Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Country Club
Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Country Club
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Rating Index Rating
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4.4
204 Reviews (204)
5 Stars
79
4 Stars
75
3 Stars
20
2 Stars
13
1 Stars
17
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.6
Layout
4.6
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
4.3
Amenities
4.3
91.9%
Recommend this course
168 out of 204 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.8
9 Reviews (9)
5 Stars
7
4 Stars
2
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.8
Value
5.0
Layout
4.8
Pace
4.9
Amenities
4.4
StaffFriendliness
4.6
100.0%
Recommend this course
9 out of 9 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.5
39 Reviews (39)
5 Stars
25
4 Stars
11
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.5
Value
4.7
Layout
4.6
Pace
4.6
Amenities
4.4
StaffFriendliness
4.5
92.3%
Recommend this course
36 out of 39 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
This championship layout delivers outstanding value, with immaculate fairways, tee boxes, and greens that consistently impress golfers at every price point. Welcoming pro shop staff and a smooth pace of play round out a premium experience worth the trip from Edinburgh.

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Style Parkland/Woodland
Par 73
Length 6990 yards
Slope 136
Rating 73.7

Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Country Club is an 18-hole parkland and woodland golf course. The golf course was designed by former Ryder Cup player Dave Thomas in 2001 and has been awarded the Scottish Award for Environmental Excellence in Golf.

The Macdonald Cardona golf course is located in a unique setting, with a backdrop of the Borders hills. It is skirted by the Tweed River and features wide, undulating greens.

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Macdonald Cardrona Hotel
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Course Details

Year Built 2001
Architect Dave Thomas (2001)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Pull-carts Yes
Caddies Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes - "Lee Westwood Golf School"
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes
Practice Hole Yes

Policies

Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Resort Casual

Food & Beverage

Restaurant

Available Facilities

Meeting Facilities, Banquet Facilities, Spa

Available Sports

Fitness
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Reviews

4.4
204 Reviews (204)
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Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Poor greens

The course was totally wasted with unplayable greens. All the grass was dead due to green staff incompetence. The areas of greens had been top sanded and seeded in an effort to repair with Hollowtinning also having been carried out. The general surfaces were exceptionally bumpy making it impossible to putt and as a four ball we simply played to the green and then walked to the next tee.

As a minor point the bunkers had not been raked and the area was exceptionally compacted.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
1.0
First Time Playing

Not recommended

Never in all my playing days have I come across greens that consisted of a mixture of rancid earth mould and very little grass more like weeds Bunker surrounds never been strimmed for ages A good stretch of the legs us the only good thing a can say about it Brian

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 20
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Greens a disaster

I usually play this course multiple times in a year but less this year. The greens are an absolute disaster. The grass has suffered from severe die back owing a failure of the irrigation system. The surface is probably worse than an artillery firing range. The ball does not run true as it leaps and jumps across the surface. It is an absolute lottery and as putting is half the game, the price should reflect that OR there should be a clear warning that the greens are in extremely poor condition. They are recovering slowly compared with a couple weeks ago but still poor. Some of the bunkers need attention with a crop of weeds in evidence. Overall impression is that still lot of green keeping catchup to be done. The pace of play also extremely slow with corporate groups slowing progress. Just shy of 4.5 hours is ridiculous.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Greens

2nd time played this course however it’s the worst greens I’ve ever played on …..no grass just bumps and brown earth no sure what they done to the greens but absolutely terrible

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Cardona

Apart from the greens being bare no good condition at all the golf was ok

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Perfect weather
Used cart

WORST GREENS IVE EVER SEEN PUTTING ON THE FAIRWAY WOULD HAVE BEEN AN IMPROVEMENT

Conditions Poor
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Perfect weather
Walked

Worst greens ever

The course is well set out, beautiful countryside, challenging

but the whole thing is let down by greens in dreadful condition

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Nice course shame about the condition

The course layout fairways and tees excellent but let down by terrible greens that have not recovered from the bad winter weather.

The bunkers were not raked and no rakes were available.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Previously Played
Hot weather
Walked

Terrible Course Condition

Having played this course a long time ago and all was good, I was very disappointed to find the condition of the course on this occasion. The greens were in a horrendous condition, it feels like the course has just been forgotten about and that there is not much maintenance goes into it. The bunkers hadn't been rakes and were full of weeds and grass.

I honestly would never play this course again or recommend this course to anyone.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
1.0
First Time Playing

Greens in abysmal state

The state of the greens absolutely ruined the days play, brown, dry and with cracks throughout. This really spoiled an otherwise nice course.

We also found it difficult to navigate the course as it was our 1st time playing and there was a real lack of signage showing the way to the next tee.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 8
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Disappointed

Unfortunately the greens are in shocking condition now due to lack of water/maintenance. So sad to see how much it has deteriorated.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

This course hasn’t been watered in years

Advertisement makes the course looks lovely, however anyone who plays this course will be very dissatisfied. The greens were brown and cracking, and felt like putting on concrete. The fairways also looked like they hadn’t been watered ever. All in all a bad experience and waste of money. Only saving grace was the staff were nice. 3/10

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing

Wow

Wow Wow wow , If I wanted to putt on concrete , I would of gone to a car park , just wow.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Fantastic course which was let down by the green conditions. Once the greens are back in good order this will be faultless.

Conditions Poor
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Previously Played

Still Tricky

Hadn't played Cardrona for a long time but for £15 on a Fri I headed out.

You need to avoid rough here at all costs, if you can't hit it straight, better hitting a five iron than a wood.

Fairways good; greens?....well I'll come back to those.

This is a huge course and as far as I know there are currently only two, possibly three greenkeepers employed. I've experience in this field and would say the guys must be maxxed out. Quite a challenge tending a course this size with so few staff.

However, will cut some slack as every pennies a prisoner for the Hotel industry at the moment. Maybe if MacDonald hotels hadn't let their club membership die a death by a thousand cuts over several years they would be reaping the rewards that most other clubs are during Pandemic Pandemonium currently.

Back to the greens. I coped as I'm a decent putter but oh my, they are in a sorry state. Scorched, cracked, patchy( I'm not talking about my scalp)

The irrigation system is either out of use or in disrepair it seems; funding issues no doubt and the course really does need some rain. And it did lash it down when I was out.

I hadn't played the course for about five years and I must say I did enjoy it but for the pace of play. I was on foot and really taking my time, Playing "two ball better ball" because the groups in front were just sooooo slooooow. Even with buggies.

Hopefully will get back out when the course is a bit greener again

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Better than expected

Having read quite a few scathing reviews I was a bit hesitant but never the less we thought we’d give it a go, and for £15 I couldn’t really complain.

Nice welcome from the golf pro, which started the day off nicely.

The greens aren’t in great condition but I believe all the green staff had been either furloughed or paid off so it’s gonna take a bit of work to get them back up to standard, they were perfectly playable though.

Fairways excellent and some stunning views throughout the round.

Held up a couple times but nothing too bad, and had the pleasure of welcoming a lone golfer along with us for the back 9 to save on anymore hold ups.

Make no mistake though, this is a challenging course for shorter hitters but I still enjoyed the challenge of trying to get a decent round going.

All in all, a perfectly nice day out on a decent enough course, with stunning views, I predict in a years time the greens will be fantastic but as it is now, I’d still recommend giving it a go and making the most of it.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Bunkers best I’ve ever played

Course played great , weather was outstanding, played link a link course with firm fairways and greens

Greens were very patchy and need watered with all the dry weather but overall value was outstanding for £20 , definitely be back

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Recommend a Buggy

Very nice course, great value, friendly staff. I would recommend a buggy because there is alot of ground to cover in-between holes. Greens could be better but all in all a nice course

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 20
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Still a problem with Slow Play

The course was in much better condition today. There had been some effort put into controlling the moss on the greens and they had clearly been cut, rolled, moss killed, and sanded. This did create some bumps and the ball did still not run true but maybe over the next few weeks, this will improve. Much more irritating was slow play. We were following 2 groups of 3 who were not such experienced players but they would not let us through. An exasperating and frustrating afternoon. There requires an official on a buggy to ensure that players either keep up to their time or let faster players through. I appreciate we all had to learn and improve but we also learned about golf course etiquette.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
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