Destination photograph: aerial view over Bogside and the Irvine and Garnock estuary, where the course lies; the course itself is not clearly picked out.
The Irvine Golf Club plays over Bogside, a low links on the north side of the town between the River Irvine and the River Garnock. Locals simply call it Bogside, after the land and the racecourse that once ran next to it. It is older than most of its Ayrshire neighbours, it has staged Final Qualifying for The Open, and its card is unusual: one par five, two par threes and fifteen par fours. Visitor times and prices are published, and small groups book online.
The Irvine Golf Club (Bogside) green fees and tee times.
Groups of up to eight golfers book direct on the club’s online visitor tee sheet. Larger groups use the booking form at the foot of the visitors page, and the club arranges golf-and-hospitality packages on request. Weekday visitor times run from 09:30 to 11:30 and 12:30 to 15:30; at weekends visitors start after 14:00. Tuesdays and Thursdays carry restrictions all year, and one Wednesday each month is kept for the members’ medal. The office is on 01294 275979 and the professional’s shop on 01294 275626. The visitors page does not set a handicap limit. Dress and buggy rules are in PDFs on the same page.
INDICATIVE GREEN FEE · CHECKED NOVEMBER 2026From £90
2026 shoulder rate per round, 22 March to 30 April; £125 from May to September. Four-balls £320 and £460. The page does not list October to March prices.
Shoulder, 22 March–30 April
£90
Shoulder four-ball
£320
Summer, May–September
£125
Summer four-ball
£460
Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The round, in perspective.
Thirteen men met at the Kings Arms Hotel on 18 March 1887 to form the club, and the course opened on 11 August 1888 on land leased from Lord Eglinton. In 1904 J.H. Taylor and Harry Vardon tied for first in a professional event here and shared the prize. James Braid inspected Bogside on 6 May 1925, the club adopted his recommendations in full, and on a return visit he added only two bunkers, short of the 8th and 16th greens. The club says the course remains almost unaltered since. From the blue tees it is 6,594 yards, par 71. The 2nd, Winton, is the only par five at 534 yards. The 6th, Cannon Hill, is stroke index one, the 9th is named Racecourse, and the two short holes, Saddle Back and Redburn, are both under 180 yards. With so many par fours, accurate long irons matter more than length.
Know before you go.
Weekday visitor times
09:30–11:30 and 12:30–15:30
Weekends
Visitors after 14:00
Restricted days
Tuesdays, Thursdays and one medal Wednesday a month
Online booking
Up to two four-balls; larger groups use the form
Buggies
Four, bookable in advance
Make the trip work.
A four-ball rate saves £40 per group in summer, so book as a four rather than two pairs. Avoid Tuesdays and Thursdays when planning a week, and check the medal Wednesday before you fix dates. Only four buggies exist, so reserve one when you book the tee time. The pro shop rents out Wilson sets, which saves flying with clubs. The club suggests at least one forecaddie per group on a first visit, because several tee shots are hard to read from the tee.
Prestwick’s airport is around 20 minutes away down the A78, and Glasgow Airport about 35 minutes north. The club is roughly 25 miles from central Glasgow. Irvine station, on the Glasgow–Ayr line, is a short walk or taxi ride from Bogside, which makes a rail-only day from Glasgow realistic.
The lodges at Dundonald Links, a few minutes south, suit groups who want kitchens and space to dry kit. Troon, about 15 minutes down the coast, has the Marine Troon and Piersland House and is the usual base for a week on the Ayrshire links. If you prefer a town with the station on the doorstep, Irvine itself has guest houses and chain hotels near the harbourside.
Make a trip of it.
Gailes Links is just across the river to the south, with Western Gailes, Dundonald Links and Kilmarnock (Barassie) beyond it, so Bogside pairs easily with any of them for 36 holes. West Kilbride is about 20 minutes north up the coast. Royal Troon and Prestwick are each within half an hour. Away from golf, the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine harbour holds historic vessels, and Eglinton Country Park, on the old estate that once owned Bogside, is a few minutes inland.
Find your season.
Shoulder pricing starts on 22 March and runs to the end of April; summer rates cover May to September. The club’s page does not list October to March prices, so ask the office for winter golf. Final Qualifying and national amateur events can take the course over for a few days in summer.
The course lies on the Bogside land on the Eglinton estate, between the railway, the rivers Irvine and Garnock and the site of Bogside Racecourse. The 9th hole is still called Racecourse. The club has used the name since it opened in 1888.
When can visitors play The Irvine Golf Club?
On weekdays from 09:30 to 11:30 and from 12:30 to 15:30, and after 14:00 at weekends. Tuesdays and Thursdays are restricted, and one Wednesday a month is kept for the members’ medal.
How many par fives are at Irvine Bogside?
Only one from the men’s tees: the 534-yard 2nd, Winton. The card has fifteen par fours and two par threes, the 8th and 16th, for par 71. From the red tees the 11th becomes a second par five.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
