Loch Lomond golf club has been one of the courses I have been wanting to play ever since watching Thomas Bjørn winning his first tournament in 1996 on the course. It has played host to the Scottish Open several times and as the name suggests it is located by Loch Lomond lake north of Glasgow.
It is a private club owned by the members since 2011 and it is only available to play as a member guest. The service and hospitality is set at high standards as you will experience from the minute you arrive. We arrived at 9am and they served the local Loch Lomond whiskey. We had to try the whiskey even though it was early in the day. Definitely recommendable.
We had breakfast at the club served in the mens changing rooms which was a nice experience.
After breakfast we headed to the driving range and short game area. They are both located a short walk from the clubhouse and next to the first tee. The weather was perfect and all was set for a fantastic experience.
Tee off at Loch Lomond Golf club
The first hole is a shot par 4 slightly uphill. My tee shot ended up blocked behind the tree on the right side of the fairway and I could not get to the green. I hit a decent 3rd shot but missed my par putt.
The second hole is a dogleg left with a blind landing area if you hit driver. My tee shot was good and ended up in the fairway with 140m left to the green.
My approach shot ended up in the fringe on the right hand side and I missed a short par putt. 2 bogeys was not the start I wanted.
The 4th hole is a short par 4 but well protected with bunkers up the left hand side of the fairway and several bunkers around the green.
My favorite par 3 on Loch Lomond golf club
The 5th hole is just amazing. The views are fantastic and the whole setting of the hole is really beautiful. I missed the green into the left hand bunker but hit a great recovery shot that bounced straight into the hole for birdie. What a nice birdie to make up for the poor start to the round.
The 6th hole runs along the Loch Lomond lake. There is more space from the tee than it looks. It is a long par 5 and I hit a great approach shot from 160m for a very good birdie opportunity. Unfortunately it took the edge off the hole and I had to settle with a par.
The hardest par 4 on Loch Lomond golf club
Hole 7 is a long par 4 that requires a couple of good shots to make it on the green. It was slightly into the wind and I hit my driver to the left hand side of the rough. My approach shot was blocked out by trees so I laid up. Did not manage to make par, but as you can see from above picture the hole is beautiful and also runs along the lake.
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The 8th hole is an uphill par 3 with well placed bunkers protecting the green. The pin was placed at the back edge of the green. I hit a decent iron that ended up pin high in the first cut of rough. I managed to get up and down for a good par.
The back nine at Loch Lomond golf club
The back nine at Loch Lomond are very different to the front nine holes. They are located away from the lake and more protected with tree lined holes.
The 10th hole is a tough par 4 with water by the green. I missed my tee shot left and had to lay up short of the green. Missed a good par opportunity which was pretty much the story of the day. To many poor drives and I was not able to capitalize on some good approach shots.
The 12th hole is a good par 4 with a huge run off area on the right hand side of the green. I hit a perfect drive and had a 9 iron for my approach shot. Ended up in valley but managed to get up and down for a great par.
Reachable 13th hole at Loch Lomond golf club
The 13th is a good risk/reward hole. A par 4 where you can try to go for the green but have to avoid the water running along the left hand side of the green. I tried to go for the green but missed it left. Fortunately it did not go in the water and I got away with a good par.
The 18th hole on Loch Lomond golf cub is a par 4 dogleg over water from the tee. It is a great finishing hole with amazing views of the lake and the boat that can be hired as part of the membership.
The experience
Loch Lomond golf club is a unique location and experience. It is definitely worth a visit if you get the opportunity. I really like the golf course and I think the difference between the front and back nine holes is great. It is a challenging golf course and you need to bring your best game to score well. We played the course from the Blue tees which plays just over 6100 meters in length. They have recently renovated the course and improved the drainage. The condition of the course was very good and the greens were running well. The staff made the experience very welcoming and it seems like the club atmosphere is really good. Overall Loch Lomond ranks high on my list of golf experiences. I did not play my best and I will look forward to trying to improve my score one day.
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