Panmure Golf Club, Scotland

STANDING THE TEST OF TIME

Panmure Golf Club is a golf club close to the village of Barry in Angus, Scotland. Situated between the Courses of Monifieth and Carnoustie on the east coast of Scotland this James Braid influenced Golf Course is approximately 8 miles from Dundee 20 miles from St Andrews and within easy travelling distance of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.

Panmure is the sixteenth oldest golf club in the world dating back to 1845, and is one of the 26 clubs that originally helped purchase the Amateur Championship trophy first played for in 1885.

When the club first opened, in 1845, it was only a nine holes course which was laid by Robertson and Pires of St Andrews in the area of Monifieth. This was later extended to 18 holes in 1880. The Panmure Golf Club was then shifted to its present location at Barry in 1899. Today Panmure Golf Club is a traditional links course that is situated adjacent to the world-famous Carnoustie Championship Links and the Monifieth Golf Course. The eighteen-hole course was later modified and extended under guidance of James Braid in 1922. Interestingly, Panmure Golf Club is also one of the founders of the British Amateur Championship in 1885.

Although Panmure is a links course, it has some unusual features. The course is a mile or more from the sea, and many holes have beautiful trees which rarely come into play but create an unusual backdrop to the rolling links holes. The first and last three holes are fairly flat although still interesting, but the middle twelve holes are classic links holes. This is because the clubhouse had to be built near to a railway station, and the first and last three holes were needed to get to the land where the course was originally going to be built. It is also not a very long course at 6511 yards from the championship tees, but it proved to be the hardest final qualifying course for the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie. This is due to the well-known Barry rough that surrounds every fairway, making accuracy from the tee essential. Visitors should not be deceived by its length of 6,360 yards. The course occupies only 115 acres, most of which is rough, whins or trees. There are 83 bunkers, 81 of them being spread between 15 holes.

Ben Hogan spent two weeks on the links prior to the Open at Carnoustie in 1953, getting used to the terrain and tight lies and the 1.62 inch ball. It is even reported he cut the 17th green to his specification and returned the cleaned mower to the head greenkeeper! He went on to win the Open by four shots, creating a course record with a 68 in the final round.

Panmure combines the best elements of links and heath, with tight fairways, challenging carries and compact, undulating greens. Old Scots pines and sandhills forged by nature give the terrain an enduring quality in keeping with the Club’s long history. Hallmarks such as the ‘Hogan’ hole (the sixth) and the Buddon Burn (the twelfth) combine to give you a round of golf to remember. There are many fine holes on this course with the 12th being another memorable challenge, a twisting burn guarding the green’s approach.

As you would expect, Panmure has hosted innumerable important events including the British Seniors Amateur Championship and the Scottish Strokeplay of 1997. Panmure is also a final qualifying venue for the Open Championship for St Andrews and for Carnoustie and this year are set to host the qualifying event for both the Open Championship and The Senior Open Championship.

A warm welcome awaits in the elegant, old world clubhouse with its timeless yet comfortable ambience. Spread over three rooms, each with its own unique charm, the bar and dining areas have something to suit all tastes and requirements.

One of the welcomes will be from Head Pro, Andrew Crerar who has over 30 years experience as a Golf Professional and served a two year spell as Captain of the PGA in Scotland during 2011/12.

If you are interested in becoming a member, there is no better time as for a short promotional period there is no joining fee, so this is the ideal time to join us at this fine old course. An incentive scheme is also in operation with 20% off 1st year, and 10% off 2nd year membership fees. International Membership is on offer from as little as £200.00.

Find out more about one of the oldest golf clubs in the World, visit the website: http://www.panmuregolfclub.co.uk

Panmure Golf Club features in Issue 40 of Destination Golf Global Golf Guide, to view the full edition click here: https://www.destinationgolf.travel/issue40/