Ratho Park

Ratho Park Golf Club sits to the southwest of Scotland’s capital, and it is one of the best parkland courses north of the border. 

Five-time Open Champion James Braid was the man behind the design of the golf course, which was formally opened in 1929. 

At just 6,000 yards, the layout is not long, but the thick trees that line most of the fairway, along with the 70 bunkers and one solitary water hazard, will keep you on your toes! 

Visit Ratho Park’s website here.

Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.

Ratho Park Golf Club dates to the late 1920s, but the history of the club goes back further than that, to the turn of the century to be precise. 

It started life as the New Century Golf Club, and merged into the Corstorphine Golf Club with a 9-hole course. However, that site is now home to Edinburgh Zoo, with the club moving to Ratho Park in 1927. 

The current 18-hole course was designed by the great James Braid. He took on Harry Vardon, with the pair having 11 Open Championships between them, in a match to formally open the course.

Scotland may well be known for its links courses, but Ratho Park is up there as one of the prettiest parkland layouts in the country. It is not the longest course in the world, with drivable par 4s and only the singular par 5 on the layout. The quartet of par 3s might all be around the same distance, but they are all slightly different to provide an array of challenges. With tree-lined fairways and more than 70 bunkers in play, it will play more difficult than the 6,000 yards might suggest... 

A pair of drivable par 4s make up part of the opening trio of holes. The 1st is the shortest par 4 on the property at just 260 yards. Depending on how confident you’re feeling, this could be a chance to make birdie, or even eagle, at the 1st. At 363 yards, the 2nd is more difficult. It plays as a dog-leg left with the fairway bunker on the right to be avoided off the tee. Two more traps sit in front of the green. The 3rd is also drivable at 285 yards, however most will lay up short of the bunkers to give themselves a simple wedge shot to the flag. 

After a gentle start, you then take on what is arguably Ratho Park’s toughest run of holes. The gauntlet starts with the 385-yard 4th which, although straight, is one of the narrowest driving holes on the property. The Stroke Index 1 comes next, with the 5th being the longer hole on the front nine. Playing as a dog-leg from left to right, this 430-yard par 4 is one where a par is a very good score. If you miss the fairway, do so on the left side. You might be in the trees, but there could be a line towards the green. 6 comes back to the other way, taking the corner to the left, with the trio of bunkers by the putting surface adding difficulty to the approach. The 7th is the Stroke Index 3 at Ratho Park, thanks mainly because anything left off the tee is gone, buried inside the thick trees that line the hole. Long of the green is also in danger of the same fate. 

The first of the par 3s comes at the 8th. It is also the longest of the quartet at 175 yards. A trio of sand traps protect the green, with two of those on the right side. The front nine comes to a close with another tough par 4, and another where anything left off the tee is in trouble. The 9th is 380 yards, so drive might not necessarily be the play for some here. Stay short of the two fairway bunkers for safety and you’ll have a longer approach to the green. The 10th plays into the southwest corner of the property, and it is a good birdie chance to open up the back nine. There is more space for the tee shot than on first inspection, so take that into account. 

After nine par 4s in the opening ten holes, you then come to a run of three holes without a par 4. It starts with the 11th, the only par 5 at Ratho Park. At 525 yards, it will be a three-shotter for most, and although there are trees on either side, they are sporadic, so take out driver and get it down there as far as you can! A bunker sits in the fairway some 50 yards from the green, making it the perfect spot to lay up short of with your second. Back-to-back par 3s of similar lengths come next, running in opposite directions, so factor in the wind... 12 plays north, to a green that has three bunkers guarding the front of it. Your approach has to carry these to get close to the flag. The 13th then runs south, and features a triangular putting surface, with bunkers front left and front right for anything slightly mishit. 

The 14th might well be the strongest hole at Ratho Park, a dog-leg left par 4 that used to be a par 5. It pushes to 470 yards from the tips, and has a solitary tree situated right in the middle of the fairway, so even if you hit a good drive, you might still be behind a tree. How is that fair? The miss is left on the approach, with a pair of bunkers sitting on the right of the green. You then come to the last of the par 3s, the 160-yard 15th hole. It is the only hole on the course to feature a water hazard, and that comes in the shape of a pond sitting to the front left of the green. If the flag is in the back left, do you take on the pond? Or do you err on the side caution and play for the right side of the surface? 

The layout finishes with a trio of par 4s, all around the 380-yard mark. The fairway on 16 pinches in halfway down with trees encroaching on both sides, making it a very tricky tee shot to get right. 17 moves slightly to the right, with your tee shot needing to get to the corner to provide yourself with the best view of the green from the fairway. A pair of bunkers sit in front of the green to add to the difficulty level of the approach. The closing hole at Ratho Park is a slight dog-leg left, simply due to the trees encroaching on the left side of the fairway, which will naturally push your aiming point to the right side. The green is kidney-shaped, and is one of the longest on the course, so take note of where the flag is before selecting your club for the final approach shot of the day.

Where is Ratho Park Golf Club located?

Ratho Park Golf Club is situated to the southwest of Edinburgh, just outside the village of Ratho. It sits just to the south of the junction between the M9 and the M8, providing great transport links for those travelling to the region from both the north and west. The centre of Scotland’s capital city is less than ten miles to the east of the venue.

Thanks to its location on the western side of Edinburgh, Ratho Park is just five miles from Edinburgh Airport, which is the busiest airport in Scotland. For rail users, the nearest train station is in Edinburgh Park, while there are also two tram stops as well. Trains run between the city centre and Edinburgh Park on a regular basis.

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

There are a number of venues on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list in close order to Ratho Park. Bruntsfield Links is the nearest, situated seven miles to the north, while The Musselburgh (Monktonhall) is around 15 miles to the east. Moving away from Edinburgh, both Glenbervie and Lanark are within 30 miles.

The resort of Dalmahoy, which features on the NCG Top 100s: GB&I Resorts list, is less than three miles from Ratho Park Golf Club.

What golf facilities does Ratho Park Golf Club offer?

Along with the 18-hole golf course, Ratho Park Golf Club is also home to a driving range, which sits on the opposite side of the car park to the clubhouse. There is also a short game area on the same piece of land, along with a putting green located next to the clubhouse.

What are the green fees at Ratho Park Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at Ratho Park 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 Ratho Park, visit their website here.