Elgin

Elgin Golf Club celebrated its centenary in 2006 and members have enjoyed golfing over the same wonderful, free-draining terrain south of Elgin city for every single one of those one hundred years, playing first on a 9-hole course then an eighteen hole layout since 1924.

Measuring 6,458 yards in total, Elgin plays to a par of 71 from the back markers. However, visitors to Moray who play here shouldn't expect a leisurely round of holiday golf, as the par becomes 69 from the regular yellow tees with the short par fives at the 1st and 14th playing as long par fours.

There may be three short par fives contributing to the overall length, but six of the par fours on the card are longer than 400 yards, with three of them, from the 457-yard 8th to the 433-yard 10th, particularly demanding.

These three holes around the turn follow another delightful, old-fashioned feature at Elgin – back-to-back par threes – with the hefty 221-yard “Pines” 6th hole faced before the 167-yard “Road” hole at the 7th.

At clubs such as Elgin you sometimes discover little golfing gems, like the original head greenkeeper (who also laid out the course) spending 44 years in the job and a former secretary remaining in his post for 20 years. Little wonder Elgin has fittingly named the first hole “John MacPherson” and the last hole “Gordon Wilken” after both club stalwarts!