West Lothian Golf Courses (Part 1)
West Lothian sits just to the west of Edinburgh and it’s an area full of good golf courses. The only problem is trying to pick out which ones to play. I have not been able to cover all of the courses in the area but hopefully, between this week’s blog and next week’s one, you will have an idea of what is available in the region.
This week’s blog on West Lothian Golf features (in no particular order) Harburn GC, Greenburn GC, Bathgate GC and Deer Park Golf & Country Club. These courses all offer great value and if you were to play all four, midweek, then the total cost for ALL four courses would be around £100 per person, depending what time you tee off.
In addition to golf, there are many things to do and places to visit for all age groups in the region. There are hills to climb, country parks to walk around, canals and historic buildings to visit – you can even wander around some of the film location spots from the TV Series ‘Outlander’. I have listed a small handful of ‘what to do in West Lothian & surrounding area’ at the end of the blog plus I have added in some accommodation details.
Harburn Golf Club – West Lothian
Location
Harburn Golf Club lies to the west of the Pentlands Hills and is located 2 miles south of West Calder in West Lothian. The course is 15 miles from Edinburgh and 30 miles from Glasgow, just off the A71. Click here to see our TRAVEL section
The club can date its origins back to 1925 when the original club was called Hardale Golf Club. Seven years later, Hardale Golf Club dissolved and the new Harburn Golf was officially launched in 1932.
The Course
It’s a parkland/heathland course, which is well protected by trees. Sitting on the western slopes of the Pentland Hills, it is 800-900 ft above sea level and has great views of the surrounding countryside.
At just over 6,000 yards, par 71 Harburn is not particularly long but it is a good test of golf. There are a good variety of holes, where you will find many elevation changes on this tree-lined course.
There are several tiered greens and a handful of blind shots to contend with. However, driving is key at Harburn, as the sloping terrain will roll your ball off the fairway, where trees will block your second shot to the green, on many holes.
Holes
Holes 1 to 4 and 11 to 18 run parallel with railway on one side and the Bog Burn on the other – these hazards plus the odd water feature, will keep you focused on most of these holes!
You have to cross the railway line to play holes 5 to 10 where you will head round and back in an L shape. The 10th is my standout hole on this section of the course, where you have a blind drive to the top of the mound. A well placed drive will give you a good view of the green, where you’ll see that you have to hit over a pond that guards the sunken green below!
Hole 12 takes you to the furthest point on the course before returning home. You move away from the railway but water features and the Bog Burn take over in terms of predominant hazards.
The last six holes present a challenge right from the start – two good par 3s at the 13th and 15th sandwich the tough 457 yard par 4, 14th hole before you reach the closing holes. The final three holes are not long but the undulating fairways present their own challenge.
Opens
Harburn GC is a lovely track and was in great condition when I visited West Lothian two weeks ago. They have a number of Opens coming up where you have the opportunity to play the course and possibly win something back!
- Seniors Texas Scramble – 9 August 2018
- Junior Open – 14 August 2018
- Ladies Senior Tri-Am Open – 17 August 2018
- Gents Open – 18 August 2018
- Gents Senior Open – 5 September 2018
- Mixed Greensome Open – 30 September 2018
Greenburn Golf Club – West Lothian
Location
Greenburn Golf Club is equidistant from Edinburgh & Glasgow – roughly a 35 minute drive from both cities. It is located in Fauldhouse, West Lothian, 5-6 miles from the main M8 motorway.
At Greenburn Golf Club, you’ll be welcomed by the Head Professional, David MacMullen and his team who will be happy to keep you right before teeing off.
Course
One of the key features of the course is the railway line that runs through the course and over a viaduct on the 5th tee.
Greenburn is a parkland/moorland course and is relatively flat. At just over 6,000 yards (par 71) it’s not going to be a slog going round but with a good variety of holes and plenty of hazards, it is a challenging test.
What it gives away in length, it certainly makes up in other areas! By that I mean that it tempts you to go for shots, when the shot isn’t necessarily on. A classic example of this is at the very first hole where many are tempted to have a go at the green, 268 yards away. With 3 deep bunkers around the green and roll offs to the back and side of it, into thick rough, it is very much risk and reward!
Additionally, you will benefit from playing the course at least once and becoming familiar with all the hazards. There are bunkers, water and ditches that are tucked away and not obvious at first glance.
Holes
The 5th tee brings you to the Viaduct, where you play along the railway track before heading underneath the railway line to a great view from the 6th tee.
From this tee you get a view down to the 6th green, the 13th green and down the 14th hole, which is a standout hole for me.
Heading for home, another good hole is the 15th, a testing par 3 from an elevated tee.
As you reach the last, the 18th can be a card wrecker if you’re on a score. Out of bounds lies on both sides of the fairway and the green appears to narrow as you get closer. The reason for this is because of the trees that edge their way slightly in front of the green, closing the entrance gap.
The course was in great condition when I visited and is well maintained by the green keeping team. I would recommend playing this course if you are in the area.
All in all, Greenburn GC in West Lothian is a scenic course that I do enjoy – it’s not too long but is enough of a challenge to leave you in no doubt that you have been fully tested.
Opens
The club has a number of opens coming up, so you may want to consider one of the following:
- Junior Open – 9 Aug 2018
- Gents Open – 11 Aug 2018
- Texas Scramble (Mixed) – 19 Aug 2018
- Greensome (Mixed) – 16 Sept 2018
- Texas Scramble (Mixed) – 27 Sept 2018
- Gents Open – 29 Sept 2018
Bathgate Golf Club – West Lothian
www.bathgategolfclub.com
Location
Bathgate Golf Club lies in the heart of West Lothian, two miles off the M8 Glasgow/Edinburgh motorway. It takes about 30-35 minutes drive from Edinburgh and about 45 minutes from Glasgow. The course is in the centre of Bathgate and is easily accessible by train, as it is only 5 mins from Bathgate train station.
Ryder Cup
You may wonder why I have a Ryder Cup section for Bathgate Golf Club! Well, it’s because the club is in the unique position of having produced two Ryder Cup captains and three Ryder Cup players –
- Eric Brown
Player: 1953, 1955, 1957 & 1959
Captain: 1969 & 1971 - Bernard Gallacher
Player: 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983 & 1991
Captain: 1991, 1993 & 1995 - Stephen Gallacher
Player: 2014
Course
When I visited Bathgate GC two weeks ago, I can honestly say that it felt like a links course. A lot of the fairways are slightly undulating and together with the warm weather we’ve been having, they were browning up nicely. Needless to say, balls were running fast in these conditions and a driver off the tee wasn’t always necessary.
The course has five par 3s, nine par 4s and four par 5s. The bigger hitters will definitely want to take advantage of the par 5s, as the longest of them only measures 505 yards. However, two of the par 3s are over 215 yards and five of the par 4s are around the 400 yard mark or over.
No two holes are the same here and it’s a fairly flat walking course, with only a handful of holes in the front nine, where you’ll have a short inclines and declines. In terms of hazards, there are plenty of well placed bunkers but you’ll also have to watch out for water and out of bounds which appear on a number of holes.
Holes
The first real test is on the 2nd hole, which is a 451 yard par 4 stroke index 1. This is followed by a great dogleg, par 4 3rd hole, which is all about placement off the tee. The elevated tee at the tough par 3 4th will give you good views of the surrounding area.
The 5th hole takes you to the furthest point on the course before working your way back. The 7th and 9th are two more good holes on the front nine, where it’s not all about power.
The 9th green and 10th hole run along side the railway line – as does the 12th, which also returns you to the clubhouse before you wind your way around it on the 13th and 14th.
Birdie opportunities will arise at the 15th (par 5 from back tees) and the 16th as long as you get a good drive away.
The 17th is a great par 3 – it’s short but there is water right across the front of the green, which slopes from back to front. If you’re over cautious and take too much club, then there is bunker looming at the back. You don’t want to be playing out of that, onto a hard fast downhill green, with water at the front!
The 18th is a good finishing hole where you will have to put a good drive up the left hand side to have chance of going for the green, guarded by five bunkers. Hit the green and you have a birdie putt, with the eyes in the clubhouse watching on!
Many inland/parkland courses in Scotland are at their best after a good dry spell and Bathgate golf course in West Lothian is no exception. I would certainly encourage you to book a round at Bathgate very soon and catch it in great condition. After all, if it’s good enough for 3 Ryder Cup players, its good enough for the likes of you and me!
Opens
The club still has couple of Open events coming up that you can get involved in:
- Ladies Open – 1 Sept 2018
- Gents Pairs Open – 22 Sept 2018
Deer Park Golf Club – West Lothian
Location
Deer Park Golf & Country Club is located in Livingston, 20 minutes from Edinburgh.
Course
The course sits in both a mature woodland and also a residential setting. It was established in 1978 and the golf architects involved were Dave Thomas, Peter Alliss and Peter Clark.
It measures 6,727 from the back tees, however, there are five teeing positions which means the course can be set up for any level of golfer.
The fairways are mainly tree-lined throughout and fairly generous. The front nine holes work their way around the more residential part of the course. These holes are on relatively flat terrain.
The back nine is certainly the more challenging nine over undulating ground. You will get great views over West Lothian from some of the higher points on this part of the course.
Water and out of bounds feature on the course and unless you are driving consistently straight then the trees will be a big factor as well.
This week you can play Deer Park GC in West Lothian for £20 per round before 930am, which is very reasonable. Prices vary depending on when you want to play and their online booking system is fairly comprehensive.
Opens
Deer Park has the following Opens coming up in the next few weeks:
- Mixed Open Greensome – 11 August 2018
- Senior Open – 11 Sept 2018
What to do in West Lothian & surrounding area
The Five Sisters Zoo, Polbeth/West Calder
Five Sisters Zoo Website
Bathgate Hills & Cairnpapple Hill (4,000 year old burial site)
Cairnpapple website info
Beecraigs Country Park
Beecraigs website info
The Scottish Owl Centre, Whitburn – Largest collection of owls in the world
Scottish Owl Centre website
For fans of the Outlander TV series, you’ll know there was a lot of filming done in West Lothian. Here are a couple of websites offering ‘Outlander’ tours around West Lothian.
- Mary’s Meanders – www.marysmeanders.co.uk/
- Mini Kilt Tours – www.onthetrailofoutlander.co.uk
Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle website
House of the Binns
House of the Binns website
Linlithgow Palace
Linlithgow Palace website
Craigie’s Farm Shop & Café
www.craigies.co.uk
Almond Valley Heritage Centre
www.almondvalley.co.uk
Almondell & Calderwood Country Park
Almondell & Calderwood Country Park website info
Linlithgow Canal Centre
www.lucs.org.uk
Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
www.bkrailway.co.uk
Dalmeny House
www.roseberyestates.co.uk
Hopetoun House
www.hopetoun.co.uk
South Queensferry & the Forth Bridges
www.visitqueensferry.com
The Kelpies
www.thehelix.co.uk
The Falkirk Wheel
www.scottishcanals.co.uk/falkirk-wheel/
Accommodation in West Lothian and surrounding area
Macdonald Houston House Hotel
www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk
Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Edinburgh Airport
Hilton Airport Hotel website
Dalmahoy Hotel
www.dalmahoyhotelandcountryclub.co.uk
Dakota Hotel
www.edinburgh.dakotahotels.co.uk
Star and Gartar Hotel
www.starandgarterhotel.co.uk
Norton House Hotel
www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/nortonhouse
Champany Inn
www.champany.com
Livingston Hilcroft Hotel
www.bestwestern.co.uk/hotel
2 Replies to “West Lothian Golf Courses (Part 1)”
Thanks for the fine write up on the West Lothian courses Tom, excellent job!
Jim Stewart
Vice Captain
Harburn GC
Many thanks, Jim – much appreciated.