Kilmarnock Barassie (Hillhouse)

The Hillhouse Course is the 9-hole offering at Kilmarnock Barassie, the smaller sibling to the 18-hole Barassie Links.

The nine holes that made up the Hillhouse Course were part of the original 18 holes that were on site when the club moved to this venue in the late 19th Century.

Today, the course plays at the same standard as the Barassie, with some testing par 4s, two great par 3s, and plenty of gorse and sand to catch you out along the way.

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The formation of Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club came in 1887, with the original 9-hole layout located at Holmes Farm.

Less than a decade later, the club moved to its current location between the railway lines, with space for an 18-hole golf course.

Although the club celebrated its centenary back in 1987 however, it has undergone significant change in the years since. The decision was taken to add nine new holes, partly to ensure the existing course never became outdated and partly to secure the future of a portion of land that might otherwise one day have become housing or an industrial estate.

The original layout was then split, with the nine extra holes becoming what is now known as the Hillhouse Course at the venue.

The Hillhouse Course is formed from nine holes of the original 18-hole layout at Kilmarnock Barassie. The Barassie Links sits to its east, while one of the two railway lines near the venue is located down its western side. There are no par 5s on the course, with a pair of par 3s making it a par 34 layout. It stretches to 2,880 yards from the tips, and the par 4s all off their own challenges. Don’t be fooled by its length, this is a proper test of golf, and all on pristine links turf.

The layout starts with one of those tricky par 4s. Playing away from the glorious clubhouse at Kilmarnock Barassie, the opener is a testing 370-yard hole, where the tee shot has to avoid the five fairway bunkers that are in play. If it does, then attacking the green is much easier. The 2nd is the first of those two par 3s, and the longer of the two at 220 yards from the tips. Pot bunkers protect the green, with trees and gorse at the back of the putting surface for good measure. The 3rd is a dog-leg left, with the tee shot having to be aimed out to the right to find the fairway. Avoid the two fairway bunkers on the right side and this can become a good birdie chance. Push it too far right, or try and take too much of the corner on with your drive, and you’ll be looking at a bogey or worse...

The 4th pushes close to the 400-yard mark, but it has one of the more generous fairways on the course. Avoid the singular fairway bunker on the right, and this hole becomes a lot easier. The green is large, but protected well. The second and final par 3 comes at the 5th, and at 149 yards, it is easily the shortest hole on the course. A large bunker sits 15 yards in front of the green – cover that and your approach may well just bounce through to the green. More traps sit both left and right for anything slightly mishit. 6 is a dog-leg right around the gorse, with the tee shot needing to be played out to the left to avoid the trouble, which also includes a fairway bunker. Three more traps surround the putting surface.

The run for home starts with the 7th, as the train line comes into play down the right side of the final three holes. At just 305 yards, it seems like it should be a simple hole, but it can easily go wrong. It is a narrow landing zone for the tee shot, whether you go for the green or lay back. Gorse lines the left side of the fairway, and while there is some space on the right of the fairway, anything pushed too far in that direction could hit any number of rail services. The 8th is only 350 yards, but requires another accurate tee shot. Two pot bunkers sit on the right side, while any approach must carry the two cross bunkers in the centre of the fairway. The closing hole on the Hillhouse Course is a slight dog-leg right, teeing off from next to the train line and moving away from danger. The miss is left, as the 1st sits on that side of the 9th. It is 354 yards, so a solid drive should see just a mid-to-low iron into the final green.

Where is Kilmarnock Barassie located?

Kilmarnock Barassie is situated on the Ayrshire coastline, in what can only be described as a golfing paradise in the west of Scotland. The club sits between Gailes and Troon, and is just inland from the western coastline of the country. There are no sea views, but there are two railway lines – one on either side of the property. The town of Kilmarnock is around ten miles inland from the venue, while the A78 – which runs from Greenock to Monkton – is close by as well.

Barassie Station is just a couple of hundred yards away on foot from the entrance to the golf club. Trains run through the station between Ayr and Glasgow Central on a regular basis. For international visitors, Glasgow Prestwick Airport is less than eight miles from Kilmarnock Barassie, while Glasgow International Airport – the second busiest airport in the country – is 30 miles to the northeast.

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

Along with the 18-hole layout at the venue – the Barassie Course at Kilmarnock Barassie – there are plenty of venues nearby that are on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list. Dundonald Links and Western Gailes are both neighbours of Barassie, while the likes of Gailes Links, Irvine, Prestwick, Prestwick St Nicholas and Royal Troon – with its Old Course and Portland Course – are all within ten miles.

What golf facilities does Kilmarnock Barassie offer?

Along with the two layouts, the Hillhouse Links and the Barassie Links, the club has hitting nets to the side of the clubhouse, along with a lovely putting green which sits in front of the clubhouse.

What are the green fees at Kilmarnock Barassie?

The price of a green fee at Kilmarnock Barassie 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 Kilmarnock Barassie, visit their website here.