Western Gailes

Western Gailes Golf Club, nestled in Ayrshire, Scotland, stands as a glorious golfing venue, in a stunning part of the world. The course gracefully lines the Firth of Clyde, affording awe-inspiring vistas of the ocean and the encompassing terrain.  

The reputation of Western Gailes as one of the game’s finest and more exacting courses has spread worldwide as evidenced by its numerous visitors from around the world including golfing legends from this and the last century.

The great Harry Vardon arrived at Western Gailes in June 1903 celebrating his fourth Open victory. In 1923, its attractions were being lauded by the then US Open Champion Gene Sarazen who played the course with three other outstanding professionals.

 

 

Visit Western Gailes' website here.
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Formed in 1897, the club has hosted a number of prestigious tournaments, including the Scottish Amateur Championship, which returned for the eighth time to Western Gailes in 2011.

The 1972 Curtis Cup, the 1964 Scottish PGA Championship, and in 2007 European Men's Amateur Team Championship were also held at Western Gailes. The course is often used as a qualifying venue for the Open Championship.
 
Originally, golfers used to arrive at Gailes Station on the train from Glasgow. Unfortunately, the station was closed in the 1960s but Western Gailes remains a popular destination for those who live and work in the city.

 

The Ayrshire coastline is blessed with some of Britain's finest links courses, and Western Gailes is up there with the very best. It features the classic links-style design with undulating fairways, deep bunkers, and strategically placed hazards. The natural dunes and the prevailing coastal winds add to the course's difficulty and character. Laid out in a figure of eight, the course has the railway track running down one side and the ocean running down the other. While the long, thin strip of linksland is typical of the west coast, the situation of the clubhouse in the middle is most unusual. This is links golf at its very best and the back nine is as hard as anywhere when the wind picks up..

 

From the tips, Western Gailes pushes past the 7,000-yard barrier, making it as tough as any other venues in the region. It begins with a quintet of par 4s, with the first four of those taking you north. The opener might just be the easiest hole on the property - a 310-yard par 4 that does not requre drive off the tee. It gets tougher from here on out...

 

The 2nd is a hole where you have to aim towards the railway line, before then turning parallel to it to play to the green. 3 moves slightly the other direction, but with two large bunkers in your eyeline down the left side of the fairway. At 415 yards, the 4th is another brute. Bunkers sit on both sides of the fairway, with three more just in front of the green, making you hit one more club to try and carry them to find the putting surface.

 

After you've made the turn at the northern end, you then run south for nine holes, all of which have dunes and the Irish Sea on their right. The 5th is one of the toughest holes on the course, pushing towards 500 yards and playing as a par 4. You come to both the first par 5 and first par 3 on the property. The 6th is a good birdie chance, providing you don't cut off to much of the corner off the tee. It first moves to the right, before cutting back to the left at the green. The 7th is the first short hole, and plays from an elevated tee overlooking the Irish Sea. The green sits below, but it still requires a long iron to find it.

 

You then come through another run of five par 4s through the turn as you work your way past the clubhouse and venture south. All five, from the 8th to the 12th, turn to the right to follow the coastline. with yardages of 393, 336, 349, 477 and 470, don't be expecting to come through this stretch of holes completely unscathed. You reach the southern boundary of the property with the first of two par 3s in the space of three holes. The 13th is the shortest hole on the course, but plays its full 155 yards thanks to the burn in front of the surface.
 
The closing stretch then provides you with the out of bounds wall from the 14th onwards, and another reason to avoid going right off the tee. 14 is also the longest hole on the course, at almost 600 yards from the tips. With the railway line down the right, it is natural to err on the side of caution and aim down the left side. 15 is the last of the short holes, and with five bunkers guarding the green on this 190-yard challenge, it is not necessarily easy.

 

428, 470, 407 - the yardages of the final three holes, and these are usually into the prevailing wind as well. 16 has two large fairway bunkers and a burn running across in front of the green, while the 17th moves away from the railway line, a slight dog-leg left following the tee shots. The closing hole at Western Gailes turns from left to right, with the green sitting right in front of the clubhouse. If you can get through the final three by being just a shot of two over par, then that is well worth a drink in the glorious clubhouse.

 

Where is Western Gailes located?  
Western Gailes is one of several venues on the west coast of Scotland. it is just outside Gailes, and only a couple of miles from the town of Irvine. The A78, which runs from Glasgow down to Prestwick, also runs close to the club, with the city of Glasgow being around 30 miles to the northeast.

 

For international visitors, Glasgow Prestwick Airport is just ten miles to the southeast from the club, but Glasgow Airport – which is 40 miles north – provides a much wider array of flights and destinations. Rail users are best placed to stop off at either Irvine or Barassie, both of which are on the line that runs between Glasgow and Ayr. Both stations are around two miles from the golf club.

 

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?
The Ayrshire coastline has several stunning venues that all make the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list. The likes of Dundonald Links, Prestwick, Kilmarnock Barassie, Gailes Links, West Kilbride, and Trump Turnberry - with its Ailsa Course and King Robert the Bruce Course - are all on the same stretch of coastline.

What golf facilities does Western Gailes offer?  
Western Gailes is one of the few venues on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list that does not have its own driving range, simply due to the spacial constraints thanks to its location on the Irish Sea coastline. However, there are two putting greens and a short game area, along with practice nets.

What are the green fees at Western Gailes?  
The price of a green fee at Western Gailes 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 Western Gailes visit their booking website here.

 

 

Visit Western Gailes' website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.