Cruden Bay Golf Club is one of Scotland's most one-of-a-kind plays
CRUDEN BAY, Scotland -- Located on the rugged northeast coast of Scotland, Cruden Bay Golf Club is one of the country's most one-of-a-kind plays. The club was founded in 1899, commissioned in 1894 by the Great North of Scotland Railway Company, though there is evidence golf was played here on a primitive 9-hole course in the 1700s.
The golf course is set among some of the British Isles' most remarkable dunes, and the holes all wind through and over them. One of the best early holes is the par-3 fourth, which plays along Port Erroll. From the northern end of Cruden Bay Golf Club, a series of holes take you to the highest point on the course, the ninth hole. From here, the course heads back down to the southern end and plays its way back.
Unique to this Old Tom Morris-designed course are four consecutive blind approach shots on the back nine, starting at the 13th hole. The 15th hole is particularly famous, played from a tee box beside the sea between two massive dunes to a green entirely blind.
The club has become one of Scotland's most popular for touring golf groups, thanks to such a unique assortment of holes, and the club has thrived in recent years. On site is a clubhouse overlooking the links, plus a second nine-hole course, the St. Olaf Course, and a driving range.