Scotland Golf Bible

A guide to green fee value for money

Category: Since 2000 (Page 2 of 7)

181. The Carrick. 22 Mar 23.

April 28, 2026 /

Fake News – Trump wanted “The Carrick”

Value – 4 / 5

The King Robert the Bruce course at Trump Turnberry was to be named “The Carrick”, but dropped after a legal challenge. Perhaps fake news? “The Carrick” remains the name of Cameron House’s premier golf course, set on the banks of Loch Lomond. A just outcome, given the designer is Doug Carrick, one of Canada’s most prolific architects with a CV of 100 courses.

The halfway boat enhances the contrast between ‘lowland’ to ‘highland’ holes.

Cameron House is a 5 star resort, less than an hours drive from central Glasgow. However, a word of warning. This is not Gleneagles, so be prepared for the swimming pool filled with screaming children, plus the only quiet restaurant may be the fine dining one!

The Carrick’s ‘lowland’ could be called Wetlands, on display at the par 3 2nd

The Carrick is really 2 courses; the front 8 “Lowland” holes are flat parkland weaving around a pond which is in play on several holes, the 10 “Highland” holes could then be a homage to James Braid’s “East Ren“, an undulating piece of ground, with views of Loch Lomond.

The 8th, ‘Glen Fruin’, is a monstrous par 5, and the toughest hole on the outward nine.

The course had several mediocre holes, but complimented by a few brilliant ones, none less than the stroke index one 11th, played uphill – the mixture of fairway and greenside bunkering is superb, testimony to Carrick’s design experience. The conditioning was a touch tired in places, albeit the recent wet weather probably played a part. Nonetheless the bunkers were well presented.

The SI one 11th played “into the glen” needs three good shots to give a chance of par.

Combined with the scenery, this could be spectacular on a late summer day with the hills in bloom. One thing worth mentioning was the proximity to the A82 west highland arterial route so road noise will be a factor in the height of summer.

The ‘Signature” ‘Tappit Doon’ par three 14th, a 2 to 3 club drop.

In the very strong winds, gusting at 40mph, I played one of my rounds of the year to score 95. My par on the long par 4 third hole being the highlight.

Shades of ‘East Ren’ abound (here at the 13th) on the Highland part of The Carrick.

I paid £54.99 through GolfNow to play on a windswept day with the ground pretty saturated in places. The course was fully in play. It still represented decent value as this is an interesting course with great variety and picturesque surroundings. The Summer price of well over £100 is a little steep in my opinion.

My recommendation would be to seek out a twighlight or a Golfnow “Hot deal”, if you get one go and play this “tale of two halves” course.

Cameron House Apartments overlook the 17th green, a 400 yard par 4.

Facts:

Round List Price £120. Actual Paid £55 through Golfnow.

Course/Slope Rating (gold) 70.3/122.

Course Type: Parkland & Heathland

Par 71  (4 par 5s, 9 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 6265 yards

Moly’s 95 was actually a good round in 40+mph winds on a wet course

166. Torrance Park. 14 Oct 22.

March 20, 2023 /

Electrifying, but not in a way you would want.

Moly’s Score – 89

Round £25. Par 71. Course/Slope Rating (yellow) 68.9/124. Value (out of 5) – 2.5

Torrance Park golf course started off as an ambitious project. Owned by David Murray, the Scottish businessman and former owner of Glasgow Rangers FC, it was designed by Dave Thomas (The Belfry, Spey Valley) as an impressive PGA style 18 holes course and opened as recently as 2008. It had plans also for a driving range. Sited close to the M8 motorway and adjacent to the town of Holytown, an area with rapid housing development, it was ideally located.

Torrance Park, adjacent to a major power distribution hub, might have the most pylons in Scotland.

However, jump forward 15 years, and the course was rather forlorn when I played, during which I also found out that from 2023, the course was to be 9 holes only. The land to the west of Legbrannock Road, was to be a housing development, leaving 9 holes currently the nearest around the modern clubhouse.

The greens, the 1st shown here, are well designed and well maintained, and the best feature of this otherwise uninspiring course.

When I played I met up with a local member, who was angry that he and many other members had paid their annual membership fees, before shortly thereafter being advised by email of the course reduction plans, but without an option to cancel their membership.

The par four 4th at Torrance Park, worthy of being the stroke index 1. A water feature ready to capture any right handed slice from the tee.

This parkland course feels rather odd. Fairways are wide, with disproportionally huge bunkers – it’s as if an innocuous municipal course had a few bunkers that would be at home in Valderrama! The greens are nonetheless pretty good, but again they feel better than the surrounding landscape and course conditioning.

The par four 17th (likely the new 8th), with views north towards the Campsie Hills. With another pylon to view!

When I played the course was very wet, although the greens had held up well. The new clubhouse had very friendly staff, and the building seems to be used as a ‘local’ for the adjacent housing estate. The food was good.

The par four 18th (which I would think is the 9th now) is a decent finishing hole – stroke index 4, with large front bunker, typical of the design here. I would recommend considering a shot to the front right of the green to leave a straight forward chip.

As for value, I struggle to think more than 2.5/5 is justified, using £25 as the stated amount. It’s convenient to the M8 if you want a quick knock about, but not worth going out of your way for, in my opinion.

Facts (pre 2022):

Course Type: Parkland

Par 71  (3 par 5s, 11 par 4s, 4 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 5916 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 89

Moly’s Torrance Park scorecard – great finish meant decent score

161. Rowallan Castle. 22 Aug 22.

January 21, 2023 /

Great value open parkland course well worth playing – I hope Rowallan Castle’s interesting business plan stands the test of time.

Round £45. Par 72. Course/Slope Rating (yellow) 71.6/129. Value (out of 5) – 4.5

Moly’s score – 91

Insert “parkland” into their claim that Rowallan Castle is “one of Ayrshire’s finest golf courses” and they certainly have a case. This Colin Montgomerie designed course is well worth playing, and a great alternative to the several world class links courses along the nearby Ayrshire coastline.

The well bunkered approach to the 18th at Rowallan Castle, one of five par 5s at this clever layout.

Opened in 2010, this course is clearly set up, from the blue ‘tips’, to cater for professional play. Moreover, the yellow yardage of 6284, which most visitors will use, still presents a meaty challenge, especially as there are some long walks between green to next tee.

The first fairway, a tough par 4 of over 400 yards, adorned by “executive” housing, a key part of the longer vision of owner Niall Campbell.

Rowallan Castle, is 4 miles north of Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, and has a history dating back to the 13th century. Now owned by Niall Campbell and his family, the recent history is both colourful and ‘cuts to the quick’ for businessman trying to create up market golf developments in Scotland.

Moly at the short 8th “Old Castle” hole, at 149 yards, the shortest of the five par 3s. Go long.

Initially planned to be a hotel golf resort, its appears that there has been planning challenges over the last 20 years. What you are left with is an interesting mix; one of the two castles is used as a wedding venue, the other as up market holiday lets. A separate restaurant in a new “orangery” style building, adjoining the “turreted” golf pro-shop, serves both the golf club as well as “fine dining” visitors.

The great second hole, deceptive on the eye, with more room on the huge green than it appears. You might need a long two putt for par here.

One of the oddities therefore, is that you don’t really have a golfing clubhouse and bar. Golfers use the small bar of the restaurant. Having been to several golf resorts, I’ve never come across anything like Rowallan Castle – I hope it remains profitable, because the course is a great addition to the Scottish golfing landscape.

The 3rd, “The Crow Flies” a tough par 5 and stroke index 2. Almost 100 yards longer from yellow than red.

The course itself is beautifully laid out around the estate, which sees continuing housing development. The best thing for me about the layout was the hole variety, not least because it has five par threes and five par fives; I can’t recall encountering this balance of holes before. There is never more than two par fours in sequence. The ladies card has a par of 75, with eight par fives in total.

The greenside bunkering at Rowallan Castle is a key feature, here shown at the par 5 9th hole.

The fairways are very open; the greens and their surrounding large and deep bunkers are indeed worthy of national competitions. The course was in very good condition when we played, but let down somewhat by some of the teeing grounds. Several comments I’ve read regularly mention the poor quality drainage, but despite very heavy rain when we played, the course remained fully playable. I suspect drainage improvements have been successful.

“Wee Sneekit”, the par 3 17th hole, aesthetically typical of the “fee” at Rowallan Castle.

The club also has some innovative membership options, including a 9 hole membership, for play on the first 8 holes, plus the 19th, for only £380, against the full membership of £750. Both of these are excellent value. Yes, I did say “19th”, which is a short par three, and I assume added to provide the “9 hole course” option.

“The 19th Hole” is actually a hole at Rowallan Castle, which is very fitting as the place doesn’t really have a golf bar!

As to single green fees, its very competitively priced at £45, with discounts available through golf green fee apps, such as Golfnow. We paid only £25.

The pro shop at Rowallan Castle – you know straight away the ambition of the owners here.

I played pretty well, on a course playing its full length, my 91 needed a few good putts. It’s well worth playing at Rowallan Castle.

Facts:

Course Type: Parkland

Par 71  (5 par 5s, 8 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 6284 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 91

Moly’s Rowallan Castle scorecard – 91, for 31 points.

158. The Heritage Links, at Playsport Golf EK (East Kilbride). 19 Aug 22.

January 11, 2023 /

Like watching a ‘tribute band’, very enjoyable but at times a bit ‘corny’.

Round £15. Par 32. Course Rating / Slope Rating (yellow) 32.1/116. Value (out of 5) – 4

Moly’s Score – 44

‘Playsport’ is a multi-sport commercial site in north East Kilbride, a town of almost 80,000 making it the 6th most populated conurbation in Scotland. ‘Playsport Golf’, the golfing brand of the business, operates a two-tier driving range, a very large golf store and a 9 hole course, called Heritage Links.

The 5th at The Heritage, inspired by the 4th at Royal St George’s with it’s “Himalayas” Bunker on show. Both this hole and the inspiration from Sandwich are similar length.

As the name suggests, Heritage Links is a homage to Open Championship venues, with each hole inspired from a specific hole of the world’s best links courses.

The final hole at The Heritage, homage to Royal Lytham’s short 9th hole, the only hole numbered the same as the doner inspiration for the hole.

East Kilbride lies on a plateau, just south of Glasgow, and the golf course is fully exposed to the elements; on the day I played there were 40 mph winds and some heavy showers. These are ideal conditions to go alongside the course’s design aim of replicating some the challenges faced in The OPEN. In addition, the course has outstanding views.

The 4th, inspired by the 16th at Carnoustie, with the Playsport sports arenas in the background. My par 3 score highlights it plays much shorter than its inspiring hole!

Although this could feel a little ‘corny’, the resulting course is a great test of your game, not least because it’s the bunkering from the host courses that are mainly used to create the inspirational feeling. However, this is not “replica” golf, so take it for what it is and enjoy the layout.

The opening hole at The Heritage, inspired by Turnberry’s 2nd, shows the good ‘links’ quality of the course.

The course opened in 2009, built to high specifications, and has become a popular venue. Despite the inclement weather forecast when I played it was very busy, so ensure to book ahead. With multiple sports on the same site, there are activities for non-golfing partners and kids.

The 6th, based on Muirfield’s 13th, shows the top quality of the bunkers at Playgolf EK.

Although heavily played the course was in very good condition, with greens and bunkers excellent. At £15 for 9 holes, this is very good value.

The 8th hole, showing the “road hole” bunker from St Andrews.

Playing as a singleton, a 4-ball kindly let me tee off first, then watched me rack up a 9 and the par 4 first, playing into the teeth of the wind. I got much better after that, when they weren’t watching. Don’t you sometimes hate getting asked to ‘play through’.

Facts:

Course Type: Parkland/Faux Links?

Par 32  (1 par 5s, 3 par 4s, 5 par 3s)

Distance (yellow): 2307 yards

Moly’s Gross score: 44

Moly’s 44, or 37 net (5 over net), with a 9 and the par 4 first!!
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