Easter Moffat - Lanarkshire - Scotland

I must declare an interest : I was a member here for 10 years and only left for non-golfing reasons. If ever there is a hidden gem it lies here above the village of Plains just north of the M8. There is a tremendous variety of holes on offer at Easter Moffat. The bland uphill 1st is a means to get the course up to the moorland where many challenges await. Among the most interesting holes are 3, 4, 6, 9 and the testing par 5 11th. Members regard the par of 4 at the 12th as purely notional - most are not too unhappy with a 6! The course concludes with two downhill delights : the dog-leg par 5 17th and a charming par 3 to finish in front of the clubhouse. Even at the end of the poorest round your spirits would be raised by the challenge of hitting it close at this inviting hole. I have no evidence to support this but I do wonder if there are more holes-in-one on the 18th at Easter Moffat than any other hole in the land. Having taken many visitors here over my years of membership all agreed that a) they never knew of its existence and b) they would be back. I can guarantee you will enjoy a round here far more than at many of the better-known Lanarkshire courses.

The opening hole at Easter Moffat rises up and away from the imposing old manor house that now doubles as a clubhouse before a sporty little short par four livens up proceedings, doglegging right then down to the green. The following three holes are a little pedestrian but the round then shifts up a gear at the 6th, a terrific par four that’s played across some rugged moorland terrain.

Holes 7 to 10 are laid out on a separate piece of land and they’re probably the best holes on the card, with the back-to-back short par fours at 8 and 9 particularly striking holes. The stroke index 1 hole at the long 12th is a tremendous par four, requiring a blind shot to a sunken green. This putting surface is memorable for the fact that it’s a wonderful 2-tiered green, one of the few putting surfaces at Easter Moffat to have any real contour of note.

Green speeds were very fast throughout and that’s mainly because the greens are relatively flat, allowing high stimpmeter settings. I’d much prefer to have a slower paced putt on trickier greens but I’m sure members here are delighted to have it the way it currently is on this course.

The closing two holes are quite spectacular as the 17th plummets left and down to the green, followed by a bonny wee par three 18th which drops even further to the home green. Short hole finishes are quite unusual and this one’s very good, using the land superbly well to bring the course routing back down a steep hill to the clubhouse. Well worth a play if in the area.

Jim McCann.