If you are looking for a true test of golf then you don't need to look much further that Irvine Golf Club's Bogside course.  It is one of the toughest tracks that I have had the pleasure/pain to play.  I have genuinely never lost so many golf balls in one round - my one tip for you is to pack plenty! 

It isn't a long course but the fairways are very narrow and the plentiful gorse and heather is waiting to gather up any errant drives or unlucky bounces.  This really is a course that relies on proper course management, it is a strategic course but it does have some visually scary tee shots! I was having nightmares about gorse bushes coming to get me for weeks afterwards.

Although a very tough course it has some very pretty holes; a bit like Glasgow Gailes it suffers a touch from not being directly on the coast line but the use of some trees and those wonderfully narrow gorse lined fairways are a sight to behold.  

If you get the chance to play this course you should jump at it - it is in my opinion the most underrated course in this list.  It is on a par with both Glasgow Gailes and that is 30 places above it.  The clubhouse is very nice and I would recommend you go in and have a look at some of the portraits on the wall; this club produces excellent amateur golfers and after you have played it once you will realise that to compete in a medal here requires a great deal of skill.

Thanks. My thanks to Derek, Alasdair and Gordon for joining me at Irvine.  This was part of our 4 course East vs West match.  Gordon & I lost this match after an inspired Derek played the last 3 holes in -2.