Went for a ride today, rode across a golf course using the paths staying away from the greens. Under Scotland access laws that is OK isn’t it? As long as we didn’t cause any damage / detriment to the business etc.

We got told not to by a man in a car, who may or may not have had anything to do with the running of the course.

It was such as nice day that I didn’t even bother to get in any discussion with him, just headed straight for the road and to the cycle path that way.

As long as you stay off the greens I can’t see a problem.

It’s allowed. Stay off the greens and fairways unless there is a path across them.

Golf courses are specifically mentioned in the Outdoor Access Code.
Yes, it is allowed to cross over the course. Should stick to paths, and not interfere with anyone playing. https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/practical-guide-all/golf-courses

Cheers, I thought we were right. There wasn’t anyone playing either today obviously 🙂

As everyone has said, you have access rights.

My local golf course has a track and tarmac road right of way running through it. They’ve put up deliberately misleading signs suggesting access is prohibited. I reported them to the police after a member started shouting and waving a golf club at me and my young kids, and eventually got a 4 page legal letter trying to say it was my fault and telling me I shouldn’t have been there…
I use the route to cycle to work, and every now and again I get one of the members trying to run me off the road. The last one who stopped to complain managed to fold back his wing mirror when it bumped me as he drove off.

Basically, what I’m hinting at is that in my experience, there are a number of golfers who seem to go out of their way to avoid making a positive contribution to humanity. Don’t let them curtail your access rights.

As the others have said. Access rights apply to golf courses. I had someone try to block me on a east lothian course. I just told him I was exercising my rights and continued my ride

Report to your local access officer

Royal Troon?.

Glad to see no mention of diamond sweaters or BMW/Audi in the car park as I made that mistake two weeks ago two days before the social distancing with all the old guys playing foursomes shoulder to shoulder at the tees

Dunno. I’ve found golfers to be a cheery lot.

Any time I ride over a golf course they’re all waving their clubs in the air and shouting incoherent encouragement, and judging by the number of balls flying past, I’m not interrupting play at all.

Great place to learn how to wheelie or manual, not so sore if you fall off just no back brake skidding

There’s a shitload of golf courses round here, OP is about 3 miles from me, and there’s 5 golf courses between us.

You’d think the more elite courses would be the worst, it’s quite the opposite, I never get any bother going through Royal Troon or Old Prestwick (first 5 open championships were held there), there’s ROW’s through both, no bother.

The only time I’ve had folk being dicks are on the slightly ‘lower grade’ courses, I can only assume these are plebs who feel they have elevated themselves out of plebdom, the kind of behaviour often seen on new housing estates.

I stopped for a breather on a ride that when through a golf course in Aberdeenshire (not that one).

Sitting on a bench behind one of the tees a couple of players arrive.

The first take his shot.

“hmmm – we’re never going to find that are we”

“no”

“shall we pretend it didn’t happen?”

“Ok”

“How many holes left?”

“five”

“how many balls left?”

“nine”

“thats not going to be enough.”

I count 5 courses between you and him in Troon alone, six if you include the one behind his house. Good selection of riding.

My punt is Western Gailes, its the only one I can think of with a road right next to it you can stop on. Don’t see many cyclists on it either.

Darley is a good course to ride, if you head round to the bit being Esk place there are stair sets and drops that are fun to ride for kids and not particularly gnar. Nothing to damage either so as long as its clear you’re good to go.

I count 5 courses between you and him in Troon alone

Old Prestwick, Royal Troon, Portland, Lochgreen and Fullarton. I think he’s this side of Darley 🙂

Edit – There’s nae path through Western Gailes, only goes so far along the side of the railway line, then it’s a horrible lumpy bit through to Barassie, tried it going home from work one day on my old cx bike, never again!.

Golf courses are great. What would otherwise be farmland with livestock restricting access to some extent or housing is instead prime jogging or dog walking territory. Pre crisis I restricted the dog walking to near dusk when the golfers were finished. Now the courses are empty all day.

My local course makes token efforts to maintain a thick hedge to keep people out. Locals make equal efforts to maintain a few gaps.

To be fair, Even Royal Troon allows access through (as they have to!) but I’m avoiding them at the moment anyway, it’s like a dog version of the somme, folk that have no control over their designer mongrels congregating en masse.

Tried to get through St Nicholas GC on monday evening to get to a wee quiet bit of rocky beach that no one goes to, won’t be doing that again.

My local course put up a sign telling people to keep out so as to protect the green keepers.

We live down in England near an old golf course with footpaths across it. Over the years they’ve tried to force folk around the edge but with no formal realignment so walkers can rightfully go across.

As our only real green space we headed over there on sunday and no play was on, so we played catch an frisbee in the sunshine on the rough of the 9th hole. Splendid isolation.

After an hour a pink trousered old chap and his lemon trousered wife strode straight towards us looking purposeful. Preempting an argument i waited till they were 10 metres away and said hello, followed by a theatrical coughing fit. Me and the wife were in hysterics as they panicked and swung away again. The kids carried on playing.

Over the years they’ve tried to force folk around the edge but with no formal realignment so walkers can rightfully go across.

My local course tried this too, there’s a ROW right across the course to the back of the airport, they gradually over the years let the fairway take over what was once a kitty litter path, then they put up mahoosive metal gates, and locked them.

Within a few days LA made them open the gates up. Idiots.

St Nicks looks like it would be a slog, that whole bit from Newton up is a pain. Never been up Kilmarnock or Western Gailes, that explains why, we always took the beach which is a dawdle if the tide is out.

And definitely the other side of Darley 😉

The Local Authority will have a map of core paths on their website.

For Stirling -> https://www.stirling.gov.uk/planning-building-the-environment/the-environment/core-paths/

Any attempt to block or divert these should be flagged to the Council Local Access Officer.

And particularly now – it’s not up to a golf course to block access, with access by bikes and foot having the same  rights.

Note: The local council fisheries officer is fed up with me reporting him to his own boss for this – and I was in the Daily Record recently when a bridge on a corepath was locked. Local paper even sent a reporter to stake it out! 🙂

For the rest of the golf course, the Scottish Outdoor Access Code states

Responsible behaviour by the public:

You can only exercise access rights to cross over a golf course and in doing so, you must keep off golf greens at all times and not interfere with any golf games or damage the playing surface.  Golf courses are intensively used and managed, and there can be hazards such as where golfers are playing “blind” shots. In exercising access rights:

• allow players to play their shot before crossing a fairway
• be still when close to a player about to play
• follow paths where they exist; and
• keep your dog on a short lead.

To avoid damaging the playing surface, cyclists and horse riders need to keep to paths at all times and not go on to any other part of a golf course. When fertilisers and pesticides have been used, the duration of any hazard depends on the material used but should not normally extend more than a few days. Golf course managers can ask you to avoid using particular routes at these times. Following such advice can greatly help to minimise risks to safety.

Responsible behaviour by land managers:

Wherever possible, provide paths around or across the course and/or advise people on the safest ways through the course. This will help to minimise safety risks. In winter many people enjoy activities like sledging and cross-country skiing on golf courses. This can be important to local communities. These activities rarely cause any problems if done responsibly – by keeping off greens, tees and bunkers – and when there is sufficient snow cover. Golf course managers are encouraged to accept such access when it is carried out responsibly.

So, in short, follow rule 1.

If it is a Trump course, it is your duty to ride across it.

Gates locked on both sides of the right of way this morning: