WHEN you gaze out from Cruden Bay's splendid clubhouse you are faced with a magnificent panorama of
what is one of the finest examples of a traditional Scottish links course. There before you lies a never-to-be-forgotten test of golf with a rich variety of demanding holes wending their way between towering dunes and knee-high rough. If that is not enough to give you a nightmare then the brooding presence of the ruins of Slains Castle might. They dominate the first three holes and reportedly were the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula novel. At 6,395 yards, short for a championship course nowadays, this par 70 makes every shot count, especially when the wind gets up. The first two holes are steady par 4s then the fun starts. Claypits, the third at 286 yards, encourages you to drive the green but you have to pick the right line over a distant mound. Get it right and everything runs down to the green in a hollow. If you don't get a birdie here, you feel cheated. Bluidy Burn, a 529-yard par 5, can take even the biggest hitters three full-blooded shots with the Burn waiting for those who don't get it quite right. The seventh, Whaupshank, is an intriguing dog-leg uphill, the eighth a short par 4 at only 258 yards to a treacherous green. Then the course seems to step out of character with a sapping climb to what is really a parkland hole. But the climb is worth it. From the 10th tee on the edge of a cliff the view is magnificent and on a clear day you feel that you can drive forever. But beware, the burn awaits that rush of adrenaline. Then comes a variety of holes to please the most demanding golfer, a short tricky par 3, a driveable par 4 with the wind behind, a 550-yard par 5, and then a narrow par 4 with the sea on the right and thick rough on the left and the green in a hole in the ground. The aptly-named 15th, the Blin' Dunt, is a par-3 with your tee shot needing to be drawn through a canyon between a hill and the dunes 239-yards to the green at the base of the dunes. There's a great sense of relief when you emerge from the canyon to find your ball. Cruden Bay also boasts some of the best practice facilities around with a putting green, large pitching green, practice ground, driving nets and a 10-bay driving range plus the nine-hole St Olaf course. The 1999 Open Champion, Paul Lawrie, has been known to practise here.
18 holes, 6,395 yards. Par 70 (SSS 72) Amateur record 67. Pro record 65.
St Olaf course: 9 holes, 5,106 yards (for 18 holes). Par 64 (SSS 65).
Signature hole:
FOURTH (193 yards, par 3) - One of the most challenging as well as one of the most picturesque. Water
and out of bounds on left. The mounds on the right can cause you to underestimate the strength of the
wind and blow off course your long shot to a plateau green.
Welcome. Parties on weekdays only.
£50 per round weekdays; £70 per day. £60 per round weekends. St Olaf: £15
weekdays, £25 weekends.
Full bar and catering facilities in a modern well-appointed clubhouse with panoramic views
over the course.
Trolley hire, pro shop, and splendid practice facilities with putting green, large pitching
green practice ground, driving nets and 10-bay driving range.
Seven miles south of Peterhead, 23 miles north-east of Aberdeen, just off A92.
