Speyside Golf Classic
Highlands of Scotland
Kingussie, Newtonmore, Spey Valley and Grantown on Spey
Sunday 10th to Thursday 14th August 2008
The arrangements for The Speyside are still being finalised but it is hoped (with a bit of persuasion) that this previously popular event will once again feature the old courses at Kingussie, Newtonmore, and Grantown on Spey and the new Spey Valley Championship Course just outside Aviemore. Full details will follow as soon as we tie the details down.
Accommodation will be available in and around Aviemore at the splendid new Aviemore Highland Resort making this event unique in attracting couples and family groups alike. The superb leisure facilities and range of accommodation not only in the Resort but around the whole of Speyside make this summer event an excellent addition to the more traditional golfing areas.
Event Itinerary
Sunday 10th August
The welcome reception for Speyside has always been a little special and the plans for 2008 should match previous efforts. Registration, buffet, and the wee dram will take place on the Stathspey Steam Railway with a trip from Aviemore up to Boat of Garten and a buffet on the platform. Add a skirl of the pipes and The Cairngorm Mountains as a background and it may just be the best Drinks Recption in the country!
Monday 11th August
It is hoped that if we can sign them up that the golf will tee off split between the neighbouring towns of Kingussie and Newtonmore. Both offer a different challenge but are absolutely delightful in their setting.
Tuesday 12th August
The field reverses this morning with the first 36 holes over Kingussie and Newtonmore being completed. Those out early on day one will be a bit later on day two. Tuesday also provides the return of the Classic Quiz Night which it is hoped can return to our very favourite Aviemore pub in The Cairngorm Hotel in Aviemore.
Wednesday 13th August
Wednesday will see the introduction of the brand new Spey Valley golf course in Aviemore. The championship golf course has certainly added a new dimension to the Speyside event and it will bevery interesting to see how it is handled! Meanwhile twenty minutes up the road it is hoped that the rest of the field will be teeing off at the superb heathland layout at Grantown-on-Spey.
Thursday 14th August
The final eighteen holes are played in leaderboard order over Gratown-on-Spey and Spey Valley. The prizegiving dinner is at the MacDonald Aviemore Highland Resort complete with a full Highland entertainment experience - bagpipes, dancers, fiddlers and accordionists. Kilts are of course optional but we will offer a hire service should you wish to dress for the occasion. It'll be an occasion!
Sunday 10th August
The welcome reception for Speyside has always been a little special and the plans for 2008 should match previous efforts. Registration, buffet, and the wee dram will take place on the Stathspey Steam Railway with a trip from Aviemore up to Boat of Garten and a buffet on the platform. Add a skirl of the pipes and The Cairngorm Mountains as a background and it may just be the best Drinks Recption in the country!
Monday 11th August
It is hoped that if we can sign them up that the golf will tee off split between the neighbouring towns of Kingussie and Newtonmore. Both offer a different challenge but are absolutely delightful in their setting.
Tuesday 12th August
The field reverses this morning with the first 36 holes over Kingussie and Newtonmore being completed. Those out early on day one will be a bit later on day two. Tuesday also provides the return of the Classic Quiz Night which it is hoped can return to our very favourite Aviemore pub in The Cairngorm Hotel in Aviemore.
Wednesday 13th August
Wednesday will see the introduction of the brand new Spey Valley golf course in Aviemore. The championship golf course has certainly added a new dimension to the Speyside event and it will bevery interesting to see how it is handled! Meanwhile twenty minutes up the road it is hoped that the rest of the field will be teeing off at the superb heathland layout at Grantown-on-Spey.
Thursday 14th August
The final eighteen holes are played in leaderboard order over Gratown-on-Spey and Spey Valley. The prizegiving dinner is at the MacDonald Aviemore Highland Resort complete with a full Highland entertainment experience - bagpipes, dancers, fiddlers and accordionists. Kilts are of course optional but we will offer a hire service should you wish to dress for the occasion. It'll be an occasion!
The Golf Courses
The Speyside event brings together four quite diverse courses. Newtonmore and Kingussie are only three or four miles apart but couldn't be more different in style or content. The old of Grantown and the new of Spey Valley provide similar contrasts.
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Spey Valley Golf Course, Aviemore |
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The Spey Valley Championship Golf Course opened on the 1st July 2006. Set in some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Scottish Highlands, if not the world, it's predicted to be one of Scotland's leading golf venues and destined to be in the top 5 rankings. The spectacular 7,177 yard course has a straight-out, straight back layout and a par of 72 with four par-5s including one of the longest holes in Scotland . The varied teeing grounds mean it can be set up for golfers of all abilities.It has been designed by one of Europe 's leading professional golfers and golf course architects, Dave Thomas, who has been designing courses worldwide for over 30 years, and will be managed by the former green keeper at Royal Dornoch , Bob Mackay. The price for the event includes Buggy Hire (two sharing) for play on Spey Valley. |
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Kingussie Golf Club |
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Golf has been played at Kingussie since 1891. In 1908 Kingussie sought the advice of Harry Vardon and extended the course to 18 holes. While some improvements and modifications have been made the course is still very much as it was - Highland Golf at its very best! Kingussie may be short but what it lacks in length is more than made up for in pure drama. Its Victorian styled clubhouse sets the scen for a magnificent game of golf high in the hills. Every hole presents another dramatic landscape and some extremly testing holes. The course lying above Kingussie offers extensive scenic views over the Cairngorms and surrounding mountains - so even if your golf is not as you wish, the environment and scenic splendor offers a degree of comfort. Scoring 30 stableford points on this course is far from a given even when you're playing well! It must be played if you're up here. |
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Newtonmore Golf Club |
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The golf course, which mostly lies along the banks of the River Spey in the heart of Monarch of the Glen country is surrounded by some of the most dramatic and beautiful highland scenery, a definite hazard for those trying to concentrate on their golf. The golf course plays to 6041 yds, with a premium on keeping the ball in play. Only one par five is complemented by a clutch of tight par fours and challenging par threes. Golf has been played at Newtonmore for well over a hundred years, the club having celebrated its centenary in 1993. Developments as always have been on going over the years and the visitor should take time to examine an old plan of the course on display in the clubhouse to get some idea of the changes and improvements that have taken place. Newtonmore is notable for its very high proportion of left handed members - a reflection on the dual-handed nature of the sport of shinty - at which, Newtonmore has a proud and glorious tradition. Whether you are left handed, or not, to all that come and play golf at Newtonmore you will find a warm welcome not only in the clubhouse but also in the village of Newtonmore itself. |
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Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club |
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This eighteen-hole golf course was formed in 1890 and is situated in Strathspey, approximately thirty-five miles south east of Inverness in Scotland. From a humble beginning the golf club has evolved over the years and in 1999 a major extension and refurbishment was carried out to the clubhouse to upgrade it to the very best modern standard. The clubhouse was provided with new locker rooms and an enlarged lounge bar and dining area. The golf club also has a well-stocked golf shop with a good range of all golfing equipment and clothing. Situated in the Cairngorms National Park, the course measures 5710 yards, with a par of 70 and Standard Scratch Score of 68. Though not long, it presents a fair challenge for every calibre of golfer. It is naturally split into three sections - Holes 1 to 6 are played over flat parkland, holes 7-12 are played through moderately hilly woodland, whilst holes 13 to 18 revert to undulating parkland. The 'signature' hole of the course is Murdie's View, the 275 yard 9th, a short downhill par 4 with the spectacular backdrop of pine trees and the Cromdale Hills. |
Accommodation
The Cairngorms provides perhaps the most spectacular location and finest range of facilities in the whole of Scotland. The recent upgrading of The MacDonald Aviemore Highland Resort has ensured that Aviemore can now offer state of the art accommodation and leisure facilities to support the natural environment surrounding it.
We're delighted to offer quality accommodation at Macdonald hotels is the Highland Resort but also are happy to be back at old favourites such as The Cairngorm Hotel where it all started in 2001 with big Pete Steinle. We've got accommodation options in Newtonmore, Kingussie and Grantown-on-Spey and there is a wonderful selection of B&Bs and Self Catering properties available.
The prices below are all based on two people sharing a twin room and are inclusive of five nights accommodation inclusive of breakfast, drinks reception and buffet on the Sunday, four rounds of golf and the prizegiving banquet.
| Accommodation |
Rating |
Price |
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MacDonald Aviemore Highlands |
4 |
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MacDonald Aviemore Inn |
3 |
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MacDonald Aviemore Four Season |
4 |
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The Cairngorm Hotel, Aviemore |
3 |
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The Garth Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey |
3 |
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Golf Package |
N/A |
£314.00 |
Previous Events
Want to have a look at previous events in Speyside? Well why not have a look at the archive featuring results, photographs and images all the way back to 2001. The history of a great fun event.
| Year | Courses |
| 2005 EVENT | Boat of Garten | Kingussie | Granton on Spey | Newtonmore |
| 2004 EVENT | Boat of Garten | Kingussie | Granton on Spey | Newtonmore |
| 2003 EVENT | Boat of Garten | Kingussie | Granton on Spey | Newtonmore |
| 2002 EVENT | Boat of Garten | Kingussie | Granton on Spey | Newtonmore |
| 2001 EVENT | Boat of Garten | Kingussie | Granton on Spey | Newtonmore |