Pitlochry is a demanding course to walk. Like at Gullane, the opening holes (3 in a row) play uphill, fatiguing all but the most fit golfer. The fifth hole was my favorite, a 347 yard hole that plays uphill with an elevated green tucked up on a hillock to the left of the fairway. The greens feature decent undulations that add to the challenge. The ninth is a testing hole with trees coming into play and sports long views of the surrounding countryside. The par 3 11th is also very cool, with an elevated and well bunkered green. The dramatic finishing hole plays straight down the hill and the golfer is virtually guaranteed an uneven lie and is asked to hit over a burn to the green, testing their ability to hit a crisp iron under difficult conditions. I played Pitlochry in what the weather report described as “heavy bursts” of rain so it played quite difficult. The back tees are 5,692 yards, but in my view it plays far longer due to the elevation changes.