Western Gailes Golf Club

Western Gailes — a narrow strip of links compressed between railway and Ayrshire coast

The course occupies a narrow strip of land between the railway line and the Firth of Clyde. A long section of play unfolds directly alongside the maritime dunes.

The club was founded in 1897 by golfers from Glasgow who were looking for a playable links course all year round, away from the industrial smog. The first greenkeeper, F. Morris, laid out the course; Fred Hawtree made the most significant alterations in the 1970s.

A continuous anticlockwise loop uses the narrow ground between railway and sea to create changing angles and severe crosswinds.

Holes 6 and 7, close to the coast, exemplify the course's best features with precise lines of play and significant exposure.

The club offers a traditional visitor experience away from the larger resort atmosphere of Turnberry.

The Round selects it for its purity: a narrow layout, close proximity to the sea, and almost no weak points in the sequence of holes.

Club founded in 1897; course laid out by F. Morris; major transformations by Fred Hawtree; continuous loop along the coast.