Panmure Golf Course

Panmure Golf Club’s traditional charm makes it one of the best old school golf experiences in Scotland.

Panmure is a very traditional yet welcoming club located next door to Carnoustie and, being laid out on similar terrain, offers a similar experience.

It is a mini Carnoustie and a fixture in the ‘Next 100’ of our GB&I ranking – much, much closer to the 101st course in our eyes than 199.

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Panmure is on the exacting side of a challenge without being overtly penal. Helping you put a score together is delightful turf.

It was here Ben Hogan warmed up in privacy for his legendary Open victory at Carnoustie and arguably the course’s finest hole, the 6th, is named after him.

Even if you get a nice drive bouncing over the crumpled fairway, your second (at least a mid-iron for all but the strongest players) is still fraught with danger by virtue of the elevated green being guarded by a sea of gorse and an evil bunker. And then you must deal with a couple of ridges in the green…

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Laid out in more or less an out and back formation, after two modest opening holes it gets going at the dog-leg 3rd and especially the 4th.

The latter has been modified to take into account a caravan park on the right but which still incorporates fabulous humps and bumps in the fairway before you fire towards a pin which stands out against a backdrop of pines.

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The short 5th has a seriously funky green complex while the 6th is one of Angus and indeed Scotland’s finest holes.

After the turn the 12th begins a great stretch with a ‘shute’ fairway. The next is a superb driving hole and the 14th a par-5 birdie chance with the green tucked away among pine trees in the corner.