Rowallan Castle Golf Club

Anyone every played here? Designed by Monty and has a proper 19th hole. They seem to do a lot of Groupon deals and you can get on for about £25 with a tea or coffee included. I've got a 4 ball booked in for Friday, hoping it is decent.

http://rowallancastle.com

its a good track mate

the first 8 holes are superb. overall its very enjoyable with big greens , big bunkers and wide fairways. i would expect it to be very soft just now.

Good, good. Heard a not so good report that it was nothing like the pictures on the site, very new and a bit dull in fact.

Is it a long track? They don't seem to have a scorecard on the website.

One of my golfing partners played it about 18 months ago.

Desperate..... was the description he used for the course and the staff trying to get you to spend more.

Seemingly there is a large electric pylon in the middle of a fairway.

im not sure how a golf course can be described as desperate? maybe im missing something. its a new course and as such has a lot of maturing to do. there will be flooding in areas at this time of the year im sure but youhave to give these things time. it cost alot of money to get a golf course set up as im sure you know doon.
yes there is a pylon in the middle of the 12th fairway which was due to be moved by a large house building firm when they started a near by site but as the site fell through due to the economic crisis then the pylon stays...or the owner has to foot the bill of somewhere in the region of £120,000.
anyway....watch the uspga most weeks and youll find pylons on some of the very best and most prestigious courses.

it is a long track off the back tees but i doubt you will be playing from them in these conditions. it is worth the £25 and im sure you will enjoy your day.

Lieger

£25 a round says it all, £3 cheaper than the local muni.

I have not played it, just passing on my friends comments.
He did play in the autumn not long after it had opened so I would imagine it was not great.
Takes about ten years for a course to settle down so it should be good by 2020!

Doon the Water wrote:Lieger

£25 a round says it all, £3 cheaper than the local muni.

I have not played it, just passing on my friends comments.
He did play in the autumn not long after it had opened so I would imagine it was not great.
Takes about ten years for a course to settle down so it should be good by 2020!

so by that rule what are we to think of the dukes and the kintyre....free with a second rate golf magazine ?

rowallan is by no means the best course ive played but it is a good deal at £25 inc coffee etc. like i say im sure the boys will have a good day out.

as a side note i see dundonald are doing winter deals again...now that is good course !

I am guessing monty is the designer in name only, does anyone know who the real architect is?

I have heard reports that the site was not suitable for golf and it looks like another gleneagles pga type of layout.

dont know mac , but yes it is a very american type layout...as for not suitable for golf ive played it and enjoyed it all be it during the summer months. greens were superb and it was a welcome break from the links type golf i play all year.

i will be keen to hear how redrage enjoys it.

ive just taken a books in job for the first time in 12 years and the boss is someone who is a member at my club and his company fitted out the clubhouse...and was given founder membership as part of the fee.......ill be looking for afew games this summer !!!

McLaren wrote:I am guessing monty is the designer in name only, does anyone know who the real architect is?

I have heard reports that the site was not suitable for golf and it looks like another gleneagles pga type of layout.

19 holes on a championship course, cup of tea and a bacon roll for <£30. It's great value but I can see why the fees are so heavily reduced. The tees and greens are immaculate, but the fairways and rough are waterlogged, the nearest point of relief was probably in Troon. I can't tell if it is a drainage issue or simply not a suitable plot of land for a course (it did seem like clay soil under foot). It is a real pity as it was a good parkland track, it is quite like the PGA at Gleneagles, big walks between holes. If they can sort out the drainage and get that pylon removed from the 13th I can see it holding a seniors event once it matures.

I ended up 4 over my handicap, but it was a bit of a slog, >6200 yards with a 20-30 mph wind and no run at all on the fairways. I am not too disappointed with my efforts, the bunkers were really well positioned and deep (and I found 6 or 7 of them). If I lived nearby I'd play it again, but it's an hours drive for me and I wouldn't rush back given the condition of the course. The facilities were great and the course would have been quite enjoyable but for the drainage problem.

Lieger

As I said I have not played it.
My response probably due to the amount of dreadful guff that the promotions team said about the course before it opened.
My friend paid £180 to play a pretty average course in poor condition..

From £180 to £25 in two years is some jump.

Totally agree that Dundonald is good.
Disagree that Bunkered is 'second rate'. It is by far the biggest selling mag in Scotland.

Doon the Water wrote:Lieger

My friend paid £180 to play a pretty average course in poor condition..

Your mate is nuts, I cannot think of a course where I would happily pay £180 for a round let alone a brand new course. The full rate is £68 now, I am having difficulty believing your mate paid £180 (that is more than Turnberry and nearly as much as Muirfield)... surely it was for a 4 ball?

Come to think of it his wife paid as a birthday treat, maybe she put a bit aside towards her dress allowence.

i dont think it has ever been 180 quid for a round.

redrage

it is a drainage issue and one that many new courses adopt.....wait and see what we have to do once the course is open ! i had thi same discussion with the pro at slaley hall regarding the preistman course. he told me it is the way they do things now....they put drainage in the places they know for certain it is needed and then carry out an ongoing drainage programe once the course is in play.

im gald you could see beyond the drainage problems and have the vision to see what the course would be like in the drier months.

let me know if you would like a game during the summer and i could arrange something.....thats open to anyone by the way

The par 3s were enjoyable, the 2nd and 8th in particular (not long but tricky greens). I'd love to play it again when it dries out... next summer seems a bit optimistic though haha.

If I stayed in the west coast I'd be tempted to become a member there, £900 no joining fee. My only complaint that they should be in control of, is the menu wasn't up to much. Fine if you just want a hot roll, but it isn't in fitting with the rest of the facilities.