The final stop at the end of our five-day Aberdeenshire swing took us to the coastline once more, and a first trip to the glorious Spey Bay.
The course itself may not be that well known, but it sits in a coastal reserve, and plays as an out-and-back traditional links course along the Aberdeenshire coastline.
It is safe to say that the 18-hole layout at Spey Bay is not the longest in the world, with the Whites only measuring at just shy of 6,150 yards. The Yellows play from less than 5,750 yards, while the Ladies played off the Red tees, which measure 5,300 yards. For the Ladies, the opening hole plays as an extra par 5 to take the course up to a par 71.
- RELATED: NCG Top 100s – Spey Bay
What is the course like and what are the best holes?
Spey Bay is very much a traditional links course, with the addition of a number of holes playing amongst trees as well. The front nine of the course is runs east and slightly inland, with the closing section of the course playing along the North Sea coastline, and with the beach on its right.
Our competitors were big fans of the short par 3s on the card – especially the 8th. Despite being less than 140 yards from the White tees, this short par 3 is actually the third hardest hole on the property by Stroke Index. There is only the one bunker, but the green is incredibly shallow, meaning that anything coming in hot will run off the back of the putting surface!
That was one of our two Nearest the Pin holes on the day, with the other coming at the 15th. This is a par 3 with an incredible backdrop. The North Sea is in view throughout, with the green almost backing on to the beach that runs parallel to the back nine. If you include the beach, there is a sand trap on each of the four sides of the putting surface, which is round, but not very big.
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Right now, Spey Bay is not the finished article. There is a long-term plan in place to make the course fully reversible, and with the possibility of having five different routings thanks to 22 greens and even more tee boxes in the future. Those are just some of the plans to take the course and the venue to the next level over the next few years.
What did our competitors think of Spey Bay?
Looking for other opinions on Spey Bay? Check out what some of our players had to say about this championship venue here:
“It’s a course I had never played before, but I enjoyed the test, and I look forward to coming back when they have made these plans real.” – Gavin Pinto
“This was my first ever NCG event, and I was very happy. I played well, had great company and really enjoyed the course!” – Michal Jablonski
What about the off-course facilities?
At the moment, the practice facilities are not the best, and the club would admit that themselves. There is a short range by the side of the 18th hole, but only for players to hit wedges and practice chipping. There is a putting green by the clubhouse and 1st tee to practice on the greens.
The clubhouse is not too big, but the inside has a very comfortable feel, and provides a view of the opening and closing holes on the property. Both practice and clubhouse facilities are also mentioned in the long-term plans when it comes to improvement.
How can you play at Spey Bay?
Tee times are available every day of the week for visitors at Spey Bay, with prices for a game being more expensive on the weekend.
You can check out the green fees for a game at Spey Bay here, and you can book a tee time at the Aberdeenshire links course here.
Spey Bay is one of the northernmost venues that the NCG Top 100s Tour visited during our 2024 schedule. It is just outside the town of Fochabers, which is around 50 miles from Inverness and 60 miles from Aberdeen.
- Keep up to date with the ever-expanding 2025 NCG Top 100s Tour schedule here.
Get in touch with Spey Bay
For more information about the club and course, visit the club’s website.
To get in touch with Spey Bay, you can call them on 01343 820424. You can also send them an email via this link, or send them a message via the contact form on their website.
Now have your say
Have you ever played at Spey Bay before, or played on the NCG Top 100s Tour before? Let us know with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
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