Par 3s, elevation changes highlight course
ABERFOYLE, Scotland – After a great week in Gullane, we set out for the Aberfoyle Golf Club https://www.aberfoylegolf.co.uk/, a 5,158-yard par 66 course in the central part of Scotland.
Located at the foot of the Menteith Hills and in the southern edge of Loch Lomond and the Trosscachs National Park, Aberfoyle Golf Club is another of those no-frills, just play golf courses in Scotland. It was my first encounter with an honesty box, something that I doubt would go over in the U.S. The basic premise is there nobody manning the counter in the clubhouse, so you put your name and $40 pounds in a small envelope, insert it into the honesty box, grab a scorecard and off you go.
Somehow, I don’t think that would work at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
The course is quirky and we probably could have used another one or two rounds to figure out where not to hit the ball. Given that it is carved into the side of a hill, knowing the slopes would have been beneficial. Aberfoyle Golf Club also had the thickest rough we have encountered on the trip – it’s a parkland/heathland course and has numerous streams meandering through the property.
The first hole gives you an idea of what you are in for at Aberfoyle. Only 318 yards, the fairway slopes severely from left to right. The blind approach shot is to a green that sits just over a large rise in the fairway.
Aberfoyle might be one of the few courses in the world that has a 256-yard par 4 followed by a 227-yard par 3. The short par 4 No. 4 is considered Aberfoyle’s signature hole, and plays longer than its scorecard yardage given that it is uphill with a right-to-left sloping fairway. The green is small and shallow, and everybody in our group made double bogey. I’d play it differently the next time – using driver instead of 3-wood off the tee.
The fourth hole is followed by a straight, lever 227-yard par 3. Into a bit of a breeze, we all hit driver off the tee and came up short of the green.
There are no par 5s at Aberfoyle Golf Club but six par 3s, which are the strength of the course. My favorite was No. 10, that plays a mere 123 yards. This gorgeous par 3 is framed by trees and a rock wall on the left, a front bunker and a stream on the right. Just a beautiful hole.
The other two holes worth noting are 12-13, a pair of par 3s that are parallel to each other. No. 12 is 169 yards that plays slightly uphill to a green carved into a shelf. The 13th plays 156 yards downhill. It’s a nice mix for back-to-back short holes.
Even though Aberfoyle Golf Club is listed at 5,158 yards, it plays quite a bit longer due to the elevation changes. It’s off the beaten path, but worth the stop. Just don’t judge it by one time through.
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News
Have a story idea or a news item to report to Alabama Golf News? Email gregg@alabamagolfnews.com
Featured image of the Scottish coast courtesy of CNN.
