Gleneagles

I've been invited to play the PGA Centenary course in a couple of weeks (FOC!). Anyone played it recently? What should I expect (apart from it being cold and wet probably)? How many balls will I lose?

Only played it once and enjoyed it but thought it was a bit of a walk....

I played it a few weeks ago. It's ok, better than a lot of the newer courses.

I'd much rather play the Kings or Queens courses though. They are more interesting, more playable for players who can't hit it 300 yards, and such a delight to play.

Haven't played it since the Nicklaus revamp but I still wouldn't be tempted to play it again. I just don't like Nicklaus-designed courses. It's also a slog.

King's and Queen's everytime.

Good point about the new(Nicklaus) designs being a slog.Carden park nr chester hell of a long walk/buggy ride.Much prefer the old designs comfortable walk where you can drop the bag by the next tee and stroll to the green with putter.Green to tee nice and compact.No wondering where to go next.
A lot of the new stuff is based around other development TBF

I guess it's the way the world is nowadays, but every new course seems to need to be "a championship course", built over an enormous piece of land with huge walks from green to the next tee.

When James Braid built the Kings and Queens courses, he did it all in two years, with 20 men and a couple of horses brought back from WWI.

No doubt plenty of people will see the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, be inspired to try golf and splash the cash to have a round on the Nicklaus course (and find it too hard and long).

Just like Jordan's chest, less is usually much more.

Cheers guys - you don't get inside track like that from the website

I'm reasonably straight and long (fnar), but I'm also not a martyr, so hopefully nobody will suggest playing it off the very back sticks.

Have a timeshare week at Gleneagles, but didn't play the PGA this summer (too wet and too busy), so haven't played it since the recent changes ... which I think were mainly to the long 9th and 18th. Mates played it in Sept though and really enjoyed it.

Have played it a few times and I like it, although I agree it's a bit of a slog compared to the Kings and Queens. Have played it on foot and with buggies. I nearly always prefer to walk, but there are some very long hikes from greens to tees! Has some really spectacular holes. You'll enjoy it I'm sure ... especially FOC!

So played it on Friday....

1. Rained for the first few holes, but dried up (overhead) and was fine weather wise with a stiffish breeze
2. It was pretty sodden underfoot, with zero run on the fairways.
3. We played if from the middle tees (actually they only had one set of tees in operation and sometimes they were at the green tee box and sometimes the white.. even though they were always marked as yellow).
4. I walked and carried my clubs,(as I always do) and it wasn't that much of a slog.
5. You are much nearer the main roads in places than is apparent from TV
6. The greens had been recently hallotined (sp?) but were dry, firmish and true thanks to the sub-air system (which was quite noisy on a couple of holes).
7. I shot 35 points, with 20 on the back including two birdies (11th and 17th).
8. Overall it was a good test and very enjoyable, but I would have thought that without "tricking it up", in dry conditions it would not be that hard.

Looks like I'm getting to go back in the better weather and have another go.