Dragons Tooth

9 hole course, Ballachulish

near Glencoe

The Dragon’s Tooth Golf Course by Brian Wickes, USA.

It was June 2007, the weather was great, the scenery fantastic at the Dragon’s Tooth Golf Course. I had the pleasure of golfing this relatively new 9 hole course.  I didn’t know what to expect in Scotland’s home of Golf. Well let me give you a few hole by hole descriptions.  Lets start at the beginning… the 1st hole, a very nice slightly up hill par 4 fairly unassuming fairway tree out about 200 yds. just on the left side of fairway with a slightly elevated green. This was a great hole to start your day and I was thinking this isn’t that hard.

Now for the 2nd hole an interesting 185 yds par 3 with a very slight dog leg to the right.  The green is on the wee side framed by mature trees at the approach about 170 yds. from the tee.  This is where it started to get interesting. I found the rough.  There is a reason why the Scots name it “the rough”. I have a new respect for what the rough really is. I was out in two and on the green. Well, I thought this still isn’t that bad so on to three we went. 

Three was a challenging par 4 with a slight 30 ft drop off at the final 50 yds to the green. This is where we got our first taste with what the Scots call “pot bunkers”. They have quite a sense of humor where they locate them, too.  I was the lucky one and watched my golfing partner (a native Scotsman with an 11 handicap) try to get out of one.  Can’t remember how many strokes it took but, lets just say I won that hole which is hard to do with my laughing so hard at his antics.  This was pretty much the way things went for the next few holes. I will say it was hard to concentrate with absolutely incredible views in every direction.  I was just enjoying the experience of the day on a course that was in near perfect condition. 

Now for the 8th hole which must have special mention. It’s a par 5, 474 yds down hill. Sounds normal right, well when you throw in at 425 yds a 90+ degree dog leg to the right behind mature trees and you can’t see that the green is protected by those dreaded bunkers not just one on both sides but across the whole front!  To make matters worse on the backside a twenty foot drop to a stream.  Are we starting to see the humor yet?  On the ninth a 198 yds par 3, at 40 yds from the tee a 15 yds opening framed by mature trees.  This is what wrapped up the game. 

 

 

Ballachulish House Golf Course was completed in 2001. It is a challenging 5038 yard, par 68/65 course, with spectacular views to Loch Linnhe and the Munros to the north. The course is home to several local golf clubs such as the Ballachulish Golf Club, the Dragonstooth Golf Club and Leven Ladies. Although BHGC is a membership course, mcleanscotland can obtain tee times for you.

The day the lads played here was a beautiful sunny day, as you can see.  the only problem was; Paul was wearing a kilt and the midgies came out looking for him, ouch!

Overall this is a great course, exciting, challenging and in great shape. The views are outstanding and I would go out of my way to play The Dragon’s Tooth again. I would recommend anyone of any ability to play this course. Leave your driver in the bag and enjoy this course for what it is.

Brian is shown on the left here