Course: Cruden Bay Golf Club, Cruden Bay

Scotland is home to some of the best golf courses in the world and Cruden Bay Golf Club lying just 23 miles north of the city of Aberdeen is a prime example. Carved out of a land owned by the Great North of Scotland Railway Company, the track at Cruden Bay was designed by Old Tom Morris in 1899 at the behest of the owners. The layout held its first professional tournament soon after opening and saw golf masters like James Braid, Ben Sayers and the eventual winner Harry Vardon participating in it.

With such credentials and patronage, it was only a matter of time before Cruden Bay would be regarded as one of the most popular courses in all of Scotland. Today it finds a sizeable fan following and is especially sought after for its challenging holes 4th, featured by The 500 World’s Greatest Golf Holes to the 7th. The back nine on this traditional links course measuring 6,395 yards par 70, is just as exciting as the front nine and one shouldn’t expect a pleasant walk back home.

The course’s rugged terrain is peppered with undulating fairways and beautifully maintained greens making surprise appearances. The layout winds its way around gigantic dunes that add a fair level of difficulty to a round of golf at Cruden Bay. Several seaside holes, starting from the elevated fourth tee offer a panoramic view of the North Sea and the pristine white beach.

As expected of a linksland course, the layout demands a sizeable fraction of blind shots and is a pleasure to play. While some changes have been inevitable, Cruden Bay has retained its natural charm and is attractive to golfers looking for a pleasurable round of golf.