Darley Golf Course

I played this course today and as with one of the previous reviewers I had had some mixed reports prior to the round. We played on a Saturday, so it was a bit slow (4h 20min) after the medal rounds, but you didn't really notice that much as it is a fairly long walk round. The fairways were in decent condition, the greens were a bit patchy on a few holes, but ran true. As for the bunkers, some had rakes, some did not, so a bit random when it came to the lie you got if you found one. The rough is forgiving although you may lose a couple of balls if you do go seriously off line. As with other reviewers, there was a lack of distance markers that make judgement of approach shots more or less guesswork, but I took more positives from the experience than negatives. If, like me, you enjoy seaside golf, it was a decent enough course, with several challenging holes that made it interesting. Saying that, I had read that it was a particularly difficult course, but don't think anyone with a high handicap (including myself) should be particularly wary - I kept to my handicap quite comfortably whilst hitting less than half of the fairways. In terms of difficulty, it is nowhere near as difficult as a number of links course on the Ayrshire coast. I'd also read in a couple of reviews that Darley was a litter-strewn mess - this seemed unfair as it was no less tidy than any other wind-ravaged links course, except for a couple of tees where it was a bit messy, so I wouldn't worry about that. Overall, it's a worth a go if you like links golf, but it is a little pricey if you play at the weekend. Probably better to play on a weekday, and your round may be a little more rapid too.