London Scottish Golf Club

England's oldest 18-hole golf course occupies a Site of Special Scientific Interest on Wimbledon Common, 10km south-west of central London. The absence of sand bunkers, a mandatory pillar-box red dress code, and holes named after Victorian rifle ranges distinguish it from any other course in the country.

History of London Scottish Golf Club

Members of the London Scottish Rifle Volunteers began playing golf on Wimbledon Common in the early 1860s, with the club formally constituted in 1865. The original layout comprised seven holes, several of which ran directly along the lines of National Rifle Association firing ranges — a heritage still visible in hole names including Long Butt, Running Deer, Blockade, and the Long Hole.

In 1871, club professional Tom Dunn extended the course to 18 holes, making it the first 18-hole course in England and only the fifth in the world at that time. That same year, the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Act transferred the common from the ownership of the fifth Earl Spencer into public hands.

A dispute between military and civilian members in 1881 resulted in the formation of what became Royal Wimbledon Golf Club, which shared the common course until 1907. The Grade II-listed wood-panelled clubhouse, purpose-built in 1897 and restored after fire damage in 1900, remains one of the few surviving examples of a Victorian golf pavilion in Britain.

Notable members have included Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, Open Champion George Duncan, and 1929 British Ryder Cup captain George Duncan. Colin Montgomerie served as club captain during the 150th anniversary year in 2015. The course hosted the first Oxford v Cambridge University golf match in 1878, a fixture that continued there until 1896.

Course Layout & Playing Experience

London Scottish Golf Club plays over fast-draining, gravel-based heathland shared with Wimbledon Common Golf Club, which begins its rounds from the 12th hole. Measuring just under 5,500 yards from the back tees with a par of 68, the course is compact but tightly configured — only two fairways adjoin one another, with the remainder separated by corridors of oak, birch, gorse, and heather.

Because the course sits within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, no sand bunkers have ever been installed; instead, grass bunkers, ravines, and cross-ditches provide the primary hazards. Three par threes measure over 220 yards each, placing significant demands on ball-striking despite the modest overall length.

Hole names rooted in the course's military origins give the round a distinctive character. The opening hole is named after Lord Elcho, the club's founder, while Running Deer takes its name from an NRA target sculpted by Edward Landseer — creator of the Trafalgar Square lions. The sole par five requires careful navigation of cross-ditches and a cinder road. All golfers, under local byelaw, must wear a plain red upper garment throughout their round.

Verdict

London Scottish Golf Club presents a playing experience unlike anything else in English golf. The combination of its 1865 founding date, military heritage embedded in the course routing, complete absence of sand bunkers, and shared common-land setting within 10km of central London makes it a genuinely irreplaceable stop for any golfer serious about the history of the game.

The listed 1897 Victorian clubhouse provides an appropriate conclusion to a round that feels, in many respects, unchanged from the nineteenth century.

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