Course condition Hotline
01651 873291.
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Golf has been played on Oldmeldrum's undulating parkland for more than 120 years. The course has been expanded and improved over time so that, today, it overlooks the village and provides panoramas of some of Scotland 's loveliest countryside, from the Grampian Mountains in the west to the North Sea coast in the east. For golfers, there are few more breathtaking sights - in summer or winter - than the distant, majestic, eastern flank of Bennachie, as you send a drive straight towards it from Oldmeldrum's elevated 6 th tee.
A par 70 course, Oldmeldrum currently is just under 6,000 yards in length. Its fairways, greens and areas of rough, complete with two significant ponds and some lurking watercourses , are enormously varied.
Some fairways are flat, others slope right or left along nearly their entire length. Some traverse deep gullies which can take an errant shot straight to where its author doesn't want to be. Some are forgivingly wide; some less so. All are delineated in one way or another by trees, shrubbery, rough or out of bounds places that lie there just waiting to punish a sliced or hooked shot.
Look out on the 14 th fairway for the Groaner, or Groaning Stone, a large projection of ancient rock which inspired the club's logo. If struck by a wayward shot, it can cost strokes by deflecting a speeding ball straight into oblivion.
Oldmeldrum's bunkers appear more benign than they are; some present even the most accomplished player with a severe test of sand wedge technique and as the course improves and develops, the traps become ever more of a challenge.
The greens are a delight. Their quality is acknowledged nationally by players and professional green keepers alike, many of whom visit the club to learn the secrets of its wonderful putting surfaces. However, don't make the mistake of thinking the greens are easy; they're not. Beauties they may be, but they're small, tricky and complete beasts if not respected and played as the subtle challenges they are .
PRACTICE GROUND AND DRIVING RANGE
Oldmeldrum Golf Club operates the only publicly-accessible golf practice facilities in the area. These comprise a driving range with 10 covered bays, distance markers and a chipping and pitching area. The facilities are floodlit making them available for tuition, practice and target competitions during the hours of darkness. User packages, ranging from a single basket of practice balls to an annual membership with unlimited access during opening hours and balls, are available from the Pro Shop on the ground floor of the main club house.
Course Description....
For much of its long life Oldmeldrum was a nine-hole course. However, between 1987 and 1989 it was extended to 18 holes and so developed that, today, it presents a varied and challenging test to golfers of all skills levels.
A par 70 course measuring just under 6,000 yards, Oldmeldrum requires accurate play off its tees and a good, controlled short game on the approaches to its small, tricky greens. That said, the course has few hidden hazards. For the most part, what you see is what you have to conquer.
The first and last holes, both slight doglegs, are more testing than they appear. Each is a par four and any player who starts and finishes on par can be well satisfied.
The par three 11 th hole appears more intimidating than it is. However, it does require a clean tee shot over two bodies of water so, if you duff your drive, you're likely to be dropping a ball alongside one of the ponds.
Other feature holes - with measurements given from the medal tees - to look out for include .
- Rigs : the 518-yard, par 5 2 nd with its tricky out-of-bounds area on the right
- Blin' Dunt : the 415-yard, par 4 4 th with its largely invisible fairway which slopes steeply from right to left
- Gushet Neuk : the 297-yard, par 4 5 th with its hidden gulley lurking just before the large green that it shares with
the 10 th
- Stoothies : the 501-yard, par 5 6 th whose stunning views towards Bennachie and the mountains of west Aberdeenshire can draw your eye from the long fairway which slopes steeply from right to left into some very unfriendly rough.
- The Poplars : the short, 151-yard uphill par 3 7 th which tempts you to overshoot the green or bounce into one of the bunkers guarding the right and left approaches.
- The Prop : a 410-yards, par 4 dogleg to the left with its temptation to risk an out-of-bounds disaster by attempting to cut the corner with a drive across the practice area on the left.
- Bennachie : the 423-yard, par 4 9 th whose dogleg to the right can take you swiftly out of bounds into the 8 th fairway.
- Plateau : the 466-yard, Par 4 10 th with its hidden, deep gully guarding an elevated green.
- Groaner : the 295-yard, par 4 14 th , a dogleg to the right where lie a ditch, thick rough and lots of trees to trap the unwary. On the left, before the green and within driving range, is the Groaning Stone complete with large sand trap.
- The Laird : the 310-yard, par 4 16 th whose green, once you safely negotiate its two guardian bunkers, probably is the most challenging of the entire course.
- Amen Corner : the 325-yard, par 4 18 th with its green invisible from the tee behind a dogleg to the left. The brave can attempt to fly a tee shot over the bend and an enclosed water reservoir, but beware the out-of-bounds area and the thick trees on the left.
As golf courses go, Oldmeldrum is not overly long. Nor is it a pushover; even scratch golfers will find that below-par scores are pretty rare. On the other hand, handicap golfers will not find it at all intimidating and will be able to enjoy their game.
