Ballochmyle

Organised golf has been played in the Mauchline area since at least early in the 20th century. Mauchline Golf Course at Bogwood Farm was officially opened on 22nd May 1909 by Lieut. Col. W. K. Hamilton-Campbell D.S.O. with Miss Hamilton-Campbell (presumably his daughter) playing the first tee shot.

An exhibition match then took place after the opening ceremony between J. H. Irons and F. W. Kennedy from Pollok Golf Club in Glasgow, who were billed in posters for the event as “ex-holders of the “Evening Times” Trophy. It’s not known when this course fell into the NLE “No Longer Exists” category.

The Alexander family who own the Ballochmyle Estate, where Rabbie Burns wrote two of his songs (“Farewell to the Braes o’ Ballochmyle” and “The Bonny Lass o’ Ballochmyle”), decided to convert part of their land into a golf course and this 9-hole layout was formally opened by Mrs R. J. Dunlop of Barskimming on 22nd June 1937.

Today, the 18-hole course at Ballochmyle Golf Club extends to 5,972 yards from the back markers, playing to a par of 70. There’s only one par five on the scorecard, at the 497-yard 18th (“Waurslin Hame”), where the fairway plunges down from the tee then takes a big turn left and up towards the home green, with out of bounds running along the right side of the hole.

The par threes at holes 3, 14 and 17 are all fine one-shotters but it’s the short par fours that really excel here, especially those played back-to-back at the 290-yard 9th (“Paukie Skelp”), doglegging down and right to the green, and the 272-yard 10th (“Stey Brae”), which rises sharply uphill to a well bunkered green that slopes wickedly from back to front.