Top 5 Golf Courses in Central Scotland 2015

Central Scotland is one of our smallest Caledonian ranking regions and it comprises less than two dozen courses that are operated by clubs spread across a couple of Golf Unions, namely Stirlingshire Golf Union and Clackmannan County Golf Union.

The Stirlingshire Union oversees the golfing activities of seventeen affiliated clubs with the tiny Clackmannan Union governing only six clubs – apparently, soon after the Union was founded in 1903, a number of clubs in Kinross bailed out to join Perthshire, leaving only half a dozen behind.

Seven of the courses in play around the region today are 9-hole layouts – six in Stirlingshire and one in Clackmannan – with a number of the 18-hole courses, such as Braehead in Alloa, starting out as a 9-hole track before land and finance became available, allowing clubs to double the number of holes.

Stirling, an old Tom Morris course that was extended to an 18-hole layout by Willie Fernie more than a century ago, retains its number 1 position in our Central Scotland rankings. It holds off a strong challenge from Glenbervie, a 1930s James Braid design that was home to the Scottish region of the PGA for many years.

Buchanan Castle, another James Braid course from the same era, moves up two places to number 3 in our new listings. With fairways set on the banks of the Endrick Water as it meanders towards nearby Loch Lomond, the course enjoys an idyllic setting in the most westerly part of the region.

Alloa’s Shawpark course drops down one position to number 4 with Falkirk a new entry at number 5, replacing the very scenic 18-layout at Callander, which reverts to GEM status within the region.

We’re grateful to the clubs and professionals that contributed to our re-ranking process.