Carradale Golf Club Course Review

Carradale Golf Club Course Review
GF 9 Holes: £15; Day: £25
Par 65, 4,576 yards
GM Verdict The most engaging, life-affirming and scenic of 9-holers that is more than worth any detour
Favourite Hole The par-4 6th with the beach down on the left and stunning hillside beyond

If ever there was a course that summed up hidden gem in its various different categories and guises, it would be this absolutely charming and unassuming 9-holer located in stunning scenery in Argyll. Run by its members, it is a joyful place to play. Anyone who values scenery and setting should be smitten with Carradale. What this sporty course lacks in length, it more than makes up for in interest, spectacle and sheer joy. There are four par 3s, none of them easy, and five shortish but tricky par 4s. The greens are small, it is beautifully presented, and it will more than reward any effort made to visit.

The course opens with a par 3 played up the hillside. As you leave the tee, you may still be wondering what the fuss is all about. As you reach the green, you will no longer have any doubt.

If you can tear yourself away from the breathtaking views, the second plays down into the valley, over an old drystone wall and up to a wide, shallow green.

There is a choice of tees next making it a brute of a short hole or a genuine birdie chance.

Heading back inland, where the views are equally compelling, the 4th is a short par 4 to a raised green.

The 5th is the mirror opposite of the 4th, and with a completely different backdrop.

This is followed by the signature hole - Pudding Bowl - arguably one of nine signature holes really.

The par-3 7th/16th plays over rocky outcrops down to a green at the southern end of the course.

The final short hole comes at the 8th/17th, but is remarkably different from the front and back tees.

As you head back up the closing drive-and-pitch par 4 to the clubhouse, your main thought is likely to be, “Is the first tee clear and can I go out again now?!”

There is much to be said for 9-hole golf courses. Carradale will never host the Open Championship, the Scottish Open, or even the Argyll Open. However! If there was an Open for courses, and the criteria for success were to include setting, originality, value, views and wow-factor, then Carradale Golf Club would be a contender every time!