Are you looking for a unique, characterful and historic golfing experience on the east coast of Scotland?
Forfar Golf Club is one of the country’s most important venues so make sure not to miss it when planning your golf trip around Carnoustie and some of the east coast’s other famous clubs.
Forfar is a course like no other, standing both as the best example of rig and furrow architecture anywhere in the world, and as the sport’s first 18-hole course at inception, two reasons which make it a must-play for any golfer looking for a challenging and historic test.
As far back as the 12th century, the land was shaped by Augustinian Canons based in nearby Restenneth Priory.
Their early agricultural methods carved deep ridges and furrows into the soil, creating lies and angles that have endured for more than 900 years, and which could never be truly recreated today. Centuries later, golf was to inherit this remarkable landscape.
Four-time Open champion Old Tom Morris laid out the course in 1871, the first to be conceived of as an 18-hole test from the beginning.
Where other courses were extended or reduced to the now-standard 18, Forfar claims the honour of being the world’s first 18-hole course at the point of design. Morris deliberately chose to simply reveal the golfing character of the land, using the existing contours to craft a course of imagination, variety, and strategic brilliance.
In 1926, five-time Open champion and renowned architect James Braid sharpened the test at Forfar further, through his unmistakable bold and thoughtful bunkering strategy.
The 15th hole, named ‘Braid’s Best’ after the great man’s assessment of his own work, is the signature hole at Forfar, and is to this day the standout among his many revisions.
Much of the work of these two great architects remains today exactly as it was envisioned, making Forfar one of the most well-preserved Victorian golf courses in the world.
The course plays to a par of 69 over a layout carved through 80 acres of wooded estate, with fairways flanked by Scots pine, heathland heather, gorse, whin and broom. Despite sitting inland, the distinctive undulations of the land create a naturally firm, running, links-like character that no modern architect could ever truly recreate.
Today, Forfar attracts golfers seeking out a singular challenge, and a chance to take on this wild and exhilarating landscape.
For visitors basing their itinerary around Carnoustie or planning a tour of Scotland’s east coast courses, Forfar is simply unmissable – a once-in-a-lifetime walk through golfing history, where you come face to face with Morris’ design, Braid’s enhancements, and the legacy of medieval monks.
Green fees cost £135 per round, with a special rate for Scottish Golf Members, who can take advantage of the special £75 per round rate.
As well as the clubhouse lounge, there is a restaurant situated within the restaurant named Rig & Furrow, which is open 7 days a week serving elevated clubhouse classics, an a la carte evening menu, and a special Sunday roast menu. It is available for visitor group bookings.
For more, visit the Forfar Golf Club website