Pitlochry is one of the great country clubs in central Scotland. Often described as a hidden gem, it's located in a beautiful part of Scotland, easy to access, and offers the visitor a friendly engaging experience. the course is not long, but quite a hike up to the fifth tee. Then it’s relatively straightforward zig-zag back across the hill. Fabulous views.
The 18th green and Clubhouse
This is from the excellent Alba Scotland website which can be found at: https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/pitlochry-golf-p1075011
Pitlochry is an excellent base for exploring Perthshire. Breathe in fresh air and stand back to admire the view, or delve into a whole host of outdoor activities in Perthshire's natural playground. Here traditional pastimes such as fishing, golf and walking stand side by side with more adrenaline-filled activities, such as bungee jumping and mountain biking.
Enjoy a short break in Pitlochry where you could be nestled amongst the stunning scenery of Highland Perthshire, alongside the refreshing greenery of the forests in spring, and transforms into a blaze of golds and reds come autumn. Why not plan a holiday in Pitlochry? Be pampered at a spa hotel, eat out in restaurants and cafés, browse shops for gifts and local crafts and enjoy a local tipple in a bar or pub before a night at the theatre.
The course is short of course - no par 5 and no need for the Dustin Johnsons amongst you to take the driver out ever. The Club was always an attractive place to visit but the quality of the course and facilities has improved materially in recent years. Today, the course is in very good condition and well looked after. The addition of the Par 3 course and upgrading the driving range are also welcome improvements. One additional bonus has been the improvements made to the dining and bar areas. The food is really quite good and incredibly reasonable. It is also such a good feeling having a beer in the lounge area watching others play out the 18th green, (or duff it in the pond in front). (in August 2021, I hit a fantastic drive just short of the stream then shanked it in front of the restaurant area; nice!)
Me at Pitlochry with a view of the first hole
My father in law - Christopher Grant - was an avid golfer and he also was Captain of the Club for a number of years. He loved to play here; he had a regular Thursday late afternoon match and played as often as he could, although his family and medical practice always came first. He always received such a warm welcome from the staff here even in his more advanced years. Also, we played the par 3 in 2016 and even with severe sight challenges he still managed to crack a nice 9 iron down the fairway.
This was little credit to him in The Daily Record December 2010:
PITLOCHRY Golf Club was delighted to present Dr Chris Grant with an Honorary Membership in recognition of his huge contribution to the development of the club after being a member for 58 years. Dr Grant joined in 1953 and was captain in 1963/64, then 1973/74 and again in 1991/92. Always a great supporter of the club, he donated the trees which adorn both sides of the 18th fairway in 1983. Last year he donated the ‘Masters’ like Azaleas which are now planted in front of the new clubhouse.
The Club created a tournament in his honor, and we presented the Captain and Secretary with a Trophy for it in 2018. The Secretary, Tom Leadbetter, wrote this email about the inaugural event in 2019:
Hello Richard
Very nice to hear from you. The first event for the newly donated Christopher Grant trophy took place over 3 Saturday rounds in September. Strokeplay with the result based on the two best scores out of the three played. This enabled and encouraged a greater turn out as a poor score in the first or second rounds didn't have such a negative effect had it been played with all 3 round to count. It also covered the possibility that not all members who wished to play were free for all 3 rounds.
There was an excellent turn out over the 3 Saturdays and in the end it was ex Captain Ron Bell who narrowly took the honours. The Trophy was engraved and presented to him on our Prize Giving day on October 26th , and is now back in the Cabinet.Next year we have planned to hold the 3 rounds on Saturdays in July, August and September. The event attracted a lot of support and was much enjoyed.
With kind regards
Thomas
This was so nice to hear and Gill, me, Keith and his wife Susan all feel very good about this.
Looking up 1 with some of those plantings Christopher donated.
I played again in August 2021, part of our St Andrews, Cruden Bay, Boat of Garten trip. It’s was so nice to see the place again after such a long time.
Here’s a couple of pics I took: the first is looking down the valley from tee 2 - any excuse for a breather after that first climb up to green one - and the second is the infamous 16, a lovely little downhill to a postage stamp size green.
This is from the Club's website:
Gorgeous views everywhere:
As you play the course, it's a straight up the hill bash for 3 or 4 holes then sideways more or less all the way back down. The views are spectacular. Occasionally the RAFfly their fighter Jets along the valley below the fairways.
This is the map of the course. The guide is interactive and can be found at: http://www.pitlochrygolf.co.uk/golf-course/
This hole always gave rise to bets and jests about whether the ball would land on the green or in the woods. A fun little par 3:
The Club is moving fast in these modern times with its own Facebook pages now!