slugger
Tour Rookie
We managed to get a groupon deal of £19.50 to play this course whilst the wives and kid went swimming for the day and took a trip onto Peebles which is just a couple of miles along the road.
The reception in the box of a hotel was a bit luke warm and this was compounded when they were tight enough to attempt to charge 10p for a pencil!!! It's small things like this that puts you off!
Unfortunately we had arrived slightly too late to use the free range balls, but the range looked good enough for a nice warm up. No targets as such, just distance markers. The practice balls were taylormade so good enough quality. We did have a short putting practice on the recently hollow tined practice green which ran well enough but had a few bobbles.
We had a strong easterly blowing for the entire round, which contributed to some outstanding drives on the 1st hole, then on the other holes towards the end of the round that also run in the same direction.
The first 9 holes have a bit of character about them, with subtle undulations and a bit of a hill at the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd. The 5th is a wonderful par 3 that is about as visually intimidating a tee shot that you'll get in golf. Water both sides and at the back of the raised green. Cracking hole.
The 7th lived up to its reputation as a card wrecker and then you cross the bridge over the river tweed after the 8th to play another par 3 before walking down through some woods to the bottom end of the course.
The holes from here to the 15th are a mix of very good, and downright boring. A couple of the par 5s had me thinking of hitting balls into any grassy field that you can think of! No features, no character and no challenge. Pretty poor really.
Things then liven up a bit for the last 3 holes where danger and reward lie round every corner.
Crossing from the 17th to 18th is another trek back over the river to the long slither of the 18th which i can imagine is quite a difficult hole into the normally prevailing wind. There's a pond short and right of the raised green which i imagine finds plenty of balls when a stiff breeze is blowing in your face.
As a whole, the course is nice enough, apart from those boring boring holes half way through the back nine. The greens are large and run true, were a bit slow due to the amount of rain. The bunkers are very large - like really large. Some of the sand was not the best quality, but on the whole they were pretty good and fair enough to get out of.
Not sure i'd rush back, but we had a good day and a looooong walk.
Glad we paid so little through the groupon deal.
3 1/2 stars out of 5 for me.
The reception in the box of a hotel was a bit luke warm and this was compounded when they were tight enough to attempt to charge 10p for a pencil!!! It's small things like this that puts you off!
Unfortunately we had arrived slightly too late to use the free range balls, but the range looked good enough for a nice warm up. No targets as such, just distance markers. The practice balls were taylormade so good enough quality. We did have a short putting practice on the recently hollow tined practice green which ran well enough but had a few bobbles.
We had a strong easterly blowing for the entire round, which contributed to some outstanding drives on the 1st hole, then on the other holes towards the end of the round that also run in the same direction.
The first 9 holes have a bit of character about them, with subtle undulations and a bit of a hill at the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd. The 5th is a wonderful par 3 that is about as visually intimidating a tee shot that you'll get in golf. Water both sides and at the back of the raised green. Cracking hole.
The 7th lived up to its reputation as a card wrecker and then you cross the bridge over the river tweed after the 8th to play another par 3 before walking down through some woods to the bottom end of the course.
The holes from here to the 15th are a mix of very good, and downright boring. A couple of the par 5s had me thinking of hitting balls into any grassy field that you can think of! No features, no character and no challenge. Pretty poor really.
Things then liven up a bit for the last 3 holes where danger and reward lie round every corner.
Crossing from the 17th to 18th is another trek back over the river to the long slither of the 18th which i can imagine is quite a difficult hole into the normally prevailing wind. There's a pond short and right of the raised green which i imagine finds plenty of balls when a stiff breeze is blowing in your face.
As a whole, the course is nice enough, apart from those boring boring holes half way through the back nine. The greens are large and run true, were a bit slow due to the amount of rain. The bunkers are very large - like really large. Some of the sand was not the best quality, but on the whole they were pretty good and fair enough to get out of.
Not sure i'd rush back, but we had a good day and a looooong walk.
Glad we paid so little through the groupon deal.
3 1/2 stars out of 5 for me.
