Playsport Heritage Links- East Kilbride

virtuocity

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As some of you know, I'm searching for my first golf membership and I like the flexibility that 9 hole courses give me and they seem to be a heck of a lot cheaper as well!

I phoned Playsport East Kilbride today after I found out that my usual 9 hole was shut due to frost. I was annoyed to find out (particularly after another forum member championed Playsport for being completely open all the time :p) that they were open but on winter greens.

Luckily though, I called back an hour later to find the greens were open and I went straight round for a hit.

Cost

Cost for 9 holes was £10, which was an 'Afternoon Special Offer'.

The Course

A very short track. There is only one par 5 (at 444 yards, even short hitters like me can make an easy par) with a few medium length par 3s and 4s througout your 2087 yard journey. A couple of 120 yard par 3s are good fun to play, but I feel these holes were built with acreage restrictions in mind, rather than to save the tired legs of their older clientèle.

Every hole's information plaque proudly displays the name of its more famous 'sister hole'- the designers took inspiration from world-famous landmark holes to help them design this track. NB: they are very careful to say inspiration rather than duplication.

Condition

Hats off to Playsport for keeping the course running despite of the hard frost. The ground had some 'give' in it and wasn't overly-hard. Equally, there were no squelchy patches either, however my improving game kept me in the short-stuff for the majority. Saying that though, the course is full of hills and mounds and not knowing the course I did find myself in 'hidden' rough a couple of times and they were nice to play out of.

The Round (if you care)

Not knowing the course made for a difficult day, but I managed to pull out some good shots and ended up with a bogey-golf scorecard. I landed my tee shot at the last within a foot of the hole. Would have been nice to have snagged my first ace.

Opinions

Some nice holes and a brilliant membership proposition should have made me more excited going round than I was. Everything felt a bit cramped- the course sandwiched into what feels like a small field. The traffic from the main road coupled by the sight of the ugly main building did nothing to make you feel like you were out in the county.

Of course, you're in the middle of a large town and not in blissful rural Scotland, but I still want my golf to feel like an escape of sorts and I didn't feel that here.

I came off the course having enjoyed my round, enjoyed the challenges set by each hole and hoped that I would be able to play the course again sometime. Tellingly, I don't think I was too fussed as to when that next Heritage Links round would be.

The search for my 'Golf Home' continues, but Playsport will always be there should I need a little break from the norm.
 
You'll enjoy it. Its a tough wee track from the white tees right enough especially when the rough is up and the wind is blowing.

Some cracking holes and tough par 3s. Will certainly improve your golf and give you plenty of medals to play in.

Enjoy
 
Played this today for the first time since late "summer"

9 temp greens and still the usual £15!

The ground was rock solid from frost, sounded like tapping your club on concrete and some crazy bounces although the ball just wouldn't stop on any shot including drives

To be fair in the summer it's not a bad wee test, nice variation on the holes but too short for my liking although it does sharpen up your approach play but at £15 too much for what it is
 
Not a member of a course just now as was working away for the last year and reluctant to join as I may be working away this year too

So just try to fit in some games on the odd weekend when I can, think I only played 10 games last year

Yeah the frost was really bad today and doesnt look like letting up either unfortunately
 
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