A Journal for the Thrifty Gowfer
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeen
Plate II — Parkland course — tree-lined fairways, year-round play
Alister MacKenzie design. Sport Aberdeen's flagship parkland facility with three courses.
Hazlehead Golf Club occupies Hazlehead Park on the western edge of Aberdeen — a large public park that contains three golf courses (the MacKenzie Championship, the Pines, and a 9-hole course), a maze, a children's play area, and one of Aberdeen's most actively used green spaces. The Championship course was designed by Alister MacKenzie in 1927 — the same MacKenzie who subsequently designed Augusta National and Cypress Point, and who was born in Birstwith, Yorkshire, to a family with Aberdeen connections. His fingerprints on the bunkering and green contours are visible to those who know what to look for.
The MacKenzie Championship course is the one to play: par 70, 18 holes, tree-lined parkland with the characteristic MacKenzie strategic bunkering placed to penalise the shot that is almost right rather than obviously wrong. The Pines course is shorter and more forgiving; the 9-hole suits a quick evening round. All three are managed by Sport Aberdeen, the trust that runs the city's sport and leisure facilities.
Green fee on the Championship course is £18–£28 depending on day and season — one of the more striking bargains in Scottish golf given the designer pedigree. Booking through the Sport Aberdeen website or by phone. Hazlehead is the place where Aberdeen's active club golfers play when they're not heading to Royal Aberdeen or Murcar Links; the standard of play in the field on a Saturday morning is higher than the green fee would lead you to expect.
The Full Scorecard
Fields marked “Contact club” aren’t public-facing in a way we’ve been able to verify. Call the club directly for these — we’ll update the entry when we have it from source.
Conditions This Week
Scored 0–10 for golf — wind, rain, conditions · Full 7-region forecast →
Location
Aberdeen · AB15 8BDOpen in OpenStreetMap →
While They Golf
Aberdeenshire isn't only for the golfers. Walks, drives, distilleries, castles, a long lunch — five picks within thirty minutes of the first tee.
The Aberdeenshire companion guide →Plan This Round
Where to Stay
Hotels, lodges and self-catering near the first tee. Map-style search via Stay22 covering Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Vrbo.
How to Get There
Aberdeen (ABZ) is 30 minutes away by car. Train + onward taxi works for the carless visitor.
Insure Your Round
Most home contents policies don't cover golf clubs in transit. The picker matches you to the right kind of cover in two minutes.
Played here? Consider
Picked for parkland rounds in Scotland.
Outerwear
The mid-weight option for parkland — fully waterproof but lighter than the wind-spec links jackets. Packs into a back-pocket pouch when the sun comes out.
Layer
Scotland's premium sportswear name. Cut for a swing rather than a jog; the moisture-wicking suits warmer parkland rounds where the wind isn't doing the work.
Tech
Tree-lined parkland holes are exactly the situation where a rangefinder pays for itself. The V6's slope mode is allowed in any non-tournament round.
Stays Nearby
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering within easy reach of Aberdeen. Tap any property to check rates.
Rates and availability via Stay22. We may earn a small commission if you book — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work.
Frequently Asked
Nearby courses
Aberdeen & Moray golf hub
Browse all Aberdeen & Moray courses →
Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay, Trump International — the underrated east-coast links circuit. Plus the Moray clubs at Lossiemouth and Cullen that locals would rather you didn't write about.
While they golf — Aberdeen
For the non-golfer in Aberdeen →
Dunnottar Castle — a cliff-top fortified settlement — is 15 miles south. Aberdeen Art Gallery's Rossetti and Millais collection, city centre, is free.
Getting there by train
On TripSCOTAbout 20 minutes by taxi from Hazlehead. Edinburgh Waverley in 2hr 30; Glasgow in 2hr 40 by ScotRail.
Read more about Aberdeenshire
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