I finally have something in common with the great, Ben Hogan.

Before the 1953, British Open, held at nearby Carnoustie, Ben Hogan spent two weeks at Panmure getting used to links golf and the smaller 1.62” golf balls. Hogan even suggested that a bunker be placed, now known by the members as ‘Hogans bunker’, on the front right of the sixth hole, believing it would improve the hole. Such was the impact of Hogans low key attendance, away from the media, that the club now offers a specially commissioned engraved Glencairn glass to any person who makes a birdie on the 414 yard 6th hole, called simply ‘Hogan’.

It’s just one of the extras the club provides to visitors, along with a personally engraved bag tag, a complimentary glass of Panmure kümmel and even a memento photograph for your day. A tour of the clubhouse can even be arranged. It’s difficult not to mention a visit to play Panmure as an ‘experience’ when a review should focus on the architecture and playability of the course itself.

Yet everything about playing the links of Panmure, is an experience. Playing from some of the tight rolling fairways, can be a difficult experience. Being around some of the gorgeous pine trees, that surround some tees, shelter you from the wind, or shape the approach to the 533 yard, fourteenth hole, a calming or challenging experience. Putting across the long sloping greens or using the slopes to assist you, is a fun experience. Playing from the traditional Scottish pot bunkers around the greens or trying to recover from some of the fall off surrounds and across or over some of the mounds, is a true links golf experience. Strategically choosing if you should play short of many of the brilliantly placed fairway bunkers or burns, or picking the driver and taking a risk is a daring experience. Choosing which of the four tees you should play from, if you are too ambitious could turn into the wrong experience. Playing from the ‘barry rough’ that flanks each fairway could turn into a hard experience. With a simple routing, for those who enjoy the walk it’s a gentle experience.

Panmure is a fantastic golf course to experience. Whilst the sixth hole is highlighted, with its link to Mr Hogan, other holes also stand out. The 396 yard, twelfth hole is a great strategic hole with a tee shot needing to find a position as close to the end of the fairway before a second shot over the winding ‘Budden’ burn that runs through it and short of the green. The four par three holes also differ and vary from the shortest fifth hole at 144 yards to the longest fifteenth at 234 yards, from the back tees. Then the ninth hole at 180 yards, designed by and showing the James Braid characteristics, is surrounded by pot bunkers and more evidence of a severe undulating green.