Loch Lomond

"Tom Weiskopf was so hands-on when designing the course that he and his wife lived in a caravan on site. 

"One day, he left at 7 a.m., and by noon, his wife grew worried. 

"It turned out he had wandered into a peat bog on the 13th hole, which had sucked him down to his waist. Fearing for his life, he finally managed to grab hold of something and pull himself to safety, but he lost his trousers and underwear in the process! 

"Can you imagine him turning up at the caravan like that?"

Our host at Loch Lomond, a member since the early 1990s, told this story and many others.

He also paid great tribute to the care and detail Weiskopf gave to one of his finest creations, returning for nearly three decades before his passing in 2022.

For centuries, the land was the ancestral home of the Clan Colquhoun.

Its ancient seat, Rossdhu Castle, dates back to the 15th century, with its ruined remains still visible behind the 18th green. 

The magnificent Georgian mansion Rossdhu House, built in 1773 to replace the old castle, now serves as the clubhouse. The service was high-quality, as expected, and it remained so throughout our experience.

A game at Loch Lomond isn't easy to get; it's an exclusive, members-only environment. 

I was fortunate to play thanks to the generosity of three people who made it happen.

We formed a genial four-ball for a match that started friendly but grew increasingly competitive.

I had heard impressions that the course was inferior to other high-echelon venues, but I must disagree. 

This parkland course has a gorgeous lake and mountains as its backdrop. Every hole is an imaginative challenge, especially at the water's edge.

Our round began with a jovial starter sending us on our way near the impressive driving range. 

Our opening drives on the par-four had to avoid bunkers and two trees on the right. 

The early holes introduced the course's key elements: testing fall-offs and undulations around the greens, large bunkers with white sand, and complex putting surfaces. 

The fairways were lush, the greens wonderfully consistent, and the sand was fluffy until a downpour flattened it.

The course's first wow-factor moment is on the fifth hole, a beguiling par-three with the loch behind.

It demands enough club to fly over thick rough and land on a target surrounded by sand traps. 

The daunting par-five sixth runs alongside the water's edge, with trees on the left and a substantial fairway bunker threatening to complicate a play for par. 

The following par-four yielded the first birdie of our match. Inspired by the magnificent clubhouse, my friend arrowed a long iron over a massive bunker to about eight feet and sank the putt.

As rain dampened our spirits, a swan glided serenely on the stream beside the 10th green.

This super downhill par-four requires a precise tee shot to enable an attack on the flag, which is guarded by bunkers to the right and water to the left. 

I was desperate for a champagne moment, and it came on the par-five 13th via a slice of good fortune.

My second shot gained extra yardage after bouncing on a bridge over the stream that snakes across the fairway.

 Although my approach slid down the false front into a "valley of sin," I decided to putt, and the ball slipped up and down the bank before dropping in!

The 14th is the quirkiest hole, a 90-degree dogleg par-four that tempts stronger hitters to go directly for the green, though thick ferns await anyone who comes up short.

The safest play is a straight shot to the corner, followed by a pitch to the green.

Loch Lomond's final three holes create a stunning run-in.

On the par-five 16th, trees down the right can be intimidating from the tee.

Those who find the fairway must decide whether to take on the stream before a perched green. I reached the upper tier of the green in three and had to sink an eight-footer to draw the hole. Fortunately, I held my nerve.

I thought I was on to a winner on the 17th, a terrific par-three over heavy rough into a green guarded by bunkers with water on the left. 

I found the edge of the green from the tee, but the putting surface is vast, and I left my putt too short to complete par. 

Our host completed an admirable three, bringing our game all square for the 18th—a sublime par-four so attractive that a sign asks players to submit photos to the club.

A boat was moored on the lake, which runs the length of a fairway that bends around a sloping green in front of the ruined remains of Rossdhu Castle. I nudged in a five-foot putt to draw the match.

Since beginning my quest to play the top 100 courses, I'd dreamed about playing at Loch Lomond because of its exclusivity and challenging access. 

I was delighted that the course and the company made the day even better than I imagined.