When it comes to which country is ‘best’ for golf there is no correct answer. Both have exceptional strengths and unique characteristics, both are blessed with links that rank amongst the best courses in the world, and both have quality in depth. And then there’s the whiskey/whisky. (The ‘e’ is for Everything.)
If you visit one destination without visiting the other then you are only getting half the picture of what makes these countries great for golf.
A recent trip to Glasgow and Ayrshire, with Destination Golf, made this abundantly clear. I am the editor for the Scotland Top 100 guide, and our goal is to visit a wide selection of courses over the days we spend in a region. Yes, we visited the famous links, but we also sampled the inland courses of Mar Hall, Ranfurly Castle, and East Renfrewshire. Mar Hall takes an elegant parkland next to the River Clyde and boosts the occasion with a five-star baronial mansion (early 1800s), which recently enjoyed a £15 million makeover. It is 10 minutes from Glasgow Airport… and on the best side of Glasgow for Ayrshire’s courses.
Most tour operators focus on the coastal courses, facing Arran, but do drop in to Ranfurly Castle – 10 minutes from Mar Hall – which has a James Braid pedigree and a section of 14 holes atop a moor, with distant views and plenty of sway.
Ayrshire has the famous links of Royal Troon, Turnberry, and Prestwick, but support comes from Irvine Bogside, Kilmarnock (Barassie), and Western Gailes… all with a unique flavour of Scottish golf. These tick every box you could want and have one particular thing in common: a trainline alongside. You cannot play here and not have a train pass you. It’s simply not possible. It emphasises the importance of the rail network to the growth of Scottish golf.
Kilmarnock (Barassie), with its barrage of deep bunkers and heather, is a fine lesson in strategic management, with placement off the tee crucial to your success. And the greens are perfection.
Irvine Bogside has heather, gorse and the bunkers too, with a little bit of ‘wild’ thrown in for good measure. And there are some dramatic green sites to tempt you. It holds massive appeal for me. I like that edge of unpredictability.
Western Gailes is a links tight to the coast, with views to Arran, and an out-and-back style routing that speaks to its age (1897)… and quality. I have visited often as it is a course I love, and one where I have never captured an image that I think does it justice. This time, however, a September morning delivered light that photographers go weak-at-the-knees for.
There is so much choice – there are 20+ courses to tick off the list after flying to Glasgow, or travelling by ferry with Stena Line (Belfast to Cairnryan) – and one of the hardest things that we (Destination Golf) face is figuring out which courses to visit… and which ones we will have to leave until next time.