Prestigious Royal Aberdeen Golf Course
Your dream of playing in a pioneering golf course will come true when you tee off at the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. Founded as the Society of Golfers at Aberdeen in 1780, it is the 6th oldest golf course in the world. The Aberdeen Golf Club was built in 1815 and it was awarded the title Royal in 1903.
In 1886 the club moved to Balgownie Links which was two miles away. The course was designed by Archie and Robert Simpson. It was subsequently redesigned by James Braid into what is one of the most natural links in the country.
The 6650 yard, par 72 course is a traditional ‘out and back links’ running along the picturesque North Sea coast. It features sweeping sand dunes and long fairways that offer stunning views of the North Sea. Thanks to the effect of the ever changing wind you will never play the same game twice at Royal Aberdeen. The opening hole heads toward the sea and the next eight are played parallel to the coast. The course then heads back towards the clubhouse. The rest of the holes are at differing higher elevations. The view from the heights of the golf course and the coast is spectacular.
Among the many notable features of the course are the high quality of the opening and closing holes. The individual holes switch direction at regular intervals adding to the challenge and bringing in variety. The course features a fine balance of long and short par 4’s with many strong par 4’s. The par 3’s are a challenge, being quite tricky; and then there are two classic par 5’s. The 8th hole is surrounded by ten bunkers and is the signature hole of the course.
The Royal Aberdeen Golf Course gets increasingly challenging towards the last few holes and the piece de resistance is the final hole. It needs two long shots over a high bank to get it on an elevated green, which has bunkers on either side, to make it home. The wind variations and small screens make the game a challenge for all golfers. You can never tire of playing here.