Golf in the vicinity of Glasgow Airport

[Richard Fisher]

Just wondered if anybody had any recommendations for visitor-friendly courses within (say) 20 minutes' drive of Glasgow Airport? I am staying there one night next week, with potential scope for a late afternoon/evening game somewhere convenient and congenial.
Many thanks Richard

[Adam Lawrence]

Loch Lomond is probably only 20-25 minutes away, if you can get on 


Failing that, Erskine or Ranfurly Castle?

[Michael Graham]

Richard,


Niall Carlton will, I'm sure be able to give you more suggestions but East Renfrewshire GC (http://www.eastrengolfclub.co.uk/) has been on my radar for some time. I've promised myself this is the year I get across to check it out. According to Google Maps you should be able to do it in about 20 minutes.


Failing that, Loch Lomond...


Michael

[Niall C]

Richard


I recently did a bit of research for an essay on golf in Glasgow I was thinking of doing for this very website. Apparently there are a staggering (to me at any rate) 82 courses within 15 miles of Glasgow Central station. Most are of golden age vintage or older, and are generally private clubs that are happy to see visitors. I haven't played even half of them but have played most of the ones with the best rep. If you email me happy to give a bit of advice and maybe see if we can hook up for a game.


Niall

[Greg Gilson]

First time I have seen "visitor friendly" & "Loch Lomond" used together....

[Michael Graham]

Richard,


I forgot add Elderslie GC (http://www.eldersliegolfclub.com). A James Braid design from 1909. I played it a couple of years ago as part of a society outing and came away pleasantly surprised not knowing anything about the course before playing. Par 70 with modest yardage of 6100 odd it's laid out over a fairly small piece of land. There was a lot to like about the course. For £35 and minutes from Glasgow airport you could be onto a winner.

[Sam Andrews]

I have played Erskine with my godson who lives next door. It's a welcoming club with some good holes, some ordinary, at a very reasonable rate as I remember. Starts downhill, goes along the Clyde and then climbs again (seriously for the 18th!). Close by is Mar Hall Hotel and Golf club, which I have not played but it's similar land. Not much more than 10 mins from the airport.

[Niall C]

Erskine - agree with Sam, has some v good and some OK holes and some odd such as the first with a mid iron off the tee followed by a short pitch 90 degrees to the right. It's basically like  a lot of these older courses that Tommy Williamson refers to in his thread.

Out that way Ranfurly Castle, also mentioned above, is a better course and also good fun. If you really fancy going native then there is a fun muni further down the road at Greenock called Whinhill. It's about 5,500 yds from the tips and doesn't have any bunkers.

A lot of these local courses are similar in that they are fitted onto tight sites and therefore haven't really been expanded much over the years and are on typically interesting topography. You don't get too many completely flat courses.

Others in the area I'd happily recommend would be Cawder GC to the north, East Renfrewshire GC, Haggs Castle GC and Bonnyton GC to the south and Hamilton GC to the east but that might be a bit further than the others. One I haven't played but I intend to this year is Paisley GC which is a MacKenzie Ross. Interested to hear if anyone has played it ?

Niall 

[Jim McCann]

Niall:


Paisley's a much underrated track and a personal favourite of mine.


Richard:


Renfrew's the closest course to the airport but it's long, lush and (for me) deadly dull.


Erskine and Mar Hall are good shouts, as is Ranfurly Castle.
Forget about Loch Lomond as it's too far away (and not accessible anyway!)

[Adam Lawrence]

I haven't seen Mar Hall, but equally I have never seen a Dave Thomas  course I've liked.

[Rich Goodale]

Old Ranfurly is probably the best option, if you can get on.  If you want to play Loch Lomond you can get there in 20 minutes, if you have a very fast helicopter at your disposal.......

[Richard Fisher]

Thanks so much to all for their really helpful suggestions - much appreciated.
Driving plans all a bit fluid, which is why I can't pursue any of the specific invitations (for which again many thanks) but it's good to have such a plethora of choice if things do work out. This would be a preliminary workout prior to three days of foursomes with some American friends at Prestwick, Luffness and The Hon Company, so the idea of something (like Whinhill) occupying a rather different part of the Scottish golf spectrum is most appealing. Anyway whatever I'll do, I'll report back in due course.

[Niall C]

Rich


Not played Old Ranfurly but I’ve always been told that Ranfurly Castle was the better course. Have you played them both, and if so how do they compare ? Also interested to hear thoughts on Kilmacolm if you’ve played that.


Jim


Good to hear Paisley is worth a go. It’s definitely on the radar for this year. Re: Renfrew – I’ve heard much the same thing. I’d be interested to see what you consider your top 10 courses for Glasgow and it’s outskirts.


Richard


If you do play Whinhill you might need satnav to find it. You will also need cash as when I was there they didn’t take cards. Only cost about £14 from memory.


Niall

[Niall C]

Adam,
 
As a matter of interest what is it generally that doesn’t appeal to you about Dave Thomas courses, and has there been any change in that since his son has taken on much of the work ?
 
Niall

[Rich Goodale]

Rich

Not played Old Ranfurly but I’ve always been told that Ranfurly Castle was the better course. Have you played them both, and if so how do they compare ? Also interested to hear thoughts on Kilmacolm if you’ve played that.

Nialll


My bad.  Ranfurly Castle was what meant to say.


Rich

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I've also played Paisley - nice course. Erskine I got for cheap because they had one winter hole - 50% I think.

[Sean Ogle]

On my last trip I had an 8am tee time at Loch Lomond and was done in plenty of time for a 2pm flight - and it was about a 40 minute drive. But that might be the luckiest tee time I've ever come across.


So if we're talking about a distance like that being on the table, I'd head down and play Prestwick or Royal Troon.


Troon isn't my favorite course but I know a lot of people who love it. Tee times can be a bit tough and expensive, however.


While I haven't played it, Prestwick is high on my Scotland "to play" list.


That'd be my recommendation.

[Richard Fisher]

In the end I played at Powfoot. The weather forecast last Tuesday suggested that earlier was better than later, so I decided to break the journey from Lytham to Glasgow Airport at the halfway stage, rather than play upon reaching the destination. I enjoyed Powfoot, with a dozen decent seaside holes and perhaps half a dozen less gripping holes further inland, and I know that Jim McCann has long been a supporter of what is in some ways an engagingly old-fashioned holiday course, with one or two nicely archaic touches around the clubhouse (like the ball-drop). Powfoot also features in Frank Pennink's Golfer's Companion, which has never ever been found wanting as a source of worthwhile recommendations. So an enjoyable, and reasonable (£40) outing, and one worth repeating for those heading north up (or south down) the M74 without the time to get Southerness or the even more wondrous Silloth on the other side of the estuary.

After Powfoot's gentle excitements came 108 holes of foursomes in three days at Prestwick, Luffness and Muirfield, with dinners and lunches as appropriate. An entirely different world (to quote Herb Warren Wind). I hadn't played at any of these storied venues for over 15 years, and the very dry Scottish spring meant that each was in amazingly keen and bouncy seaside condition for end-April. Not for the first time, I felt I was a very lucky boy indeed.

Anyway, the recommendations around Glasgow Airport will have to await another trip, but thanks so much to all for their encouraging and helpful inputs -  much appreciated.
Richard 30.4.17

[Niall C]

Richard

Glad you enjoyed Powfoot. I have happy memories of a family holiday at Annan as a youngster and playing Powfoot every day of the holiday. I went back there about 10/15 years ago and it was a lot smaller and tighter than I remembered !

If you're doing that drive in the future then I'd recommend a stop off at Lochmaben which has some really old fashioned charm mingled with some nice newer holes. Mind you the clubhouse is a bit of a concrete bunker but don't let that put you off.

Niall