Old Tom Trails - Cruden Bay
BY MURRAY BOTHWELL
6 MINS READ
Today, Cruden Bay near Peterhead on Scotland’s north east coast lies only two hours’ drive away from St Andrews. In the late 19th century, when Tom Morris was called upon to walk the dunes and links, at the age of 78, it took considerably longer to travel there. What Tom left for today’s golfers was old fashioned links golf at its best.
With panoramic views overlooking the North Sea, it is ranked amongst Scotland’s best links courses with plateau greens, remarkable dunes, undulating fairways, blind shots, burns and gorse. It makes full use of the ever-changing wind, which can sometimes turn 180 degrees in a round. Cruden Bay has it all. To the north of the course are the cliff-top ruins of Slains Castle. Built in 1597, the castle was the ancestral home of the Earls of Erroll. It is said that the building gave Bram Stoker the inspiration for Count Dracula's castle, while the author was holidaying at Cruden Bay in 1895.
Continuing the theme, the land between the headland to the south and Port Errol to the north does look like it’s had a bite taken out of it, leaving a white sandy beach curving gently below Cruden Bay’s links. This is an extremely picturesque and peaceful location: when chasing your ball through the dunes, between walls of marram and with the call of skylarks drifting on the breeze, the real world seems a long way away. Historians claim that golf was played in the village of Cruden Bay as early as 1791. The original course was commissioned by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) as a facility for the Cruden Bay Hotel, following the expansion of the railways at the end of the 19th century. Previously, in 1891, Tom had been engaged by them to design the course at Errol in Perth and Kinross, and given the connection between there and the ancestry of Slains Castle it might be assumed that both parties were so pleased with his work that when it came to create this northern course, they knew where to turn. Walking the dunes with his feathers and stakes Tom laid out the course with help from Archie Simpson, the Professional and Keeper of the Green at the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, and Cruden Bay opened in 1899. His inspirational design included the blind approach to the magnificent punchbowl of the 14th green.
For a man who is credited with shaping the game of golf as we know it, Tom’s designs have not been without their critics though. “Modern” designers and architects have remarked on the unconventional routings taken through the dunes and around the courses he created. Many have a number of crossing holes and most, when examined, appear to have relatively little variety in length. His original Cruden Bay routing, for example, had 15 holes between 245 and 360 yards. However, it’s easy to criticise when you’re hitting a Pro V1 with a £500 driver but it should be remembered that in those days of the guttie, a 340-yard hole was a ‘two drive hole’ and a 255-yard hole a drive and an iron.
Tom Simpson was called upon to redesign Tom and Archie’s layout 27 years later and is responsible for the current configuration. Although generally critical of Morris’ design work, Simpson found at Cruden Bay much to admire and chose to keep the basic routing and several green sites, including the 6th which he believed was one of the finest in Britain. Despite the fact that almost one thousand yards have been added since the 1920s, the enigmatic course remains very much as Simpson and Morris had conceived it. Some holes have had minor alterations to their shape in recent years but even the most sceptical surveyors of the result have remarked how well they complement the original design.
Tom Morris not only laid his hand on the links of Cruden Bay, but also designed the nine-hole course of St. Olaf nearby, giving local and visiting golfers a unique opportunity to play one of his less prominent designs. Whilst it could be seen as a brilliant practice round before playing the tantalising Cruden Bay links, the St. Olaf course gives golfers of all abilities the chance to enjoy a challenging game where accuracy and game management are rewarded.
Set amidst those glorious coastal dunes, Cruden Bay’s 6,287-yards wins legions of fans for its fun factor. Memories are always made when standing at the dramatic 9th and 10th tees, set upon a towering dune ridge that is the highest point on this Championship Course, with unsurpassed views of the Slains Castle ruin to the north. It’s been voted the best view in Scottish golf: bite the bullet, and stake your place.