Southerness Golf Club ****

Southerness, DG2 8AZ

Nearest main town: Dumfries

 

When you mention the Solway Firth as an area of outstanding natural golf, Silloth-on-Solway springs immediately to mind. But located almost directly opposite Silloth, across the calm of the Firth in Scotland, is a course few have heard of. Mention its name, Southerness, and you might still be corrected and told that you must mean Southerndown, the fine Welsh course. On the map of Britain's golf courses, someone's left a crumb of cake over Southerness.

The course's low profile is possibly because it is something of a rarity, a links course that was opened only in 1947, a second­generation course without the traditional feel and established nature of many of Scotland's great links; it may be because it is not blessed with the same outstanding natural scenery that one expects from a links; or it may be because it was designed by Mackenzie Ross, almost as an afterthought while he was working on the exceptional Ailsa course at Turnberry. Whatever it is, Southerness does not get the credit it deserves.

In design terms it is first class. There are no blind holes, where you hit your ball and scamper over a dune or hill to see which trap it has fallen into. Neither do balls bounce off the fairways after a good drive. Situated on a flat piece of land by the Solway Firth, and covered in gorse, heather and brocken, Southerness is very fair, the scores on each day governed by the wind that rushes in off the sea.

With the character of each hole at the mercy of the wind, Southerness is in constant flux. One thing that never changes is the quality of the par-4s, particularly the 12th, played to a green nestling precariously on the edge of the beach. Neither does the welcome, which is warm and hearty on arrival and in the clubhouse afterwards.

 

Secretary: Mr I. Robin                

Tel: 01387 880677 Fax: 01387880644

Professional: None

Playing: Midweek: round n/a; day £38.00. Weekend: round n/a; day £48.00.

Facilities: Bar: 11 am-11 pm. Food: lunch and dinner from 11 am-9pm. Bar snacks.

Comments: Not a well-known course so invariably in good condition . . . long and windy. . . A gem of a course, well worth the visit. . . Greens very good... People just superb.

 

Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Country Club ***

Cardrona, Peebles, EH45 9HX

Nearest main town: Peebles

 

Secretary: Ms M. Waddell (Administration)         

Tel: 01896833730 Fax: 01896 831166

Professional: Mr F. Hall                    

Tel: 01896 833701

Playing: Midweek: round £50.00 (Mon-Thurs); day n/a. Weekend: round £70.00 (Fri-Sun); day n/a.

Facilities: Bar: 7.30am-lOpm. Food: 7.30am-10pm (Spike Bar and Restaurant).

Comments: It reminds me of Gleneagles . . . Stroke index one for the opening hole, you've got to be having a laugh! ... Another Dave Thomas cracker. . . A beautiful course but an ugly-looking hotel... A super, very handy course guide... There's also a quality hotel with leisure club and spa, small practice ground and the new practice putting green should now be open.