Ranfurly Castle

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club is one of two venues in Bridge of Weir, and it is one of the best moorland courses in Scotland.

Sitting just 15 miles from the centre of Glasgow, you wouldn’t necessarily know it as you get to the heart of the course, which rolls through the Renfrewshire countryside.

Willie Campbell was the man to design the course in the 1890s, which now plays to almost 6,300 yards and has plenty of trouble to watch out for.

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Ranfurly Castle can lay claim on being the oldest golf club in Renfrewshire, with its history dating back to 1889. 

The original 9-hole golf course was opened later that year, with a match between designer Willie Campbell and Willie Fernie – the latter being the Open Champion of 1883. 

Just five years later, the course was extended into the 18-hole layout that it remains today, and while the course has been lengthened over the years, it is still much the same as it was back then.

Even though the course is so close to Glasgow, there are times throughout a round at Ranfurly Castle where you would never know. There are not many moorland courses in Scotland, but this is a fine example of one. The layout winds its way through the Renfrewshire countryside, and it will provide a stern test. The course pushes towards the 6,300-yard mark and plays as a par 70 with just a solitary par 5 that comes early in the round... 

It does begin with a gentle opening hole though, providing you don’t push your first tee shot towards the OOB that runs down the right side. At 320 yards and with a generous fairway, there is every chance you could start your day at Ranfurly Castle with a birdie. The 2nd is much longer, pushing to 400 yards from the tips, and plays as a dog-leg right around the trees. Again, there is a wide fairway to find off the tee, but the green is surrounded by trees and sand, so it requires an accurate approach. The 3rd is the only par 5 on the card, and it remains short of 500 yards, providing another early scoring opportunity as long as you can find the fairway. The tee shot is played through a funnel of trees before emerging into the open. It is a hole that moves slightly from right to left, with three bunkers by the green, including one 20 yards in front of the surface, to deter any approaches from being ran up to the green. 

At just 270 yards, the 4th is definitely in reach for some. However, the green sits around the corner, behind a thick copse of trees, which may put some off from going for it with their tee shot. The first of the par 3s comes at the 5th. It is the shortest hole on the course at just 140 yards from the tips, played to a diagonally angled green, where a back right pin is treacherous to say the least. At 411 yards, the 6th is a tough par 4. It is a dog-leg right with a split fairway, The tee shot needs to get as far down the left side of the first section of fairway, to offer up the best view of the green. Anything long of the surface is in trouble. The 7th is a 180-yard par 3, played from an elevated tee to a green that is flanked by hillocks and bunkers. There is very little margin for error. 

You then get into a run of six par 4s, starting with the Stroke Index 1. The 8th is more than 450 yards from the tips, and requires a big carry off the tee to make it to the fairway. If you can do that, it will still be at least a long iron into the green on this tough hole. Like the 6th, both 9 and 10 have split fairways. The front nine’s closer is 375 yards and plays as a slight dog-leg left, while the 10th is only 290 yards. Going for it might not be the best play, though, as there are five bunkers sitting in front of the green. The 11th is another tough dog-leg, moving to the left at the corner, and measuring more than 430 yards. It is a generous fairway, but anything missing the short grass might well find itself in trouble. The same can be said for anything going long of the green. 

The tee shot on 12 is played across a burn to a tree-lined fairway. A solitary bunker sits to the right of the green. A different burn then comes into play on 13, with the hazard running perpendicular across the fairway. Keep your tee shot short of it for the safest play, before taking on the green. The 14th is the last of the par 3s, and the longest of those at Ranfurly Castle. It plays 185 yards from the back tees, and there are three bunkers guarding the green. 

The closing stretch consists of a quartet of par 4s. 15 is tough thanks to the OOB that pinches in the fairway on the right side. The miss is down the left, but anything too far left will find the trees. 16 is the shortest hole on the run for home, at 340 yards. A single fairway bunker sits on the right side, while the green has trees on both sides to make it feel tighter than it is. The last two holes are more than 400 yards in length, providing a tough final challenge. 17 plays as a dog-leg from left to right, but there is a generous fairway to aim for. The green is guarded by a pair of bunkers, one left and one right. The final hole at Ranfurly Castle is 436 yards from the tips, and plays arrow straight back to the clubhouse. Two bunkers sit down the right side of the fairway, with the OOB boundary fence further to your right. As with many of the greens on the course, a pair of bunkers are the protection.

Where is Ranfurly Castle located?

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club is situated just outside the Scottish town of Bridge of Weir, to the west of Glasgow. The centre of Scotland’s most populous city is 16 miles to the east, while the venue sits on the outskirts of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, which is to its west. The A761, which runs from Port Glasgow in the northwest to Ibrox in the east, runs close by the golf club through Bridge of Weir.

Thanks to its location on the western side of the city, Ranfurly Castle Golf Club is just seven miles from Glasgow Airport, the second busiest airport in the country. Brideg of Weir does not have its own train station, with the nearest station to Ranfurly Castle being some four miles to the southeast at Milliken Park. Trains run between Glasgow Central and Ardrossan Harbour on a regular basis.

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

The closest venue to Ranfurly Castle which holds a place on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list is Kilmacolm, which is just four miles down the road. Loch Lomond is 25 miles to the north, whilst West Kilbride is around the same to the southwest on the Ayrshire coast. Just a few miles further south, and you have Dundonald Links, Western Gailes and Gailes Links among many others.

What golf facilities does Ranfurly Castle offer?

The golf club has a practice area which is to the side of the 17th hole, where you can use your own golf balls to warm up. There is also a putting green which sits in front of the clubhouse. The club also has an indoor swing studio which can be rented out for practice use as well as for lessons.

What are the green fees at Ranfurly Castle?

The price of a green fee at Ranfurly Castle 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 Ranfurly Castle, visit their website here.