Cruden Bay
Cruden Bay
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Course Type
Semi-private -
GOLF Top 100 World Rank (2023-24)
56 -
Year
1926 -
Architect
Tom Simpson -
Par
70 -
Yardage
6,609
Course Overview
This cult classic is a personal favorite of both Pete Dye and Tom Doak. Twenty-three miles north of Aberdeen, Cruden Bay offers many novel features, including the postcard-perfect par-3 4th, which overlooks the Water of Cruden and the fishing village of Port Erroll, and the par-4 14th, with its funnel-shaped bathtub green. The 4th kicks off a five-hole stretch that any links course would love to claim as its own, so wildly varied and well-conceived is each hole. (Photo: Gary Lisbon)
3 things to know
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Hole everyone talks about
No. 4, par-3, 196 yards: Nestled on the edge of the property and along the bank of the Water of Cruden, this near-200-yard par-3 requires a daring shot to carry the chasm between the tee and green and avoid a dreadful pot bunker short left and dunes right. -
Best non-golf amenity
Slains Castle, rumored to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” can be seen from the course. -
Insider tip
Piecing together a bucket-list golf trip around these parts is easy. Head south to nearby Royal Aberdeen or two hours more to St. Andrews. Or head northwest two hours to Inverness for Castle Stuart, Nairn and Royal Dornoch.