Murcar Links
The 20-mile stretch of coastline northwards from Aberdeen is home to no fewer than four links in the Golf Monthly Top 100. With the new course at Trump Aberdeen set to open later this year, that number may well increase before too long, making an already first-class golfing destination even stronger.
Perhaps the least well-known of these is the excellent Murcar Links which currently sits at 91 in UK and Ireland. It is located bordering Royal Aberdeen, indeed so close that an overhit approach to the 3rd green here could end up on the 10th tee next door.
A Fine Pedigree
This proximity has led to strong connections between the clubs which go back as far as the very formation of Murcar Links in 1909. Archie Simpson, both the Professional and the Keeper of the Green next door at Balgownie, was hired to design the original layout running over a perfect expanse of gently undulating dunes.
Changes were made in the 1930s by both George Smith and the ubiquitous James Braid, who also laid out the club’s 9-hole Strabathie Course. Little has changed since, and happily so, leaving a traditional but very varied links with elevated tees, plenty of gorse and panoramic views.
Charm and challenge in equal measure
As is so often the case with links golf, the examination you face will largely depend on the direction and strength of the wind. Happily, the routing has several changes in direction although if there is a south-westerly blowing, the closing six holes will be particularly tough. There is only one par 5 on each nine, none if you play from the more forward tees! Scoring well is therefore dependent on how you manage the tougher par 4s. The first of these is the 3rd which has a blind drive followed by an approach to a semi-hidden, almost punchbowl green.
The 6th and 7th are both terrific two-shotters, especially the latter with its drive over not one but two burns. The far ditch comes back to haunt at the excellent 15th, where for many it will be a long approach up the hill to a well protected green. There are only three short holes, but each is a beauty.
The 5th plays at an angle back towards the clubhouse, the 12th is in a similar direction at the far end of the course where you simply have to clear the bunker at the front, while the excellent 16th is played over an expanse of inhospitable no-man’s-land.
Murcar Links is a testing but hugely entertaining links with much to recommend.
