Powfoot Golf Club

Powfoot is a James Braid links on the north shore of the Solway Firth, with views across the water to the Cumbrian fells of England. Founded 1903, redesigned by Braid in 1923, the course remains substantially as he laid it out — gorse, heather, dunes, and a routing that uses every part of the natural land.

The wind here is often the variable. The first 9 plays north-west, the second back towards the clubhouse, so the wind direction effectively reverses on every round. The 9th, a par 3 played from the most exposed point of the course towards a green tucked into the dunes, is the photographed hole. The 13th and 16th are the holes regulars cite as the heart of the round.

Visitor fees of £55–£75 make Powfoot one of the most underrated genuine links rounds in Scotland — comparable in quality to Southerness 30 minutes west, at lower cost and with quieter tee sheets. Pair them as a Solway weekend; both clubs welcome visitor combination tickets. For visitors driving the M74 between England and Glasgow, Powfoot is the only proper links worth the detour.