Deeside (Haughton)

Founded in 1903, Deeside Golf Club established a full 18-hole course for its members within a year of its formation, once land became available to expand the inaugural 9-hole layout. Further land was acquired in 1947 and 1969, allowing the club to create an additional 9-hole relief course and this made its debut in 1984.

A decade later, architect Robin Hiseman entirely remodeled the property, reconfiguring the 27-hole layout into a more purposeful golf complex. By the time the club’s centenary came around, the construction of a new clubhouse was in full swing and this new facility was unveiled to the membership in December 2004.

The Haughton course begins with a par three, one of five short holes on the card. The right doglegged 7th is a very difficult par four, measuring all of 490 yards from the back markers, and it’s no surprise that this hole is rated stroke index 1. The 330-yard 9th may not be challenged by length but it requires a dangerous approach over water to the green.

On the back nine, the par five 13th (”Combine”) is a beast of a par five, doglegging sharply to the right off the tee. In contrast, the 282-yard 17th (“Beidside”) offers a chance of picking up a birdie before heading up the long par four 18th (“Doctor”), where the home hole veers to the left, just before the green.

Architect Robin Hiseman kindly provided us with the following comments:

The remodeling project started in the mid-1990s. At that time, Deeside had its old 18-hole course plus a 9-hole course that was physically remote from the clubhouse, underdeveloped and usually deserted. The club wanted a 27-hole facility with both 18 and 9-hole courses starting and finishing close to the hilltop clubhouse.

This involved a total rebuilding of the old 9-hole course (where holes 2 to 12 are now) and the redesigning of several holes within the old 18-hole course to form the new holes necessary to connect both new courses back to the clubhouse.

Phase 1 started in 1996, with the building of new holes 3 to 13 on the land of the 9-hole course. Play on the old 18-hole course was unaffected. Phase 2 commenced in 1998 with the building of new 17th and 18th holes for the main course and a new 1st and 9th for the new 9-hole course. There was quite a bit of disruption to play during this time before the new 27-hole project was opened around 2001.

Not very long after that, a plan was devised to relocate the clubhouse down to the old 1st green. This meant that the brand new 18th, plus the brand new 1st and 9th holes were no longer required!

This was a period of great division within the club and several long standing friendships were severed. The plan went through, the new holes were bulldozed and the course redesigned again (I wasn’t involved) to take account of the new clubhouse position.

Admittedly it is a very nice clubhouse, but I've always wished we could have done the 27-hole redevelopment and the clubhouse relocation simultaneously. It would have saved an awful lot of effort and heartache.

In the decade since the 'new' Deeside was completed it is great to see that it is growing into its new skin and with each passing year, the once stark contrast between the old and the new holes becomes less distinct. It is a fine golf club and a lovely place to relax and unwind. The new clubhouse has one of the finest outlooks in golf, over one of the strongest finishing holes in Scotland.