Murcar Links Golf Club ©

Golf Tourism Scotland voted Murcar "Course of the Year - 2007." Scottish Links Collection lists it 's as one of "Scotland's Top 40 Great" courses, and it's always described as one of the top 100 courses in the entire United Kingdom. All in all, Murcar Links is quite a superb and challenging Scottish seaside links layout.

View of Murcar golf course in Aberdeenshire

Murcar Golf Links sits right next to Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. In fact, there's the story of a group of Japanese golfers playing Royal Aberdeen who finished #9 and, rather than making the turn to come back, mistakenly kept going straight onto Murcar's course. They ended up playing 25 holes and finished in Murcar's clubhouse looking for their shoes. Since they spoke no English, it was a while before anyone could figure out what had happened. The incident shows how closely alligned these two majestic golf courses are. With no wall or fence between them, these two Scottish seaside links both hug.the North Sea and share the same topography, wind and spectacular views.

As with so many links layouts, the gentle look off the first tee gives no indication of what's in store.

The general slope of Murcar Golf Links is a gentle one toward the North Sea. This provides some great views from just about anywhere on the golf course. However, for some strange reason, the sandhills don't seem to be as rounded and weathered as they are on their royal neighbor to the south but seem more sharp and steep. These anomalies are incorporated into the golf course in the form of elevated tees, sharply defined fairways and inverted saucer greens that make shooting your handicap quite a challenge.

Murcar is not a classic out-and-back links layout but the front 9, after zig-zagging for the first four holes, run mainly northward close to shore. The North Sea is your constant companion on your right. Ten thru twelve zig-zag a bit but then the holes turn homeward and run pretty much southerly all the way to the clubhouse.

Sand dunes, gorse, and heather abound--just as they do on their nearest neighbor, Royal Aberdeen. And the rough is just as punishing.

Murcar is a relatively short layout--just 6,325 off the back tees but, with a par of 71, it has a respectable AFSD of 181 yards. Club selection is critical in playing this course. You'll have to factor in uphill and downhill targets, wind speed, how much the ball will run after it lands, and much more. The 7th, called Serpentine, is a good example. It's named after the serpentine burn running diagonally across the fairway 180 yards from the tee. You must clear it if you are to have any chance. You can play short but then you face a 175 yard shot to a bunkered green that falls off in the back. A well-designed hole and typical of the interesting and challenging holes on this very nice golf course.

Home at last. The 18th is only 329 yards but nine bunkers await you on this last hole, including four fairway bunkers awaiting any slices and hooks.

The spectacular links coast that Murcar Golf Links is built on has seen golfers playing since the 16th century. Murcar, Royal Aberdeen and Cruden Bay are only about 20 miles apart on this coast. And now Donald Trump is building a golf resort just to the north of Murcar. If you want to experience what it's like to play pure Scottish links golf, here's a good opportunity to play some of the best. Royal Aberdeen, Murcar and Cruden Bay form a triple play as good as any in the world.

Golf Nook Scotland rating -- BIRDIE

www.murcar.co.uk

For What To Do All Day, please refer to the Aberdeen & Grampian Highlands page.