Troon Lochgreen

As a Professional golfer and an ex assistant to Gordon Cunningham at Troon Municipal I recently played the Darley and Lochgreen courses and found them equally as challenging as ever and in very good condition however, I was extremely disappointed in the overall look and condition of the Clubhouse. It appeared to be in the same state as it was during my days in Troon. Surely with it being one of the busiest municipal course throughout the UK the image to maintain it's reputation must be up dated. Since leaving Troon I have travelled extensively and have been working in France since 1984 and have visited and played a vast number of courses but still enjoy returning to my home town I would love to see an improvement as is evident along the road at the old course. Yours, respectively Ian Lambie

Played Troon Lochgreen Sat 6th July, and was massively impresseed. Played most of the South Ayrshire Municipal course, Belleisle, Seafield, Girvan, and the other 2 here at Troon, Darley and Fullerton. Fullerton really is just a short game practice course, get the long par 4 (over 400 yards) out the way, then the rest is really short, and all about how your short game holds up, the course is nice and presentable though. Darley is the 2nd of the 3 courses here at Troon, and although shorter than Lochgreen, can be an absolute brute due to the gorse, heather and long grass, it is never the less, an excellent course, the greens are almost all year round in tip top condition. My favourite though is the Lochgreen. It starts off with a nice 450 yards+ par 4 !!, then another 2 par 5's in the first 4 holes !!. Get over them, then you can start to enjoy the course, great views overlooking Royal Troon, and across the water to the isle of Arran. I played the latter 2 many times this year, and irrespective of the weather, enjoyed them, but Lochgreen is in a different league, and many private clubs would be honoured to have a course such as this as their track. The fact that members here have another 6 municipal courses to choose from is just the icing on the cake. It will be very busy at weekends, but, you're playing on probably the best Municipal Golfign facility in the UK. Oh, and I've played at Gleneagles (PGA old & PGA Revamped), Loch Lomond, Belfry (Brabazon) Woburn (Marquess), Wentworth (West Course), so I've got a good yardstick to go by !!!!!

I played this for the first time yesterday and really enjoyed it. Initially I was going round on my own but after confusing the second on Fullarton to the second on Lochgreen(easy to do) I found myself going back and met up with a man of more experience and played with him. I had never played this type of course before but it was great for me not having a handicap. The fairways are tight and I missed them all so I didnt have to lift my ball and place it in the light rough. Anyway getting back to the course it is short with a par of 66 and ideal for those who like to go round in a little less than 3 hours, being the winter it was still relatively busy and we were only held up on 3 holes. I'm not the greatest golfer and I had never scored below 107 on my usual course but for some reason on this one I managed what I think was a respectable 89, with 5 pars and a birdie. So all in all its a short cracking wee course ideal for the likes of me and I would think everyone wanting to experience Troon golf.

6 of us played Lochgreen on Friday and Fullarton on Sunday afternoon. Lochgreen is "golf as it should be played" being mainly Links. We had typical Scottish weather sunshine and showers, but not too windy. Just enough of a breeze to make it interesting. If you want the links experience but not at the price of the "famous" courses then this is a good choice.

Played Lochgreen today for the first time in about 20 years. The weather for most of the country has been very wet recently so we escaped to the links in search of a dry course. We were not disappointed. Apart from the 4 'parkland' holes (11-14) the course was solid underfoot and, unusually for a links course, the greens were soft and holding. They were also in pretty good condition for the time of year. Lochgreen is a much better than average municipal course which is definately worth playing if you are in the area (and if you can get on - all 3 courses were mobbed even in the middle of winter).

Have played all of these courses a number of times over the last 10 years, and they are all excellent, offering different challenges, and the greens are supurb. My favorite is Lochgreen. A great variety of holes and all shots are required. Most times I've played, the first 6 holes have played into the wind! Starting with a long par 4 and 2 par 5's, it can be tough!!! But stick with it - it gets (a bit) easier! Long hitters will definitely have an advantage on this course. Darley is shorter, but less forgiving if off-line, and therefore just as challenging in a different way. My only concern with Darley is that it is criss-crossed by a number of footpaths (and near to a school) so you have to be aware of others on the course. Not played it during the summer holidays, but suspect there would be many non-golfers around. As for Fullerton, don't be fooled by the low par. Small quick greens make this course a fun challenge. Some are the greens can be hard to hit, so a good touch helps. You will play well to go around any of these courses in handicap. I never found any problems with the condition of the courses, and given they are municipal, the speed of play was excellent too. Value for money, these courses are bargains! Don't miss them if you are in the area.

Played Darley on three times on a recent golf tour of the area and it is without doubt a very fine test of golf. Many golfers visiting the area seem unware of the golfing test that is available at Troon Darley, some of the holes would not look out of place on the Troon and Prestwick courses. The course is in great condition, with well maintained true greens that require well thought out and finely executed approach shots and fairways that can only be consistantly found through accurate straight tee shots. In short, this course is one for the purists. The only thing that spoilt one of the rounds was being stuck behind a four ball of swedish golfers who clearly had insufficient skill to tackle the course. If they had spent as much time and money on golf lessons as they did on fancy equipment and garish attire they would have taken five and half hours to get round! The course policy of not allowing junior golfers to play unless they have a handicap of twelve or lower whilst at the same time allowing adult visitors who are complete novices to the game is one that is utterly baffling. Anybody visiting the Troon area should undoubtedly include Darley within their plans. Its a peach of a course!

From stepping out of the train at Troon station, you just get the feeling that this is going to be a great golf experience. Waiting for the tee off at Lochgreen and Darley in the front of the clubhouse just makes you tremble with joy. I played Lochgreen twice in sunshine last week and that was my best golf experiences ever. Extreme well maintained fairways and greens. Nasty (good) bunkers. Good tees and overall a very good golf atmosphere. Very good views over the Royal Troon and the famous clubhouse on the 5 - 8 holes. Very challenging holes and the overriding feeling of playing a course which is something special..... for a fraction of Royal Troon's green fee. Lochgreen gave me heaven for four hours. I have heard Darley is even better. Don't miss out on these two courses if you ever visit Scotland.

Played Darley in a National Final - no bunker rakes, litter everywhere and local neds throwing bottles at each other on the 15th! The greens were half decent and some of the holes are well designed but otherwise VERY poor. Maybe its better in summer - we played in October. Fair dues though the clubhouse and pro shop are very good

I played Lochgreen & Darley the week before this year's Open at Royal Troon. Both courses are an excellent test of golf. Lochgreen being longer but not as demanding as Darley. This was real Scottish golf at it's finest with fast running fairiways and excellent greens. The teeing areas were quite poor in places but that is to be expected on municipal courses. I highly recommend these 2 great courses to anyone planning to visit.

Having just played the Darley course, I echo the praise given by others on this site. A super course which will really test your ability. The course was in good condition and the greens were excellent. The staff in the clubhouse really make you welcome. The only criticism I would have, concerns the lack of any yardage indicators on any of the holes. If you're planning to visit this part of Scotland, make sure you have Darley on your itinery.

I first played Darley in 1992 while visiting Scotland for the Open.It is my opinion that it is as fine a test of links golf as can be found in these islands.Every club in the bag will be tested as well as patience and good course management.In terms of value it is unequalled and represents for me true Scottish Golf as enjoyed by majority of local Golfers.Looking forward to my next visit.

When deciding to visit Troon and the are, my first choice was Royal Troon, unfortunately as this golf trip was the brain child of my wife and I wish to encourage her enjoyment of the game, Royal Troon was off the menu, (as Royal Troon only allows male visitors.) We reluctantly decided to play Lochgreen (why do these great courses not have there own listing !!) The course is predominately a links course with 4 holes more of a parkland feel. The par 3's are strong some good and interesting par 4's but week par 5's (including the first.) I started the first 6 holes in 2 under (for a nine handicap player not too bad.) The greens were in an amazing condition and the course very interesting. The course realy needs wind to protect it and according to locals the recent changes to some holes (reducing mounds and thinning the undergrowth on the tiger lines.) have made the course easier. Having said this, DO NOT GO TO TROON WITHOUT PLAYING THIS OR THE DARLEY COURSE. Excellent views and a great low cost course.

Troon is certainly a mecca for golfers. We stayed at the Marine Highland Hotel - perfect spot on Royal Troons 18th fairway. The Darley meanders away from the municipal complex and cuts across the road and out alongside the local secondary school and housing estate which creates a lot of pedestrian passage and some litter but they generally all appreciate the importance of golf on the towns economy. The course played wicked in the force 8 gale. Wind behind for the first six or seven holes and it seemed easy with plenty of pars. Coming back it was a different story. It either went like a banana or a boomerang. Still I only lost one ball, found two and played under my handicap so I was happy. As with most municipals, the course is not manicured to perfection but it is probably a lot better than you would expect- a testing links course with interesting and varied holes and lots of thick rough. The greens were fine - very good considering the weather. Lochgren is preferred course but there was a comp on - I had the Darley nearly all to myself.

We played both the Darley and the Lochgren courses at the complex. First impressions is that the site is very busy, but well organised starting facilities. Somewhat dissappointed with the Darley, lots of litter, rubbish around the course, which spoilt a generally fair course. However, the Lochgren course is considerably better. Longer in length and par 74, this is the one to visit. Scenic views around the 18 holes, makes for an enjoyable round. The course is used as a prelim for the Open when played at Troon.

Troon is a golf mecca. Rather like Hackney Marshes is dedicated to playing football, Troon lives and breathes golf with courses virtually everywhere you look. The Lochgreen course provides you with a wonderful scenic tour of Troon with stunning views of Ailsa Craig and the Royal Troon course. The course is huge fun too with something for everyone with tees and greens that most expensive private clubs would die for. The course winds its way around the two other Troon municipals and the stretch from 8 to 13 is fantastic. Great course, great people, highly recommended.