Hirsel - Borders - Scotland

Hirsel GC, located in the Scottish borders, founded in 1948, is a splendid example of traditional parkland golf. We received a super friendly welcome from the pro and found that we had the course to ourselves, hopefully only due to the forecasted weather and not as a result of a lack of members.

Despite the severe weather in recent weeks the course was relatively dry, especially the greens which may have had some recent investment and really show good signs of a decent surface.

The course is a beauty with stunning arboretum framing the perimeter, and the slight dogleg first, a strong start, leads you into a taste of what lay ahead. A lovely mix of holes of all lengths are staggered throughout, offering a fair test. Many stand out holes but for me the 15th, SI 1 a 465 yard uphill 90 degree dogleg is as strong an examination you get, and I could imagine many a card being spoilt by a big number here.

A thoroughly enjoyable round of golf with great company and good weather that thankfully did not turn out to be the promised oblivion.

Hirsel made a recent surprise appearance in a golf magazine’s Top 100 list of Scottish courses so I just had to venture down to the border with England to see what was so special about this place. Because it’s laid out on four separate parcels of property, the course has a slightly disjointed feel as you have to make short walks across bridges and a road to play a number of holes in each sector.

The opening two short par fours ease you into your round before you face an uphill par three hole that plays blind to a green all of 243 yards from the back tee position – once you get over the absurdity of this hole, you can rest assured the other three short holes are going to be a tad more conventional in layout!

Two of what appear to be newer holes on the course at 5 and 6 are good, left dog legs in a little loop that brings you back to tee across the River Leet as it winds its way through the estate at the lovely short 7th.

The beauty of this lovely par three is surpassed however by the 10th, where a 98-yard tee shot is played from a vertiginous position 50 feet above a green that sits on the other side of the river. Some might think it too quirky but I must say I liked it as it reminded me of my formative golfing years back in the 1970s playing the “Wee Drap” 12th at Clydebank’s municipal course (… those were the days…).

The back nine contains two par fives (at 12 and 18) that contribute to a yardage that’s 400 yards longer than the front nine but the newer holes across the road from 12 to 15 never really took my fancy, mainly because the longer par fours at 13 and 15 seemed too out of step with those that had been played earlier in the round.

The closing three holes are very good, played out over wickedly undulating terrain and they round off the routing in fine style.

As the previous reviewer stated last year, Hirsel is a decent members club. As to whether it merits its recent claim to fame amongst the upper echelons of Scottish golf courses, I’m not so sure – maybe you should avail yourself of one of the club’s excellent twilight green fee offers and judge for yourself.

Jim McCann