It is with a heavy heart that we leave Scotland and Carnoustie Country today. It has been a remarkable week in all respects. Perfect golf, perfect weather, fine hotels, and some outstanding dining. And jolly good hosting by the multi-talented Jane Taylor.
It is always perilous to compare and rank courses, but if I didn’t do that why would they pay me the big money (is there a sarcasm emoji)? So here it goes, the ranking for this week:
1. Carnoustie Championship course. Carnoustie is in a class of its own, a remarkable golf challenge, maybe the most difficult course in all of Scotland, paired with outstanding quality down to the very last detail. Never, ever say no to a round of golf here.
2. Panmure. In spite of a somewhat weak opening (but a few good warm-up holes) and a weak ending, this course is one that I could play over and over again. Great variation even if you played it only in sunshine and no wind. Add some weather, and Panmure offers you a new course every time you tee up. The classic clubhouse is perfect for swapping stories over a pint after your round, just remember to bring your jacket and tie.
3. Montrose. The winds of time and the winds of the sea make this classic course a real lesson in old-style links golf. We were lucky to play it in full sunshine and were treated to panoramic views of both the course and the never-ending beach below.
4. Monifieth. Like Panmure, the course starts tentatively with a couple of straightforward par fours, but then it gets interesting really fast, and especially the second nine offers up some fine links golf, with a few surprises. Somewhat unusual for a links course are some tree-lined fairways, but it only enhances the landscape and golf experience. An unassuming course, with a small kiosk-like hut where you pay your green fee, the course was a true delight.
5. Scottscraig was a mixed bag. Not in that it had any bad holes, but in that it was really two different courses in one. A traditional links experience on the front nine, and a parkland back nine. Lots of tradition here, the course was a qualifying course for the Open Championship in the past. You have to bring your best game right from the start, as the first hole is narrow and very bumpy, with a semi-blind shot to the green unless you are a really long hitter.
What about Edzell?
It’s not really fair to include Edzell in this list as it is the only parkland course we played this week. It is a fine track, further enhanced by a visit to the outstanding whiskey/gin/vodka/craft beer bar at the Glenesk Hotel next door. A better way to think of this course would be as the number one parkland course, and also a fine place to go if you’ve been beaten down by weather and wind on the coast side links for a few days, as the climate is milder here a few miles inland.
All the posts in this series:
Oil and golf
We are heading to Aberdeen today. My Norwegian colleague got a nice non-stop flight, whereas I had a brutally early morning flight with a layover.
Time travel
Today we embark on a different kind of travel; time travel, back in time more than 400 years. For that is how old Royal Montrose
Leaving Carnoustie Country, entering Fife
Checking out from Carnoustie today. Not easy to leave the Tom Watson suite. The views, the history. But all good things must come to an
Hogan’s training course
Today we set out from our new base at the Malmaison in Dundee for another classic golf course; Panmure Golf Club, just south of Carnoustie.
Sadly time to leave Scotland
It is with a heavy heart that we leave Scotland and Carnoustie Country today. It has been a remarkable week in all respects. Perfect golf,
Monifieth Golf Links (Medal Course) – Review and Rating
The first couple of holes run along the train tracks and are straight and relatively wide, providing for a nice warm-up stretch. Then the fun
