Despite plans from West Dunbartonshire Council to close Dalmuir Municipal Golf Course, local members have come together to ensure the future of the course.

Dalmuir Municipal Golf Course, a much-loved public parkland course in Clydebank, Glasgow, has been part of the West Dunbartonshire landscape since the late 1920s. Spanning 18 hilly but scenic holes, the course has introduced generations to the game with its affordable green fees, welcoming atmosphere, and views stretching across the Clyde.

Earlier this year, West Dunbartonshire Council announced plans to close Dalmuir. This was following budget constraints and declining membership, with the council having subsidised the course by about £145,000 in the last year (~£800 per member).

The move sparked an outpour of support, with locals rallying alongside golf stars such as Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, and Luke Donald. A petition quickly gathered thousands of signatures, highlighting the course’s importance to the local community.

Fast forward to July 2025 and Dalmuir Golf Course Charitable Trust have just taken over operations, leasing the site from the council for a nominal fee of £1 per year. This has safeguarded Dalmuir’s future and will keep this historic hidden gem open for the next generation of golfers.

We recently had the chance to play Dalmuir following the take over and came away thoroughly impressed. The course offers a unique mix of holes, with dramatic elevation changes, blind shots and panoramic views. 

A huge feature of Dalmuir comes from its community spirit. As you turn into the car park, you’re not met with the most high-end professional shop or million-pound clubhouse, but the warm welcome from staff and locals more than makes up for this.

As we checked in for our round, we mentioned we’d come to play after hearing the story in the news. Without hesitation, the volunteer in the shop kindly took the time to talk us through both the history of Dalmuir and plans for the future under the new Charitable Trust. It was immediately clear that the locals cared immensely about the course.

I think we can all be guilty of unfairly dismissing a course before we’ve even tried it at times. It’s easy to see the term ‘council course’, and assume you’ll be turning up to a 9-hole pitch and putt that’s in heavy need of maintenance.

Dalmuir had just reopened when we went to play. Club volunteers were in charge of maintaining the grounds, and yet, the condition was still marks above what we were expecting.

A few weeks on from our visit, the club announced they were hiring for both a full-time greenkeeper and shop assistant. Given that the new Charitable Trust started with zero in their bank account, getting to this stage so quickly is impressive and very exciting for the future of Dalmuir.

Despite turning up to play Dalmuir only a few days into its reopening, we were genuinely impressed with the course that faced us. A particular highlight was the challenge of the 14th hole, a long par 3 that would be daunting for any golfer!

From the tee, very little is visible with trees enclosing the hole from every angle. Once you head down the valley you see there is slightly more space than it seemed from above, but only just..

The next hole takes you back up the valley to an elevated green, a slightly easier feat than the hole prior. At this point in the round we both turned to each other and agreed; this section of the course is worth a visit to Dalmuir alone.

Overall, the course shows a lot of variety. There’s certainly some quirky holes that will challenge the scorecard, but these are mixed in with some more simple, scoreable holes, especially on the front 9.

As with any course at such a low price point, you’re not expecting the world. But we felt a large portion of the course more than justified the trip over to Dalmuir – especially the opening holes and mid-section of the back 9.

Adding to Dalmuir’s appeal is the outstanding value for money. Current green fees are around £12 midweek and £15 at weekends, making it one of the most affordable full-length golf courses in the region. For the quality and scenery on offer, it is certainly worth a visit.

Video coming soon from Dalmuir, be sure to subscribe to the CGgolfs YouTube channel!