Boat of Garten is not a Championship Course, but simply a lovely local course in a wonderful setting. A gem in the Scottish Highlands.
Course Review
The village of Boat of Garten is located in the highlands of Northern Scotland, on the road less travelled..
In 1898 a golf course was carved out of the thick forests of silver birches, adjacent to the railway and village itself.
James Braid was engaged to take the initial nine holes to a full course.
The locals had long known that the course was something special, but when Tom Doak published his 'Confidential Guide to Golf Courses' all those years ago, and sang its praises, Boat of Garten GC was thrust onto the world stage.
The course is a par 70, measuring 5876 yards from the back tees.
The land is hilly, the fairways often bumby and relatively narrow. Although I found it an easy walk, the holes move up and down significantly, and there are quite a number of blind approach shots, or blind drives, where you must hit over a marker and have faith! A number of the fairways are crowned as well, and a seemingly straight drive ends up well into the rough.
It really is a course where you would benefit enormously from playing more than once as there are surprises around every corner.
Notable Holes
Hole 5 - a short par 4 with an elevated green delightfully surrounded by silver birches
Hole 5
15th Hole - a short par 4, aptly named 'Gulley'
Hole 17 - a mid length par 4 with a delightful green complex.
We had a lovely day. It is a beautiful spot and the course is most enjoyable.
Boat of Garten GC- tight fairways!
And if you stay in the area, dine at Anderson's restaurant.
It is a perfect way to finish the day.
Golf Tours
We can arrange a game at Boat of Garten to be included in your tour of Scotland.
The Travelling Golfer specialises in small group tours and customised self-led tours. We are based in Melbourne Australia and have over 35 years experience organising golf tours to places throughout the world.
Contact us now for a free consultation.
