Kilmarnock Golf Club, also known as Barassie, is another of the fine “second-tier” links courses located near Troon on the Ayrshire coast. Although Barassie sets back a bit from the ocean and lacks the heaving dunesland typical of some of its more famous neighbors, it does have gently undulating linksland, wonderful greens and a series of good and challenging links holes.
As with many Scottish golf links, the first few holes at Kilmarnock are routed over relatively flat land, as the golfer plays out away from the clubhouse to the traditional linksland. At the 5th hole, however, the golfer begins a stretch of fine links holes that includes the wonderful par four 7th hole, a long dogleg around and through the dunes, and the short par four 12th hole, played between dunes and bunkers off the tee with a second shot to a large and undulating green.
Though Kilmarnock would never be classified as a world-class links and would be a poor choice for any golfer set on playing only the Open quality courses, Kilmarnock is a good links course that is easy on the budget. With fewer visitors than its more famous neighbors, Kilmarnock is a nice choice for a second-tier course to include in a Scottish golf tour that is made up of several rounds at Open quality courses with the remaining rounds at lesser known yet good quality links courses (our favorite type of tour).
For more information on Kilmarnock, please visit their website at www.kbgc.co.uk.
