Interview with Blair Cross, Dumbarnie Links

What’s your signature hole and why? 
That's a tough question, and I get asked this a lot from visiting golfers. We are so lucky and have many to choose from, but I always come back to our 17th hole. A short drivable par 4 with real risk and reward strategy to consider, including the existing stone wall running across the hole! Its position within the golf course so near the end of the round, means the outcome of a match could hinge on how you play this memorable hole.

Can you share any tips and tricks on how to play the course?
Again, we get asked this a lot by golfers visiting us for the first time. My advice would be to take the course on, and focus on driving the ball  well. If you can get off the tee with the driver onto our generous fairways, the golf course will offer you the chance to hit some fun shots and hopefully make some birdies and tap-in pars.

What is the lowest round ever recorded?
In a tournament, that would be a 63 by John Henry, back in 2020 the year we opened. This is a very impressive round, and I remember the day well. John played from the black tees measuring over 7,000 yards, and there was at least a 2 club wind blowing. Such an impressive score, and the really amazing thing...John finished the round with a double bogey on the 18th hole! His 63 could have been even lower!   From our BLUE Tees, 1999 Open Champion, Paul Lawrie recorded a 63 also.

Are there any Hole in Ones recorded?
We have kept a record since we opened, and its about 12 every season. We celebrate the holes in 1 with a bottle of whisky and pin flag for each lucky golfer who gets one! 

Can you tell us a little about the course history and design ethos?
The course has been a long time in the making, and golf has been played on this land previously. But Dumbarnie Links was shaped and built in 2018, growing in period throughout 2019, and then the first tee shot was struck on the official opening day on 29th of May 2020. On its opening, Dumbarnie became only the 247th 'true links' course in the world, which our visiting golfers love. Clive Clark is the course designer, and his ethos is very much around golfers enjoying his courses and their round of golf, rather than feeling too beat up by the experience!. Hence the risk and reward short par 4's, which have proved so popular with our golfers so far!