Elderslie was constructed in 1909 on land owned by Elderslie Estates, who permitted various golf courses to be built on their extensive lands. Elderslie, the birthplace of William Wallace in 1270, encompasses the Newton Woods, with all its Wallace connections.

The course is set in lush parkland with a large variety of trees and follows a route from the third tee to the 13th green round the woods, with ever changing views. At the ninth green a magnificent outlook over the Clyde valley to Ben Lomond can be enjoyed. In 1924 James Braid was asked to report on the course, but he made no major recommendations and the layout today is largely unaltered from its original design in 1909.