Cruden Bay Golf Club

To help entice you avid golfers out there to come over to Scotland for a golf tour this summer I will be posting some pictures of my favourite Scottish golf courses over the next few weeks. 

It is going to be a super golf season here in Scotland with the Open Championship returning to Turnberry in July and the majority of our major golf courses having retained last years prices. Added to this the strength of the Dollar against the British Pound, it really has never been a better time for visiting golfers to tour in Scotland. Golf tours are approximately 20% cheaper than last year! 

This is the unique Cruden Bay located just north of Aberdeen on the east coast of Scotland. An astonishing links golf course that one will find hard to prepare for in a golfing sense...in fact nothing can prepare you for Cruden Bay! A one off.

The view from the clubhouse over the Starters Hut to the magnificent links.

It is a truly splendid links golf course with a tremendous location 20 or so miles north of Aberdeen and set hard against the beach of the Bay of Cruden. From the golf course one can see the distant remains of Slains Castle which Bram Stoker is reputed to have been inspired by to then go on and pen Dracula.

Par3 4th, 195 yards,Port Erroll. Simply fantastic.

This links golf course has become embedded in Scottish golfing legend. To see it and play upon it one then begins to realise why! Fantastical stories are passed down from golfer to golfer and father to son about their 'round' over Cruden Bay. The sea and, at times, the all engulfing dunes do lend a special quality that can then be ever so slightly embellished on the retelling!

Par5 6th, 525 yards, Bluidy Burn. The treacherous burn (stream) running in front of the green. Three regulation shots required to to get on the green here.

The golf links was planned by Tom Simpson in 1889 and is a product of it's era. Large earth moving equipment was not available and the architect's imagination and Machivellian spirit , in the case of Simpson, was left to create this golf course where he uses the natural undulations, hillocks, dunes and coastline which in turn bring about blind tee shots and blind approaches to greens.

Par4 8th, 257 yards, Ardendraught. A driveable Par4 though it is slightly uphill. Beware loose shots left and right into the rough and dunes.

View from above the 8th green back to the tee. Magnificent.

There were times when I was playing the links that I actually stopped and asked myself, "how..where..why?". And I play and caddie on the links golf courses in Scotland. Complacency is certainly not a byword at Cruden Bay.

Par3 11th, 147 yards, Mishanter. Big drop off to the right and five deep bunkers on the left of the green. Do not miss the green!

Every golfer that I have sent to play Cruden Bay or those that I've caddied for, on the Old Course who have just played it, are completely blown away. When your in Scotland, on a golf tour, this beauty has to be on the itinerary.

Par4 14th, 389 yards, Whins.

It is only a couple of hours drive from St. Andrews and once up there, with the round finished, an overnight stay in a local pub/hotel would be preferable to travelling back, insomuch, as you could then go back out the following day and confirm that what you played golf on yesterday was real. 

Par3 15th, 236 yards, Blin' Dunt. An incredibly intimidating Par3 with a 'blind' tee shot that has to aimed at a marker pole that is half way up the slope of the hill on the left. Wow!

The view overlooking the Par3 15th green towards the town in the distance.

Par4 17th, 424 yards, Bilin' Wallie. A great Par4 that allows you to bang a drive down the fairway from an elevated tee.

A really welcoming clubhouse, great views as can be seen from these few snaps, and a superb Scottish links golf course that consistantly is in the World's Top 50 Golf Courses. What more can a golfer ask for? I look forward to seeing you on the Scottish links this summer.