Downfield - Angus & Dundee - Scotland

5th Angus & Dundee - Best in Area 66th Scotland Ranking
Downfield Golf Club,
Turnberry Avenue,
Dundee,
DD2 3QP,
Scotland

  • +44 (0) 1382 825595

Championships hosted: Boys Amateur, British PGA Matchplay, Jacques Léglise Trophy, Scottish Amateur, Scottish Open, Women's Home Internationals

The inaugural Scottish Open, sponsored by Sunbeam Electric, was held at Downfield Golf Club in 1972. The event moved to St Andrews (Old) in 1973 and was then dropped from the European Tour calendar until 1986 when the tournament went to Haggs Castle under new sponsorship.

Date

1972

Winner

Neil Coles

Country

England

On the outskirts of Dundee, lies Downfield Golf Club, a lovely parkland course little known outside Scotland. Paul Lawrie came through Open Qualifying here in 1999 and went on to win the Open at Carnoustie. Downfield also hosted the inaugural 1972 Scottish Open (sponsored by Sunbeam Electric), when England's Neil Coles won after a play-off with Wales’s Brian Huggett. Undoubtedly, Downfield is a gem and one of the most beautiful inland courses in Scotland, with more than 100 species of trees lining the manicured fairways.

A modest nine-hole course was laid out at Downfield at the turn of the century but the land was returned to agriculture during the First World War. The club was reformed in 1932 and the great James Braid laid out a new course. Houses now occupy most of the 1930s layout – only five original holes are incorporated into the course we play today, which was laid out by a Downfield Golf Club member with advice and guidance from C.K.Cotton.

Downfield represents a differing challenge, depending on which tees are used. From the back tees, the course measures more than 6,800 yards against a par of 73, but from the regular men’s tees, three par fives become testing, long par fours. There are six par fives for the ladies, against a par of 75. Water, in the shape of ditches and ponds, come into play on seven holes, adding to the obvious main hazard – the trees. The 11th though to the 13th are probably the best collection of holes. 11th and 13th are both tough par fours from the regular tees and the 12th is one of Gary Player’s favourite par threes, called “Davy Jones’s Locker”.

The 61st edition of the British PGA Matchplay was held here in 1974 then three years later the club hosted the Boys Amateur championship. More recently, the female golf teams from England won both the Women’s and Girls’ Home Internationals when the matches were staged at Downfield in 2019.
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Reviews for Downfield

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Description: On the outskirts of Dundee, lies Downfield Golf Club, a lovely James Braid-designed parkland course little known outside Scotland. Rating: 7 out of 10 Reviews: 18
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Allan Dolby
Just returned from 4 superb days of golf in Scotland. Downfield is without question one of the best courses that our party has played in this area. The greens were true and in great condition and the overall layout was simply magnificent. If you are in this area you must play Downfield - you will not be disappointed.
August 23, 2006
8 / 10
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Jim Robertson
Yes, you should play links golf in Scotland but there are a number of fine inland courses too and Downfield is right up there. This is a very fair course that will test all aspects of your game. The 2nd is a very demanding dog-leg and the 3rd a beast of a par 3! There is simply no let-up and the famous 11th is quite magnificent. Only the weak 15th and silly 16th fall short of the exceptionally high standard of the rest of the course.
February 19, 2006
8 / 10
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David
As a good a golf course as you will play. That includes Woburn, Wentworth and many other more pricey tracks. Welcoming club house with good food so make a day of it and play 36 holes with breakfast lunch and a high tee. They do a package that will cost you about £60 for all that (2005). This is every bit as good as Blairgowrie and the holes are more individually memorable. I could play here for the rest of my life and be happy.
November 11, 2005
8 / 10
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Andy Newmarch
Fine parkland course is Downfield and I had a memorable time playing here. Lot of variety in and out of the woods but no shortage of high standard features. As a mark of respect, Downfield can be put in the same envelope as the leafy Surrey courses that we are well aware of - throw in a little bit of Woburn too. Expected a decent course but as my round developed (not that well I may add), the collection of holes became stronger and stronger. Certainly from the 11th onwards – pure class. Not sure if the course has a nickname but if it has not, may I suggest ‘Rover’ due to the amount of dog-legs ? Nice big clubhouse windows to gaze over the 9th green to mull over your game – very pleasurable.
April 06, 2005
8 / 10
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Keith Baxter

First off, I have to confess that I am a links lover, followed by heathland and then parkland etc. But I think Downfield is a cracking golf course which can hold its head high amongst the very best. It's a complete surprise to find a wonderful heavily wooded golf course alongside a fairly uninspiring housing estate. Once you are in the ground of the club, you really could be miles from anywhere. As previously mentioned, this is a BIG course with lots of variation and numerous long sweeping doglegs. It's not well known, but it should be, it's a challenging course and well worth playing...11th hole is one of the best inland holes I have played.

April 06, 2005
5 / 10
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Jim McCann

Parkland golf in Scotland is often overlooked in favour of links courses – which is easy to understand because there are so many good examples of the latter – but if Belleisle in Ayr can be regarded as the best public parkland course in Scotland, then Downfield in Dundee must surely rank as one of the best members' club inland course in the country.

What a layout awaits you just a couple of minutes from the main Kingsway running through Dundee. This place is like Texas, where everything is BIG! Huge clubhouse, large tee boxes, wide fairways, tall trees on every hole and enormous greens – the acreage of the course must be as vast as any of the Championship venues – it is easy to see why it is a qualifying course for Opens.

It's true to say that this venue does not receive the recognition that it deserves.

Jim McCann

March 31, 2005
6 / 10
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Bart Boudreaux
Better than Blairgowrie Rosemount and Gleneagles for my money. Great parkland track with some great holes. Always in good condition with very good volue.
December 31, 2004
8 / 10
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Hugh
Downfield isn't exactly your typical Scottish golf course but it's the one to play on the way (or on the way back) to Carnoustie. Even links lovers will like this delightful wooded test. The conditioning is quite superb and you can be assured of a genuinely warm welcome. Apart from Gleneagles and Blairgowrie, Scottish inland courses get badly overlooked, in my view Downfield is every bit as good as Blairgowrie at a fraction of the price...don't pass this course by.
November 29, 2004
8 / 10
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