About the course
The Blairgowrie Golf Club lies at Rosemount, just south of the town of Blairgowrie in Perthshire, at the foot of the Grampian hills. It offers 45 holes in all: two 18-hole courses, the Rosemount and the Lansdowne, and a nine-hole course known as the Wee. The ground is sandy and free-draining, covered with heather and broom and enclosed by mature woodland, giving the golf the firm feel of heathland.
The club was founded in 1889, and its first nine holes are attributed to Old Tom Morris. Alister MacKenzie extended the Rosemount course in the 1920s, and James Braid reworked and lengthened it in the 1930s, giving it much of its present shape. The Lansdowne was added in 1979 to a design by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas. Greg Norman won the 1977 Martini International on the Rosemount, his first victory in Europe.
The Rosemount is a course of gentle movement rather than steep slopes, and its fairways turn this way and that through the woodland, so positioning the drive on the correct side opens up the green. The fairways are reasonably wide, but heather lines their edges and a drive that strays often leaves a chip out sideways. Bunkers are placed with care around the greens rather than in great numbers, and the putting surfaces are smooth and subtly contoured. Because the course is sheltered, the weather changes the strategy far less than on the coast, and good iron play is the key to scoring.
Why we recommend it
Blairgowrie is the place to go when you want a break from the wind and the sea. The Rosemount course runs through pine and silver birch on firm, sandy heathland, with each hole framed by trees, while the Lansdowne is the tighter and tougher partner and the nine-hole Wee course is ideal for a relaxed evening. North of Perth and about an hour from St Andrews, it fits well into a Perthshire or Gleneagles itinerary.
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| Ranking Scotland | 35 |
| Architect | Alister MacKenzie |
| Year of foundation | 1889 |
| Par Course | 72 |
| Number of holes | 45 |