Hidden Gems

what are your best hidden gem golf courses and why. I usually play Boat of Garten(£44 day ticket) Kingussie(£35 day ticket) and finally Grantown on Spey(£35 day ticket) as part of a boys yearly outing up north, courses are superb and the hospitality 2nd to none.Also get 4 nights DBB at the Glen Hotel ,Newtonmore for £160, check out ther website.

Loads of nice courses up that way, you could also include brora and golspie a little further north.

Pitreavie (Dunfermline), Aberdour, Dunkeld and Pitlochry, all around £25-£40 in summer - Pitreavie is the closest club to me, highly recommended.

Played Braid Hills in Edinburgh on Saturday, without doubt the best Muni run course I have ever played, in fact its up there with the best course I've played, circa £22 for any "Joe Punter" to play on a Saturday, bargain!

I buy the edinburgh Leisure golf season ticket which means i can play any of the municipal courses for the year, so play the braids quite a bit, holds up well in the winter.

Have to say though after 17 holes the 18th is a beast of climb.

I bought the Winter Ticket as a couple fo the courses are close to my work, will possibly join once the Winter ticket expires as i like the thought of nipping in for 9 holes after work a few times during the week in Spring/Summer.

The condition of Braids was superb, all ground was extremely firm, as opposed to the marshy water sodden grounds Ive been used to at Silverknowes/Craigintinny of late. Forget about the 18th, what about the "expedition" your faced with going from the 2nd to the 3rd (Winter setup)!!

talking of steep climbs - anyone played strathpeffer. if my memory serves me correctly there's a gem of a wee par 3 once you get to the top, about the 10th i think. play over a wee loch and surrounded in purple undulating heathery mounds.

gareth, how would you compare pitreavie to pitfirrane. i've only played the latter. always been in excellent nick.
aberdour is a fun course. protected by its highly unreasonable greens!! some nice holes along the waterfront.

i've played alyth quite a lot, always in good condition and a really enjoyable track. edzell is also good and has probably the nicest kept fairways i've seen.

i've a soft spot for my old haunt, fortrose and rosemarkie too. beautiful location on a peninsula out into the moray firth. nowhere i'd rather spend a sunny july afternoon, or even a windy one.

I have played strathpeffer many years ago with my dad, cant remember much but enjoyed it greatly.

Ban_bam, both Pitreavie and Pitfirrane courses are fab, however I've tended to frequent Pitreavie as its literally a 5min walk from my house. the one point I would make about Pitreavie is that it's quite testing straight from the get go.

If you take the initial two holes out of the course (2*Par 5's) its not an overly long course however there are a number of water features/out of bounds/thick-straw like rough to contend with during the round. It was originally designed by Mackenzie with many of the greens having 2/3/4 tiers. I've probably played the course 10-12 times in the last 1-2 years always has been beautifully maintained.

played forfar in the company golf day last year and thought it was a great wee heathland course. well, laid out by old tom, you'd hope it would have a few highlights! and as many courses laid out by the grand master in that era, puts a premium on position rather than length. 15th, if i recall, was a great dogleg right to a b&gger of a raised, plateau green with a selection of bunkers on the left that we all had a lot of fun in!

another on the moray firth is cullen. very short 18 hole links course with a selection of par 3s you'll be recounting long into the evening. the 7th at over 200yds off the top of a cliff is a hole you could play almost endlessly and the back to back par 3 12th and 13th are both blind over massive rock outcrops. a great, fun course and in wonderul nick too.

Guys Seems to be a lot of Scottish courses mentioned, and in fact my daughter is getting married up in Dunkeld soon. Mrs Doc & I are taking the bats and going to play a couple of rounds there, so glad to hear it gets a thumbs up. Do you need to book in advance?

Further South in North Yorkshire theres a great little scenic course, Ampleforth GC. Short, but very technical track and a par 69, but the course record is only 68 which was done by the pro. Stunning views and a castle in the grounds now used as a school.

To give a slight bit of balance to this thread, I've a couple of hidden gems in the South...

Hever Castle Golf Club, Hever (nr Edenbridge, Kent) - nice clubhouse, good food, generally great condition course, views of the castle, has a really good "amen corner," 650 odd yard par 5 17th and they offer a players card that gets you on for £15 in the week/£20ish at the weekend. For the price it is an absolute steal and I've never really had a bad day down there.

Gatton Manor, Ockley (nr Dorking, Surrey) - Again good food, generally great condition, some great holes with a lot of thinking, rarely ever busy and on the 2 fore 1/ green free schemes at around £15-20.

Both of these courses are a great day out with nice country drives to get there, really good brekkies and enjoyable courses that are not busy and in great condition. Staff at both clubs are also really welcoming which might sound minor but just adds to the day.

Another old thread Ive just caught up on...

Another one in the South East that I have always enjoyed playing is Austin Lodge in Eynsford in Kent. Just off the M25 on the A20 junction. My only bugbear with it is that they now insist you have a buggy (it is a bloody hilly walk mind!!), but still an excellent course set in fantastic countryside.

John

Good wee 9 holers

Dorking~Surrey
Tobermory~Isle of Mull
Most of the Arran ones
Durness~Caithness
Ryde~Isle of Wight
Gairloch~ Caithness

18 holers
Stranraer~ Galloway [a Braid course with some great views up Loch Ryan]
Troon Darley~Ayrshire
Puttenham~Surrey
Caister~Norfolk
Longniddry and Kilspindie~ Lothians.

A few years back Myself and a few friends ventured to Scotland, and played east renfrewshire golf club as a last minute choice. And i remember it being a top course and not that pricey. Anyone else played it?

Doc wrote:Guys Seems to be a lot of Scottish courses mentioned, and in fact my daughter is getting married up in Dunkeld soon. Mrs Doc & I are taking the bats and going to play a couple of rounds there, so glad to hear it gets a thumbs up. Do you need to book in advance?

Further South in North Yorkshire theres a great little scenic course, Ampleforth GC. Short, but very technical track and a par 69, but the course record is only 68 which was done by the pro. Stunning views and a castle in the grounds now used as a school.

Crieff is a nice track, not too far from Dunkeld. Pitlochry looks nice, never played it though. I had a good walk around it when I was in the town doing some field work last year.

For anyone visiting NI, two gems to play:

Links - Ardglass; tough in the wind, but with some memorable holes. Look out for the par 3 second - I've been through the back with a wedge and short with a 5 wood based on the wind. Think Calamity at Royal Portrush but harder.

Parkland - Gracehill; Hidden away and laid out so that you often feel you're the only 4 ball on the course. Quite often you are.

Bob

I played Ardglass twice last year both times in a hoolie. Tremendous fun in the wind, surf was crashing onto the first tee, had to time our shots between waves

Really is a true 'hidden gem'

Another vote for Crieff - it's nice, although you wouldn't call it a hidden gem. It's pretty well known. There's a good 18 hole course, and a nice 9 holer too. The 9 hole course is made up of some of the older holes left when the course was extended in the 1980s.

Both courses are usually in very nice condition. Always busy in the summer though.

If in that area, try the 9 hole courses at Comrie, Muthill and St Fillans. These are really old fashioned courses with blind holes and all that, but good for the money. Don't expect them to be in immaculate condition, but they are very good value and FUN.

Oh, and I just found out that the 'Highland Golf Ticket' gives you unlimited golf on these three 9 holers plus 9 others for £40 (three days) or £65 (five days). Playing three courses every day - 27 holes - you could play 9 different courses for £40. Outstanding.

beninho wrote:A few years back Myself and a few friends ventured to Scotland, and played east renfrewshire golf club as a last minute choice. And i remember it being a top course and not that pricey. Anyone else played it?

Played it at the end of May, I think. I thought it was a great course. Plenty of variety, the best greens I had played on for a while at the time and I'd imagine usually well protected by ever present prevailing winds! Wow it was windy! The condition of the last fairway was a bit disappointing but it was earlyish in the season. Overall well worth a visit if you are near the area.

£35 as part visiting party. Came 2nd

drive4show wrote:Bob

I played Ardglass twice last year both times in a hoolie. Tremendous fun in the wind, surf was crashing onto the first tee, had to time our shots between waves

Really is a true 'hidden gem'

I've played in all about 15 times, and only once in calm conditions.. when I shot 42 points. There are some "interesting" rocks to the left of the first that are in play when playing off the white tees....I saw someone pull their drive into them and the ball rebounded back behind the tee and ended up tight against the clubhouse. Oh how we laughed at "him"

Why is it that whenever someone mentions hidden gems, the first courses nominated are all so remote as to be closer to the north pole than any outpost of human civilisation. I suppose that "hidden" is an accurate description!

£160 for a round at Sunningdale New is much better value than £35 at Spey, once you take into account the time and cost of embarking on a polar expedition.

My hidden gems:
Pine Ridge (play it late to avoid a long round)
Old Fold Manor (best greens in Hertfordshire)
Real Sevilla (host of European Tour events but it's location away from the coast means it is cheap and easy to get on - great city too)
Montecastillo (like Real Sevilla, another course to have hosted multiple tour events but is well away from the Costa de golf... I've played here for as little as £35 in the past).

Ray, i'm assuming you're not referring to Pine Ridge in Camberley? If so - hidden gem? Really??!

ray

we had a 606 day out at OFM a few weeks ago, very decent track. Nothing over the top but greens were good as you quite rightly say, we agreed it's a course worth playing again.

Bob, we played Ardglass off the back tees as it was in a competition, close enough to the sea to hear the fish farting

Isn't funny how 'unfortunate' shots always happen to 'other' people

MustPuttBetter wrote:Ray, i'm assuming you're not referring to Pine Ridge in Camberley? If so - hidden gem? Really??!

I am indeed. Obviously it's no where near the top 100 courses in England or any other measure of classic courses. I know it sounds odd, but the way the back nine swoops through the trees reminds me of some of the finer Surrey courses. I went there expecting a bog standard muni and was pleasantly surprised... enough to make me return a couple of times.

raycastleunited wrote:Why is it that whenever someone mentions hidden gems, the first courses nominated are all so remote as to be closer to the north pole than any outpost of human civilisation. I suppose that "hidden" is an accurate description!

£160 for a round at Sunningdale New is much better value than £35 at Spey, once you take into account the time and cost of embarking on a polar expedition.

My hidden gems:
Pine Ridge (play it late to avoid a long round)
Old Fold Manor (best greens in Hertfordshire)

Golf in the south east is just expensive I'm afraid. There are plenty of good courses, but no 'good value' courses. That's why people are quoting places in the north I think.

Oh - and Old Fold Manor - the best greens in Hertfordshire? No they aren't. It's a nice course right enough, but the best courses in Hertfordshire (and greens) are at Moor Park, by a distance.

raycastleunited wrote:I am indeed. Obviously it's no where near the top 100 courses in England or any other measure of classic courses. I know it sounds odd, but the way the back nine swoops through the trees reminds me of some of the finer Surrey courses. I went there expecting a bog standard muni and was pleasantly surprised... enough to make me return a couple of times.

Fair enough Ray
I live only down the road and would consider it an ok course but not a gem. I'm not sure where you are but if you were surprised by Pine Ridge you want to get over to The Drift in Horsley (about a 20 min drive away). It'll cost you £5 or £10 more but is a much nicer course, in my opinion

For South East courses, I would throw in Hever Castle GC at under £20 per round in the week with one of their players card things ( free in exchange for name and address) and Gatton Manor near Dorking, again under £20 and a most enjoyable course.

George1507 wrote:

raycastleunited wrote:Why is it that whenever someone mentions hidden gems, the first courses nominated are all so remote as to be closer to the north pole than any outpost of human civilisation. I suppose that "hidden" is an accurate description!

£160 for a round at Sunningdale New is much better value than £35 at Spey, once you take into account the time and cost of embarking on a polar expedition.

My hidden gems:
Pine Ridge (play it late to avoid a long round)
Old Fold Manor (best greens in Hertfordshire)

Golf in the south east is just expensive I'm afraid. There are plenty of good courses, but no 'good value' courses. That's why people are quoting places in the north I think.

Oh - and Old Fold Manor - the best greens in Hertfordshire? No they aren't. It's a nice course right enough, but the best courses in Hertfordshire (and greens) are at Moor Park, by a distance.

Moor Park is very well known. Old Fold Manor is not the best course in Hertfordshire (whatever that may be), but is relatively unknown compared to the quality of the layout, so is a true hidden gem in my view.

On reflection, the best greens in Hertfordshire are probably at the Grove, certainly in winter.

I'm quite fond of the greens at OFM, but as d4s will tell you I'm biased!

I'm sure you are, but the 'best greens in Herts' is a big title. There are a lot of really good courses in Herts, including Moor Park (both courses), Sandy Lodge, Berkhamsted, Ashridge, Porters Park, Hadley Wood and the Grove.

SmithersJones wrote:I'm quite fond of the greens at OFM, but as d4s will tell you I'm biased!

There's no need to gloat SJ

Not really a hidden gem as such in terms of course quality, although it still has some great holes, but in terms of setting nothing can better a course near mallaig called Treah. It is right on the coast but no on links land and you can see out across the sea towards the Islands of the Hebrides. If you play later on a summer’s night you can see the sun setting behind the islands in spectacular fashion.

The main attributes of the course in golfing terms are the change in elevation you have to combat on most holes. The second is a great hole where you play over a huge ditch to a very wide fairway. It may be wide but because the green is hidden in a raised and protected shallow on the far right the accuracy of the tee shot is crucial if you are to have a good shot at the green.

This is only a nine holer so I would not suggest going out of your way to play it, if for no other reason than it being well out of the way of anywhere. If you are in the area however and in need of a golfing fix this is an excellent holiday course where you can have a huge amount of fun. I can certainly think of no better way to spend a day than playing golf in gorgeous surroundings followed by a bbq and beers on some of the most spectacular coastline anywhere in the world.