Gatehouse of Fleet

Scotland is littered with glorious little 9-hole courses, and the Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club is certainly one of those!

With a pair of Open Champions as the design duo, it was always going to be a solid test of golf. Opened in 1921, Gatehouse of Fleet continues to test to this day.

It is not a long course, at just 2,500 yards, but don’t be fooled by the wide fairways – there is still enough to keep you on your toes during a round.

Visit Gatehouse’s website here. 

Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage. 

The Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club has a long and storied history, with the original layout dating back more than a century. 

1921 saw the official opening of the golf course, with 1883 Open Champion Willie Fernie and James Braid – a five-time winner of the Claret Jug – as the designers.

The Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club may only be a small 9-hole layout, but what it lacks in length, it makes up for with the views you enjoy throughout a round. It is set in the heart of the Galloway Hills, with players able to see across the Solway Firth. This par 33 layout features a quartet of par 3s, and although it is only 2,500 yards long, there are still plenty of challenges along the way.

Unlike most courses, Gatehouse of Fleet is bookended by par 3s. The 1st is the longest of the 3s on the course, at 211 yards from the back tees. It is still 206 yards from the Yellows, so it will require a very good shot for your first of the day! We’d argue it’s well worth warming up before you take to the first tee. It is Stroke Index 1 at Gatehouse of Fleet for a reason...

After that, you move into a run of three medium-length par 4s, all of which offer scoring chances. The 2nd is 354 yards, and the longest of the trio. There is a wide-open fairway, so get it down there as far as you can to leave yourself the shortest possible distance to the green. 3 and 4 are both around the 320-yard mark but both have trouble down their right sides. Space to the left on either hole makes that the miss if you’re not going to find the fairway!

The 5th is the shortest hole on the course at just 130 yards. This short par 3 is played over a burn to a narrow green, one guarded with a pair of bunkers. The longest hole at Gatehouse of Fleet then follows – the 550-yard, par 5 6th. Again, there is a wide landing area for your drive, so the longer hitters can really try and get it down there as far as possible to make it reachable in two. The only real trouble comes in the form of the trees lurking to the back left of the green, but apart from that, it is a scoring chance.

The 7th is also a good chance as the easiest hole on the course. It is a 280-yard par 4 which plays as a slight dog-leg right around the 2nd hole. However, the longer hitters will fancy their chances of making it to the green. The course then finishes with back-to-back par 3s. The 8th is the longer of the two at 190 yards, but it is the 9th that has the trouble. It is played to a small green guarded by three bunkers at the back, while anything left runs the risk of finding the wall, and even going over it and out of bounds.

Where is Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club located?

The Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club is located in the southwestern corner of Scotland, sitting well south of certain parts of England. It is in the county of Dumfries & Galloway in southern Scotland. Gatehouse of Fleet is to the south of the club, which sits halfway between Newton Stewart and Castle Douglas on the A75. Dumfries is around 30 miles to the east, while Glasgow is 90 miles north.

Glasgow is also home to the closest airports, with Prestwick Airport around 60 miles north of Gatehouse of Fleet. Glasgow International Airport, the busier of the two airports that service the city, is 90 miles north. Edinburgh Airport and Newcastle Airport, the latter over the border in England, are within 130 miles as well. The nearest train station to Gatehouse of Fleet is in Dumfries, which is 30 miles east of the venue.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?

There is a handful of courses on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list in the southwestern corner of the country. Stranraer, Southerness and Powfoot are all within 50 miles, while Trump Turnberry, with its Alisa Course and King Robert the Bruce Course, are slightly further afield to the north.

What golf facilities does Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club offer?

Due to the lack of space, there is not a driving range at the Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club, but there is a putting green and nets to warm up in.

What are the green fees at Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at Gatehouse of Fleet Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

For more information on current green fees at Gatehouse of Fleet, visit their website here.