Spey Bay Golf Club
3.9
15 reviews
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Price Guide: £££ | HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Course Information
Spey Bay Golf Club, Highlands is an 18 hole, par 70 (6219 yard) private links golf course designed by Ben Sayers in 1907.
18 holes | Par 70 | 6219 yards | Private | Links
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Address: Spey Bay, Fochabers, Highlands, IV32 7PJ United Kingdom
Tel: 01343 820424
Website: http://www.speybay.co/
Golf Club Facilities
Clubhouse
Bar
Dining
Midweek Guide: £20.00 per round *
Weekend Guide: £25.00 per round *
* Any prices shown are guide prices, please confirm with the course prior to booking.
Tee Time Information
Midweek Guide: £20.00 per round *
Weekend Guide: £25.00 per round *
* Any prices shown are guide prices, please confirm with the course prior to booking.
Review Information
GOLFSHAKE RATING
3.93
AVERAGE RATING 4.1
(based on 15 reviews)
5 star
4
4 star
9
3 star
2
2 star
0
1 star
0
HIGHLY RATED
100%
would play again or recommend
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What the club says: Spey Bay Golf Club is a stunning, undulating links course with a long beach on one side. Gorse and heather line the fairways whilst the beach provides a backdrop to some holes. The course is a links type course with a par of 70. The‘signature’ hole is the 8th (138yds) which is played from a raised tee to a very shallow, raised green.
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Reviews for Spey Bay Golf Club
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The golf courses reviews are the personal opinions of members of Golfshake who completed a review after playing the course. These opinions do not necessarily represent the views of Golfshake.com
Kenny M rated 3 out of 5
Reviewed Jun 17 2021
Nice course great views but greens terrible condition
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Boabie rated 3 out of 5
Reviewed May 22 2018
Played on 17th May 2018 for 2 rounds. The weather was calm and hot but still the course played well and the greens were in superb condition. Loved trying to use the undulation of the fairways to run the ball in. Each hole hadits own challenge: length, traps, gorse, greens, undulation etc.
We had lunch which was a wonderful Malaysian chicken curry. The clubhouse was in use for a birthday party and children were too noisy with little or no adult attention or consideration for others in the room for which I mark down the friendliness rating.
We allowed some singletons to play through in the PM round but this had little or no affect on our pace of play. The course is a bit out of the way and shows a vast improvement since my initial 1998 visit when the run down hotel was still in place. There seems little or no evidence of the website being kept up to date.
I judge the value of a midweek day (2 rounds) golf to be 3% of the annual membership the fee charged I believe we paid slightly more than this.
We had lunch which was a wonderful Malaysian chicken curry. The clubhouse was in use for a birthday party and children were too noisy with little or no adult attention or consideration for others in the room for which I mark down the friendliness rating.
We allowed some singletons to play through in the PM round but this had little or no affect on our pace of play. The course is a bit out of the way and shows a vast improvement since my initial 1998 visit when the run down hotel was still in place. There seems little or no evidence of the website being kept up to date.
I judge the value of a midweek day (2 rounds) golf to be 3% of the annual membership the fee charged I believe we paid slightly more than this.
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Kevin a J rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Aug 10 2017
a great links course great day out, let down by not having no food available,and the staff don't seem very welcoming.
(Round played: Aug 2017 - Score: 98 Handicap: 22.2)
(Round played: Aug 2017 - Score: 98 Handicap: 22.2)
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John G rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Jan 13 2014
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Martin Cameron rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed Apr 9 2013
A Review of Spey Bay Golf Course - April 2013.
The true appreciation of a golf course should only be judged on the experience of your journey from the 1st tee to the 18th green and with all due respect, the rest is just cake decoration.
In Spey Bay’s case this is a wonderful journey. The undulating firm fescue fairways with gorse and heather in abundance and views over the Moray Firth, all play their part in this “sleeping beauty” of a classic natural links.
The layout resembles the Old Course at St Andrews with seven holes out, the loop, and then seven back in. Yes it’s short and now reduced to a par 70 with small greens but rarely does it enjoy a calm day, which ensures that the skills you acquire playing here will stand you in good stead to play anywhere.
The course opens with three par 4’s which introduce you to the one of Spey Bays best features, the fescue clad shingle banks which you must plot your way across. The long 1st hole at 427 yards affords the luxury of a wide open drive which then leads you down to the green and enthusiasts of fine links turf will already be appreciating what awaits them. Holes two and three are shorter but full of character, aim for the Bin Hill in the distance and you’ll be fine, the only downside is that they are possibly too tight for their position on the score card. For reasons that will become very clear I’ll comment on the 4th 6th 12th and 13th later. The 5th, stroke index 1, which says it all, has a much more open drive than in years gone by but with a very undulating fairway and approach to the small green can prove very tricky with a long iron, the layout is more typically suited to a par 5. The 7th offers you a wide open drive, the first for a while and there is an interesting slope leading onto the green that can catch you out. In the summer this dries out and can insure that your next shot is from the gully at the back of the green. Some would arguably call the 8th the signature hole at Spey Bay, when you experience the 138 yard par 3 named Plateau the only advice I can give you here is keep your head down on your second shot. Signature hole or not you will not forget it. The 2nd hole at Royal Dornoch is tricky but nothing compared to Spey Bay’s 8th. Onto the 9th which comes with a change in direction heading back to the clubhouse, a short par 5 aptly named the Valley with out-of-bounds on the left and gorse on the right. On the card it looks like a birdie chance, but be glad of a five and walk to the 10th tee adding up your first nine, anything under forty and you’re doing well.
The 10th completes the loop and then the tricky 11th, so typical of the shorter par 4s at Spey Bay, on the card it appears simple but treated it with a lack of respect and you will be left wondering where it all went wrong. The 14th, my favourite, was originally 300 yards and has been greatly improved with the addition of 105 yards making this a wonderful par 4, stroke index 2, with a fairway that would grace any Open Championship venue, a flattish green situated between two shingle banks that is normally approached from at an angle across the banks. You will see what I mean when you play it yourself. I always feel when playing a course for the first time the same as when watching a good film, I’m hoping for a really good ending, and Spey Bay delivers this with the last four holes, none of which are give aways, and into the prevailing wind will show you what you’re made of, so I’ll not spoil the ending and leave you to discover this for yourself.
The four holes that I left out of the previous paragraph were not part of the original layout planned by Ben Sayers in 1907. The original layout unfortunately had to be hastily altered due to coastal erosion in the late 1980’s. This erosion caused the loss of the entire 11th hole and 13th green and forced the removal of the 4th & 6th holes. The subsequent alterations resulted in four completely new holes. The new 6th hole is so out of character for Spey Bay it begs the question why Ben Sayers’s original 6th hole is not reinstated albeit with a subtle change up at the green. This hole was brilliant in design, driving the ball towards the Moray Firth, as so desired and incorporated by Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse when designing Castle Stuart. The original 6th traversed the two large fescue clad shingle banks, yes short by modern standards at 304 yards but it would take a brave man nowadays to stand up with the modern driving equipment and attempt to reach the green or even to find the fairway that was cosseted by the awaiting gorse. The long 12th is the only new hole that comes close to being worthy of its place on Spey Bay. The unimpressive par 3, 13th is hopefully to be extended to a 300+ yard par 4 which should see the new green being situated on the fairway of the original 13th hole. With these alterations and a simple transfer of the Par 3, 4th back onto its original line, albeit shorter, would bring the course back closer to the original layout.
The only points of criticism I would mention, other than the new holes enforced by the coastal erosion is that the first six holes are too tight and unforgiving and that the first hole is about 30 - 40 yards too long. All too often the paying visitor or first time Open competitor is beaten before he has had a chance to reach the 7th tee, this does not encourage a hasty return. Also the majority of the greens are flat, however the 8th, 9th and 15th are not and watch out for the subtle ridge through the 18th green, a masterful touch by someone, long ago.
Historically the lack of money available to maintain this course has actually helped to preserve its natural condition, no automatic watering system or expensive fertilizer budget. Yes more money would help with course alterations and the demands for Greenkeeping machinery, maintenance and in the overall upkeep, but the present Greenkeeper, Barry Cruickshank, has already worked wonders on a shoestring budget to rescue the greens during the 2011/12 seasons back to a very good putting surface. A local businessman has recently purchased the property which grants him the lease of the golf course, so hopefully this will be the start of great things for Spey Bay, never has a course deserved it more.
No fancy ponds, no striped fairways to show which direction to play, no buggy tracks, no huge meaningless bunkers and no hiding behind the delusions of grandeur that come with a magnificent new clubhouse, just golf as it was intended to be played.
The true appreciation of a golf course should only be judged on the experience of your journey from the 1st tee to the 18th green and with all due respect, the rest is just cake decoration.
In Spey Bay’s case this is a wonderful journey. The undulating firm fescue fairways with gorse and heather in abundance and views over the Moray Firth, all play their part in this “sleeping beauty” of a classic natural links.
The layout resembles the Old Course at St Andrews with seven holes out, the loop, and then seven back in. Yes it’s short and now reduced to a par 70 with small greens but rarely does it enjoy a calm day, which ensures that the skills you acquire playing here will stand you in good stead to play anywhere.
The course opens with three par 4’s which introduce you to the one of Spey Bays best features, the fescue clad shingle banks which you must plot your way across. The long 1st hole at 427 yards affords the luxury of a wide open drive which then leads you down to the green and enthusiasts of fine links turf will already be appreciating what awaits them. Holes two and three are shorter but full of character, aim for the Bin Hill in the distance and you’ll be fine, the only downside is that they are possibly too tight for their position on the score card. For reasons that will become very clear I’ll comment on the 4th 6th 12th and 13th later. The 5th, stroke index 1, which says it all, has a much more open drive than in years gone by but with a very undulating fairway and approach to the small green can prove very tricky with a long iron, the layout is more typically suited to a par 5. The 7th offers you a wide open drive, the first for a while and there is an interesting slope leading onto the green that can catch you out. In the summer this dries out and can insure that your next shot is from the gully at the back of the green. Some would arguably call the 8th the signature hole at Spey Bay, when you experience the 138 yard par 3 named Plateau the only advice I can give you here is keep your head down on your second shot. Signature hole or not you will not forget it. The 2nd hole at Royal Dornoch is tricky but nothing compared to Spey Bay’s 8th. Onto the 9th which comes with a change in direction heading back to the clubhouse, a short par 5 aptly named the Valley with out-of-bounds on the left and gorse on the right. On the card it looks like a birdie chance, but be glad of a five and walk to the 10th tee adding up your first nine, anything under forty and you’re doing well.
The 10th completes the loop and then the tricky 11th, so typical of the shorter par 4s at Spey Bay, on the card it appears simple but treated it with a lack of respect and you will be left wondering where it all went wrong. The 14th, my favourite, was originally 300 yards and has been greatly improved with the addition of 105 yards making this a wonderful par 4, stroke index 2, with a fairway that would grace any Open Championship venue, a flattish green situated between two shingle banks that is normally approached from at an angle across the banks. You will see what I mean when you play it yourself. I always feel when playing a course for the first time the same as when watching a good film, I’m hoping for a really good ending, and Spey Bay delivers this with the last four holes, none of which are give aways, and into the prevailing wind will show you what you’re made of, so I’ll not spoil the ending and leave you to discover this for yourself.
The four holes that I left out of the previous paragraph were not part of the original layout planned by Ben Sayers in 1907. The original layout unfortunately had to be hastily altered due to coastal erosion in the late 1980’s. This erosion caused the loss of the entire 11th hole and 13th green and forced the removal of the 4th & 6th holes. The subsequent alterations resulted in four completely new holes. The new 6th hole is so out of character for Spey Bay it begs the question why Ben Sayers’s original 6th hole is not reinstated albeit with a subtle change up at the green. This hole was brilliant in design, driving the ball towards the Moray Firth, as so desired and incorporated by Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse when designing Castle Stuart. The original 6th traversed the two large fescue clad shingle banks, yes short by modern standards at 304 yards but it would take a brave man nowadays to stand up with the modern driving equipment and attempt to reach the green or even to find the fairway that was cosseted by the awaiting gorse. The long 12th is the only new hole that comes close to being worthy of its place on Spey Bay. The unimpressive par 3, 13th is hopefully to be extended to a 300+ yard par 4 which should see the new green being situated on the fairway of the original 13th hole. With these alterations and a simple transfer of the Par 3, 4th back onto its original line, albeit shorter, would bring the course back closer to the original layout.
The only points of criticism I would mention, other than the new holes enforced by the coastal erosion is that the first six holes are too tight and unforgiving and that the first hole is about 30 - 40 yards too long. All too often the paying visitor or first time Open competitor is beaten before he has had a chance to reach the 7th tee, this does not encourage a hasty return. Also the majority of the greens are flat, however the 8th, 9th and 15th are not and watch out for the subtle ridge through the 18th green, a masterful touch by someone, long ago.
Historically the lack of money available to maintain this course has actually helped to preserve its natural condition, no automatic watering system or expensive fertilizer budget. Yes more money would help with course alterations and the demands for Greenkeeping machinery, maintenance and in the overall upkeep, but the present Greenkeeper, Barry Cruickshank, has already worked wonders on a shoestring budget to rescue the greens during the 2011/12 seasons back to a very good putting surface. A local businessman has recently purchased the property which grants him the lease of the golf course, so hopefully this will be the start of great things for Spey Bay, never has a course deserved it more.
No fancy ponds, no striped fairways to show which direction to play, no buggy tracks, no huge meaningless bunkers and no hiding behind the delusions of grandeur that come with a magnificent new clubhouse, just golf as it was intended to be played.
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Tam D rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed Aug 17 2012
nice course,greens not to bad considering the weather,good course layout,well worth a visit.
(Round played: Aug 2012 - Score: 106 Handicap: 25.2)
(Round played: Aug 2012 - Score: 106 Handicap: 25.2)
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Douglas W rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed Jul 29 2012
Very good Links course. Ive played Castle Stuart recently and I see the courses very similar and Spey Bay is a fraction of the price. A very testing golf course.
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N.Iblick rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed May 26 2012
An excellent natural golf course for lovers of real golf courses.Lovely setting ,nice springy fairways,no pretence just a good old links course offering real value.Very nice "pavillion" bar ,with sensible golfers food.Well worth a visit.
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N.Iblick rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed May 26 2012
An excellent natural golf course for lovers of real golf courses.Lovely setting ,nice springy fairways,no pretence just a good old links course offering real value.Very nice "pavillion" bar ,with sensible golfers food.Well worth a visit.
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N.Iblick rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed May 26 2012
An excellent natural golf course for lovers of real golf courses.Lovely setting ,nice springy fairways,no pretence just a good old links course offering real value.Very nice "pavillion" bar ,with sensible golfers food.Well worth a visit.
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N.iblick rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed May 26 2012
An excellent natural golf course for lovers of real golf courses.Lovely setting ,nice springy fairways,no pretence just a good old links course offering real value.Very nice "pavillion" bar ,with sensible golfers food.Well worth a visit.
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N.Iblick rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed May 26 2012
An excellent natural golf course for lovers of real golf courses.Lovely setting ,nice springy fairways,no pretence just a good old links course offering real value.Very nice "pavillion" bar ,with sensible golfers food.Well worth a visit.
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N.Iblick rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed May 26 2012
An excellent natural golf course for lovers of real golf courses.Lovely setting ,nice springy fairways,no pretence just a good old links course offering real value.Very nice "pavillion" bar ,with sensible golfers food.Well worth a visit.
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Adam B rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Aug 27 2011
Excellent course,green just need a bit of time to come good. Friendly welcome great beer and food. Will visit again.
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Douglas C rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed May 22 2011
Very nice golf course, warm welcome from Ian who sorted us out with the green fees and especially the fact we used the 2 for 1 deals, exceptional value.
Greens were a bit patchy due to some moss but overall a great experience and well worth a visit if in the area.
Greens were a bit patchy due to some moss but overall a great experience and well worth a visit if in the area.
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The golf courses reviews are the personal opinions of members of Golfshake who completed a review after playing the course. These opinions do not necessarily represent the views of Golfshake.com
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