Mᴜʀᴄᴀʀ Lɪɴᴋs GC

In Aberdeen, Murcar often gets overlooked. Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay and Trump have become the three ‘big names’ if travelling to the area for a weekend, but I hope if you visit North East Scotland, you’ll make time for this one.

It is immediately adjacent to Royal Aberdeen - to the point you could easily mistake the boundary if you didn’t know it was there. The land is glorious for links golf. It’s not at all like Trump’s towering dunes - the terrain is far more subtle here, but the routing makes excellent use of it.

It’s only short by today’s standards, around 6,500 yards from the back tees. But that doesn’t make it easy. Playing as a par 71, stroke for stroke it must be one of the most challenging courses you’ll find of that modest yardage.

The front 9 is particularly strong - bearing more than a passing resemblance to its Royal neighbour. Whilst the back 9 doesn’t maintain quite the same level, I found the consistency of links golf to be strong.

On many Scottish links, there are 4 or 5 holes with more of an ‘inland’ feel. There is a loop of holes on the back 9 here that play up a hill away from the dunes - and I expected a drop in quality. Not the case - I was pleasantly surprised that the turf and topography kept all of the vim and vigour of the holes set firmly in the dunes. The consistency of the golf at Murcar was very impressive.

This is a course of great quality and even better value. The stretch from Three to Nine is world class links golf. The tumbling topography of the site provides stunning views over the North Sea and the variety and challenge of the holes will make you earn that post round drink in the bar.