Machrihanish Golf Club Fire - 19th December 2018. Click on an image below to view the full size version. Charles Hunter, of Prestwick fame, played a role in expanding the original ten holes to twelve holes and it was Old Tom Morris that first fashioned eighteen holes here. Jimmy was playing with one of Scotland’s finest golfers, Belle Robertson MBE, whom I have mentioned above. ... All of the great features of links golf – sandhills and dunes, pot bunkers that invariably cost you a stroke, undulations, mounds and hollows, along with fast and true greens, are here in abundance. It also means no use of heavy machinery is allowed, no chemical fertiliser, no laying down of cement cart paths, etc. View more.  The weather will always have its part to play here; the course will give you good bounces and bad… but that’s golf! As I was saying my farewell to Peter the starter, I recognised a face from the past, coming off the course. The inebriated crowd would then make their way back to Glasgow on the Steamers – this is how the word ‘Steaming’ (drunk) originated…. Scotland > Argyllshire > Argyll. Rarely do you hear a player enthusiastically discussing what his rounds at Doral have meant to him. Is there any greater compliment to be paid to a course?’ How true and it helps to explain why my brother has been an overseas member there since 1998. THE MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB. In that regard, the course very much harkens back to a time when the sport was a simpler affair. This ‘inclusive’ architecture is of the highest order: the good player can seek a definite advantage while the rest of us still have fun and can even score well if we keep our wits about us. Ladies - Chest, Heart & Stroke 2020 - Played Tue 23rd June 2020 - Re... sult : 1st - Mary Wilson : 34pts 2nd - Katharine Hardman : 33pts 3rd - Linda Arkell : 30pts ( bih ). Gathering greens don’t function well on clay sites but when given sandy soil, it’s wonderful to see the architect take advantage. Watch. His second thought is often times,‘Why not?’ At first there might not appear to be enough hole locations, but the left side is more usable than one might think. You are sure to get a genuine, warm welcome from Peter the starter. It is simply not a shot that many people are accustomed to facing – and that is precisely why the shot possesses great appeal. $9.99. 340 likes. The enduring appeal of Machrihanish is captured in this southwest view from the inward nine across the fifth green to the Irish Sea. Though the green is an extension of the fairway, it is full of character. Throw in the wind and the golfer is guaranteed a rambunctious time. She must be the envy of many pros across the land. The front is the more famous – and dramatic. MOST GOLF CLUBS WERE DOTCOM LATECOMERS. Too many architects and owners remain preoccupied with building a ‘championship course’ with ‘eighteen signature holes.’ Instead, everyone should remember the fundamental principle of golf: enjoyment. With the Irish Sea visible beyond and the wonderfully old-fashioned sunken green set at a slight angle to the fairway with the revetted bunkers dug into the hills near the green, this hole is visually appealing from both the natural perspective and the architectural one – it is a well-designed hole in a beautiful setting. It is an honour and a privilege to be captain of this wonderful club. The World’s Most Natural Course. Dunaverty GC may not get the wider attention that its neighbours at Machrihanish Golf Club and Machrihanish Dunes get but don’t be put off by that. It’s a timeless question that dates back to Old Tom Morris’s work here in 1879. If the shot goes long, the player faces a fifty-yard pitch back up the hill, while an approach that is just short will likely roll back thirty yards toward the player. Fifth hole, 390 yards, Punch Bowl; The authors’ favorite hole.  Take a look at the list below to fill the non-golfing hours. Your tee shot on the first hole is what everyone talks about here. Prior to coming to Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club I was not the biggest fan of inks-style golf courses, but I was impressed by the beauty of the golf course. This is where you’ll find two of the three Par 3s, back to back, at the fifth & sixth holes, right on the Atlantic. Winter Rate 1st November 2019 – 29th February 2020 Ticket Type Ticket Price Per Round £35.00 Shoulder Rate 1st March 2020 – 31st March 2020 Ticket Type Ticket Price Per Round £55.00 Per Twilight Round (Tee Off after 15:00) £35.00 Per Day £90.00 Mid Season Rate 1st April 2020 – 30th September 2020 Ticket Type […] The golf courses are excellent and each present their own challenges. The harbour village of Tarbert is your entry point into Kintyre & is the start of the Kintyre Way.  You can play it from the back tees and grind it out or you can play from the front and have fun. The sixteenth isn’t particularly photogenic but it is good, stout golf. An approach just four feet past today’s hole location catches the funnel and is sweep off the green. It was my first experience on a links course and I really enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. More on our FLYthrus. I am sure you wouldn’t be the first to wave through the group behind, on the 11th tee, so you can stop to admire the surroundings. Some fairways like the first and eighth are set at an angle to the tee, others like the fifth and fourteenth feature humpy-bumpy random undulations. At least that’s what we hope and that is indeed what we find at Machrihanish. Imagine all the possible iterations. The majority of this work was to shape the tees and greens. This was about 20 years ago. Today, only three whisky producers remain in the area and all provide tours & tastings. It was my first experience on a links course and I really enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. As seen from the left, it is anything but! SITUATION GOLF BY … The Dunaverty Massacre of 1647 being the bloodiest. The green is a modified punchbowl with a pronounced valley running through the spine of the green and the player’s first thought is that he has never seen anything like it before. Here’s a 59 second ‘YouTube’ blog summary! While the two holes do indeed play out of the dunes and feature fairways on the one relatively flat portion of the property away from the sea, each hole has merits. Strokesaver – Golf’s No1 Course Guide. As the course is west facing, you may encounter spectacular sunsets, if you’re lucky. The head features a bi-color design with goal-post sight lines for easy shot alignment. or Best Offer. The stretch of holes along the shore line from the third to the eleventh are a delight. Machrihanish Golf Club - Results Sat / Sun 29/30 Aug CORONATION CUP Saturday 29th August saw the Coronation Cup, a competition played against bogey, being held at The Machrihanish Golf Club. The hole becomes harder with time as you witness a variety of debacles befall the golfer.  However, don’t do what I did and try and cram in too much, in too short a time. Campbeltown itself was once a thriving whisky town in the 1800s, with over 30+ distilleries. To conclude, let’s again revisit my brother’s words from twenty years ago: ‘Machrihanish is one of few courses in the world that would have the player, after playing 54 holes in one day, checking his watch against the setting sun to see if there is still time for a few more. This is a great course. The common denominator between all four men is that heavy earth moving equipment has never been allowed to mar the landscape. On the east coast, you’ll find Carradale Bay, Saddell Bay & Torrisdale Bay, all close to each other. The golfer is well and truly into prime linksland by the middle of the outward nine, as captured by this view down the 5th fairway. Prior to coming to Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club I was not the biggest fan of inks-style golf courses, but I was impressed by the beauty of the golf course. I suspect you’ll enjoy this course a lot more second time round – check out the ‘stay and play’ packages at the Ugadale & Royal Hotels – both of which are attached to the golf course (details below). The Scottish PGA Championship is a golf tournament played annually in Scotland since 1907. Like a putter, this chipper features a heel and toe balanced copper insert for excellent weight distribution and clean, low-vibration chip shots. The first few holes head out to the most southerly point on the course. First, out-of-bounds is starkly tight down the left of both holes. Otherwise, the golfer feels he might be able to ‘take’ the course. Further north on the west coast you’ll find Bellochantuy beach. Whatever! Some sniff at the two hole finish, complaining that neither hole fits the rest of the course. The local lad kept his nerve on Saturday 9th June to win the prestigious Club Championship after taking a 7 stroke lead from the previous weekend into the final two rounds.  She has won many international titles in her time but I suspect winning the Curtis Cup for the first time on American soil in 1986, must rank right up there – what a feat! Entering the Kintyre Peninsula, we faced torrential rain and wind speeds of 40-50 mph. You can’t build on it, move or remove anything from it, without the utmost scrutiny and consultation. Everyone will have a view point on what the courses are like; a lot depends on the weather, a lot depends on how you play and adapt. A solo front left bunker provides menace but to go long and have to recover to a green that runs away might prove even more problematic. No golf club is immune to the impact of the rising cost of course maintenance.Clubs are under severe pressure to improve quality whilst cutting overheads. Gary Denham – MD Strokesport. Second hole, 395 yards, Machrihanish; The golfer needs to be cognizant of the Machrihanish Burn that bisects the fairway some 250 yards from the tee. Set hard against the Atlantic Ocean on Scotland’s west coast, the award-winning Machrihanish Dunes shares breathtaking views and a majestic dunescape with the neighboring Machrihanish Golf Club, a world-top-100 course laid out in 1879 by Old Tom Morris himself. The golf tip, coming from a major champion, was just a bonus. This course is in the UK’s top 50 courses for a good reason and I’m sure you’ll agree, if you enjoy true links golf. No, it is courses such as Cypress Point, Jasper Park, Royal West Norfolk, and Cruden Bay that stir such emotions. I didn’t play a lot of links golf as a youngster. The Beinn an Tuirc Distillery is north of Campbeltown on the east coast, just south of Carradale. We tried their Kintyre Gin & Kintyre Pink Gin and both get the thumbs up from us! The modest length 15th appears innocuous from the tee – don’t be fooled! Seventh hole, 430 yards, Bruach More; A course’s routing does much to define its lasting appeal. On a still day, the golfer can fly the ball directly onto the putting surface and save himself a headache. Machrihanish Golf Club. The opening tee shot isn’t the only fine risk/reward tee ball at Machrihanish. Machrihanish Golf Club www.machgolf.com. The ninth hole turns you back and from the tenth you are heading back in the opposite direction to the first eight holes. The Kintyre Way is a 100-mile walking route that weaves its way down the Kintyre Peninsula to Machrihanish – more details below. For nearly three decades, Strokesaver has been the leading player in the world of international golf. In this aspect, Machrihanish positively shines. Here at the seventh, the tallest dune on the hole falls some 300 yards from the tee and obscures the green from the fairway. Telephone: +44 (0)1586 810213 Email: secretary@machgolf.com Tee Time Reservations, Pro Shop, Equipment Hire, Lessons Please contact Jennie at the Machrihanish Golf Club Pro Shop. New Champion Crowned at Machrihanish Golf Club David Graham of Machrihanish was crowned the Club Champion following four consistent rounds of golf over consecutive weekends. 7 March 1744 – The Most Significant Date In Golfing History? From Troon the trip is 32 miles and takes just over an hour! The views from the fifth tee are breath-taking, as the ink-black Conieglen Burn flows into the aqua blue waters, where the Irish Sea meets the Atlantic. Strokesport Limited Abbey Mill Business Centre Paisley PA1 1TJ, Scotland, UK TEL: 0141 848 1199 FAX: 0141 887 1642 EMAIL: info@strokesaver.co.uk. The layout allows you the unique chance to create and craft golf shots just as the golfers of Scotland did centuries ago. Plenty of over-the-top modern designs end up being a ‘one and done’ events whereby the golfer is pleased to tick a famous course off his list but has no real desire to ever return; Machrihanish is altogether on a far higher design plain. Fourteenth hole, 435 yards, Castlehill; Royal Dornoch is cherished in part because its holes that are removed from the sea are among its best. Also, the bunkers and dip in front of the green force the long player either to be sure he can get home in two or to lay up as there is nothing but trouble for being in the no-man’s land short of the green. The 3 day plan looked shaky from the start but this weather wasn’t forecast to last for long. The openness at the rear of the green encourages attacking play (an attribute that Alister MacKenzie fully endorsed) and lets the golfer putt back up the hill. The road, from Tarbert to our base in Campbeltown inspired Paul McCartney to write the song ‘The Long & Winding Road’. It’s broken into 7 stages and there is accommodation at the end of each stage. FLYTHRUS. Aerial Web video is accepted as the preferred choice in the marketing of leading European golf … The Club has produced some fine golfers over the years but none more so than Scottish golfing legend, Belle Robertson MBE. The golf tip, coming from a major champion, was just a bonus. The long, narrow, sloping green is much easier to find with a 9-iron than with a 6-iron. Hebridean Black Sheep ‘employed’ to keep the rough down and the bunkers created from natural scraps and eroded areas. In any kind of wind – against, following or cross – and a slew of other options need to be weighed by the player. Routing also encapsulates how the architect captures natural features within the playing corridors. This course had to be built by hand, the way it used to be. Unlike plenty of links, the greens don’t play second fiddle to the rollicking fairways. Two pits stand guard prior to the 12th green. The seventh takes you back inland again, before you tackle the longest hole on the course at the eighth. Familiarity makes the hole seem harder the more you play it. away from the out of bounds), this right greenside bunker poses a real problem. It is just another obstacle with which the golfer must contend. If Gin is your thing, then a Kintyre Gin Tour might appeal. The route is 100 miles long and weaves its way down the peninsula. Thirteenth hole, 365 yards, Kilkivan; The key is the putting green with its abrupt three foot rise at the front followed by its front to back pitch. Machrihanish Golf Club Juniors, Campbeltown. Fourth hole, 130 yards, Jura; The better the landscape, the less the architect needs to muddle with things. Machrihanish Campbeltown Argyll, PA28 6PT. Many Glaswegians would board these boats and sample large quantities of the Campbeltown whisky after disembarking. I am sure that you will want to play it again and wreak revenge. Argyll Arms Hotel, Campbeltown – argyll-arms-gb. Absent a brisk breeze, Machrihanish is not too difficult a course, given it measures 6,226 yards from the back markers. That has certainly changed and GolfClubAtlas played a role in identifying design factors that truly matter. The golfer’s connection with nature feels both strong and genuine thanks to the no muss, no fuss architecture. Kintyre Way is a fully waymarked footpath through Kintyre, from Tarbert to Machrihanish. This year Machrihanish Bay, on the west coast of Kintyre, came runner up in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2019 for best beach in UK. I used to work in the golf office, next to Jimmy at Gleneagles Hotel when he was the Estates & Golf Courses manager there. Heads up – look out for the unlimited golf deal! I travelled to the course with my good friend and golfing partner, Matt Birchall. CONTACT. There are views out to Sanda Island, Northern Ireland, Ailsa Craig, the Ayrshire coast and the cliffs overlooking the Mull of Kintyre on a clear day. Taylor and then Sir Guy Campbell after World War II. The rock, and the castle that once stood here, have seen their fair share of Scottish history. Eighth hole, 340 yards, Gigha; A wonderfully natural hole where all that was needed was to have a tee flattened, a fairway mown and a hill leveled for a green. $17.00. The final stretch along the stunning coastline is at 15 and 16. As seen from behind, the 5th green is one of five greens at Machrihanish to feature a severe slope in the front before falling away toward the rear. While the daunting prospect from the tee would seem to make the decision an easy one, the knowledge of the approach shot’s difficulty nevertheless tempts the player to seek that distant twenty-yard stretch of fairway with the driver. (iv) Restricted use of golf buggies to trained course guides to limit wear. Habitat protection. Stay Golf Activities Own Dine Join Events The Village At Machrihanish Dunes. Machrihanish Golf Club - Results Sat / Sun 29/30 Aug CORONATION CUP Saturday 29th August saw the Coronation Cup, a competition played against bogey, being held at The Machrihanish Golf Club. I didn’t play a lot of links golf as a youngster. I remember walking off the 18th, thinking ‘this is the best course I’ve ever played’. Over the first three holes, Machrihanish Dunes more than lived up to its billing as “the world’s most natural golf … Professional (Bookings) Tel: +44 (0) 1241 852460 (or 855120) Email: professional@panmuregolfclub.co.uk Catering Tel: +44 (0) 1241 853120 . The first thing you want to do in stepping onto the first tee at Machrihanish Golf Club on the Scottish south-west coast is not reach for the driver but grab your camera.  It was the same situation at Tarbert GC (www.tarbertgolfclub.com) on the same day – apologies to both but I’ll get there next time for sure. Put it on your list and bring your camera. The key feature that you cannot miss on the course is Dunaverty Rock. Instead, the landforms and the imaginative and varied ways in which the holes hit them are what make the course special. or so the story goes! Some may consider this too short and pass it by, but I would recommend stopping here. The Machrihanish Golf Club Scotland Stroke Saver Booklet in Plastic Sleeve. The testiest shots are spread throughout the round and the golfer must properly execute a handful of key shots to score to his handicap.  Do something you haven’t done for a while or try something new. This hole can wreck a card in stroke play and is a terrific match play hole. So, when I played Machrihanish golf course, in my twenties, for the first time, it was a real treat. Add the raw beauty of the front with the excellent golf qualities found on the back and Machrihanish ticks all the boxes for what turns a course into a siren, wooing golfers from points afar. 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