Newtonmore - North Scotland - Scotland

Newtonmore Golf Club celebrated its centenary in 1993 so golf has been played here for well over a hundred years. Many improvements have been made to the original 9-hole Old Tom Morris course over the years, which Tom Turnbull extended to 18 holes in 1902, and visitors can look at original plans of the course on the clubhouse walls to see what changes have been made. The club is not resting on its laurels either as a program of tee modifications is in place to ensure that Newtonmore keeps pace with the modern game.

The two opening and closing holes are laid out on undulating land in front of the clubhouse whereas holes 3 to 16 are routed on lower lying land alongside the banks of the River Spey. All eighteen holes are surrounded by sensational Highland scenery – which is often an additional hazard for the visitor trying to concentrate on their game!

The overall length of the course is 6,031 yards with a par of 70. There is only one par five on the card, the 513-yard 10th hole called “The Acres.” With water and out of bounds all the way down the left, the line from tee to green is the highest point of Creagdhu in the background.

One interesting fact about the membership at Newtonmore is the high number of left handed players who play golf here – something in the water, you ask? No, it’s due to the double handed nature of playing shinty – at which Newtonmore has a proud Highland tradition – and young boys and youths become adult golfers who can wield the golf sticks either way! And, when Newtonmore built an extension to the clubhouse a few years ago, the man to open the building was none other than Bob Charles, the only left handed player to win the Open (1963).