Mar Hall - Earl of Mar

The Earl of Mar Estate lies within a 240-acre wooded property on the south bank of the River Clyde, to the west of Glasgow. The centrepiece of the estate is a substantial building that was formerly named Erskine House (designed for the Blantyre family by Sir Robert Smirke, the architect of the British Museum) and it was constructed between 1828 and 1845.

The magnificent old baronial mansion was completely refurbished and it reopened in 2006 after a multi million pound refit as the 5-star Mar Hall Golf and Spa Resort, its new name recalling the former ownership of the estate by the Earl of Mar, holder of one of the oldest peerage titles in Europe.

Dave Thomas designed the estate’s new golf course – adding another 18-hole layout to a bourgeoning Scottish course portfolio that now includes The Roxburghe and Cardrona in the Borders, Newmachar and Spey Valley to the north – and play got under way here at Mar Hall in the summer of 2010.

As you might expect at a resort location, the emphasis is on playability, with generously proportioned fairways and large, gently contoured greens throughout. With an overall length of no more than 6,507 yards from the back tees, the Earl of Mar golf course appeals to the strategically minded golfer through the clever integration of mature trees in the design.

Laid out in the shadow of the Erskine bridge, the fairways are parkland in nature, configured as two loops of nine holes, each of which return to the front of a proposed new clubhouse that will sit above the fairways, between the River Clyde and Mar Hall, facing across to Bowling and the Kilpatrick Hills beyond.

Initial memberships are targeted toward the corporate sector but attractive stay and play packages are available, along with daily green fee rates for individuals or small groups of golfers.