GOLF COURSE REVIEW – Blairgowrie, Lansdowne course

Home to 45-holes of inland golf, Blairgowrie Golf Club is one of the best destinations for Scottish golfers.

While it might not carry the same prestigious name as the likes of a St Andrews, Royal Dornoch, or even the neighbouring Gleneagles, the selection of golf on offer means that Blairgowrie should be near the top of your list to visit in Scotland.

In the same way that some might overlook the club itself, the Lansdowne course sometimes doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Thanks to the quality of the Rosemount course that it runs alongside, the Lansdowne will sometimes be seen as the one you might want to gloss over. 

However, if you have the chance to play both, you absolutely should.

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The Lansdowne, as we know it now, has been around since the 1970s and was designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas. Similarly to the Rosemount, you’re going to be navigating firm fairways that are lined by huge trees and clumps of heather.

Don’t expect a carbon copy of the Rosemount, however. In places, the Lansdowne is going to demand even greater accuracy, particularly on a back nine that features several short, tight, par-4s.

It has to be said that the Lansdowne is a course that changes pretty dramatically depending on the tees you decide to play from. Off the medal tees, the course can be a bit of a brute, particularly if you’re not the longest of hitters. From the member tees though, it’s a course where strategy and club choice off the tee is vital, and you probably won’t need driver an awful lot.

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The start, however, from the white tees, is a great chance at a birdie. A dog-leg par-5 (par-4 off the yellows), the first hole is reachable in two, assuming you avoid the cross bunkers on the left side of the fairway. Carry it over them, and you’ll find your ball bounding down a fairway that shapes pretty hard to the left.

Walking to the next tee, you’ll find yourself walking between trees, a theme that will continue for the rest of your day. Both the second, third and fourth are holes where the driver may well stay in the bag, in favour of something that’s more likely to find the short stuff and avoid the pine trees.

In particular, you’ll step on the third tee and see a tight fairway, that is, in reality even tighter. Anything that hits the side of this fairway, and not the dead centre, is probably going to be rejected and end up in the rough.

The first par-3 of the round comes at the fifth. A hole that looks straightforward from the tee is anything but, with a green that slopes pretty severely from back to front. Miss in the wrong place and you’re in for a tricky chip and putt.

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The end of the front nine gives more chances for picking up shots. The eighth is another par-5 that’s reachable in under regulation, and it’s probably easier to go for the green in two than to lay-up. Two bunkers await any shot that comes up 70-100 yards short of the green. If you are going for it though, keep in mind the out of bounds that runs all the way up the left side of the hole.

The back nine demands, you guessed it, accuracy.

The tenth begins a run of holes that, although are not particularly long, can ruin a score that had been built to this point. From the tenth to the 13th, you’re faced with par-4s under 400-yards that can offer up wedges into greens, or pitches out sideways, depending on where your tee shot finishes.

The 13th in particular is a dog-leg left, with a green that is 40-yards long and very, very narrow.

From the medal tees, the 14th and 15th holes are the hardest on the course. Cargill’s Leap, as it’s called, is a par-3 that can play to over 210-yards, and it’s all carry to a green that is guarded by a steep false-front.

The 15th can play nearly 450-yards, and is stroke index one for good reason. There’s certainly no respite on a tee shot that, if it doesn’t find the short grass, could well require a reload. Once you do reach the green, it’s one where a tough pin position can make a hard hole even more difficult. There’s no real side to miss this one on, and it’s a hole that would bolster any other course in the country. A proper test.

If you’ve dropped shots on the 14th and 15th, don’t worry, the closing stretch offers chances to regain them. The 16th is the widest fairway on the course, and if you find it, you’ll have a wedge to a pretty generous green.

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The 17th is the third and final par-5 on the course, and is probably the best. It’s another dog-leg to the left, and is only reachable with two huge hits. You’re going to need to shape it right-to-left twice here, with bunkers lining the right side of the fairway. If you’re planning to play any hole at the Lansdowne as a three-shotter, make it this one.

The final hole is an excellent, and very difficult closer. You’ll probably want to keep the driver in the bag here, and leave yourself near the top of the slope that bisects the hole. From here, you’re playing towards a two-tiered green. Find the wrong portion of it, and you’ll be delighted to get away with a two-putt. Knowing you have this test to finish the round means you’ll not relax until that final putt drops.

Verdict

Simply put: the Lansdowne is excellent. It’s a tough test that sometimes gets overshadowed by the Rosemount, but, as a standalone course, it absolutely holds its own.

For some members, this course is the favoured one, as it requires accurate play over length. Keep your ball on the fairway and you’ll be rewarded with great scoring chances.

The three par-5s here are the highlights. The first, eighth and 17th all offer players chances to make eagle, but a poor shot can easily bring bogey into play too, the way it should be on a par-5.

Likewise, the three par-3s offer good variety throughout the round. The fifth and ninth are short and scoring chances, while the 14th is time to hold on tight. 

All this makes for an extremely enjoyable round, in a stunning setting.

Standout Hole

The 15th, as mentioned above, is the best test on the course. Anyone but the very longest hitters will be hitting a mid-to-long iron or more, into the green here. It’s not wide either. At the landing point of most drives, the fairway narrows and a bunker comes into play on the left. It’s a tough test.

Did you know?

Back in 1889, a match between Old Tom Morris, Sir Alexander MacKenzie, Mr Henry Anderson and Major Peter Chalmers. The three local men played with perhaps the most famous designer of all time in Old Tom, who sank a long putt on the last to win the match.

After, he described the course as “the most beautiful inland green” he had ever seen. High praise. 

And another thing…

The club held Senior Open Qualifying in 2022, with both courses hosting 18-hole qualifying events, before the Senior Open at Gleneagles. 

Green fees

From May to September, a round on the Lansdowne will set you back £90. There’s also twilight rates and shoulder season discounts available.

There’s also the option of getting a day ticket for both 18-hole courses in the summer, which will cost you £170. 

As always, if you’re planning a trip to Perthshire for golf, the best place to go is bunkeredgolfbreaks.com, where you can pair up courses to make the ideal getaway.

Find out more

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