T
thecraw
Guest
Today I had the absolute pleasure to play Southerness Golf Club. Southerness is tucked away on the Solway Firth some 102 miles south of my house! The journey was well worth it, worth every road mile and every drop of diesel.
A modest but modern clubhouse signals your arrival at Southerness where they also have a choice of two putting greens and a decent sized chipping area as well as a practice net to warm up. The course itself is a true links classic and is a Mackenzie Ross creation on the shores of the Solway Firth.
A quick look at the scorecard reveals a par 69 which stretches to over 6500 yards and a standard scratch 73, which instantly tells you that this will be no push over. Further study of the card and you'll see that Southerness has 8 par 4's in excess of 400 yards. Not one for the faint hearted before you tee off.
Onto the course itself and its simply a wow from me. The course is a true gem and it was offered to us in tip top condition, in fact I would say that it was immaculately presented. The greens were true and firm. The fairways were fantastic with hardly a divot in sight. The semi rough was well presented and offered a buffer before the horrors of the purple heather that await anything more than slightly off line. Even the sand in the bunkers which I managed to visit three times during the round was consistent and soft. The first is a very gentle dogleg at just under 400 yards which is followed by another par 4 of 450 yards. For me the course just got better and better as we went on, enjoying the tranquil setting and glorious sunshine. The course itself is level easy walking set in a spectacular location offering views across the Solway Firth to Cumbria and onto the Lake District. Even the Isle of Mann was visible today.
I would have to agree with the website and say that the 12th is the signature hole at Southerness. A great dogleg par 4 of 421 yards with the green perched above a sandy bay and the Solway Firth beyond. This is then followed by two further par 4 monsters measuring 467 yards and 458 yards. No rest is allowed at the par 3 15th, a 218 yard hole where I cracked a 3 wood into a "light breeze" and came up short. I'd hate to play this into a "stiff breeze"!
For me this course ticked a lot of boxes and its a great test. I certainly rate it higher than Glasgow Gailes, Dundonald and Kilmarnock Barassie but not quite as good as Western Gailes.
Well priced generous food portions add to a fabulous golf course and experience. Recommended.
(pictures to follow!)
A modest but modern clubhouse signals your arrival at Southerness where they also have a choice of two putting greens and a decent sized chipping area as well as a practice net to warm up. The course itself is a true links classic and is a Mackenzie Ross creation on the shores of the Solway Firth.
A quick look at the scorecard reveals a par 69 which stretches to over 6500 yards and a standard scratch 73, which instantly tells you that this will be no push over. Further study of the card and you'll see that Southerness has 8 par 4's in excess of 400 yards. Not one for the faint hearted before you tee off.
Onto the course itself and its simply a wow from me. The course is a true gem and it was offered to us in tip top condition, in fact I would say that it was immaculately presented. The greens were true and firm. The fairways were fantastic with hardly a divot in sight. The semi rough was well presented and offered a buffer before the horrors of the purple heather that await anything more than slightly off line. Even the sand in the bunkers which I managed to visit three times during the round was consistent and soft. The first is a very gentle dogleg at just under 400 yards which is followed by another par 4 of 450 yards. For me the course just got better and better as we went on, enjoying the tranquil setting and glorious sunshine. The course itself is level easy walking set in a spectacular location offering views across the Solway Firth to Cumbria and onto the Lake District. Even the Isle of Mann was visible today.
I would have to agree with the website and say that the 12th is the signature hole at Southerness. A great dogleg par 4 of 421 yards with the green perched above a sandy bay and the Solway Firth beyond. This is then followed by two further par 4 monsters measuring 467 yards and 458 yards. No rest is allowed at the par 3 15th, a 218 yard hole where I cracked a 3 wood into a "light breeze" and came up short. I'd hate to play this into a "stiff breeze"!
For me this course ticked a lot of boxes and its a great test. I certainly rate it higher than Glasgow Gailes, Dundonald and Kilmarnock Barassie but not quite as good as Western Gailes.
Well priced generous food portions add to a fabulous golf course and experience. Recommended.
(pictures to follow!)
