Boat of Garten, nr Aviemore
Par 70, 5,876 yards
Website: www.boatgolf.com
The course: Set alongside the River Spey in the heart of the Caringorms National Park, the ‘Boat’ is unequivocally one of Scotland’s hidden gems. Braid’s design features 18 completely individual holes set against birch trees, heather and broom.
Signature hole: ‘Avenue’, the par-4 sixth hole, requires a good drive down a narrow tree-lined fairway, leaving a mid-iron approach to a plateau green guarded by bunkers on both sides.
What makes it special? Aptly named the ‘Gleneagles of the North’ . Great scenery and a fair test of golf.