by Kenneth Imrie

The wettest place in Scotland with a water table way higher than ground level (supporting information not supplied) may not seem the best place to build a golf course but, with the course up the road voted Scotland's No.1 and hosting the Scottish Open, it has already been proved that brilliance can be achieved on the Bonnie, Bonnie Banks.  

This wasn't our first outing to The Carrick. The first one was rained-off! Of the original 4-ball only three remained, the fourth refusing to travel from Chicago to Scotland for another soaking, which is fair enough. The Shadow was drafted in to reunite the winning partnership with yours truly (think Garcia and Westwood) against Team Baldy, Jamesy and The Boy O (think two young guys with receding hairlines - stress apparently).  

What a day we got for it, sun splitting the sky, foreheads and heli-pads burnt to a crisp, Team Baldy getting a right good seeing too, and a great course to chop our way round. Condition wise it is great for a young course, greens are nice and fairways are good without being lush carpets that make life too easy.  

Being generally misguided in life we chose to play from the pro tees and as expected it was long, but not long and tough which suited us a lot. The bunkering is good with the positioning and shaping not following the trend for rustic, fescue edges, which helps to create the Carrick's own look and feel. Yet it is still a young course and will continue to mature, developing more character and appeal as it does, and you can actually get a game here - not like up the road!

Contact: -
Carrick (The), Cameron House, Loch Lomond , Argyll , Scotland , G83 8QZ

T: 01389 755 565
W: De-Vere Golf - Click for Website
E: golf@devere.co.uk

Greenfees: -
Approx. £100