ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

Panmure Golf Club

Firm sandhills, pine corridors, and heather define Barry's inland links.

ST ANDREWS Ort
LINKS Course type
18 LÖCHER Holes
PAR 70 Par

Beyond the Scorecard

Course established: 1845
Course designer/s: Alexander Pirie, Old Tom Morris, and James Braid
National ranking: #35
Known for: Ben Hogan's 1953 Open preparation ground
Defining feature: Pine-lined links woven through heather and dunes

Where Barry's Links Meet the Pines

The golf course at Panmure Golf Club was created in 1845, but its present home emerged later. After years of sharing the increasingly crowded Monifieth links, the club moved to Barry in 1899, settling on ground whose sandhills and hollows promised a more individual course.

Old Tom Morris shaped the original Barry layout, while James Braid proposed later changes in 1922. Their influence remains in a course that moves between open linksland, heather, and pine-lined passages rather than following one landscape throughout.

The fairways often appear generous from the tee, yet the best route into the greens is rarely obvious. Raised targets, deep bunkers, uneven lies, and the concealed Buddon Burn reward golfers who plan beyond the next shot. The sixth, named "Hogan", offers the clearest example, with two possible driving lines leading towards a small, sloping green.

Ben Hogan spent two weeks practising here before winning The Open at Carnoustie in 1953. His suggested bunker remains beside the sixth green, tying one of Panmure's sternest holes to one of golf's most exacting players.

Why Add This Course to Your Golf Experience

Panmure brings a different texture to a St Andrews golf experience. The mix of firm links ground, heathland vegetation, and tree-lined passages creates a round that feels distinct from the region's more exposed coastal courses.

Visitors also receive access to the club's practice facilities, while the historic clubhouse gives the day a strong sense of tradition beyond the final green. Kinfern can include Panmure for golfers seeking respected championship pedigree, varied shot-making, and a course whose reputation remains quieter than the quality of its challenge.