Gailes Links Golf Course
Overview
Glasgow Golf Club has hosted 32 international competitions and has been used as a Final Open Qualifying course 4 times.
The Ayrshire coast is less known than the famed East Lothian coast but the golf is just as good. In fact, from Irvine to Ayr there are 12 golf courses worth a journey and that's without Turnberry!
Golf Course Review
Gailes Links Golf Course is located in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland. Western Gailes and Dundonald Links border the course to the south. The Shewalton Sandpits Wildlife Reserve shares a portion of the property with the course.
Gailes Links Golf Course History
Gailes Links Golf Course, also known as Glasgow Golf Club, was founded in 1787. The club played in Glasgow over the Glasgow Green, Queen’s Park, and Alexandra Park until a course was laid out in Irvine in 1892. By 1894, there was a train station built to service the club. In 1912, Willie Park Jr redesigned the course and provided the basis for what exists today.
Gailes Links Golf Course by the Numbers
The course can be stretched to just under 7000 yards with only one par 3 on the front nine and two par 3’s on the back. Perhaps surprisingly, there are only two par 5’s, split evenly front and back. As such, the test comes from a variety of two-shot holes. Of these, there are four that measure less than 350 yards and two that measure more than 450 yards. It is a proper links test which is evidenced by the fact it hosted the Final Open Qualifying 4 years in a row from 2014-2017.
Gailes Links Golf Course - Videos
Watch: Scotland - Where Golf Began's Expose on Gailes Links
WATCH HIDDEN LINKS REVIEW OF GAILES LINKS GOLF CLUB
Featured Architect: MacKenzie, Alister
As taken from his book, Golf Architecture, Alister MacKenzie felt the following were essential: The course, where possible, should be arranged in two loops of nine holes. There should be a large proportion of good two-shot holes and at least four one-shot holes. There should be little walking between...
