Further improvements at Meldrum House 

Hotel and golf course
 

NEWS RELEASE

One of Scotland’s top golf hotels has unveiled a series of key on near Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire has been completed ahead of the the 54-hole stroke play senior pros' tournament, the Aberdeen Masters, and a planned multi-million pound expansion that will add a further 28 bedrooms and an impressive ballroom at the resort.

The latest round of upgrades includes significant changes to a series of holes on the championship course, which previously hosted the Northern Open. 

Inside the clubhouse, a new-look pro shop has also been revealed signalling a continued commitment to the resort’s development plans.

 “The transformation of Meldrum House is ongoing, but we have already created one of Scotland’s top golf resorts which is a great achievement,” said Andy Burgess, the hotel’s chief executive.

 “To stay at this level, we must maintain the momentum we have established and that means making investments both on and off the course. 

He continued: “The course changes unveiled today are designed to improve playability while retaining the top-level golfing experience our championship course presents. It’s a balancing act, but the improvements have been warmly received by members and visitors alike.

" Equally, the changes to the pro shop may be more apparent but they also follow the same objectives of continuing the upward trajectory and maintaining the momentum at the resort.” 

On the course, changes to holes six, seven and eight have removed lost ball areas where scrub and thick rough limited players’ options. While this element of the on-course redesign is subtle, the changes to the penultimate hole are anything but. 

With Meldrum’s picturesque pond seeing a significant change as well as a new fairway that is 35 yards wider, the short par 4 17^th has become a true risk-and-reward hole. It is also in keeping with the general ethos of continual improvement adopted by the resort as a whole.

“To keep things moving in the right direction, the directors were keen to show that it’s not just the hotel that is looked at every year but also the golf course,” said Kenneth Harper, Meldrum’s golf course and estate grounds manager. 

“The work on 17 makes a big difference and not just from a playability point of view. It looks like a better hole now with the pond shaped in and the fairway right in front of you to have a pop at. 

"Six, seven and eight are also good changes that suit the holes. The shapes have been looked at carefully so they look as if they’ve been there forever. It’s all part of a much bigger plan that is being received very positively.” 

The £50,000 investment in on-course improvements was implemented during the winter months ahead of the start of the season. It included diverting waterways, installing new drains, building a new ladies’ tee and laying 7,000 metres of turf. 

As Burgess explains, the new pro shop and course design are essential to the development of the resort.

 “We have a very clear plan for Meldrum which involves taking it from being a very special Scottish country house into a prestigious venue and world-class resort,” he said. 

“These latest changes mark an important stage in the road towards that goal and yet another milestone in the development of this resort.”