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Club information | |
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Location in Scotland | |
Location | Luss, Argyll & Bute, Scotland |
Established | 1993, 32 years ago |
Type | Private |
Owned by | Loch Lomond Golf Club, Members Committee |
Total holes | 18 |
Events hosted | Scottish Open (2001–2010) Solheim Cup (2000) |
Website | lochlomond.com |
Loch Lomond Course | |
Designed by | Tom Weiskopf |
Par | 71 |
Length | 7,100 yards (6,492 m) |
Course record | 62, Retief Goosen |
Loch Lomond Golf Club is located in Luss, Argyll & Bute, Scotland on the shore of Loch Lomond. The course occupies land previously held by Clan Colquhoun and includes the clan's seat of Rossdhu House as its clubhouse.
While Clan Colquhoun had occupied the site of the present club since ancient times, the medieval Rossdhu Castle was constructed by Sir John Colquhoun in 1457 along with the private chapel of St. Mary of Rossdhu when his lands were consolidated into the free Barony of Luss. [1] Rossdhu is derived from the Scottish Gaelic ros dubh , meaning the "black headland". [1]
Mary, Queen of Scots visited in 1563 and her household ate a fish supper on 17 July including salmon, ling, and trout cooked in butter. [2] The castle was ruined in a fire after the construction of Rossdhu Mansion and ruins can be seen directly behind the course's 18th green. [1]
The central portion of the present house, known as Rossdhu Mansion, was completed in 1773. The grand Georgian manor house was constructed by Sir James Colquhoun and was likely designed by well-known architect John Baxter to replace the 15th-century castle, though no documentation survives. This was the family seat when Sir James Colquhoun, 3rd Baronet led the clan and the writer Janet Colquhoun was his wife.
Until the late 1970s, the house was home to Sir Ivar Colquhoun, 8th Baronet, and Lady Colquhoun. They loaned many original pieces of furniture and artwork to the restored manor house in 1994, thus assuring that Rossdhu Mansion would be historically preserved notwithstanding ownership by the club.
In 2025, investigative journalism outlet The Ferret uncovered previously unknown details about the ownership of Loch Lomond Golf Club through leaked Paradise Papers documents. The club is owned and operated by a firm incorporated in the Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory known for its financial secrecy. As of 2014, the ownership of Loch Lomond Golf Club Limited included over 500 secret shareholders, comprising politicians, business executives, bankers, and sports personalities. [3] Notable shareholders identified in the documents included:
The club's ownership structure came under scrutiny due to its incorporation in a secrecy jurisdiction, raising questions about transparency and tax implications. While there was no indication of tax abuse, the club reportedly ran losses in most years since the member buyout, thereby avoiding corporate tax liability. [4]
The club's website emphasizes the exclusivity of membership, stating that "the privilege of membership" and "opportunity to play our extraordinary course" is only extended to those invited by existing members or the club itself. The first-time registration fee for the club was reported to be as high as $165,400. [5]
The revelations about Loch Lomond Golf Club's ownership structure came amid ongoing pressure on the U.K. government to ensure its overseas territories and crown dependencies introduce public beneficial ownership registers. The U.K.'s overseas territories have been identified as accounting for nearly a quarter of the world's corporate tax loss in recent years, according to the Tax Justice Network. [6]
The club also has a total of 43 suites, located at the Carriage House, Garden Cottages, The Point, and the Loch Shore Lodges for members and their guests staying overnight. This provides increased revenue for the club, as it can stay open throughout the year as a luxury hotel and accommodate visitors for long stays despite the countryside location. Amenities for members and their guests include a pro shop, locker rooms, an on-site health club built inside a historical walled garden which opened in September 2006, two formal dining rooms, and a casual bar and grill. Additional outdoor activities include boat tours of Loch Lomond, fitness programs, hiking, bicycle riding, clay shooting, and game hunting.
Designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, the 7,100-yard (6,492 m) course is considered to be among the 100 finest golf courses in the world. In 2005 it was ranked 66th (ranked by Golf Magazine ). [7] Opened 32 years ago in 1993, the course makes heavy use of natural hazards such as streams and marshland areas.
Loch Lomond hosted the Scottish Open on the European Tour for ten seasons (from 2001 through 2010; succeeded by Castle Stuart), and European Tour events in each of the previous five seasons.
Former US president Bill Clinton has played Loch Lomond Golf Course. [8]
Hole | Metres | Yards | Par | Hole | Metres | Yards | Par |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 389 | 425 | 4 | 10 | 416 | 455 | 4 |
2 | 416 | 455 | 4 | 11 | 215 | 235 | 3 |
3 | 466 | 510 | 5 | 12 | 379 | 415 | 4 |
4 | 357 | 390 | 4 | 13 | 512 | 560 | 5 |
5 | 174 | 190 | 3 | 14 | 315 | 345 | 4 |
6 | 572 | 625 | 5 | 15 | 379 | 415 | 4 |
7 | 402 | 440 | 4 | 16 | 453 | 495 | 4 |
8 | 146 | 160 | 3 | 17 | 187 | 205 | 3 |
9 | 315 | 345 | 4 | 18 | 398 | 435 | 4 |
Front 9 | 3237 | 3540 | 36 | Back 9 | 3255 | 3560 | 35 |
Total | 6492 | 7100 | 71 | ||||
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands. Traditionally forming part of the boundary between the counties of Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire, Loch Lomond is split between the council areas of Stirling, Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire. Its southern shores are about 23 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of the centre of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. The Loch forms part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park which was established in 2002.
Luss is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, on the west bank of Loch Lomond. The village is within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
Inchmurrin is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland. It is the largest fresh water island in the British Isles.
Balloch Castle is an early 19th-century country house situated at the southern tip of Loch Lomond, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Balloch was a property of the Lennox family from the 11th century, and the old castle was built in the 13th century. In the 19th century the estate was purchased by John Buchanan of Ardoch, who demolished the ruins of the old castle and erected the present building. The Tudor Gothic architecture is the work of Robert Lugar. In 1915 Balloch was bought by Glasgow City Corporation, and has been leased by West Dunbartonshire Council since 1975. The estate was designated as a country park in 1980, and since 2002 has been part of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Although the house has been periodically used for visitor facilities and council offices, it is now included on the Buildings at Risk Register. Balloch Castle is a category A listed building, and the estate is included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
Inchconnachan is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland, in the Trossachs National Park. It is accessible by boat from the village of Luss on the south side of the Loch.
Clan Colquhoun is a Highland Scottish clan.
There have been two baronetcies created for persons with the surname Colquhoun ("Cohoon"), one in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia (1625) and one in the Baronetage of Great Britain (1786).
Shandon is a village on the open sea loch of the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Shandon overlooks the Rosneath Peninsula to the west and is bordered by Glen Fruin to the east, which is the site of the Battle of Glen Fruin, one of the last clan battles in Scotland, fought on 7 February 1603, in which an estimated 300 warriors on foot from the MacGregor Clan claimed victory over an estimated 600–800 men from the Colquhoun Clan on horse-back.
The Battle of Glen Fruin was a Scottish clan battle fought on 7 February 1603 between the Clan Gregor and its allies on one side, and the Clan Colquhoun and its allies on the other. The Clan Gregor and Clan Colquhoun were at feud due to the MacGregors carrying out raids on the Colquhoun's lands. The Colquhouns gained royal support and raised an army against the MacGregors. However, during the subsequent battle of Glen Fruin, the Colquhouns were comprehensively defeated. Glen Fruin is in the Loch Lomond area, in the county of Dunbartonshire, Scotland. In the aftermath of the battle royal policy punished the MacGregors for 150 years.
Clan Galbraith is a Scottish clan. The clan does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Because of this, the clan is considered an armigerous clan, and as such Clan Galbraith has no standing under Scots Law. The clan-name of Galbraith is of Gaelic origin, however its meaning denotes the bearer as of Brythonic origin, as opposed to Gaelic. The early Galbraiths were centred in the Lennox district, which spans the Highland and Lowland border of Scotland. The 17th chief of the clan brought ruin to the clan in the late 16th and early 17th century, and eventually lost his lands and fled Scotland for Ireland. His grandson, the 19th chief, was the last chief of Clan Galbraith.
Glen Fruin is a glen in Scotland, adjacent to Loch Lomond. It contains the Fruin Water which flows into the loch, and a road, now the A817 road, known as the Glen Fruin Haul Road, which goes from the A82 up the glen and over the top of the hills to HMNB Clyde at Garelochhead.
Ardencaple Castle, also known as Ardincaple Castle, and sometimes referred to as Ardencaple Castle Light, is a listed building, situated about 1 statute mile (1.6 km) from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Today, all that remains of the castle is a tower, perched on the edge of a plateau, looking down on a flat tract of land between it and the shore of the Firth of Clyde. The original castle was thought to have been built sometime in the 12th century, and part of the remains of the original castle were said to have existed in the 19th century. Today, that sole remaining tower is used as a navigational aid for shipping on the Firth of Clyde. Because of its use as a lighthouse the tower has been called Ardencaple Castle Light.
Inchlonaig is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland.
Inchtavannach, is one of the larger islands in Loch Lomond.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Inc. (ICIJ), is an independent global network of 280 investigative journalists and over 140 media organizations spanning more than 100 countries. It is based in Washington, D.C., with personnel in Australia, France, Spain, Hungary, Serbia, Belgium and Ireland.
Glasgow Golf Club, founded in May 1787, is the ninth oldest golf club in the world. It has changed location several times during its history, but has been based at Killermont in Bearsden since 21 May 1904. The club is unusual in also having a links course, at Gailes, near Irvine, on the Ayrshire coast, some 35 miles away.
The Paradise Papers are a set of over 13.4 million confidential electronic documents relating to offshore investments that were leaked to the German reporters Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer, from the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. The newspaper shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, and a network of more than 380 journalists. Some of the details were made public on 5 November 2017 and stories are still being released.
Frances Mary Colquhoun was a Scottish writer.
Sir James Grant, 6th Baronet was a Scottish Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1722 to 1747. He was Chief of Clan Grant from 1719 until his death.
Media related to Loch Lomond Golf Club at Wikimedia Commons