Irvine Ravenspark Golf Course

Irvine Ravenspark Golf Club, a parkland course in North Ayrshire, presents two good nines that sport enough variety, challenge, and ground movement to make for an interesting day of golf. The course also has a links-like feel, as the turf plays firm and fast. Fairway movement, especially among holes that roll up or downhill, is ample, and augmented by several doglegs whose angularity varies. Of midrange length--6367 yards at par 71--the course slopes at 120 and is therefore of moderate difficulty. In general, fairways are wide enough to make the course suitable for golfers ranging from low to higher handicaps. Greens are typically protected by frontal or flanking bunkers.

The setting, pleasant and attractive, is not down by the sea (the Firth of Clyde), as are several courses in this area, but instead inland, about a couple of miles from it as the crow flies. I did see a seagull on the fifth green later in the day. The sea is not visible from the course, but clearly visible are great mountain backrops stretching far off into the distance. Even though the course is not far off a busy road in the bustling town of Irvine, it posseses a sense of serenity and a general feeling of isolation from the outside world.

Course Layout:

The front and back nines each have some difficult holes, but they are well-balanced in overall challenge. The second hole is impressive, a solid and tough par-4 that sweeps uphill to a green protected by flanking pot bunkers, requiring a precise approach shot to run it up onto the raised putting surface. The third tumbles down and bends left toward a small green situated on a small rise some 450 yards from the blue tee. Hole five climbs four hundred yards straight uphill to a green set upon a knoll, its steep frontal wall rejecting nearly any shot that falls short. The short, doglegging seventh, named Overton, may tempt you to fly your Titleist over the bend in hopes of hitting an angling, fairly narrow fairway. Another perched green finishes off this fine short four-par. Yet the hole I find most appealing on this front nine is nine itself, where you'll face a terrific and scenic driving challenge where the fairway, lying well below the high tee, curves left around a line of trees. At 398 yards, it will require two well-struck shots to find the putting surface.

At this juncture, the ninth has already begun a strong, five-hole stretch—concluding on the thirteenth—that both heighten the interest and increase the requirement for precision. Another change throughout this stretch concerns how the now well-treed fairways contrast to those of the relatively open front side. Hole ten is a stout uphill par-5 that plays longer than its 476 yards; reaching the green in regulation will mean avoiding any slice, as the left side is fully tree-lined. Eleven and twelve (the nos. 1 and 2 indexes) along with the thirteenth form the backbone of this inward half: all are somewhat fierce par-4s, averaging 400 yards in length. These holes can do damage by their tighter fairways and ample greenside bunkering, yet they also pose serious threats to golf balls that venture too far right off the tee. Both eleven and twelve have raised greens, but the putting surface at thirteen is set upon downsloping ground, allowing players to run the ball onto the putting surface.

A bit tamer is the closing string of holes from the fourteenth to conclusion, as two of them--14 and 16--are drive-and-pitch par-4s with straight fairways and relatively flat greens. The 180 yard par-3 fifteenth is straightforward and will demand a mid-iron for most, but the finishing hole runs 403 yards somewhat uphill, finishing on a bunker-flanked green. The fairway at eighteen is slightly offset, and it threatens errant shots by its five bunkers and dense trees on both sides.

Conditions:

Unfortunately, the greens here are in weak condition currently, exhibiting many bare or patchy areas that typically will affect their smoothness. Needless to say, rolling the ball consistently through these areas was a problem. The greens were also too thick and a bit slow. The word I heard around the course: they have recently lost their greenskeeper. Greenside areas were somewhat better. The fairways were in decent condition, but the tees less so. Roughs were about average.

Other Notes:

--Very friendly ambience around the clubhouse, and I enjoyed meeting and chatting with the Club Professional, Mr. Peter Bond.

--Enjoyed meeting one of the club's members at the sixth, and thereafter playing most of the holes with him. This excellent and kindly Scottish gentleman proved a great companion who helped me with course managment. Other players around the course were also friendly.

--Great, sunny weather for golf with little wind and no rain. Ideal, really.

Some conclusions:

The rating may be average for this course, but this is largely due to current playing conditions that center on the generally poor greens (It's hard to post an accurate score with putts rolling somewhat erratically). Yet the course has much to recommend it. Tee to green, Ravenspark does not disappoint, with several standout holes and a solid stretch of them at the beginning of the inward half. The scenery--notably the mountain backdrops--was a nice bonus.