Hole 13 | Firlands
Heading back down the hill from the tee it looks simple enough but unless you are carrying it 230 yards then you need to be aware of the right-to-left sloping fairway and an avenue of trees on both sides.
Approaching the green you need to carry the bunker in the middle of the fairway but avoid the two front greenside traps. The reshaped bunker in the centre is further back from the green than it looks, leaving a tricky length of bunker shot should you land in it but it does present a perfect landing zone if you land one just past the sand and roll up to the green.
Top tip – it is better to be slightly long with your approach shot, into a large, deep, flat green, rather than slightly short, to avoid bunker trouble. There is a little bit of room left and right. Behind the green again there is some room but beware knocking it too far as the rough gets pretty high.
|
Tee |
Yards |
Par |
Index |
|
White |
306 |
4 |
16 |
|
Yellow |
288 |
4 |
16 |
|
Red |
284 |
4 |
18 |
Firlands
Firlands House stands just beyond the 13th green, close to the disused Leanchoil Hospital. Built in 1885, it is a notable Victorian property, but here it serves more as a quiet landmark on the edge of the course than a focal point.
This stretch of the course is more open, though scattered trees — including fir, birch and pine — reflect the broader landscape of area. These species are common across the region and are part of what remains of Scotland’s natural woodland heritage. While this is not ancient forest, the presence of native trees links back to the legacy of the once-vast Caledonian Forest, which centuries ago stretched across large parts of the Highlands.
Firlands provides a reminder of the layered history that surrounds the course, where Victorian estates, farmland, and fragments of natural woodland all meet.