A mission to Machrihanish

IT was, all things considered, perhaps the best day’s golf I’ve ever enjoyed. It is certainly my most fondly remembered. It had excitement, anticipation (which it more than lived up to), a golf course of the highest quality, decent weather and good company. There were even a couple of cold beers at the end of it.
But most of all, and what sets it apart in my eyes, this was a day quite unlike any other. Because never before or since have I arrived at a course by speedboat, and never before or since has a golfing day ended with a sunset cruise between the island of Arran and Ailsa Craig.
Allow me to explain. Our destination was the ancient links of Machrihanish on Scotland’s west coast, laid out by none other than Old Tom Morris, the original architect. It is the most natural and wonderful of courses, and one which every lover of the game should visit at least once.
The only problem is that Machrihanish is located just outside Campbeltown on the Kintyre Peninsula. Part of the Scottish mainland, getting there by car from the Ayrshire coast involves a 300-mile round trip. You have to go north beyond Glasgow, then past Loch Lomond before finally bearing west past Inverary and south down the peninsula.
It is a beautiful journey, but not one that fits easily into a packed golfing itinerary. You can safely assume it will take the best part of four hours each way. And the most frustrating aspect of it is that, as the crow flies, Machrihanish is only 35 miles or so from Troon.
Which is where the Kintyre Express comes in. Skippered by Wilson Smith, this modern and comfortable speedboat specialises in golfing excursions and can be be chartered for the day by your party. It sails out of Troon Harbour and arrives in Campbeltown little more than an hour later. The journey is smooth, there is a separate hold for clubs, shoes and luggage and up to 12 golfers can be accommodated. Unload at the other end and a five-minute taxi ride completes the journey.
Machrihanish is famed for the quality of its opening hole, rated by many as the finest in golf. It involves the most dramatic of tee shots over the beach and sea. The further left you go, the longer the carry to reach the fairway but the shorter the second shot. More timid souls may play safely to the right and treat the hole as a par five.
Blind shots are a repeated feature here and the first of them comes at the 2nd, where the approach is played over the crest of a large hill to the most uneven of greens. The drive at the 3rd must similarly be down to trust and eventually a wide, tumbling fairway is revealed culminating in a green that is the best part of 50 yards deep.
Following a short hole that should only require a wedge, but can call for a wood, come a couple of par fours that may only be modest in length but require precision planning and the occasional walk ahead to see exactly where the target is situated.
Then comes an outrageously difficult two-shotter in name (it is more realistically to be considered as a par five). An elevated tee for once gives a clear view of the fairway but certainly not the green, which is on the far side of a huge hill. Trust the marker post and send a fairway wood in a direction way to the right of where you sense the green should be, and when you have scaled the hill you might just see your ball settled at the front of the green.
The back nine features a couple of the most entertaining par fives you are ever likely to encounter. To describe them as blind barely does either justice. They rise and fall, snake one way then the other and only at the last moment does either green become visible. There are those who will complain about so much being hidden from sight. I say anyone who does not relish the challenge has failed to grasp what the game of golf is all about in its original form.
Frankly, such heathens should leave Machrihanish well alone and stick to their one-dimensional target golf. Moreover, the real pleasure comes when playing such holes for a second and third time when you can bring your previous experiences to bear.
By its own incredibly high standards, Machrihanish’s closing stretch slightly disappoints. Not that any hole in isolation is particularly weak, just that they are not nearly as thrilling as those that go before. At 6,200 yards and with a par of 70, the course is by no means long but it must be borne in mind that the way the holes are shaped frequently calls for conservative play from the tee. Not one of the par fours is drivable – though most involve a second shot with a short iron, and they generally demand accuracy off the tee.
Because of its location, Machrihanish as a club is blissfully free from the excessive commercialisation that has crept into many of our top courses. The clubhouse and pro shop are homely, friendly and offer excellent value. Likewise, the green fees are as reasonable as you are likely to come across. A quick post-round pint later and it’s time to return to the harbour for the return journey. Soon we are accelerating away from the peninsula in style.
With the evening sun painting Arran in an ever-changing golden light, Wilson puts some traditional Scottish music on the stereo and cans of chilled lager miraculously appear from the hold, as if by magic. Within an hour that frankly disappears far too quickly, we are back in the centre of Troon in plenty of time for a quick change and out for dinner.
What could be better? And best of all, the day is not even prohibitively expensive. Individual quotations are readily available by contacting Wilson, but it is likely to be around £100 a man – including green fees. I’m not saying for a minute that is an inconsiderable amount, but when you consider you get your own private speedboat for the day, and get to play a sensational golf course, it must be worth every last penny for the bragging rights alone.
THE Kintyre Express is available for charter and transports up to 12 passengers. For more information, or to obtain a quote, visit www.kintyreexpress.com, email info@kintyreexpress.com or call 01294 270 160. For more information on Machrihanish, visit www.machgolf.com, email secretary@machgolf.com or call 01586 810 213
Chartering the boat costs around £600 for the day while a round at Machrihanish last summer was £40