Hole Descriptions

Gordon Sparling provides his entertaining account of the course.

One - Backies

This opening 425 yard Par 4 is a gentle introduction to the course with a large fairway to aim for, although the inviting glimpse of the green in the distant left (compared with the fairway) could tempt the injudicious tot attempt to reach the hole via route 1, thereby leading to a danger of a lost ball in the deceptive rough grass. Bunkers await the approach shot to the gently undulating green but good approach play should be rewarded with a par without too much difficulty.

Two - Kirk

This Par 3 hole, 175 yards in the direction of one of Golspie's two churches, will reward the accurate driver but severely penalise the golfer who plays a wayward shot off the tee. With heavy rough on the approach and to the left of the green and bunkers both in front and behind the green the odds are probably against beating par especially as the green has enough of a slope to deceive many players.

Three - Shore

This 367 yard Par 4 appears not to be too difficult and as long as the golfer avoids the rough to the right and the shore to the left then there is a likelihood of a birdie on this hole although the lies can be difficult thanks to the undulations of the fairway. Despite these undulations the green is fairly smooth with little in the way of slope to affect putting, hopefully for a birdie.

Four - Gully

Out come the driver and the fairway woods for this 527 yard Par 5 but watch you keep on the fairway and don't overhit your second if you can hit long or your ball will disappear into the gully. Although the right side of the gully has the possibility of a decent lie the left could lead to a lost ball in heavy rough and any shot out of the gully is blind towards the narrowing fairway and green. The daring may get a 4 but 6 is never a score to be ashamed of.

Five - Sahara

A short (292 yard) Par 4, Sahara is no longer a sandy waste but does require a straight drive for the best results. Between the rise visible from the tee and the green is another small gully but lies should not be too much of a problem. What is a problem is that the hill slopes steeply to the green and poorly judged shots can be propelled off the back of the green where the bunkers await. This hole has another smooth and level green - it's just the approach that causes the problems.

Six - Saucer

Another hole requiring a straight drive, the 156 yard Par 3 Saucer can be tricky with bunkers guarding the approaches, rough on either side and a high hill on the right which often collects golf balls. As well as these problems the Saucer is another which has a swinging green with a large slope to make putting difficult - should be ok for a par 3 but a birdie will probably require a bit of luck.

Seven - Fleet

Moving away from the shore this 284 yard Par 4 has the green situated back from the edge of the raised beach upon the slope of which many drives land. The approach is relatively problem free but heather and rough await on either side to catch the wayward drive and once on top of the slope the fairway is very undulating giving a difficult stance on occasion. A shallow dip runs through the green and can make for difficult putting but good play should be rewarded with a birdie.

Eight - Wood

More straight hitting with heather either side for the careless shot but a drive to the top of the distant ridge or beyond is rewarded with the sight of the large flat green nestling in the shade of a small stand of trees. Unfortunately, the green of this 408 yard par 4 also has a narrow approach with deep heather on either side after the golfer has got across the road but the green itself has little to put off good putts as long as it is cleared of pine needles first.

Nine - Paradise

Who ever called this Paradise? A 412 yard Par 4 with heather on either side, a slope which pushes the ball into the heather and away from the line towards the green which lies off to the left-hand edge of the fairway with a further curl of deep heather to cause problems, it is far from my idea of paradise but others may disagree. It is, however, a fair challenge and a par on this hole may well be viewed as a shot won.

Ten - Lochy

If Charlie Dimmock feels that all gardens need a water feature then most golfers will also that most good courses need a water feature. Well Golspie has the Lochy. Two small ponds provide the initial hazard on this 148 yard Par 3, with rough and heather providing other traps and some bunkers thrown in to ensure that, yet again an accurate tee shot is required. Once on the green putts are made more difficult by the large degree of slope but birdies are possible here and the Lochy can be a very pleasant hole - or your worst nightmare.

Eleven - Tinker's Camp

Right! Back to the straight drives. Tinker's Camp is a 345 Par 4 where the tee is surrounded by trees and rough and a large wood await shots to the left and heather and sand await the shot to the right, however the fairway is large enough to be found by most players. The green is protected by a couple of bunkers which can influence the approach shot and the green has a degree of swing so accurate hitters will be rewarded by having an easier putt - possibly for a birdie.

Twelve - Table

Well now. The fairway is big enough to hit, the only thing is it is a long way over the road, rough and heather on this 338 yard Par 4. Okay, so I've said it before but it really does help if you can hit straight and a shot to mid to left fairway does open up the green nicely for the approach tot this green which is also protected by several awkward little bunkers. A birdie here would have to be worked for but is attainable.

Thirteen - Cup

Yet another hole where the best drives must go over rough and heather, although there is a little more room on the left than on the right of the fairway. A small worktrack runs across this fairway but should not be in play for most golfers. Beyond this track is a small depression which makes judgment of distance slightly more tricky but once on the smooth sloping green there should be little need for more than two puts to finish. Birdieable a 329 yards.

Fourteen - Fields

What was once a relatively easy straight hitting par 4 has now become a more challenging hole with bunkers to the left and right of the fairway in preparation for a change to a par 5 in the foreseeable future. The bunkers, however, are really more of a problem at the moment for poor drives or shots from junior golfers, but it is still better to be aware of them. Once past the bunkers life becomes much easier with only rough at either side of the fairway and a couple of grass bunkers containing rough grass to impede the golfer's progress to the pin on this 425 yard hole.

Fifteen - Tattie Pits

Having been heading back to the clubhouse on the last hole it is now time to go the other way. Another long (420 yards) par 4 the "Tattie Pits" of the title are several ridged depressions which should be short of the good long drive. Be warned that this hole is narrower and the rough will swallow a ball very easily but a player who finds himself centre and left should be reasonably placed for his approach to the green which slopes right to left. Be warned however that rough lies just off the fringe of this green so make sure you stay on and don't overshoot.

Sixteen - Cairngorms

A par 3, 177 yard hole, it requires a good accurate drive to this split level green. The accuracy of the drive is paramount with plenty heavy rough to lose your ball in especially short, long and to the right. Bunkers are situated to the left of the green to make the golfer worry about this option as well, but should a shot be dropped the magnificent view across the Moray Firth and Tarbat Ness, towards the distant mountains of the Cairngorms may make the golfer feel happier about this hole.

Seventeen - Sahara Back

Remember the fifth hole, the "Sahara"? Well this hole is just going back across the same open area - the fifth tee is just to the right of the green as you look at it. At 217 yards this is the longest of the par 3's and a drive for glory could put you into long rough short of the green or into the bunkers to the left of the green. The safe option for this hole is to lay up short of the bank, short and towards the right of the green and pitch up from here to the large even green.

Eighteen - Drum Brae

Finally, the end is in sight, but wait a minute, where is the green? Well you see that hill in the distance with the black and white pole? The green lies a good bit beyond it. To find the fairway requires a fairly long and accurate drive and some people have been known to play onto the 15th fairway (on the left) because this allows the golfer to see the green. The rough by this fairway is of the standard short but not too short (or not short enough if you've lost a ball in it) variety and the two hollows, one visible to the left and one unseen below the ridge on the right, await the errant shot. Beyond the hill left of centre and well short of the green lies a large bunker but by staying on the centre line most problems should be avoided. The green is large and relatively flat and bunkers await the over-pitched shot so hard work is required to keep your par. At 445 yards this is the longest par 4 but hopefully this has been a fine finish and a pleasant day's golf.