Murrayshall (Lynedoch Course)

Murrayshall is a country estate hotel on the north-east edge of Perth, with two golf courses on its grounds — the Lynedoch (championship, 6,400 yards, par 73) and the older Murrayshall course (par 73, more parkland-traditional). The estate has been hosting golf since 1981, with the Lynedoch added in 2003 to bring the property up to two-course resort standard.

The Lynedoch is the more interesting round. Designed by Hamilton Stutt, it weaves through mature woodland with elevation changes that surprise visitors expecting flat parkland. The 9th and 18th both play uphill to elevated greens; the 5th and 13th are the standout par 4s, both with carry-over-water shots from the tee. Conditioning is consistently very good — the resort has the budget to maintain the courses to a higher standard than typical Perthshire parkland.

Visitor fees of £65–£95 are reasonable for the standard. Resort guests pay less. The clubhouse and hotel restaurant are a step above the clubhouses you'll find elsewhere in Perthshire — more 'country house' than 'golf club bar' — which suits some visitors and not others.

For visitors basing in Perthshire (Gleneagles, Blairgowrie, Crieff Hydro), Murrayshall makes a sensible alternative-day round. It sits twenty minutes from each of the major Perthshire venues. For golfers who prefer parkland to heathland, it's arguably the best parkland round in the region after the Gleneagles King's.