Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond is one of the youngest courses on any of our NCG Top 100s lists, having only opened its doors in 1993.

 

Unfortunately for the masses, it may just be that those who have not yet had the good fortune to be invited to Loch Lomond have missed their best chance.

In its short yet turbulent history, Loch Lomond Golf Club has played host to the Scottish Open, before then being passed over to RBS and eventually being bought back by the club's members.

Now, Loch Lomond is a private members golf club and resort. The club feels that they have done their stint as a tournament venue, and now it has gone back to being a place where members (and their guests) can relax and enjoy their golf.  The only way of getting onto the golf course at Loch Lomond these days, unfortunately, is by knowing a member.


Visit Loch Lomond's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.
 

1993 saw the opening of Loch Lomond Gold Club, with Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf teaming us to design and create an instant Scottish classic.

The pair used the natural landscape of the area to their advantage, and planted the course design around hazards, trees and the rolling hills. 

Just three years on from opening, Loch Lomond was already playing host to the stars of the DP World Tour. The Loch Lomond World Invitational was played for five years, before the Scottish Open made the venue its home for a decade.

Thomas Bjorn, Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald were just some of the players to win during the DP World Tour's time at Loch Lomond.

 

It wasn't just the men's game either, as Loch Lomond played host to the first Solheim Cup of the 21st Century. The 2000 edition of the competition, the sixth in the tournament's history, was won by Team Europe. Carin Koch and Catrin Nilsmark both won all three matches they played as the Europeans won 14.5-11.5.

 

Its location, on the edge of Loch Lomond itself, mean that the Loch is in view for the majority of the front nine and again at the end of a round. It comes into play at times during the front nine as well. At more than 7,100 yards, you can tell it was made to be a tour course.

The course opens with a couple of lengthy par 4s, the 2nd being more than 450 from the tips, before the 3rd sees the first real birdie opportunity. At just 520 yards, it is not the longest of par 5s, especially from the back tees. The dog-leg left takes you to the edge of Loch Lomond, before coming back inland on the 4th, which shares a double green with the 2nd hole. 

The 5th is the first par 3 and takes you back towards the Loch, with the next two holes playing alongside the water. The 6th is the longest hole on the property at more than 615 yards from the back tees, and it is a true three-shotter. 7 is a dog-leg right par 4 with the approach seeming like it is being fired towards the water. The 8th is the shortest hole on the course, before the front nine closes with a gentle par 4. Well, gentle in the sense of its distance, but considering there is more sand than green when you get down there, maybe it isn't that simple...

The back nine starts with a long par 4 with the fairway split in two, with 11 being the first of two par 3s on the back side measuring more than 200 yards. Following a dog-leg right par 4, the 13th comes next. It is 550 yards, but that isn't the big problem. No, that will be the 12 bunkers, the ditch that runs across the fairway and the fact that anything to the left or long of the green is a goner.

14 is a fun risk-reward hole. The longer hitters could cut the corner and go for the green, akin to the 15th on the Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor. After another dog-leg par 4, the 16th is one of the few holes where sand does not come into play. The 517-yard par 5 is reachable in two for the longer hitters, but with a burn running in front of the green, approaches have to be flighted all the way. 

The penultimate hole is also the last par 3 on the property and brings you back alongside the Loch. The water comes into play at the left of the green, which is 213 yards from the tips. The closing hole at Loch Lomond is a dog-leg left par 4 around the Loch, with the water hugging the left side of the fairway at all times. A tricky finish, and one where a par is a good score.
 

Where is Loch Lomond Golf Club located?
As its name suggests, the golf club is situated on the banks of Loch Lomond itself. It sits on the western side of the water, with the entrace to the club being just off the A82. The course is situated inside the Trossachs National Park, with the centre of Glasgow around 25 miles to the south.

Thanks to its proximity to the city, Glasgow Airport - the second busiest airport in the country behind only Edinburgh - is 20 miles away from Loch Lomond. Balloch, which sits at the southern tip of the loch, is home to the closest train station, but that is around six miles south of the golf club.

 

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?
Loch Lomond Golf Club is one of several venues within a short drive of Glasgow city centre. The likes of Kilmacolm, Ranfurly Castle, East Renfrewshire, Paisley and Bonnyton are within a 35-mile drive, while Glenbervie - which sits to the west of Falkirk - is around 45 miles east of Loch Lomond.

What golf facilities does Loch Lomond offer?  
As you would expect from a private members' club, and one that has previously hosted the DP World Tour, the practice facilities at Loch Lomond are extensive. These include a full-length driving range, short game area and a large putting green.
  

Is Loch Lomond a private club?
Yes, Loch Lomond is one of the most distinguished private members clubs in the world and one of the top golf courses in Scotland. Loch Lomond Golf Club is not accessible to visitors, it only allows members & their guests.

 

Therefore, there is no information about green fees and the cost for a visitor to play at the venue.


Visit Loch Lomond's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.