Edzell Golf Club is located at the Gateway to the Grampians... it's one of Scotland's lesser-known golfing delights.
Overall rating
4.0
Edzell Golf Club is located at the Gateway to the Grampians... it's one of Scotland's lesser-known golfing delights.
Edzell Golf Club (Old)
Edzell Golf Club is set most delightfully at the gateway to the Grampians in the foothills of the Angus Glens. The mountains provide a stunning backcloth to this heathland cum moorland cum parkland course. It’s not one of Scotland’s better-known courses, but it really should be because it is an enchanting experience.
Originally, Robert Simpson – the same architect who fashioned the Balgownie links at Royal Aberdeen – laid out the course in 1895. Edzell remained relatively anonymous until James Braid came along in 1933 and re-designed the layout. Little has since changed. If you are a member of a club inaugurated in 1895, then you will be able to play Edzell by way of the 1895 Club – a reciprocal courtesy agreement that extends to some 25 clubs up and down the UK.
Today the Old course at Edzell is set in more than 120 acres of ideal golfing terrain. The turf is notoriously good for golf and consequently Edzell has quite rightly received many accolades. In 2001, an additional nine holes were laid out – the new course is called the Westwater – and it’s a good warm up track to play prior to tackling the Old course.
Edzell is set in the most beautiful surroundings; this is surely one of the best settings for an inland course anywhere in the British Isles. One of the best holes on the course is called “Majuba” an exacting short par three at the 14th which requires a well struck short iron to reach the putting surface. But beware, there’s a deceptive back to front tilt to the green and you’ll be in three-putt territory if you find yourself above the hole.
Over the course of two winters, starting in 2014, a remarkable amount of work was carried out on Edzell's Old course layout. Three new tees were constructed (at holes 5, 9 and 18) and a new green was built on the 4th hole, with the course lengthened overall by 125 yards from the back tees.
A major earth moving exercise, together with new bunkering, gave the course's signature 15th hole an entirely new look and further re-shaping on the river bank at hole 9 and the removal of a timber plantation at holes 13, 14 and 15 created some delightful new views, especially from the 14th green.
In the final phase of the program, visibility at holes 2, 3 and 4 was improved with further earth shaping activity. While some of the above work was done by outside contractors, much of it was carried out by Course Manager Graham Mackie and his dedicated team of green keepers, conforming to a course master plan drawn up by architects Mackenzie & Ebert.
If you are visiting this part of the world, we thoroughly recommend a trip to Edzell as it’s a wonderful golf course set in magical surroundings and, if that’s not enough, it’s great value too.
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