Every time I play Highland Gate I get the feeling of being somewhere special. The name already suggests one might be in the Scottish Highlands and, with a bit of rain and mist added to the experience, voila! The contrast between the snaking green fairways and indigenous grass is spectacular. The fairways are generous, typical of an Ernie Els design, and the secret is to avoid the fairway bunkers. It is a second-shot course and placing the ball on the right portion of the green is paramount to good scoring. The tees, fairways and greens are in great condition. I have not seen better greenside bunkers. The sand is amazing, and I almost looked forward to playing out of them. Unfortunately, the par-5 14th fairway is too tight for the average golfer. I would shorten it to a par 4 to change the landing area off the tee. It is encouraging to see that in these difficult times they are working hard to improve the condition of an already spectacular course.
