Irvine Golf Club: Returning to my boyhood club

Growing up as a boy in Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland, I was incredibly fortunate to be a junior member of The Irvine Golf Club, which we all fondly called “Bogside.” Back then, the rules were pretty clear: you could only join once you turned 12, and you had to have a parent or grandparent who was already a member. It was the late 70s and early 80s, so things were a bit different, but I can still remember how eagerly I counted down the days to my 12th birthday—it felt like it would never come!

Finally, that big day arrived, and I was thrilled to become a member of Bogside. My mum, dad, and older brother John were already members, and I couldn’t wait to join them in the junior medals, competitions, and family fourballs. My big sister Julie, on the other hand, had absolutely no interest in golf back then—and she hasn’t changed her mind since!

Irvine Bogside, founded in 1887, is a course rich in history. It’s often described as an “inland links” course and has hosted some prestigious events over the years, including Final Qualifying for The Open Championship. It’s a stunning par 71 course with some tricky approaches to what I believe are among the best greens in the west of Scotland.

The course is a visual treat, especially in the middle of the season, when the yellow gorse and purple heather line the fairways, even if they aren’t the friendliest places to land your ball!

The club has produced three Scottish Amateur Champions: Jack Cannon (1969), Jimmy Walker (1961), and Hammy McInally (1937, 1939, and 1947). I was lucky enough to meet and spend time with both Jack and Jimmy, but sadly, Hammy passed away when I was just five or six, so I never had the chance to meet him.

Their portraits still hang proudly in the clubhouse smokeroom, and it was one of the proudest moments of my golfing life when, after winning the Scottish Boys National Title in 1986, I was made a life honorary member of the club. My portrait was placed right alongside those three Ayrshire legends.

Ayrshire is a true paradise for golfers, with so many fantastic courses along the west coast. Besides Irvine Bogside, you’ve got your pick from Dundonald, Western Gailes, Gailes Links, West Kilbride, and Kilmarnock Barassie, just to name a few. And let’s not forget the three Open Championship venues— Royal Troon, Turnberry, and Prestwick, where the first-ever Open was held in 1860, won by Willie Park Jnr with a 36-hole total of 174.

Ayrshire is also super accessible, with great road links from Edinburgh Airport (about 1 hour and 40 minutes away), Glasgow Airport (just 40 minutes away), and Prestwick Airport, which is only 15 minutes from Irvine.

I've been living in Edinburgh for 17 years now, and if there's one thing I regret, it's not finding enough time to return to the place where it all began for me. I try to visit as often as I can, but life is busier than ever, and it's not as easy as it used to be. My last game there was just a couple of months ago on a chilly spring day. I played with 14-year-old Aidan Lawson and his dad, John. Aidan was gearing up for the Scottish Boys Championship, which was set to take place at Irvine a couple of weeks later, and he was eager to get in a few practice rounds.

I've been playing golf with Aidan since he was just a tiny little kid—maybe three or four years old. I remember telling his dad when Aidan was about seven or eight, "I think we've got something really special here." And I still believe that. Now that he's 15 and playing off plus 4, it’s clear he’s going places. He finished tied for 8th in the Scottish Boys event—a solid performance. Remember the name, folks! Aidan’s a superstar in the making, and I can't wait to see what his future holds.

One thing I can say without bias is that the welcome you get at Irvine Golf Club is fantastic. The staff and members make you feel right at home. If you're a visitor, they'll greet you with open arms, and if there are any older members around, they'll often give you a little tour of the clubhouse and share the club’s history with you. Sometimes, they’ll even walk you up to the first tee and offer some tips on where to hit—or where to avoid! The food is excellent too, and the prices are so reasonable that I sometimes think they're being overly generous—but don’t let the catering staff know I said that!

Earlier, I mentioned that Irvine Bogside is an "inland links" course. This just means it’s not right on the coast—it’s about a mile inland—but it still has all the features of a classic links course, with pot bunkers, heather, gorse, and that bumpy, rolling links turf. The River Irvine runs alongside the 4th green, 5th tee, and 6th green before it heads out to the sea.

The first hole at Bogside can be a tough one, especially if you're playing into the wind. There’s a hill in the middle of the fairway around 260 or 270 yards out. If you can get your drive over that hill, you’re in great shape with a short second shot left. But if you don’t clear it, you could be facing a much longer approach, so it’s worth getting out the driver if you’ve got the distance.

Holes 2 through 5 offer some good birdie chances. The 2nd is a par 5, followed by three shorter par 4s. But don’t be fooled—those par 4s can be tricky. The 3rd hole, for example, has a deep gully in front of the green that makes for a tough approach. You can either smash it with a putter, chip and run with a 7 or 6 iron, or go for a flop shot, which is nerve-wracking off a tight lie.

The 4th has a boundary wall running down the left side along the main train line from Ayr to Glasgow, which sits just a foot from the green. I've seen many second shots fly out of bounds over that wall! The 5th is all about risk and reward—the green sits high on a hill with a massive bunker at the bottom. You can play it safe with a mid-iron layup, leaving you with a blind second shot, or you can go for it with the driver, but be careful—there’s danger everywhere if you don’t hit it just right.

The 6th hole is, in my opinion, the toughest on the course. It’s a long par 4 that demands two precise shots to reach the green. The approach is especially intimidating with the River Irvine just a few feet left of the green, ready to swallow up any wayward shots. The safe play is to miss the green to the right and hope for an up-and-down. A par here is a great score, and even a bogey isn’t too bad.

Irvine only has two par 3s—the 8th and the 16th—which is a bit unusual. Most courses have a par 3 before the 8th hole, and it’s rare to see a course with just two par 3s. The stretch of holes from 9 through 15 are all par 4s, with 9, 11, and 13 playing long and the 14th featuring a tricky two-tiered green. The 15th is a lovely little par 4 downhill with a slight dogleg from right to left. It’s called Bartonholm, named after a small mining village that used to be nearby, where legends Jimmy, Jackie, and Hammy grew up. Imagine—three national champions from the same tiny village!

The 17th hole, at just over 400 yards, isn’t the longest, but the tee shot is crucial. If the winds at your back, keep the driver in the bag—you’ll only need to hit it 200 to 220 yards. The farther you go, the narrower the fairway gets, sloping right to left toward trouble. The 18th is a fun finishing hole with a blind tee shot over a small hill. A good drive will leave you a short iron to an inviting green that’s heavily guarded by bunkers. Hopefully, you can finish with a par or better and head back to the friendly clubhouse for a drink.

Despite the cold breeze, we had a great day at Irvine Bogside, which was in fantastic condition for so early in the year. The course is known for its excellent greens and overall condition year-round. Aidan, the little superstar, was brilliant as always, and even though I played well and drove the ball nicely, I often found myself 20 or 30 yards behind him. The youth of today, right?

My dad passed away in January, and my sister and I decided to put up a commemorative bench in his honor. It now sits proudly at the putting green on the way to the 1st tee. We recently took my great-nephew Leon, Dad’s great-grandson, to see it, which was a special moment for the whole family. But Leon, being just five years old, was more curious about my picture hanging in the club. “What do you think of that?” I asked him. His reply? “What happened to your hair?”—the cheeky little rascal!