Golf course dubbed 'Scotland's Augusta' lays abandoned with iconic building overcome by nature
With the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in full swing, another legendary UK course sadly lies derelict.
Letham Grange in Angus, north of Arbroath, was once dubbed 'Scotland's Augusta' for its picturesque beauty and likeness to the legendary Masters venue. Designed by Archibald Simpson, the mansion on the site was first built in the 1820s.
It was converted into a hotel late in the 20th century. The legendary Henry Cotton attended its opening as a golf club in 1987.
It featured two courses, the Old Course and the Glens Course, and quickly gained a lofty reputation for its beauty. However, the club folded in 2019.
Since then, plans have been submitted to build 250 new homes, which would have funded the reopening of the course. However, those plans were dropped after opposition from locals, reported The Courier in August 2024.
The Taiwanese Liu family, which owns the site, said ploughing a million pounds into a planning application was an 'unsustainable risk' they could not take.
The site, which has also hosted curling, remains largely untouched, with windows boarded up and large parts overgrown with weeds. In 2023, a former club member took some pictures of what was left of the site while out cycling.
Sharing the images in the Scotland from the Roadside Facebook group, Bob Durnan wrote: "While out cycling today I stopped at my old golf club. It's very sad to see this stunning building falling into disrepair.
"I was a member of the golf club for 10 years back in the late 90s, the building was stunning and the course got the nickname 'Scotland's Augusta'.
"The curling rink (complete with chandeliers) was used for international events and was the home ground of one of Scotland's curling champions Kelly Wood (Schafer), and in the summer the ice was melted and the room was used as a wedding venue (hence the chandeliers).
"We had Christmas parties in the hotel and a friend was married there, oh and the bedrooms were enormous. The victim of an ownership dispute for the past 15 years the building has been left empty and is literally falling to bits. So sad."
Fellow group members were also sad to see the site in such a state. One wrote: "Fond memories of this fantastic course. Just waiting for someone to bring it to life again."
A second added: "Sad, it was an impressive place to visit and a great golf course." Another said: "Played golf there many a time in the 1980's. So sad to see the state of it now."
A fourth added: "Just devastating to look at these pictures! You can tell it must have been beautiful at one time!"
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