate, being sheltered between mountain ranges. It's also a lovely part of the world, with fine views across Strathspey and the Cairngorms, Abernethy Forest, the River Spey and the Cromdale Hills.  Ian and Eric had operated Auchendean as a hotel but with that business now closed, their next stop is a move to New Zealand.  I've never been there, but they'll be hard pushed to find a setting as grand as that at Auchendean.

The course is certainly "tricky" having been designed by Ian and laid out in 1989, meandering through their 1.5 acre garden.  An artist friend and had kindly designed their unique scorecard but the course had never been fully measured, so the guys were keen to see my laser range finder in operation.  The 1st hole is all of 31 Yards, as shown below. "All" you need to do is thread your ball between the witch hazel and birch trees, avoid a little stream in front of the green and stop short of the bush behind the green.  The course was still awaiting its first cut of the year, so the greens were a bit hairy.  This was actually helpful, as Ian and I found it difficult enough to  find and hold the small greens with our tee shots.

This is the 4th and the longest hole, at 48 Yards, with Eric on his way down to the green to capture the moment on camera. The trick here is to hit along the line of the OOB and hope you get a lucky first bounce. My luck was in, but Ian's wasn't and the gate to the adjacent forest came in handy. The photo below is Ian trying his luck at  the 7th, a 28 Yard long downhill hole that looked fiendishly fast, even this early in the Spring. The ideal line here is the tall green tree in the background, landing your ball just beyond the bush in the middle of the picture. We both found  that bush, hence my 6! 

This is the 8th, all 34 Yards of it.  The line here is over the stump, playing for the 6 foot gap between the birch trees, on the line of the chimney in the background.  Easy really, but I'd obviously used all of my remaining luck on that hole, as my tee shot at the 27 Yard 9th, as shown below was at least 10 yards too long, ending up on a path that was OOB. A closing double bogey 5 was disappointing, but my round here wasn't about the score (a gross 36, or 9 over par, with 15 putts by the way). It was about enjoying this little course and the generous hospitality of a couple of really great guys who went out of their way for a stranger. That's one of the things I love most about golf. It brings people together that wouldn't otherwise meet and my travels around the country have been enriched by meeting the likes of Ian and Eric.  I hope they really enjoy their retirement years in New Zealand and find a good golf course nearby or perhaps build their own Auchendean South Course.

It will of course be for the new owners to decide, but it would be a shame if whoever buys Auchendean Lodge decides against keeping Ian and Eric's little course.  The guys used to invite friends around for an annual Mid Summer's Night golf match - now that's my kind of house party!   

For more details of the sale see -

http://search.struttandparker.com/residential/dulnain-bridge-grantown-on-spey-morayshire-ph26/42012.  

Offers over £600,000 for the course also gets you a great house in an amazing country setting! 

Thanks again guys, it was my pleasure meeting you both and playing your little course.  

Dalmeny Estate GC - Winter Course

When I played the Dalmeny Estate GC Course in July 2014, I learnt that the course layout changed each winter, with separate tees and greens, making the winter course an entirely different course from the summer layout.  Accordingly, I'd have to return one day, courtesy of Martin the local member who'd very kindly invited Graham, Douglas and I last July.  I've been playing quite a bit over the winter but since most of the courses that I've still to play are not easily accessible or are only open during the summer months, I've not managed to play any new courses since my round at Hamilton, way back in October 2014.  As it turned out, the only date that suited us was Sunday 15 March 2015, so Graham and I joined Martin for what we'd thought would be a game on the winter layout, counting towards my own target of playing every Scottish course.

Martin hadn't had time to play at all over the winter, so it was as much a surprise for him to find that the winter layout is no more.  In previous years the course owner had found it advantageous for a number of reasons to change the course layout, but this hadn't been done this winter and it seems that in future years the summer course will be retained throughout the year.  So, that's one less course to do, I suppose, so if I have succeeded in identifying all of the courses, including practice courses, pitch and putt courses, those with less than 9 holes and all of the private courses on country estates etc., I now have 31 courses still to play.  That is of course a moving target as Scottish courses are currently closing at a faster rate than they are opening and that trend seems set to continue.  Maybe my target of 691 will change again if any courses close before I play them or if I find any more new ones to add to the list.  I'll try my best to play towards that target and see what happens, but with any luck 2015 will see me finish the long journey that's taken me many years and thousands of miles to complete.

Anyway, back to Dalmeny.  I said in my blog entry 642 that the Dalmeny Estate course was difficult. That was a significant under-estimation. The par of 31 is actually hugely challenging.  I'd met Martin and Graham on the 3rd tee.  They were going round this little 9 hole course twice.  I was planning to play only 9 holes, as I'd only got back from a holiday in Madeira very late on the Saturday night.  I was a bit tired, but after hacking may way round on holes 3-9, I decided to see if I could beat the 38 I'd scored last July over the same course layout.  I played pretty well and with more luck on greens that were considerably slower and less consistent than they'd been last July, the best I could do was another 38, or 7 over par, with 15 putts.  There's maybe 2-3 strokes I could shave off that total, but I doubt if I could consistently play to 10 here, given the general slowness of the fairways and the small size of the greens.  Indeed, some of the holes are just too long for me to hit in regulation. For example, the 6th, at 245 Yards is one of the longest Par 3's I've seen in my travels.  I'd move the tee forward a bit to make the challenge more realistic, given the chance!

A final comment on Dalmeny.  As might be expected of a course owned by an old aristocratic Scottish family, the Dalmeny course has had some famous visitors over the years.  This is a photo an old plaque by a large tree beside the 8th tee, showing that the tree was planted by General Eisenhower on 3 October 1946. I gather that Eisenhower only planted 2 trees on golf courses, the other being at Augusta and that as a result there is still a link between the 2 clubs.  Another tree behind the 8th tee was planted by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh in November 1953, but that's the end of my trivia about this particular course. Thanks again to Martin for inviting me to play the course again.  Polly and I have recently joined Dunbar GC, so I'll probably do a blog entry on it in due course.  But for now, that's me officially out of hibernation so with any luck my blogs will soon be more regular, as my travels around the country get back into full swing. 

Hamilton GC - Academy Course - Course no 660

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.