Habbies Spring Outing 2026 – Hamilton Golf Club

Our first outing of the year takes us to Hamilton Golf Club in April, a proper old‑school parkland track in Lanarkshire that should be a brilliant start to the season. 

It’s an 18‑hole James Braid design from the 1920s, around 6,200–6,450 yards from the back tees. 

Hamilton has that traditional look we all like: tree‑lined fairways, plenty of bunkers in the right places, and greens where you’ll want to be putting from below the hole rather than chipping from the rough. Reviews regularly mention how good the course condition is, with fast, true greens and tidy fairways, so there will be nowhere to hide if the swing is still in winter mode (if that's the case, why not pay Ethan a visit for a quick tune-up before season kicks-off).

On paper the fairways are “reasonably generous”, but the strategic bunkering means you’ll need to think your way round and pick your moments with the driver. The back nine is known for tightening up and asking a few more questions, so hanging onto a decent front‑nine score could be the challenge for most of us.

The club has a decent practice set‑up, including an academy area with driving bays and a short‑game section, so there’s no excuse not to hit a few balls and putts before your tee time. Inside, the clubhouse has everything we need for the usual Habbies post‑round routine - a drink, a bite to eat and the presentation (plus the odd hard‑luck story from those who “could have been three shots better”).

For a society day it ticks all the boxes: welcoming to visitors, a fair but honest layout, and the sort of course where good course management will beat brute force. If you like traditional Scottish parkland golf with a bit of history behind it, Hamilton should be right up your street and a cracking way to kick off our golfing year.