AN ABOVE-PAR EXPERIENCE

It’s 30 years since Robin Menzies single-handedly carved a nine-hole golf course out of farmland on his country estate. Gayle joins him in a bid to improve her game...

Drinking in the stunning Perthshire scenery from the comfort of a golf buggy is THE way to go. I discovered this a few Fridays ago when I turned up to play the idyllic ninehole golf course at Mains of Taymouth in Kenmore. I wouldn’t describe myself as a golfer – more a duffer/ripper-upper of grass and earth and creator of divots – but it’s always fun to have a bash. Even more so when the course is as gorgeous as this one.

My companion for the afternoon is estate owner Robin Menzies, the man who designed the course in 1992, assisted by his late father Duncan and two estate workers.

I’ve brought my black Lab, Toby, and dog-lover Robin kindly insists he rides with us in the buggy.

“It’s a shame to leave him behind – dogs are welcome here!” he beams.

Robin isn’t worried when I reveal my golf isn’t up to scratch – he says it’s more about enjoying the scenery, having fun, and perhaps learning some new techniques.

“I’m no golf instructor!” he laughs. “But I can show you how to hold a club properly, and a few basics.”

Puttering up to the first tee, I watch as Robin swings his club and almost lands a hole-in-one. I’m impressed.

When it’s my turn, I swing too high, then too low, and scoop a few enormous chunks out of the perfectly groomed grass. Oops.

After several attempts I actually strike the ball, although rather than arc beautifully into the air, it bounces along the ground.

I’m delighted when, after Robin’s demonstrated the correct stance and posture, my balls rise into the sky – although they veer to the right.

“You’re getting better!” he encourages. “It’s all about practice. Keep at it and you could be really good!”

The course is set in stunning parkland scenery, with steep hills overlooking both sides, and is blessed with plenty of trees and natural vegetation. It’s suitable for all levels of golfer – even me!

It’s part of Mains of Taymouth Country Estate, which, during the 19th Century, was the home farm for nearby Taymouth Castle, seat of the Earls and Marquises of Breadalbane.

The estate was bought by the Menzies family in 1922 – 100 years ago. As achieving an

income from farming became more difficult, the family diversified into leisure, building holiday cottages and a caravan park, as well as constructing the golf course, setting up a riding centre and dining facilities.

It was when Robin returned from England in the early 1990s that he and his wife Irena took over the estate.

A civil engineering graduate with a huge passion for golf, Robin predominantly had only one JCB excavator to help him with the huge task of turning the rich farmland – which had been home to grazing cattle for 100 years – into a nine-hole golf course.

This year is a hugely exciting one for Robin and his family, with the course turning 30 years old alongside marking the milestone of a century of ownership of the estate.

It’s a chance to take a step back and celebrate, after a challenging few years thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Golf was one of the first sports to resume after the first lockdown and I’m sure it was a source of solace and companionship for many people,” says Robin.

“We’ve always been really proud of the Mains of Taymouth course, which has become a major asset to our holiday estate.

“As well as tourists, it’s well used by locals,

which was one of our aims when we built it all those years ago. Dad wanted to attract more visitors to Kenmore, and was very much the driving force behind achieving the planning permission for change of use of the land from farming to leisure.”

Once permission was obtained, around 1990, Robin, fresh from building motorways as a civil engineering graduate, bought a JCB and began digging.

“In many ways, building a golf course is similar to building roads,” he reflects. “You plan out every stage very carefully, but in this case I had to complete the vast majority of the hard physical work myself.

“It was tough going, but we were lucky to have our own quarry nearby, from which to source gravel and sand to infill the course, with some 7,000 tonnes being used.”

Robin’s plan was to design each hole around natural features and contours, and as he went along, he realised the enormous potential of the land, and, he says, “made everything bigger and better than originally anticipated”.

His favourite hole is the second, with a tee which is built within a “roundel”.

While he says the course has matured “beautifully” over the last three decades, there’s great potential for further development and the future is looking bright.

As I write this story a few weeks after my visit, Robin reveals he’s decided to retire and hand over the reins of this beautiful place. He’s delighted to get a life membership of the golf course, so the chances are he’ll be a regular fixture!

Even for a beginner golfer with a dog in tow, it has bags of appeal, and next time I return for a game, I’ll try not to rip up so much of the fairway...

Mains of Taymouth Country Estate and Golf Course nestles by the edge of Loch Tay in Kenmore, Highland Perthshire. The estate offers a range of luxury dog-friendly accommodation including 19th Century cottages built around a courtyard, mews-style houses, villas, apartments and a farmhouse. There’s a bar and brasserie, shop and delicatessen, and nearby Mains of Taymouth riding stables. taymouth.co.uk

TEE FOR TWO: Robin Menzies welcomes Gayle to his nine-hole golf course at Mains of Taymouth in Kenmore.

Estate owner Robin designed the course.

Robin gives Toby a lift in his buggy.