New Woll Estate Stay And Play Review
Jeremy Ellwood discovers this lovely spot in the Scottish borders
Jeremy Ellwood discovers this lovely spot in the Scottish borders
New Woll Estate Stay And Play Review
Par 70, 6,010 yards
Greenfee: £20-£40 per round
The story of New Woll is a heartwarming one, with the current owners buying the estate almost on a whim in 2001 and gradually developing both course and clubhouse.
The course, which grew from nine to 18 holes as part of that, enjoys a delightful valley setting which reminded me of Sedbergh in Cumbria.
The opener doglefts sharply left over a free-flowing river, while the 4th - the longest hole - tees off from an elevated perch looking out towards the distant moors as you head to the furthest point.
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There are some splendid holes around the turn, including the testing 10th flanked by a dyke on the right, and the run for home from the 14th is strong.
The 15th is a well-bunkered, self-contained uphill one-shotter, while the magnificent par-4 16th serves up an inviting tee-shot down to a fairway that sweeps to the right late on.
Also play... The James Braid Course at Hawick (hawickgolfclub.com) enjoys an elevated setting and offers up some glorious views.
Accomodation
There are six lovely four-star self-catering properties at New Woll looking out over the golf course, some very close to that elevated 16th tee.
All the properties feature spacious living areas with open-plan lounges, real oak-wood floors and natural stone feature walls and fireplaces.
There are beautiful grounds to explore and all the properties are just a short drive or stroll from the excellent clubhouse, where the Woll restaurant and bar serves excellent-quality food that attracts many non-golfing visitors, as well as golfers.
The clubhouse is spacious and airy and looks out over the opening and closing holes.
The story of New Woll is a real feel-good one and perhaps best of all, golf is free throughout the course of your stay.
Where else... The Borders Abbeys Way is a circular walk split into five sections, taking in four abbeys and seven Borders towns (bordersabbeysway.com).
Best Deal
Three nights self-catering breaks in the summer cost £669 per property for up to four people, with all golf free throughout.
Low-season prices start from £415 per property for three nights.
Where
The New Woll Estate lies in the Ale Valley just off the A7 in the village of Ashkirk, halfway between Selkirk and Hawick in the Scottish borders.
Checklist
Buggy hire: £22 per round
Trolley hire: £3 per round
Power trolley hire: N/A
Club hire: £6/£9 per round/day
Driving range: No (but one half a mile away)
Putting green: Yes
Short-game area: Yes
Pro shop: Small shop at reception
Changing rooms: Yes
Sky TV: No
Price of a pint: From £3.60
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Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.
Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is currently playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft
3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft
Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft
Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Putter: Kramski HPP 325
Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)
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