Drumpellier - Lanarkshire - Scotland

Drumpellier is a pleasant surprise. Situated at the west side of Coatbridge it provides a good test of golf in a tranquil parkland setting. Strangely, the hardest - and least enjoyable - holes come early. The opening two holes are a very long par four followed by a par five. If you have only taken twelve shots when you board the 3rd tee you have done well. The rest of the course is a lot more fun. The downhill 4th is followed by a lovely par three that runs alongside the main road. In fact,there is a fine set of par threes at Drumpellier. The remaining two-thirds of the round offer typical parkland golf with copious tall trees creating a secluded feel. The 18th is a testing closer finishing right under the clubhouse. Not regarded as a area with much to offer the discerning golfer, most Lanarkshire towns actually have a decent course that is well worth playing. Drumpellier ensures that Coatbridge is no exception.

A visit to Drumpellier was long overdue, a ranking position in the Lanarkshire top ten providing the impetus for a long overdue return, a decade after my only other visit. It was therefore almost like a maiden visit for me, with memories of my last game next to non-existent, although I did recall that it was quite a tough track. That opinion has been reinforced and although the course wasn’t in prime condition due to a lot of standing water, you could quickly tell that this is a quality parkland establishment. Two similar in length holes begin your journey, the first being a stiff par 4 and SI 1 on the card, quite unusual to have the toughest hole first I would suggest? The second being slightly easier as it is a par 5. Two fairly non-descript par 4’s follow before the first par 3 at hole number 5. This set the standard for the par 3’s, all of which were excellent, the 12th being the best of the bunch, other solid hole’s followed with a good par 5 to finish a very decent outward 9. Not a great start to the back 9 however, the holes from the aforementioned 12 to the closing hole, more than make up for it. The star of the show being the 16th, a stout par 5 with a quite superb green complex which will test the best of golfers with two short but tricky par 4’s providing a very satisfactory finish to your round. I trust that it won’t be another 10 years before I return here and as the course is normally on the Tee Off Times discount scheme. So if you are looking for a golf on a quality track that won’t burst the bank then Drumpellier should be near the top of your list. MPPJ

I really enjoyed my return visit to Drumpellier, almost exactly ten years since I was last here. The first three holes are laid out on rolling terrain and each of them doglegs right to some extent, leaving approach shots to the green that are all played uphill from the fairway. The par four 5th heads straight downhill to a green that runs away from front to back – Lord knows how you’re meant to hit and hold this putting surface when the course is not nearly as damp underfoot as it was yesterday!

Holes 8 to 16 are situated across a lane on land used to extend the course from its original 9-hole set up. The par five 9th is a strong hole, well bunkered on the right of the fairway approaching the green, but I wasn’t impressed at all with the hole immediately after it, where the pin position is marked on a board at the tee box to allow big hitters to go for the green with their totally blind tee shot.

The sequence from 11 to 16 is excellent, with the uphill 12th and downhill 14th totally different types of par threes, but both are terrific short holes in their own right. I loved the ditch that runs diagonally across the fairway at the 16th, seriously threatening underplayed tee shots and this is the last hole across the lane before the routing returns to where holes 1 to 7 are situated. The short par four 17th appears benign but its 2-tier green (like the one on the 2nd) is definite three-putt territory whilst the fairway on the sharply doglegging 18th tapers in dangerously close by the side of the clubhouse to the home green, ending the round with a final flourish.

Drumpellier now sits comfortably at number 4 in the current district rankings and I think that assessment’s about right for a very decent track that’s well worth a visit.

Jim McCann