West Lothian Golf: Underrated Courses Between Edinburgh and Glasgow

West Lothian is the kind of region that appears on no golf pilgrimages. It's not links. It's not Highland. It doesn't have an Open Championship course or a famous postcode. What it has is accessible, affordable, well-maintained golf in pleasant countryside, with courses that are empty compared to anything closer to Edinburgh's centre.

For Edinburgh residents, West Lothian is the direction you go when every course in the Lothians is booked — though the city's own courses, covered in our Edinburgh golf hub, are usually the first call. For visitors staying in Edinburgh and looking for a last-minute round without the fuss of the coast, it's a practical solution. For anyone combining a golf trip with time in Glasgow, several of these courses are directly on the M8 corridor.

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Bathgate Golf Club

Green fee: ~£35–40
Distance from Edinburgh: 22 miles / 30 minutes
Type: Parkland / heathland

Bathgate is the most widely known of the West Lothian courses, with a layout that mixes parkland and moorland sections in a way that provides more variety than most courses in the area. The course is undulating, demands accurate iron play on the approach shots, and the back nine has some engaging holes across higher ground.

Visitor-friendly with advance booking available online. The clubhouse is well-maintained and the welcome is decent for a busy members' club.

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Linlithgow Golf Club

Green fee: ~£20–35
Distance from Edinburgh: 18 miles / 25 minutes
Type: Parkland

Linlithgow is the course with the best setting in West Lothian — the town itself is attractive, with Linlithgow Palace (where Mary Queen of Scots was born) directly adjacent, and the loch visible from several holes. The course is parkland, medium length, and on good condition most of the year.

Linlithgow is often overlooked in favour of the East Lothian courses, which is exactly why it's worth playing: advance booking isn't usually needed, the pace of play is fine, and the post-round option of a walk around Linlithgow Loch is genuinely pleasant.

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Uphall Golf Club

Green fee: ~£25–35
Distance from Edinburgh: 14 miles / 20 minutes
Type: Parkland

One of the closer West Lothian courses to Edinburgh. Uphall is a 5,568-yard, par-69 parkland course — on the shorter side, but a good option for a quick round or a course where high-handicappers can enjoy themselves without the anxiety of a 7,000-yard championship layout.

The course is family-friendly, well-maintained, and accessible by public transport from Edinburgh (regular bus service to Uphall via the A89).

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West Calder Golf Club

Green fee: ~£25–30
Distance from Edinburgh: 23 miles / 30 minutes
Type: Parkland / moorland

West Calder sits at the southern edge of West Lothian, toward the Pentland Hills. The course has more of a moorland feel than the parkland courses further north, with open rough sections and views toward the hills. Less manicured than Bathgate but with a more traditional feel.

Good value, quiet, and rarely mentioned in any Edinburgh golf guide — which is its main selling point.

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Polkemmet Country Park Golf Course

Green fee: ~£18–22
Distance from Edinburgh: 25 miles / 35 minutes
Type: Parkland (pay and play)

Polkemmet is the budget option in West Lothian — a pay and play course set in a country park, with no booking required and green fees at the bottom end of what you'd pay anywhere in central Scotland. The course is shorter and less challenging than the private clubs, but the setting (a large wooded park with a pleasant surrounding landscape) is better than you'd expect for the price.

Good option for beginners, junior golfers, or anyone who wants a round without planning.

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Deer Park Golf and Country Club, Livingston

Green fee: ~£30–45
Distance from Edinburgh: 16 miles / 20 minutes
Type: Parkland

Deer Park sits just outside Livingston, the largest town in West Lothian. The course is full 18 holes, parkland, and reasonably challenging. It functions as a hotel golf course (the Deer Park Hotel is on site) which means visitor access is generally straightforward.

Useful if you're combining golf with a stay and want something easy to access from the M8.

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Practical notes

Car: Necessary for most of these courses. West Lothian is connected by road but the courses themselves aren't on main bus routes, with the exception of Uphall.

Timing: Most West Lothian courses are quietest midweek mornings. Weekends at Bathgate can book up; others are usually available with same-day or next-day booking.

Combining courses: The courses are close enough that playing 36 holes in a day — Uphall in the morning, Linlithgow in the afternoon — is practical if you want a full golf day without the cost of East Lothian.

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For golf on the East Lothian coast: East Lothian Golf Crawl. For cheap Edinburgh golf: Cheap Golf Edinburgh.