fbpx
West Scotland

This club is famous for… being the world’s greenest course?

You would have to go back to when the first shots were played to find a course quite as natural as Scotland's Machrihanish Dunes...
 

Machrihanish Dunes. Gorgeous, isn’t it? A course that makes you swoon at the very sight of it.

Flowing from and along the sea, with the Isle of Islay in full view, there are few spots more breathtaking to take in a round than at this Argyll haven.

Harking back to the days of Old Tom Morris, this is golf as it was intended – natural and against the elements.

That was deliberate. Architect David McLay Kidd used the lie of the land to design the course, rather than changing it to suit his plans.

Machrihanish Dunes

The only course ever created on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, of the 259 acres on which it sits just seven were moved when it was constructed.

The tees and greens were shaped. Everything else was left as it was first found.

Even the mowers are used sparingly at Machrihanish Dunes.

As the architect says on the club’s website: “For maintenance we will do a little mowing, but will mostly rely on the wandering sheep to keep the fescue in check – just like the old courses used to do.”

With the links land protected by the Scottish Government and the dunes ever changing, you’ll play shots here you would never usually countenance.

It’s an approach that has seen the layout, which opened in 2009, showered with awards.

From lofty positions in rankings lists, the chiefs who run it have also been recognised for their determination to protect the environment.

Only last year, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators hailed Machrihanish Dunes for “outstanding commitment to sustainable golf”.

With several protected species of flora and fauna found on the course, can there be another in the world that is quite as natural, or as green, in its outlook?

 

Latest Posts

st andrews tee times

Courses and Travel

The days (or nights) of queuing up for a tee time at the Old Course are over

Read full article - The days (or nights) of queuing up for a tee time at the Old Course are over
st patricks links

Courses and Travel

Classic course: St Patrick’s Links, Rosapenna

Read full article - Classic course: St Patrick’s Links, Rosapenna
Muirfield

Courses and Travel

How much is too much to pay for a round of golf?

Read full article - How much is too much to pay for a round of golf?
St Andrews

Courses and Travel

I shudder to think it – but I might never play the Old Course again

Read full article - I shudder to think it – but I might never play the Old Course again
Goswick Golf Club

Courses and Travel

The perfect golf trip on a budget? Here’s where our experts say you should go in 2024

Read full article - The perfect golf trip on a budget? Here’s where our experts say you should go in 2024
You can retrace this Open champion's famous steps

Courses and Travel

You can retrace this Open champion’s famous steps

Read full article - You can retrace this Open champion’s famous steps
Royal County Down

Courses and Travel

‘It’s not going to stop’: Expect to pay even more to play GB&I’s top 100 courses

Read full article - ‘It’s not going to stop’: Expect to pay even more to play GB&I’s top 100 courses
Turnberry

Courses and Travel

Could new changes to Turnberry get it back on The Open rota?

Read full article - Could new changes to Turnberry get it back on The Open rota?
Amendoeira Golf Resort

Courses and Travel

Amendoeira Golf Resort: Tour-Level Golf and Stunning Architecture

Read full article - Amendoeira Golf Resort: Tour-Level Golf and Stunning Architecture