Kingussie GC
Day three of my unbelievable #hiddengemroadtrip was absolutely sensational. After an extraordinarily well-deserved good sleep and a fantastic breakfast at the wonderful Jessie Mac`s I had just a one hour drive to reach a course I hadn’t heard anything about. But Kingussie Golf Club definitely earns its title as ‘a Hidden Gem’.
For me, Scotland’s most attractive landscape is the Highlands. To play a course situated here since 1890 made it even more special. Kingussie is surrounded by breath-taking scenery including the gentle sounds of wildlife and the River Gynack. Similar to Crieff and Pitlochry the clubhouse is once more really an amazing building.
What a welcoming sight! Just next to the clubhouse is the first tee, a bizarre long par 3 named ‘Creag Beag’. If you walk off the green with par you can pat yourself on the back! A tough opener. The next three holes are a fantastic representation of what Kingussie is all about, beautiful views, great air, many difficult and narrow shots and for me a lot of up and downs.
No.6, ‘Shepherd`s Hut’, was actually my favourite hole at Kingussie, With just 325 yards from the white tees you don’t need to hit a driver. This happens a lot in Scotland. It’s not just about letting it ‘rip’. I decided to hit a 4 iron and my ball ended up in the second cut on the right side of the fairway. From here I had the perfect angle to attack the very narrow and tiny green.
This was my first par of the day and a good emotional boost for the next three stunning holes. From the tee box of No.7, a short downhill par 3, you have a tremendous view over the whole course and the whole area.
No.8 is called ‘Punch Bowl’. Again a par 3 with a blind shot to a high elevated green. This part of Kingussie is close to perfection.
With its deceptive elevated tee, ‘Tromie’ is a long, 426 yard par 4. Hitting the driver causes trouble because your ball will probably end up in the small creek, which is crossing the fairway. Hitting it short makes reaching the green with the second almost impossible.
Again, number 10 is amazing. A true beauty par 3 named ‘Eyrie’. I was on fire at this stage and played almost all of them as a par.
Kingussie was such an unexpected beauty. Every hole is different and demands a huge variety of iron shots. The narrow fairways do not allow any mistakes from the tee. The greens were good, well, I want to know how fast they are during high season!!!!!
I really would love to play here again in the summer. In summary, Kingussie is an absolute top course that should be on your list of gems.