
Lothianburn Course
Lothianburn Golf Club
About this course
Lothianburn Golf Club sits on the southern outskirts of Edinburgh, occupying elevated ground on the lower slopes of the Pentland Hills. The course was designed by James Braid and opened in 1893, making it one of the older layouts in the Edinburgh area. Braid, a five-time Open Champion and one of the Great Triumvirate alongside Harry Vardon and J.H. Taylor, became Britain's most prolific golf course architect in the early twentieth century, and Lothianburn represents his work in a compact hillside setting close to the Scottish capital. The routing takes advantage of the natural contours and elevation changes characteristic of this terrain. Players encounter uphill and downhill holes, with views across the city and toward the Firth of Forth on clear days. The course measures relatively short by modern standards but requires accurate placement and thoughtful club selection given the slopes and prevailing winds. Several holes play across or along the hillside, and the greens reflect the undulating ground beneath them. Lothianburn serves primarily as a members' club with a local Edinburgh membership base. The clubhouse and facilities are modest and traditional, consistent with many Scottish clubs of similar vintage and scale. The course remains a regular venue for club competitions and regional amateur events, and its proximity to the city makes it accessible for golfers seeking a round in a hillside setting without traveling far from Edinburgh's center.
Quick facts
- Location
- Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1893
- Designer
- James Braid
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 5,662 yards
- Difficulty
- 69.8/117
Getting there
Edinburgh Airport lies just eight miles northwest of Lothianburn Golf Club, making this a remarkably swift transition from tarmac to tee - typically under twenty minutes by road. The route climbs gently south through the city's outer suburbs before breaking free onto the slopes of the Pentland Hills, where the urban sprawl gives way to open moorland and the air sharpens with altitude. Perched at over 600 feet above sea level on the city's southern fringe, Lothianburn announces itself not with fanfare but with quiet inevitability, its fairways carved into the hillside where Edinburgh ends and the wild Scottish uplands begin.
FAQ
Common questions about Lothianburn
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Lothianburn was designed by James Braid.
Yes. Lothianburn is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Lothianburn is 71.
Lothianburn plays 5,662 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Lothianburn is 117.
Lothianburn is a 18-hole course.



