Augusta of The Borders

Most golfers bypass the Borders in search of the great courses of Lothian and Fife. But you will be pleasantly surprised if you slow down and explore the region......

Simply put, The Hirsel course at Coldstream is the Augusta of The Borders. Breathlessly beautiful and pristine, it offers a stern challenge to the accomplished while being sympathetic to the beginner.

Set in rolling woodland with thick shrubbery, fierce rough, water and other hazards in abundance. The current card reads 6111 yards, par 70. Being lush a-tributary of the Tweed runs through it with a high water table the consequence - it plays every inch of its length. Founded in 1948, it is a course of strategic design with a fair margin for error. The fairways are generous, as are the greens, but getting from one to the other calls for more precision than power. Two or three holes demand blind tee shots, and blind second shots as well if the drive is too short or wayward.

On holes shorter than 345 yards, the terrain and holding fairways mean you'll be reaching for a short iron only when your second falls short. Carry the brow of the hill from several tees and you'll get an agreeable kick on. Shades of Augusta!

Added to this cornucopia of golf is a rare setting close to the town of Coldstream, birthplace of the famous Coldstream Guards regiment and part of the Hirsel estate of the Douglas Home family.

The clubhouse offers seven day catering from March to September, so with lunch available you could happily play 36 holes.



	This article was written by Barry Wood in the Golf World magazine under the heading of 'Border Beauties' Most golfers bypass the Borders in search of the great courses of Lothian and Fife. But you will be pleasantly surprised if you slow down and explore the region...... Simply put, The Hirsel course at Coldstream is the Augusta of The Borders. Breathlessly beautiful and pristine, it offers a stern challenge to the accomplished while being sympathetic to the beginner. Set in rolling woodland with thick shrubbery, fierce rough, water and other hazards in abundance. The current card reads 6111 yards, par 70. Being lush a-tributary of the Tweed runs through it with a high water table the consequence - it plays every inch of its length. Founded in 1948, it is a course of strategic design with a fair margin for error. The fairways are generous, as are the greens, but getting from one to the other calls for more precision than power. Two or three holes demand blind tee shots, and blind second shots as well if the drive is too short or wayward. On holes shorter than 345 yards, the terrain and holding fairways mean you'll be reaching for a short iron only when your second falls short. Carry the brow of the hill from several tees and you'll get an agreeable kick on. Shades of Augusta! Added to this cornucopia of golf is a rare setting close to the town of Coldstream, birthplace of the famous Coldstream Guards regiment and part of the Hirsel estate of the Douglas Home family. The clubhouse offers seven day catering from March to September, so with lunch available you could happily play 36 holes. Don't miss it.....


home \| about \| augusta \| committee \| fixtures \| holes \| location \| competition reports \| links \| contact

This article was written by Barry Wood in the Golf World magazine under the heading of 'Border Beauties'