Testimonials

  • Today (13th August ) at 06:52:38 AM by Victor Donnay 
     
    I have just returned from a wonderful week golfing in the highlands: Fortrose & Rosemarkie, Brora, Castle Stuart, Dornoch, Golspie and Boat of Garten. My wife and I drove to and from Edinburgh and stayed for the week in a flat in Dornoch, making day trips. All the courses were great fun but I wanted to give a special shout out to Boat of Garten which I played on the day we drove back to Edinburgh. Stopping there was a nice way to break up the 4 hour drive from Dornoch as it is about half way. 

    As described more fully in https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,63531.0.html, it is a quirky James Braid course. Framed golf articles in the locker room indicate it was voted the #1 hidden gem course in Scotland as well as #4 among Great Britain’s top 100 Courses under 50L. (It now costs 75L for a visitor). Even though it is inland (in the Cairngorms National Park), it has the rolling, bouncing sandy fairways of a links course. The website hidden links (https://www.hiddenlinksgolf.com/scotland-golf-courses/boat-of-garten-golf-club/ ) claims the turf “rivals the finest seaside links”. From my short tour of courses, I would agree. I am curious why there is sandy ground in the middle of Scotland.  There are a couple of blind shots and lots of up and down and twists and turns on the course. I was glad to have a rented an electric trolley. It definitely has the feel of an old time course.  On the 12th, one hits from a very elevated tee down to a narrow fairway with a view of the mountains in the distance.  The 15th hole has a huge gully just where a drive would go so unless one is a long hitter, one is advised to lay up at 160 yards and then make a second shot of equal length in. I hit a 5 wood in, my best shot of the day, and got birdie there. From the 17th tee, one has a view down on the Spey river.  The 18th is a 435 yd par 4 dogleg right to an elevated green; more ratings – my host told me this hole has been picked as one of the top 18 holes in Scotland by a well known TV golf analyst.  

    I can imagine there are great views of the nearby mountains; I played on a misty, rainy day so could not see much of them. In the fall, the colors of the trees would be spectacular. I did see and hear the charming vintage steam train that runs alongside the course. 

    Perhaps because the course does not get much international traffic, they were particularly welcoming. They set up me up to play with one of their club captains who was a most genial host, helping me track down my lost shots in the rough, guiding me around the course and treating me to lunch. I was impressed by their recently renovated bar and restaurant and the modern locker room (better than all but Castle Stuart). Although it was hard to tear myself away from the seaside courses, I was very glad to have made the visit to Boat of Garten and its old timey Baird course.

     
     
  • Goodsundays.com

      I have followed Boat of Garten Golf & Tennis Club with strong interest on Twitter and
      was more than curious about this beauty. I arrived there around 2pm. The daylight was
      just perfect for a round of golf and some great pictures of the course. THE WHOLE
      STORY HERE: http://goodsundays.com/boat-of-garten/

  • ‘Very Nice’

    13 of us played golf and every single one enjoyed this course. Good play was rewarded. Good facilities on site and all in all a very good experience. Greens were not the best but to be fair there was late snow in the area and they were running about two weeks behind. I will return here again and hopefully that will be soon.

    Comment by: Patrick H, Edinburgh – 9th May 2016

  • excellent golf course

    A superb golf course where we were treated very well by all the staff. The soup and sandwiches were fine and the general facilities could not be faulted.

    Comment by: Philp Smith, Edinburgh – 4th May 2016

  • ‘Entertaining’

    Early May the course was suffering from little growth and neither the fairways nor greens were ideal, the trees alongside the fairways looked dead but I suspect were just hibernating. However it is a very picturesque and entertaining course – quite hilly and tree-lined with occasional deer on the fairways and the Strathspey Steam railway trains passing the side of the course. Worth a visit.

    Comment by: M Browne60, Fife – May 2016

 

  • ‘A Must Play‘

    A must play James Braid layout. Course was in super condition, some tricky doglegs, sloping fairways and the usual warm welcome.

    Clappers, Cambridge – Sunday 11th October 2015

  • ‘LOVELY COURSE’

    The greens were quite firm, a couple of bare patches but true. The course is quite undulating and we were pleased we hired a couple of electric trolleys. There were also buggies for hire.
    The setting is lovely and the course layout is stunning.
    One of the loveliest courses I have played.

    Derbyshire Gladders – Sunday 4th October 2015

  • HIDDEN GEM

    Worth the travel to get to Boat of Garten. A must play if you know the game. We received a warm welcome and the staff bent over backwards to take care of us.

    Andy, Scotsdale, Arizona – Tuesday 22nd September 2015

  • ‘A Golfing Gem’

    I am biased as I learned to play golf on this course, but it is a short, tight and demanding course, ideal for holiday/recreational golf and kept in fantastic condition. Not cheap, but worth it for the views alone!

    Shropshirelad – Tuesday 8th September 2015

  • A Wonderful Place to Play Golf

    I was part of a group of 8 golfers whom returned to this wonderful golf course having previously played here before.. We were warmly welcomed by the staff on arrival with coffee and bacon rolls on the go almost immediately. After our light breakfast we ventured onto the stunning golf course.

    This course was originally designed by James Braid and has truly stood the test of time. The golf course sits close to the Cairngorm mountains and the views are spectacular. The course has a variety of holes named after the peaks but also has holes named after the design of the hole.

    This is an incredibly beautiful but hilly course so I must send a warning. If you are looking for a flat course then this is not it. There are spectacular hilly holes that can leave the unwary breathless. However this can be overcome as there are plenty of electric trolleys to hire as well as electric golf carts which can all be pre ordered in advance if necessary. You may book a trolley for £3.50 per round or £5.00 for the day. there is also an electric trolley for £10.00 per round or £15.00 per day. There are also Electric golf carts for £25 per round or £50 per day.

    Once you have finished on the course (and no doubt ruing all those missed putts etc) you can have a hearty lunch or dinner in the clubhouse which is both reasonable and tasty.

    The showers and locker-room are very nice modern and well equipped. There are towels provided if necessary.

    The fees are very good at £45.00 per round or £58.00 per day however you may get it cheaper than that as they usually have some sort of deal on.

    We had the pleasure of breakfast 18 holes lunch followed by another 18 holes and then dinner. It was an exceptional day with good company in a wonderful location with a spectacular golf course. If you do the same package as us then you can guarantee that you will be having an early night and a good nights sleep as we were totally drained however this is a trip we will be repeating again next year.

    Steven, St Andrews – Tuesday 8th September 2015

  • ‘Golf in a beautiful setting’

    En route to a week of golf in Dornoch, my son and I stopped off and enjoyed a round at the Boat of Garten course. Although it was a Saturday, the course was not busy. When we inquired about a tee time we were told that we could go off any time during the next hour, so we had a sandwich at the bar before putting our clubs on the simple push-pull carts that the British call “trolleys” and heading out. Our round was a joy. The course, a classic James Braid design with holes that range from majestic to funky, wanders through and over wooded hills at the foot of the Cairngorm mountains, several of which still bore traces of snow in late June. A number of the holes are named for the Cairngorm peak that is visible from their tee boxes while others (such as “Gully”) reflect features of the holes themselves. Don’t be fooled by the relatively short length of the course. By the time you have walked up and down the hills and tested your skill with almost every club in your bag, you will be ready for a pint of Belhaven’s Best at the 19th hole.

    Hugh Stevens, Raleigh, North Carolina – Tuesday 7th July 2015

  • “Cracking golf course !” 

    Played this about two weeks ago where the course was in great condition. The greens were superb. Played off the white tees as course is not particularly long. This was just about right for our party of 4. A bonus was the views , superb !
    A course where you have to think your way round it , it’s not all about hitting it straight and long.
    Lovely clubhouse and pro shop who made us feel very welcome. Nice meal to finish of at £5 a time . Not bad value ! Will be back next year.

    Wysie – Tuesday 23rd June 2015

  • “Stunning views, testing, beautifully designed course.” Having this course recommended by a friend and read the reviews, our four ball was not disappointed with this stunner of a course. James Braid was obviously a player and designer of great talent and the appreciation of his projects landscape. Stunning views of the mountains and the wonderful way the holes complimented the ground were outstanding. Despite a harsh winter the greens were true, puzzling and fast. You really had to know your break reading skills to make the most of finding the putting surface. Or was that just our lack of talent? Friendly staff, professional and members made this an unforgettable experience. Many thanks all, including J. Braid again.

    Robert M – Saturday 20th June 2015

  • ‘Great Course’

    Challenging picturesque James Braid course. Course was in excellent condition. It is a good test when accuracy is a bonus. Friendly staff and pleasant clubhouse.

    Chris – Friday 19th June 2015

  • I just wanted to thank the club for a great experience that my brother and I had on Sunday at Boat of Garten golf club. The course was in great condition and some of the best views around a course that I have had. We also were made to feel very welcome by the shop professional. We have now decided to make this an annual visit for the Macpherson clan.

    All in all we thoroughly enjoyed the whole day and look forward to my next visit in August with some other friends.

    Gus Macpherson – Monday 15th June 2015