If you know where to look, Facebook has been awash with comments, all positive, about the R&A's new initiative to promote family orientated golf in Glasgow, including a new 9 hole golf course. The new course is a combination of re-modelled holes from the former Lethamhill Golf Course (see Blog entry No 544) and completely new holes. After I'd played the old Lethamhill layout in October 2012, I commented in the Blog that the course and related buildings needed serious investment and that since Glasgow City Council were strapped for cash, it seemed highly unlikely that that would ever happen. In other words, I thought that the course had little going for it and faced a bleak future.
I'm glad I got that completely wrong and now that I've played the course, I'm equally pleased to agree with the many Facebook comments that have been made. As the R&A have described it -
Golf It! is the R&A's new community-based golf and entertainment facility located on the south bank of Hogganfield Loch, following the redevelopment of Lethamhill golf course. The vast new indoor and outdoor attraction is a new innovation and marks a significant financial investment by The R&A towards its purpose of making golf more accessible and inclusive. The new facility features a range of introductory golf formats including a twist on pitch and putt, adventure golf and community putting greens plus a double decker floodlit driving range and a new look 9 hole course for all the family to play. These sit alongside other attractions and activities such as padel tennis courts, nature trails, bike hire and a street food-style dining and drinks area.
The state-of-the-art development is creating more than 100 jobs and offer a range of apprenticeships that will boost employment opportunities for those living locally. The facility includes something for everyone new to the sport as well as those golfers who already play. The new nine hole golf course incorporates four sets of tees and an integrated ‘Go Golf It!’ par 3 tee position on each hole to encourage people of all abilities to play. Other features include:
- A short game area with three adventure golf courses, Park Golf pitch and putt and a family putting green for people of all ages to enjoy.
- A 55-bay floodlit double-decker Top Tracer driving range, including bespoke family bays and simulators.
- A golf equipment library with easy access to hire equipment for anyone who wants to try before they buy.
- Seven Lochs Visitor Centre with nature trails that link to Scotland’s largest urban nature park.
- Street Food by The Big Feed.
- Fit, Build, Play retail area by Scottsdale Golf.
- Three Padel tennis courts by Game4Padel.
- Early Years Nursery operated by Lullaby Lane.
- A long-term education programme across Glasgow with the aim of providing in-curriculum golf experiences to 42,000 children across the city.
- A community orchard and gardens.
- Free bike access in partnership with St Paul’s Youth Forum.
Golf It! opened officially on 5 August 2023 so I'd arranged with Douglas and his son Stuart to play the new 9 hole course on 15 August 2023. As regular readers of the blog will know, Douglas is still trying to play every course in Scotland and only had one course to go before Golf It! was added to his target. Anyway, we were booked to play at 1600 hrs but the weather forecast had been for occasional showers - not the monsoon that began around 1530 that threatened to flood the whole development! The course was still playable by the time the deluge abated but with more ominous towering clouds on the horizon, we'd have to play quickly and be very lucky if we were to get round without a real soaking.
Facebook comments had highlighted the outstanding quality and smoothness of the greens and the imagination shown in providing 4 sets of tees for golfers of differing abilities. This is a view of the 1st tee, showing the different yardages that were available. I'm still just about hanging on to my 8.6 handicap index, so we chose to play off the pink tee markers, making the course play at 2431 Yards, Par 33. The former Lethamhill layout had poor drainage and would have been completely flooded by the deluge. The new course was very wet underfoot but had stood up remarkably well, the only real difference being that the greens were slower than we'd expected from Facebook comments.
Our 1st hole was an uphill 335 Yard Par 4, with green surface not visible for second shots. We'd rushed on, had no warm up and agreed to play ready (and speedy!) golf in an effort to beat the next downpour. Predictably, my drive only went as far as the trees to the right of the photo above. I've had a foot injury for a while that's only now clearing up so that's my second excuse for an opening double bogey.
The 2nd hole is a really good downhill 141 Yard Par 3, as shown below, complete with background rain.
I'd hit my tee shot to within 15 feet dead on line for an easy 2-putt par, only to be beaten by Douglas's tee shot to 3 feet for our only birdie of the evening. A good hole though!
The 3rd hole is an uphill 381 Yard Par 4, and the Gents' Stroke Index 1, parts of which I recognised from the former Lethamhill layout. I'd hit a decent enough drive but I was playing too quickly and after missing the green and 3 putting, it was a poor 7 on the card. Much the same story unfolded on the 4th, a 517 Yard Par 5 played steeply downhill from the tee. The fairway dog legs sharp left after that and heavy rough on the inside of the dog leg adds to the difficulty.
The 5th is a 162 Yard Par 3 that played longer than it looked, so a bogey for me on that one. The 6th is a 288 Yard Par 4 played from an elevated tee with ball losing rough and trees to the right. The second shot is uphill to an awkward highly contoured green, as shown below. Readers with good eyesight may be able to spot my ball in the bunker! Another bogey but we were making decent progress in under an hour for 6 holes and staying dry!
Our 7th was a short 102 Yard Par 3. It looked easy enough but there's steep fall off slope on the right so my par was decent in the circumstances.
And so to the 8th, which for me was the best looking hole on the course, as shown below. This is a 303 Yard Par 4 played from an elevated tee with an uphill semi-blind second shot to a green well protected by trees.
I just missed the green, played a poor pitch and run and ended up with another bogey.
This is a view of the 9th green , with the double decker driving range in the background.
The 9th is a 202 Yard Par 3 that looked likely to play longer than it looked, despite being downhill. And so it proved and my final bogey of the round meant I was round in a poor 44, with 20 putts. Still. it was new course for me and one that I really enjoyed, despite the conditions and the threat of further heavy rain. Our only negative comment was that there were no bunker rakes (yet?) and that the greenside bunker by the 9th looked to have particularly well-visited, given the many footprints on show.
Congratulations to the R&A and all concerned at Golf It! I really liked the course layout and in time I hope this becomes a model for the future promotion of golf to all ages in local communities.
We'd all played pretty poorly but for my buddy Douglas this was his second last new course in Scotland, with only the Castle Course in St Andrews remaining. As I know only too well, it takes stamina, determination and a peculiar form of madness to even attempt to play every course in Scotland, from the world famous championship courses to the really obscure ones, tucked away, seemingly miles from anywhere familiar. Paths less well trodden for both of us, but an unforgettabe journey. My first round with Douglas was at Glenburn Golf Course (where's that, you might wonder!) in August 2013, (Blog entry 614) and since then we've been on some real adventures, helping each other find new courses and experiencing their unique challenges. He's a fine man, great company and story teller, and the only St Mirren supporter I know. Douglas once told me I'm the most sane person he knows. I'm not sure about that, having just played my 675th course in Scotland, but although his journey is nearing it's end, we two pals will doubtless be back together soon, playing our own interpretations of the sport we love so dearly. We may even have a beer or two afterwards - stranger things have happened, believe me.
Here's to you Buddie! (a rare Paisley joke)
