Carluke - Lanarkshire - Scotland

I played here in the Gents Senior Open a couple of months ago and thoroughly enjoyed my round on a very pleasant little track. It starts off with a cracking opening hole which dips down left to the 1st green, followed by three shorter par fours, any one of which might produce a birdie opportunity. The par three 5th is followed by strong par fours at holes 6 and 7, where a “5” on the card will feel like a par. There then comes the most ludicrous hole I’ve encountered in many a long day, a 195-yard par three where the tee shot’s played across the preceding green through a gap in the trees which can measure no more than ten yards – if ever there was a case for prudent pruning then it’s here at this hole! In total contrast, the next par three at the 11th is a thing of beauty, with a short iron played from a very elevated tee position down to a heavily sand-protected green that sits beside a stream. A daft short par four follows, but this is just a transition hole to take the routing out of a little valley and back up to the main level of the course. The only par five on the back nine, the 15th, plays downhill to a tricky 2-tiered green, followed by “Dodgers Last,” the final par three on the course, which flirts with out of bounds on the right hand side of a very narrow fairway. The home hole is a bit of a disappointment, a short par four kinking slightly right to the target but overall, Carluke’s a decent little layout that’s worth a play if you’re in the area. Jim McCann

Carluke has a lot in common with other courses set in the moorlands of South Lanarkshire, notably Carnwath. There is quite a variety of holes with interesting changes in elevation. The 12th stands out for the wrong reasons; despite extensive alteration it remains extremely silly. Both the 11th and 16th, on the other hand, are fine par 3s. Carluke is a course worth playing but you will not rush back.