Western Gailes Golf Club

Course Date
Location Ayrshire, Scotland
Yardage 7014 yards　Par 71
Course Rating 75.0
Playing Date July 31, 2014 and July 31, 2015
Designer Fred Morris, Fred Hawtree
Opened 1987
Caddie Yes (Need advance booking)
Golf Cart No
Rating
Overall Rating
4.90
Course Layout
4
Difficulty Level
5
Greens Condition
5
Fairways Condition
5
Landscaping & Views
6
Level of Satisfaction
5
 

The Western Gailes Golf Club is a classic links course. A very narrow strip of land, a long dune, known as the Dunes Sands, extends between the Ayrshire Coast Line and the sea. All 18 holes are strong and challenging as heathers and bunkers surround both sides of the fairway and greens. Rolling dunes, rippling sandhills, dips, swales, hollows and dells are all present. Players may also encounter strong sea breezes which will increase the overall challenge.


view from clubhouse

view from 6th tee (1)
view from 6th tee (2)
The fairways consist of moderate ups and downs, and the greens are firm, fast, and subtly undulating. There are three streams that meander throughout the course. While all 18 holes are characteristic, a long stretch from #5 to #14 is excellent and offers players a great way to enjoy the true pleasure of a links course. The green conditions are quite well maintained. Fred Morris who was the first green keeper at Western Gailes GC designed 18 holes in 1897, and Fred Hawtree added four new holes and overhauled the remain holes in the mid-1970s.

coastline seen from 7th tee

tran seen from 9th hole
tran seen from 16th fairway
Scorecard
 
Hole 2　Par 4　434 yards

A par four with a dogleg to the left. The trains run along the right side of the tight fairway, which is an OB zone. two pot bunkers located to the left at the 260 yards from the teeing ground. There are two bunkers that line up in front of the green at around 25 yards to the right. The left-sloping green is a “punch ball green”(green surface is lower than its surrounding), which is surrounded by a deep rough and is protected by a bunker to the left.

 

Hole 2　Par 4　434 yards (3)

Hole 2　Par 4　434 yards (2)

Hole 2　Par 4　434 yards (1)
 
Hole 5　Par 4　500 yards

A long and straight par four. Since the fairway is tight, distance and accuracy will be required for both the tee and second shots. The green is slightly raised and long and narrow, not to mention surrounded by deep roughs and bushes.
 

5th green and sea

Hole 5　Par 4　500 yards

Hole 5　Par 4　500 yards
 
Hole 6　Par 5　498 yards

Hole 6　Par 5　498 yards (1)
A short par five with a dogleg to the right. The landing area on the tee shot is narrow with five mounds on the left and right sides. The second shot is gently uphill but players will encounter a slight downhill starting at about 110 yards in front of the green, so long hitters can hit the green in two. The fairway bends to the left at about 30 yards in front of the green sloping from right to left.
 

Hole 6　Par 5　498 yards(4)

Hole 6　Par 5　498 yards (3)

Hole 6　Par 5　498 yards (2)
 
Hole 7　Par 3　198 yards

７th green

Hole 7　Par 3　198 yards
A scenic downhill par three with the ocean spreading to the right. The green is surrounded by dunes and six bunkers.
 
Hole 8　Par 4　393 yards

Hole 8　Par 4　393 yards
A par four with a right bending dogleg. Players should be careful of a fairway bunker to the left side of the tee shot. A creek crosses in front of the long and two-tiered green with four bunkers protecting it.
(No photo available from second shot point)
 
Hole 9　Par 4　336 yards

A nice, short, and relatively straight par four. With an undulating fairway, there are two bunkers located around 240 yards from the tee. The fairway becomes extremely narrow after flying over the 260 yards mark. The approach shot is downhill. While long hitters will be able to hit the ball near the green, they should be aware of the three bunkers that come into play at around 300 yards from the tee. The green is a “punch ball green” and slopes from back to front.
 

9th hole seen from back of green

Hole 9　Par 4　336 yards (2)

Hole 9　Par 4　336 yards　(1)
 
Hole 11　Par 4　477 yards

Hole 11　Par 4　477 yards (2)

Hole 11　Par 4　477 yards (1)
A long and tough par four with a dogleg to the right. The fairway is tight with by deep roughs on both sides. There is a pot bunker on each side of the slightly elevated and left tilting green.
 
Hole 13　Par 3　154 yards

Hole 13　Par 3　154 yard (2)

Hole 13　Par 3　154 yards (1)
Although this hole is a short par three, the green is small and surrounded by seven bunkers. A blind creek crosses in front of the island-style green. Players will need to select the right club to properly take the wind into consideration.
 
Hole 14　Par 5　592 yards

A straight par five parallel to the railway line, that is OB zone, running along the right on both the tee and second shots. With a tight fairway, players may also encounter two round bunkers to the right and two to the left. Since this is a tailwind hole, long hitters may want to hit the green in two shots. However, players should also be aware of a total of 10 bunkers, including greenside bunkers, that wait for any errant second shots. The green slopes from back to front and is surrounded by 4 bunkers both to the left and right. GOLF Magazine in 2000 (the latest edition) selected this hole as part of the World's 500 Best Holes.
 

Hole 14　Par 5　592 yards (3)

Hole 14　Par 5　592 yards (2)

Hole 14　Par 5　592 yards (1)
 
Hole 17　Par 4　470 yards

A par four with a dogleg to the left. With a tight fairway off the tee shot, players should be aware of the OB zone that runs alongside the right side of the hole. There is a fairway bunker on the left located at the 260 yards mark off the tee. With an uphill second shot, players may have difficulty seeing the base of the flag. Even though the flag on the green is set 1.5 times higher than normal, it is still difficult to accurately determine the exact pin position. There is a mound and a pot bunker located to the front right of the green. If players land their ball in the bunker, saving par may become difficult.
 

Hole 17　Par 4　470 yards (3)

Hole 17　Par 4　470 yards (2)

Hole 17　Par 4　470 yards (1)
 
19th hole

The course is a 45 minutes’ drive southwest from Glasgow. While it is a private club, the course is playable by the public. It is also a 10 minutes’ drive from Royal Troon GC and a 14 minutes’ drive from Prestwick GC. Dundonald Links is located just east of the course across the railway tracks. During my time there I stayed at the Parkstone Hotel, located nearby with a 15 minutes’ drive from the golf course.


Golf Club restaurant
Golf Cllub restaurant
Parkstone Holte
The Top 100 Golf Course ranked this as15th in its 2019's best 100 courses in Scotland and 37th (top100golfcourses.com) in its 2019 ‘s best 100 courses in Great Brittan. In 2017, there were a total of 2,800 courses across the British Isles, of which approximately 580 courses were located in Scotland.

Regarding Fred Hawtree designed & re-designed courses, 5 courses, Hillside GC, Royal Birkdale GC, The Island GC, Western Gailes GC and West Lancashire GC, are ranked in 2019's best 100 courses in Great Britain by Top 100 Goff Courses.