Aboyne

Founded in 1883, when twenty-four golfers paid the grand subscription total of £3, Aboyne Golf Club moved to its present site in 1905 when a 9-hole course was quickly established.

This initial course was expanded to a full 18-hole layout three years later and further extended in 1913, marked by an exhibition match between Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. The course was upgraded again in the early 1990s with the creation of some new holes and planting of a number of trees which are now maturing and adding definition throughout.

Notable golfers have played here over the years include Prime Minister Asquith in 1912 and the Duke of Windsor during the 1930s, both of whom played whilst visiting Balmoral Castle, eighteen miles away.

Aboyne has been described as a course of two halves with the front nine played as parkland golf with tree-lined fairways and the homeward half proving a sterner test over heathland terrain. Mature trees and water come into play at many holes, with the Loch of Aboyne featuring at some of these.

Measuring a shade over 6,000 yards from the medal tees, the course has six par three holes on the card. Unusually, two of these are found at the opening and closing holes. But don’t think they provide an easy start and end to the round as they are both over 225 yards in length!