Founded in 1851, Lanark Golf Club is the world's oldest inland golf course and the 25th oldest club in the world. Sited 183 metres (600 feet) above sea level on ancient glacial sands in the Upper Clyde Valley, the par-70 moorland layout carries architectural work by Old Tom Morris and James Braid across its 175-year history.
Lanark Golf Club
Founded in 1851, Lanark Golf Club is the world's oldest inland golf course and the 25th oldest club in the world. Sited 183 metres (600 feet) above sea level on ancient glacial sands in the Upper Clyde Valley, the par-70 moorland layout carries architectural work by Old Tom Morris and James Braid across its 175-year history.
Lanark Golf Club, founded on 4th October 1851, holds the distinction of being the world's oldest inland golf course and ranks as the 25th oldest golf club in the world. Occupying the Common Moor of the historic Royal Burgh of Lanark in South Lanarkshire, the layout sits 183 metres (600 feet) above sea level on a bed of Ice Age glacial sands that drain freely and produce firm, links-like playing conditions year-round. The routing carries the fingerprints of Old Tom Morris, who laid out 18 holes in 1897, and James Braid, who reshaped four holes in 1927 to produce the layout played today.
Lanark offers access to 175 years of continuous golf on the same moor, played over glacial sand terrain that produces consistently firm conditions unavailable at most Scottish moorland venues. The course's position in the Upper Clyde Valley, 49km (30 miles) southeast of Glasgow, places it within reach of the Ayrshire championship coast while delivering a fundamentally different moorland experience at significantly lower green fees than the region's highly sought-after links venues.
Lanark Golf Club was formally constituted on 4th October 1851 with 21 enrolled members. Before this, however, four local golfers: Robert Lithgow, William Lithgow, John Vassie and Thomas Purdie, were already playing over four holes on the moor before the club had been established. The original layout comprised six holes on Common Moor, then owned by the Royal Burgh of Lanark, and the club adopted the rules of the St Andrews golfers on 8th July 1854.
The only two holes from the original 1851 six-hole layout that remain in active play are the 1st and 18th. The hole count evolved incrementally over the following decades: five holes by 1853, ten by 1857, thirteen by 1869, and fourteen by 1885. In 1897, the course was finally extended to 18 holes at a cost of £3 and 10 shillings (£3.50). George Sayers selected the green sites while Old Tom Morris determined the routing. This collaboration produced holes 2 through 6, 9, and 15 through 17 in their current approximate positions.
Ben Sayers modified the 7th and 8th holes in 1909. James Braid was engaged in 1927 and added the 10th, 11th, 13th, and 14th holes, completing the layout that, except for extended tees and updated bunkering, remains essentially unchanged to the present day. The present clubhouse dates from 1882, built close to the site of the original structure.
An often-cited episode in the club's history involves the Caledonian Railway Company's decision, carried only on the casting vote of its chairman, to site its grand hotel at Gleneagles rather than Lanark. That single vote altered the trajectory of Scottish golf tourism, with Gleneagles becoming internationally prominent while Lanark retained its character as a moorland venue for serious golfers rather than a resort destination. The architectural parallels between the two venues are intriguing as both feature rolling moorland, heather, gorse, and James Braid's design influence.
The Old Course plays to a par of 70. The terrain is defined by glacial sand that provides exceptional drainage and produces the firm, fast-running conditions associated with true links golf despite being inland. Fairways are naturally contoured with dips, ridges, and hollows that generate unpredictable lies and demand the ground-game to score.
The routing carries players through open moorland with heather and gorse framing the playing corridors, and greens arrive in varied forms, some heavily bunkered, others guarded by natural ground contours.
The par-4 14th, playing gently uphill to an elevated green, delivers panoramic views across most of the layout and the Southern Upland Hills beyond.
Lanark's amateur championship history is substantial for a course of its size. The R&A selected the venue as a regional pre-qualifying site for The Open Championship on eleven occasions. The course has also hosted the British Girls' Championship (2005), the Scottish Girls' Championship (2009), the Scottish Youth Championship (2013), the Girls' Home Internationals (2015), and the Scottish Boys' Stroke Play Championship (2016). Lanark also serves as a regular PGA Tartan Tour venue.
Lanark occupies a pivotal central belt position, equidistant between Scotland's historic moorland interior and the Ayrshire championship coast. Glasgow city centre lies 42km (26 miles) northwest, approximately 40 minutes by car via the M74.
Within 30km (19 miles): Carluke Golf Club lies approximately 10km (6 miles) north, around 15 minutes by car. Strathaven Golf Club sits 20km (12 miles) southwest, around 25 minutes by car, and provides a contrasting tree-lined test. Both offer the same-day companion rounds alongside Lanark.
30–60km (19–37 miles): Bothwell Castle Golf Club and Drumpellier Golf Club sit to the northwest of Lanark, within 40–50km (25–31 miles), around 45–50 minutes by car. Bonnyton Golf Club, which carries Alister MacKenzie’s architectural heritage, is accessible within this range.
60km+ (37+ miles): The Ayrshire championship coast lies 80–100km (50–62 miles) southwest, with Trump Turnberry Ailsa, Royal Troon, Prestwick Golf Club, and Western Gailes all reachable within 80–90 minutes by car. Lanark is a logical add-on for golfers based in Glasgow who are building multi-course itineraries combining moorland inland golf with Ayrshire coastal links.
Glasgow provides the most practical accommodation base, with a wide range of hotels across all price points and direct rail connections to Lanark. Visitors combining Lanark with Ayrshire courses may find Ayr a useful coastal overnight base.
Lanark Golf Club is a private members' club with a visitor-friendly green fee policy. Visitors are welcome on weekdays with restricted availability at weekends, but advance booking is essential. Buggies and trolleys are available, dogs are permitted, and the Cameronian Bar and Lounge provides catering facilities with views across the course.
Glasgow International Airport: 53km (33 miles) northwest, approximately 41 minutes by car via the M8 and M74 motorways. Major car hire facilities with direct motorway access to the South Lanarkshire road network.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport: Approximately 75km (47 miles) west, around 60 minutes by car via the A71 and M74, offering additional international charter connections primarily from European destinations.
Public Transport: ScotRail operates hourly services from Glasgow Central Station to Lanark, with a journey time of approximately 53 minutes. The station sits in the centre of Lanark town, from which the golf club is a short taxi ride.
Ground Transport: Primary motorway access via the M74 south of Glasgow, exiting onto the A73 towards Lanark. The course is located on Whitelees Road on the Common Moor, on the eastern side of the town.
Spring (March–May): The glacial sand base drains rapidly after winter, with the course typically returning to firm playable conditions earlier than clay-based courses. Advance booking is recommended from late April as visitor demand increases.
Summer (June–August): Peak season with optimal firm, fast conditions. The elevated moorland location moderates summer temperatures, with play possible in extended evening daylight. Weekend tee times require booking several weeks ahead.
Autumn (September–October): The most consistently favoured period, combining firm summer-hardened turf with reduced visitor numbers and typically settled weather. The moorland colours provide additional visual interest.
Winter (November–February): The free-draining site keeps the course playable through much of winter when many Scottish parkland venues are closed or on temporary measures. Conditions can be exposed on the high moor in severe weather; checking with the club before travel is advisable.
Lanark Golf Club delivers what very few courses anywhere can offer: inland golf on a free-draining sand site that produces authentic links-like conditions.
The architectural pedigree of the Old Tom Morris routing from 1897, Ben Sayers modifications in 1909, and Braid's 1927 additions, creates a layout where golf history is woven into the very fabric of the course.
The course's position in the Upper Clyde Valley makes it a logical inclusion in any serious Scottish golf itinerary. Golfers touring the Ayrshire coast from a Glasgow base can add Lanark as a moorland contrast to the championship links circuit. Those travelling specifically for Scottish golf history will find Lanark's difficult to match at comparable green fees anywhere in the central belt.
Locker Rooms with Showers
Golf Cart Rental
Golf equipment/accessories for purchase
Short game practice area
Golf Lessons Available
Parking
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
California, United States
New Jersey, United States
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
New York, United States
New York, United States
Overall rating
4.0
Overall rating
4.0
