Source: Scottish Golf
Kings Golf Club in Inverness has earned the prestigious Club of the Year title at the 2026 Scottish Golf Awards.
The award, proudly sponsored by Marsh, was keenly contested with Kings pipping Harburn and Peebles to the crown.
Harburn, in West Lothian, were fully deserving of their nomination for the way the club has increased membership for six successive seasons while developing junior programmes, introductory sessions for women and focusing on sustainable practices.
Peebles were also worthy contenders after expertly staging the 2025 Scottish Under 16 Boys’ Open Championship, increasing membership and displaying a modern and family-friendly approach to running a vibrant club at the heart of the local community.
Kings’ win was richly deserved and is even more remarkable given that the club was only constituted in 2019.
Club captain Andrew Stokes said:
“It’s great to get the recognition for the hard work from everybody, staff to committee to volunteers.
“The golf course is a great test of golf but if you have a rubbish day it’s a phenomenal place to come back to and lick your wounds with your pals.”
Kings was founded following the closure of Torvean Golf Club when land was needed to accommodate the construction of new roads and bridges over the Caledonian Canal.
A new 18-hole track, using some of the land from the old Torvean site, was created and Kings soon flourished.
Graham Ramsay, club secretary, added:
“Over the last six years, we’ve managed to excel in every department from membership to community. Our membership increased from 400 and we’re now over 1000.
“When we moved here we started with 14 juniors and we now are up to 175.
“Everything is going from strength to strength.”
The club now boasts a waiting list, has a thriving junior section, and has displayed a growing commitment to female players.
Kings is also a host venue for disability golf coaching sessions and has become established as a championship venue of renown.
In 2025, the club hosted the Scottish Girls’ Amateur Championship and drew widespread praise from visitors for the welcome in the clubhouse as well as the condition of the course.
The chance to watch the nation’s leading junior girls proved to be a huge inspiration for local youngsters with 61 new players joining free coaching sessions during 2025.
Club president Kevin Barnett added:
“The championship was a great boon for the club.
“It opened up the market for people around the country to appreciate what we have here.
“The members enjoyed it, we had members out watching and volunteering and they saw a great standard of golf from the girls.”
On the commercial side, visitor revenue, supported by a new marketing strategy, grew by £30,000 and plans are in place to build on this for 2026.
Kings’ commitment to boosting the numbers of females playing the game has also taken a huge step forward with the appointment this month of a Women and Girls Coordinator.
The club was one of 11 clubs in Scotland to benefit from a partnership with Scottish Golf which sees phased investment over three years from both parties.
Judges agreed that the club’s growth and its place in Inverness society as a community hub with an open to all ethos made it a deserving winner in a tough category.
