Kilmacolm Golf Club

Kilmacolm Golf Club is home to an excellently maintained classic Scottish heathland layout. Located alongside the village of the same name, about a 30-minute drive west of Glasgow, the skilfully designed course spaciously meanders across the folding terrain. From its higher elevations Kilmacolm provides scenic views across the surrounding Renfrewshire hills and more distant mountains.

Laid out by James Braid, the course is lined with bracken, heather, gorse, and trees of many varieties. Measuring a relatively modest 5,961 yards from the back tees, the layout nonetheless contains a wonderful variety of holes, with short and long par-3s and par-4s complemented by a single par-5 (for men; there's a full complement of four par-5s for women golfers).

The out-and-back routing is characterised by plenty of elevation change, and many handsomely shaped holes. You'll find occasional gorse-covered ridges narrowing some of the fairways, while blind tee and approach shots are occasionally in the mix. The greens are typically a good size and subtly sloping.

Braid, a five-time Open Champion, completed his design of the course in 1924. Since that time Kilmacolm has regularly received excellent reviews, not least from four-time Open Champion Walter Hagen and Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher.

Pick of the holes: putting aside the daunting 230-yard par-3 6th (Right of Way), the par-3 12th (Punchbowl) offers a blind tee-shot shot over a small grassy ridge to a plateau green. If you should get a hole-in-one, there's little chance of seeing your ball drop into the hole. Other notable holes include the testing blind drive par-4 8th (Mound), and the par-4 14th (Quarry), with its blind second shot to the green played up and over some old quarry workings. There's also a beautifully framed plunging downhill par-3 at 17 (Misty Law).