Murcar Links Golf Club in Aberdeen: Host of European Tour's Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play is a must-see
ABERDEEN, Scotland -- Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, host of the 2014 Scottish Open, has always overshadowed its neighbor, Murcar Links Golf Club, along the North Sea.
Murcar will finally get its moment in spotlight this summer at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play, a new European Tour event. The tournament, set for July 30-Aug. 2, will pit 64 of the leading players on The Race to Dubai against each other in a straight knock-out, match-play contest with a purse of €1 million. Murcar's tight, tough but somewhat short layout is better suited for a match-play event than stroke play. Thick rough that almost mimics a U.S. Open punishes players who miss its ribbon-thin fairways.
The 6,516-yard, par-71 Murcar was originally laid out by Aberdeen pro Archie Simpson in 1909, followed by a revision by James Braid in the 1930s.
The 322-yard first hole eases everybody into the round before Murcar cranks up the pressure from there. The par-4 seventh hole, called "Serpentine," is hemmed in by high dunes loaded with gorse on the left and a burn on the right near the sea. The 13th hole climbs blindly up to an aiming post before a dramatic drop-off to the fairway and green below.
Even the world's best players will struggle hitting the elevated greens at no. 15 and no. 16, both guarded by a burn. Murcar can be murder for those not on their game, and yet, it's still an enjoyable walk among the dunes near the shore.
