East Renfrewshire - Renfrewshire - Scotland

Played East Ren on 7th August 2018. I had heard great things about the course and was keen to get a game. The course is hugely playable and very enjoyable. You are also just far enough out of the city to feel away from it all, in the countryside, which really enables the escapism that many people specifically play golf for. At the time we played it, the course was in excellent condition all round.

The course varies with having long and short holes however I didn’t find the long holes a particular drag and most of the short holes still require a tactical approach. The layout is also nice and wide open, massively aiding to the playability for the handicap golfer.

My favourite holes in the front 9 were the 2nd (a short par 4) requiring a risk / reward tee shot avoiding the burn meandering down the right hand side. The safer your tee shot, the further your approach (and more of an angle you have to play at from the left).

Also worth mentioning 6 (again a short par 4, this time playing downhill). A tactical tee shot required to a tight dogleg left. This is a big landing area, but the further left you go, the shorter your approach, with your shot then becoming blind. Centre right very much the play leaving maybe 130 yards downhill to one of the smaller greens. With both of these holes longer hitters may take them on, but for the most part, length is not an advantage at these holes.

On the back 9, the long par 3 11th was very enjoyable. It was playing 211 up a serious hill. The shot is very much to play left of the green, with the right club leaving you potentially pin high. A very accurate fade could roll onto the putting surface, but in reality, a straightforward chip and a putt is required for par with the conservative approach leading to no worse than 4. Discipline required, as it would be very easy to get sucked into going for the pin and ending up short right down a very steep bank. Of course, par is just a number and you have to remember that this hole will likely play well over par in competitions.

14 is a short par 5, but with a burn very much in play on the layup, it may cause some problems. 15 also worthy of note (340y par 4). Less than driver required to a plateau landing area. From there you have a clear view of the green with bunkers either side, so being central off the tee very much an advantage. I also enjoyed 18. On the card, this looks a brutal finishing hole at 439 off the yellows. When we got up there, there is an elevated tee and the wind at your back to really send your best drive down a wide fairway. There is a burn running straight across the fairway around 150 yards short of the green. This will certainly be in play for longer hitters who will have a decision to make. For me, my best drive of the day was still 20 yards short with a long approach required to a large green.

A couple of weaker holes for me were the par 3 7th (200 yards) which I didn’t enjoy much, albeit there’s nothing tricky about it and it does have a large target. Also the par 4 15th. This measured 337 up the hill, but it’s pretty much a blind shot to the green unless you are an absolute bomber. Really, I’m being hyper critical as the holes are still fair and playable, but they are keeping good company around an excellent layout.

The course flows very well and pace of play for us was excellent with very little time spent looking for balls. There are a lot of trees and I have heard that there is a tree removal programme in place. For me this would only improve the feel of the place with gorse and heather replacing the fir trees and adding to the moorland feel.

This is a terrific golfing experience, a wonderful challenge for the better golfer, and a fair test for the higher handicap. But you have to be driving the ball straight and long off the tee to enjoy the round and have any chance of a good score. An out-and-back moorland design – it can appear quite forbidding on a dark, overcast day such as the one on which I played – it is extremely hilly from the fifth hole onwards. The opening four holes on level ground were superb; after that it’s an extreme rollercoaster ride to the highest point of the property, the short par-3 13th. Up there the wind is at its strongest, yet it’s probably the easiest one-shotter on the course, although don’t be long over the back of the green. East Ren has two of the most unusual and daunting par 3s in Scotland, Nos 7 and 11. They are more like mini par 4s, both playing uphill and requiring a cracking fairway wood to have any chance of reaching the putting surface. East Ren might not appeal to everyone because of the steep climbs and some uphill approach shots, but for anyone who loves classic golf design from an earlier era in the game, this James Braid layout will provide you with a fun-filled day.

A tremendously enjoyable course with a very varied design and calling for every type of shot that you may need to play. The serpentine burn is a worry early on, and once you get up onto the moor it is great fun. Under rated.

If you favour moorland golf then it is impossible not to enjoy a round of golf here. A fairly short but demanding course that makes you think about every shot. Expect to find the ball below and above your feet on every other lie and ensure that you prepare with every club in your bag as you will probably use them all at some stage. Interesting usage of water hazards really makes you think about club selection from both the Tee and fairway. Playing in late May I found the course to be in immaculate condition with true greens. I did however struggle to concentrate on the green as I often found myself all too intrigued with the next hole. Spectacular views combined with good fresh air provide a captivating afternoons golf. Dismiss previously comments regarding fees. £45 for a weekend round (at peak season) is more than acceptable for a course of this stature. I talked briefly to the club captain and Pro and my only criticism would be that there is an air of aloofness about the place with personnel being very dismissive about other clubs. Nothing malicious, but born of pride for the love of their club. I imagine that East Ren would be perfect preparation if your are intending to play Gleneagles.

No review for a couple of years but well worth a visit. Course in immaculate condition despite what the last winter has thrown at it. Each hole is individual and challenges the golfer to use all shots and clubs in the bag. Great views over the city and surrounding countryside. A warm welcome awaits in the clubhouse too.

Enjoyable course to play, however on the day the greens were a bit dissappointing and not as a result of my putting ! When the wind blows you better take a few extra clubs. All in all, nice to play but not a course to pay for.

Super course, so much variety that it’s hard to imagine how you could be bored by this course. Favourite hole 14th par 5 which needs a good drive to offer a choice of second shot i.e. to lay up short of the burn – about 80 yards from the green – or to go for it.

A very good track in good condition plus a nice clubhouse give this place a very well deserved place in the Scottish rankings…A bit too hilly at times for my taste but that surely doesn’t remove from the quality!!! Nice views over Glasgow…. Cédric

For those of us who used to take the old main road out of Glasgow to Ayrshire to play links golf on the west coast, the entrance to East Ren on the outskirts of Glasgow was passed with hardly a second glance. And now that the motorway has been built to bypass the course, there is even less chance of the club picking up casual “passing trade” – which is a real pity as this Braid gem deserves to be played by more than just the membership.

When I played today, the course was in immaculate order with pristine tee boxes, surprisingly well drained fairways and well paced, smooth putting surfaces. The course routing was exceptional – as might be expected of a Braid creation – and holes flowed beautifully from one to the next with wonderful use of the changes in undulation high up on the moor.

A particularly pleasing trio of holes came at the start of the back nine, beginning with “Clouthie’s Howe,” the visually stunning short par four 10th which was followed by a beast of an uphill, 214 yard par three called “Brae Shouther” before playing the difficult (stroke index 2) 12th hole.

Elevated tees, raised greens, burns and blind shots – East Ren has them all to add interest throughout your round. It is a much under rated moorland course with a fine modernised clubhouse which obviously caters for the more discerning golfer on the south side of the city.

Jim McCann

Not as well known as it should be, East Renfrewshire is a real gem on this website. It’s a varied and enjoyable challenge, not quite up to the Gleneagles standard but East Ren won’t dent your pocket quite as heavily! Some stunning scenic view across wee glasgie and beyond. Not the most exacting test of golf but it was enjoyable for me and it’s not all about brute force. Liked it a lot will come again.