Irvine Bogside

The verdict

Ayrshire is the spiritual home of links golf, and most visitors fill their itineraries with Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick. Bogside is the local's choice, the round the members will tell you to add when the marquee names are booked or the budget is spent. Founded in 1887 and reworked by James Braid in 1926, it has the pedigree and the routing of a course that punches well above its profile, and the fact that it has hosted Open final qualifying tells you all you need about the quality of the test.

The ground is the star. The fairways tumble over natural humps and hollows, the gorse waits for the wayward shot, and a handful of blind tee shots and approaches reward the player who knows the lines or takes a caddie's word for them. It is a true links in every sense, firm and running, and on a breezy day it will hold its own against far more celebrated neighbours. For the traveller who wants the real Ayrshire away from the crowds, Bogside is a gem.

The holes worth the trip

Bogside is a James Braid links to its bones, the routing using the natural roll of the dune land between the two rivers and asking the player to read the ground as much as the yardage. The fairways heave and tilt, feeding good shots toward the heart and punishing the loose ones into the gorse, and the firm turf means the ball runs long after it lands.

The blind shots are part of the charm and the challenge. A handful of tee shots and approaches play over rising ground to targets you cannot see, and local knowledge or a caddie is worth a stroke or two until you learn the lines. The greens are subtle and quick when the weather is dry, putting a premium on the approach that finds the correct portion of the surface.

The closing holes bring the round home across classic links ground, the gorse tightening the corridors and the wind, when it blows off the Firth of Clyde, turning a fair test into a stern one. Bogside rewards the golfer who plays the percentages, keeps the ball below the gorse line and enjoys an honest, old fashioned links away from the tour buses.

Where to stay nearby

Troon and Prestwick, a short drive down the coast, make the obvious base for an Ayrshire golf trip, with seafront hotels, good restaurants and the great links all within easy reach. Irvine itself has practical accommodation close to the course, and the whole coast is compact enough to play a different links each day from a single base.

For a broader trip, pair Bogside with the celebrated Ayrshire names and the newer championship links nearby. It is the ideal value round to slot between the marquee courses, and an easy region to build a multi day links itinerary around, with Glasgow and its airport just up the road.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Irvine Bogside.