THE COURSE

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One of the toughest opening holes in Borders golf, with out-of-bounds all up the right, the clubrooms overlook the tee and raised upturned green. A "valley of sin" awaits the cautious, to make a chip shot challenging.

The safe shot fades in from the left side. 

A great starting 3, and never a bad 4!

Hole Sponsor: Dobbie & Michie

A tight mid length par 4, this hole is all about positioning the drive, which requires an accurate tee shot. The safe shot is up the left, and leaves a mid-to-short iron approach but brings trees into play. A brave drive uses the rolling fairway to leave only a wedge shot approach.

Hole Sponsor: Love Cashmere

This is easily one of the best holes on the course from the back tees. The best drive goes up the right-hand side to open up the green. Avoid the rough gulley at all costs. Plenty of club is needed for the uphill approach, which is best aimed at from the left side, due to the slope. 

Hole Sponsor: Ballantyne & Handley

This is a short hole up the hill where a tee shot that carries the ridge will leave a short approach to a green which is guarded well on the left by a bush and bunker. If you’re going to miss this green, keep it right or short.

Hole Sponsor: Scott & Charters

Accuracy is key over power here, where you must keep the drive right of centre due to the steep, sloping fairway, before pitching into a good-sized, fairly flat green. The best place to miss is short or right. Our uniquely special "local rule board" is the saviour to many.

Hole Sponsor: Lowrie Roofing

A long par 4 with magnificent panoramic views, which usually plays into the prevailing wind, It’s best to keep the drive central or slightly right to open up the green to an approach that should be aimed at the left side of this raised green. Right is to be avoided.

Hole Sponsor: Turnbull & Scott

Another long 4 that’s again into the prevailing wind, you really need to keep the drive up the left in order to get a full view of the green. A par here is always good. Your second shot needs to be at the heart of the green, as it’s guarded by bunkers on both sides.

Hole Sponsor: Desport & Gray

Our memorable iconic shortest hole, Short but deceptively tricky due to cross winds. Protected by pot bunkers deep gullys & run offs with a fairly small putting surface. Take one more club than you think you need and hit it straight. Long is the only good place to miss this green.

Hole Sponsor: Drumlanrig Bar

A challenge to end the front 9 a beautifully scenic hole with a drive that needs to be central or slightly right for the best angle in. Keep your approach left and use the banking to run the ball onto the green . A deep gully awaits a weak approach. Laying up short is not a bad option.

Hole Sponsor: Roxburghe Home Solutions

A sharp dog leg with often a blind approach shot make this a testing start to the back 9. The tee shot has plenty of space out right, but then you have a longer approach to a very small green. 

James Braid in all his glory on this hole!

Walk up the hill and see where the flag is before hitting – it’s worth it!

Hole Sponsor: Jamie Tinlin Joinery

This one’s a long hole back up the hill, and it’s often made tricky by winds. Drive is best kept straight to right side in order to leave an often mid-to-long second shot into a slightly raised green. It’s hard to judge distance here without GPS so take plenty of club for your second.

Hole Sponsor: McLeod Glass

Next up is a short, quirky and challenging hole, where some players try to drive the green, but don’t pull it left or you may have no shot from the woods. A tee shot right of centre up the fairway leaves only a short iron over the hill – but walk up to see where the flag is, as it’s a wide green.

Hole Sponsor: Mainflow Plumbing & Heating

This is the most iconic and scenic par 3 of the course with fantastic views of the surrounding hills where the Reivers held sway. From the raised back tee to a large putting surface, well-guarded by several bunkers all around, and it often plays a club or more than expected. A par here is always good!

Hole Sponsor: Johnstons of Elgin

The 14th is a beautifully scenic hole with the extinct volcano Ruberslaw dominating in the distance. A drive that is slightly right opens up a good approach. but too far right is out of bounds. Be sure to aim your second left-of-centre at the green as everything tends to move right on landing.

Hole Sponsor: JRW Chartered Accountants

This is a straight downhiller that leads you back towards the Old Grey Town of Hawick and the Clubhouse. The fairway has seemed to narrow over the years with trees growing in on the right and left sides, but it’s still fairly generous. The best approach comes from the right side – just DO NOT go long with your second!

A risk or reward drivable par 4. 

WIth a chance to emulate Bill McLaren's famous Hole in 1! The safe drive goes steeply downhill right of centre to a fairly wide fairway, and then a short shot to a green that’s always tricky to read. If you end up with a longer second shot and you cannot see the surface of the green, keep your approach left as the slope will help you.

Hole Sponsor: Bill McLaren Foundation

Another fairly short but tricky hole, this one should give up a birdie to good players, but a slightly wayward drive can leave a very difficult approach here. Safest bet is to play up to the top of the hill and leave a short-iron’s approach.

Hole Sponsor: Greenpower Electrical & Renewables

Last but not least, an imposing tee shot (almost 100 feet down) onto the double green shared with the first. If you have ever played the postage stamp at Troon, or seen it on TV, then you know how small that green is – well this is similar, but the hole is 80 yards longer. Short and left leaves a very tough shot.

Finishing here with a 3 always feels like a birdie.

Hole Sponsor: Charters Electrical