Murrayshall Feature Review

Review by Golfshake Ambassador Andrew Picken

The two well presented courses at Murrayshall offer up an enjoyable golfing experience. Add to this the incredible views across the Vale of Strathmore and on to the mountains of Highland Perthshire. Don’t forget to add into the mix an excellent, recently refurbished hotel complex with a superb restaurant and brasserie. This package provides you with a recipe for golfing delight.

The Murrayshall Golf Course was opened in 1981 and uses the imposing country house hotel as a backdrop. It is a relaxing and enjoyable course to play with natural contours and tree-lined fairways creating an entertaining parkland layout with several natural burns protecting the large greens.

It has hosted the Paul Lawrie Scottish Schools Championship; both the Murrayshall and Lynedoch courses have hosted PGA events along with SGU National Finals and the Inaugural Scottish leg of the Sky Sports Trilby Tour. As a destination for a great golf break with a group of friends it doesn’t get much better than this.

Pre-Round Thoughts

It has a floodlit 18 bay driving range. Electric Trolleys are available for hire with built in GPS to assist the travelling golfer. This is an ideal base from which to have golfing adventures given that St Andrews, Gleneagles and Carnoustie are all within an easy hour’s drive. The imposing country house was originally built in 1664. It has been a private grand house and even the global headquarters of General Accident. It has changed hands several times but of late has been established as a quality country hotel.

As a visiting golfer please consider a couple of small points.

There are no lifts available to the majority of the rooms in the main building. (Houses with this kind of heritage don’t lend themselves to the installation of lifts!) so lugging golf bags to rooms with cases can be problematic. Ask at reception on arrival as they have secure storage rooms available for your equipment that dispenses with the need to drag or carry club bags to your room. This isn’t an issue with some of the lodge houses as they are easily accessed.

There are two courses at the layout: Murrayshall and Lynedoch. Cleverly the scorecard contains details of both courses. Don’t do as I did by starting to record my round on the wrong card. This led to me being thoroughly confused on the 4th hole, a par 3 only to find on the card it shows as a par 4.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to play the Lynedoch but I viewed some of the holes and it presents as a tighter, shorter course with some superb vistas.

Golf Course Overview

Murrayshall Course Par: 73 Holes: 18 Yards: 6120

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to play the Lynedoch but I viewed some of the holes and it presents as a tighter, shorter course with some superb vistas. Murrayshall was designed by Hamilton J Strutt. With over 120 designs and projects behind him he was able to effortlessly blend the magnificent scenery into the course structure. Hole 6 video

The first par 3. #4 was a 151 yard single shot hole over water. Its name The Pond tells you all you have to know. Water front, bunkers right and left and a tight green that falls away from you all add to a lovely golf hole.

#6 is a 296 yard par 4 known as Thorny Cut. This is illustrated in the video footage. A risk or reward hole with a tree positioned mid fairway.

#7 Dogs Grave is a 356 yard par 4 dog leg right. Look out for the two sculptures of dogs protecting the green complex.

#9 called Devils Elbow is a par 5 471 yards off the white tees.

I would advise you to review and plan this hole back to front. I would recommend a medium iron to the elbow of the hole then try for distance into a tight pinched fairway with the second shot. The green is small and well protected by sand and gradients drawing the ball from the pin. This is an interesting golf hole offering birdie chances to those prepared to take on a difficult shaped tee shot.

#10 Nells Dell 296 yard par 4 PICTURE

#12 Parkside is a 470 yard par 5 from the white tee’s and is an interesting double dog leg, with trees and fairway gradients strategically placed to ensure 3 sweetly struck shots are required for a successful conclusion.

I really enjoyed the closing quartet of holes to this course. Two par 5’s and two par 3’s that offer some great views over the surrounding countryside.

#18 is a cleverly designed par 3 with OOB left and bunkers all around the green complex. Further protection to the green is offered by the elevated green and swales acting as run offs to a less than perfect approach.

Post-round Thoughts

Having visited and thoroughly enjoyed the hotel and restaurants to be found on the site this is definitely recommended as a venue to stay. As a destination for a great golf break with a group of friends it doesn’t get much better than this. The Golfshake rating of 100% recommending a return visit gives the full picture of what this facility has to offer. It is ideally situated to allow other courses to be accessed given its proximity to a number of excellent courses and facilities.

FEATURE CARNOUSTIE COUNTRY - GOLF AND SO MUCH MORE

Verdict/Round-up

My course conditions ratings merely reflected the condition of the fairways due to a recent heavy period of weather. These resulted in soggy fairways and some plugged lies. These type of conditions are abnormal for the time of year I played. The course layout and construction are good and it is set in some fabulous scenery.

Reviewed in April 2018 by Golfshake Ambassador Andrew Picken (Handicap 18)

Overall Rating - 8

Course (Conditions) - 8
Course (Hole Variety/Layout) - 9
Course (Green Condition) - 9
Course (Challenge/Difficulty) - 8
Club facilities & 19th/Clubhouse - 9
Practice Facilities - 8
Friendliness/Hospitality - 10
Pace of Play - 9
Value for Money - 9