Lanark Golf Club Course Review

Lanark Golf Club Course Review

GF From £30 to £60
Par 70, 6,428 yards
Slope 126
GM Verdict – A fine test of upland golf with a timeless feel. Great views of the surrounding countryside.
Favourite Hole – 11th. A par 4 of some 400 yards with all sorts to contend with – burns, heather and a tricky green.

Founded in 1851, Lanark is the 25th oldest golf club in the world. The course itself started life with six holes then, 46 years later Old Tom Morris designed the full 18 holes. James Braid added some changes in 1927. Unlike many of the early golf clubs, the location of the course has never changed and golf has now been played on the moor for almost 160 years.

In 1995 the club purchased the course from the local District Council. Until then it had owned only the land on which the clubhouse was built. Lanark is a moorland course set in the scenic Clyde Valley countryside. The greens are renowned for being fast and true and the fairways, like a traditional links, are tight, firm and drain freely. This is due to the course being built on glacial sands. It means the course is playable throughout the year. It's one of the best value green fees in Scotland. 

The views from the course of the Southern Upland hills, Tinto in particular, are magnificent. Not to mention the stunning views of Lanark Loch from some parts of the layout. Back on the course the heather and gorse are aesthetically appealing, though treacherous if you find either with your drive.  

The course shows its teeth early with a run of tough par-4s in the early part of the front nine – the challenging 4th “Houston” in particular. The stretch from the 11th to the 450-yard, par-4 15th is also testing but three shorter holes follow to bring the round to a close. It’s a layout with great variety and it delivers a full test of golf.

Lanark is a frequent host to top-level competition. 11 times a venue for Regional Qualifying for The Open Championship, the club has also welcomed the British Girls’ Championship and the Scottish Boys Stroke Play Championship, amongst many other events.