Boat of Garten Golf & Tennis Club

Nethybridge Rd,

Boat of Garten, Inverness-shire PH24 3BQ

  • Office

    +44 (0)1479 831 282
  • Pro shop

    +44 (0)1479 831 282
  • Fax

    +44 (0)1479 831 523
  • Golf pro

    Ross Harrower (PGA Club Professional).

About the course

  • The Course:

    18 holes. Tree-lined parkland. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.

  • Surroundings:

    Rural countryside and woodland.

  • Designer:

    James Braid

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
5876
5648
5148
Par
70
70
72
SSS or slope
69
68
71

Location

Latitude:

57.250147

Longitude:

-3.751031

How to get there:

27 miles SE of Inverness

From Aviemore on the A9 (Perth - Inverness road) head north direction Inverness. After 2 miles turn right onto the A95 direction Boat of Garten / Grantown-on-Spey. After 3 miles turn right, direction Boat of Garten. Follow road through the village, and golf is on your right, before the river bridge.

Boat of Garten Golf & Tennis Club

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.

Est. 1898

Boat of Garten Golf & Tennis Club: Located in the heart of the Spey Valley, there can be few more scenic golf courses in Scotland than this James Braid designed masterpiece at Boat of Garten.

The tranquillity and naturalness of the layout's riverside setting is interrupted only by an occasional "toot-toot" from the scaled-down trains of the Strathspey Steam Railway, which delightfully runs along one side of the golf course. The Cairngorm mountain views are stunning, but don't think all this wonderful Scottish scenery is going to make for an easy round of golf.

In addition to some pronounced undulations, which create a roller-coaster effect on some holes, the fairways here are generally tight. Most holes are lined with an abundance of gorse, clinging heather and/or birch and pine trees, while OB will also need to be reckoned with on several occasions.

The par-4 6th (Avenue) is often regarded as the course’s signature hole. A good drive down the narrow, dog-legging, tree-lined fairway will leave a mid-iron approach shot to the plateau green, which is guarded by bunkers left and right. As on every hole at Boat of Garten, accuracy will be rewarded versus the long, but wayward drive.

Well known to aficionados of Scotland's hidden gems, "The Boat" provides a great golfing opportunity to sample life in the Scottish Highlands, and a possibly welcome distraction from all those windswept links-style courses along the coast!

List of courses: Scotland - North

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Visitors welcome on weekdays (after 9.30am) and weekends (from 10am to 4pm).

Must book in advance. Recognised handicap required.

Green fees

Visitor fee, 18-holes: £80 (all days).

Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2023].

Other information

Players generally walk this course. Golf carts available for hire. Caddies available if pre-booked.

Practice facilities

Limited

Did you know?

Boat of Garten is just a few miles from Aviemore, which is a major Scottish Highlands centre for outdoors activities, including skiing, mountain and hill-walking, rock-climbing, canoeing, sailing, fishing, mountain biking, and much more. There's also an abundance of Speyside whisky distilleries in the area!

Published ranking

Scotland's 34th best course (Golf World, 2022).
Britain & Ireland's 123rd best course (Golf World, 2022).

Where2Stay

  • The Boat Hotel3-star

    Boat of Garten, Inverness-shire, Scottish Highlands PH24 3BH

    +44 (0)1479 831 258

    Visit website

    Situated in the heart of Strathspey, The Boat is surrounded by outstanding scenery, and enjoys easy access to a wide range of outdoor and sporting activities. Skiing, hill walking, golf and bird watching are just some of the attractions within easy reach of The Boat. The fine dining restaurant specialises in cuisine with classical French roots and a distinctive modern Scottish twist.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Boat of Garten

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Spey Valley; Kingussie

  • Hilton Coylumbridge4-star

    Aviemore, Inverness-shire PH22 1QN

    +44 (0)1479 810 661

    Visit website

    The Coylumbridge Hotel is set in 65-acres of woodland in the heart of the Cairngorm National Park, close to Aviemore. This large hotel is popular with families, skiers, and a wide array of Highland visitors. Facilities include the Grant Room restaurant, a swimming pool complex with sauna, Fun House for the kids and an adventure park with dry ski slope and climbing wall.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Boat of Garten

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Kingussie; Spey Valley

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