A round with...Michael Buchan

A jewell in the crown of Links Golf

At the northern edge of the city of Aberdeen, just across the River Don, sits the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. Located at the start of a majestic run of pure links land stretching as far north as the River Ythan estuary and along the Sands of Forvie to the tiny fishing village of Collieston. Just around the cliff edges lies Cruden Bay.

This epic coastline is home to several pure and classic links courses such as Murcar Golf Club, Trump International Golf Links and, the lesser known but very enjoyable, Newburgh on Ythan Golf Club.

Royal Aberdeen was founded in 1780 and is believed to be the sixth oldest golf club in the world. It began life as the ‘Society of Golfers at Aberdeen’ and evolved to become the Aberdeen Golf Club in 1815.

This impressive Links course is closely associated with the origins of golf. The earliest reference to a golf hole in Scotland was made in the local Aberdeen records dating right back to 1625. The location of the hole is believed to have been on the Queens Links area of Aberdeen.

In 1676 play was expanded over the Kings Links area to the north, which today is home to three Aberdeen Golf Clubs – The Caledonian Golf Club, The Bon-Accord Gold Club and The Northern Golf Club.

In 1888 Aberdeen Golf Club moved to its present location at Balgownie Links on the northern side of the River Don estuary.

Some 15 years later, in 1903, when the club gained the patronage of King Edward VII it changed its name to the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.

The course, originally designed by revered architects Archie Simpson and Robert Simpson, was later re-bunkered and lengthened to its current layout by James Braid in the very early 20th century.

Since its expansion the club has hosted many top level golf tournaments, both amateur and professional, including the European Tour Scottish Open in 2014, The Men’s Senior Open Championship in 2005 and The Walker Cup Matches in 2011.

The course is something of two halves. The front nine along the shore of the North Sea navigates some natural dune formations and has been hailed as one of the finest in links golf anywhere in the world.

The inland nine is flatter but equally challenging with undulating fairways and tricky bunkers.

The course has an excellent balance of holes including some strong par 4's, precarious par 3's and two excellent par 5’s. The superb 147-yard signature eighth hole is protected by no less than nine bunkers.

Exposed to the vagaries of the prevailing sea breezes that whip long the coast and around the tight rolling fairways and protected greens makes for an enjoyable challenge for any golfer looking to test themselves on the Balgownie Links. Indeed, such is the stimulation provided by the combination of design and nature that the course was highly praised by participants in the 2005 Senior Open Championship.

"There are few courses in these islands with a better, more testing, more picturesque outward nine than Balgownie,” said Sam McKinlay, the eminent Scottish golf writer on his experiences at Royal Aberdeen.

In addition to Balgownie Royal Aberdeen can boast The Silverburn. At 4,021 yards long this par of 64 course is traditionally used by the Aberdeen Ladies Golf Club, who have their own clubhouse situated just across from the main Royal Aberdeen Clubhouse.

It is also used as a practice range when Royal Aberdeen hosts top level tournaments - and there have been many over the years, including the Scottish Amateur, which Aberdeen has hosted seven times; the Jacques Leglise Trophy; the 2005 Senior British Open Championship; the 2011 Walker Cup and the Scottish Open on the European Tour.

Royal Aberdeen stands comfortably alongside the greats of Scottish Links. It is definitely a bucket list course for the golf purist and a ‘must play’ destination for visitors to the North East of Scotland.

*Michael Buchan is one of the founding directors of Buchan & Byers Golf Tours Ltd

Fact box:

Location: Balgownie Links, Aberdeen; Year Established: 1780 with a change of name in 1888; Length: 6,861 yards; Par: 71; Signature Hole: 8th; Course Record: 64; Best Played: Summer/Autumn