Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, 9 holes
It is a baleful sight seeing a club flag flying at half mast. The club is recognising the loss of a valued friend and member, one of a dwindling band of brothers tied to this place. And what a place to remember and be remembered. Staring out at an opal sea with nothing afore or after the horizon. The place stands still unlike the breeze. Members and visitors are in short supply. This is a uniquely beautiful spot but the rust on the honesty box tells a story of the wild weather that must usually prevail and take it’s toll on the animate and the inanimate.
The club house dare not stick it’s head above the parapet of the coastal ridge lest it be tossed aside by the elements. It’s wooden boarded façade is built into the hillside below a living roof so when you look up to the first tee it can appear as if the player is driving off from the rooftop. So part of, and part, in spite of the landscape and weather. Your first task is downhill to the water’s edge but alas, also into the prevailing…sunshine in our case, thank goodness. On other days you will be driving into a not insignificant number of knots of wind and precipitation of all varieties. So it is no good telling you that it is an easy three wood, perhaps followed by a pitch, and as many putts as suits your taste because tomorrow it will be a driver followed by a plucky three iron screwed into the wind.
The next hole runs across the bay, so ask the offshore wind what she will give you and try to play your second shot from solid ground because my companion tells me that the rocks are not accommodating. Your second will be into a tight green above the ocean. They do well to get any growth alongside this salty spray and all the exposed greens are in punchbowls as greens like upturned saucers would reduce us to Phil Mickelson, putting again and again at still moving balls. This is the prettiest of holes concluding in a beautifully cradled green.
Three; Onwards and upwards and back towards the clubhouse, a tiger line over the corner and keep right of the layby car park as your ball drops into the green. A teasing drive to play over or shy of the ridge offering a differential of three clubs or more and a clearer line to the pin. Four is a seemingly straight forward par 3 in front of the clubhouse but five brings you back to the dunes along the shore.
This is a great par 5 running down a valley of dunes with a chicane and a raised elevation over the ridge to the most accommodating green on the course. This hole would not disgrace any course even though it takes you away from the sea. The next is a short par 4 where position is everything as like many holes here the greens are not large and multi contoured so finding a route to the pin is essential for low scoring. Two par threes follow; one across the wind and one down wind both downhill to varying degrees and both greens sit in innocent looking seas of grass. But best not go there just in case.
The ninth runs across the slope and up the hill to a green tucked into the dune beside the clubhouse. A daunting closing hole that was too good for me. But it is the first, second and the fifth that will stand out for me.
This is beautiful links golf with all the rough edges and character you would expect from it’s outlying position. It is an amazing tribute to the ancient greenkeeper, the club’s members past and present and the spirit of community that it survives at all. This is a course and a club that Old Tom Morris would recognise and applaud. It was a privilege to play and exceedingly generous of the club to allow me to pay green fees to Alzheimer’s Society. Thank you
