Machrihanish Dunes Architect : David McLay Kidd - Distance : 7847 yds
Number of holes : 18 - Par : 72
United Kingdom - Scotland

In Scotland, true links golf courses are not created, they are born of the land. More than 130 years ago, “Old” Tom Morris recognized the potential for great golf here in this rugged, romantic corner of Scotland, saying: “The Almichty Maun hae had gowf in his e’e when he made this place.”

Set hard against the Atlantic Ocean on Scotland’s west coast, Machrihanish Dunes shares breathtaking views and a majestic dunescape with the neighboring Machrihanish Golf Club, a Top-100 in the world course laid out in 1879 by Old Tom himself. More than 100 years later, renowned present-day golf course architect David McLay Kidd realized a longstanding dream to build a second course at Machrihanish. Like Morris, Kidd saw great potential in those neighboring dunes, where he often went fishing as a youth. He identified 23 “natural holes” - holes that fit so well into the landscape that only minimal effort would be required to ready them for play. The best 18 of those natural holes now constitute the Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club.

And now, with the mighty Atlantic providing a dramatic backdrop, today’s golfers can enjoy the game as it was meant to be played. Here you will experience, possibly for the first time, golf the way it began. This is the true essence of the game at its most basic: golfer against the elements, golfer against himself and golfer against a wholly natural course that is never stagnant. The joy of the game in its oldest and purest form - links golf - lies in adapting to the precise conditions of time and place. The ever-changing linksland at Machrihanish Dunes gives you a rare opportunity to create and craft golf shots you might never have imagined playing before. Machrihanish Dunes encourages thought, creativity and imagination. For the golfer who accepts the invitation, the reward is a truly unforgettable experience.

The course flows effortlessly to, from and along the sea, inviting you to step back in time to the days when Old Tom Morris laid out the neighboring links and Willie Campbell plotted the Machrie Golf Links on the nearby island of Islay - visible from Machrihanish Dunes. The routing, as well as the positioning of its tees and greens, was dictated by the lay of the land - and the presence of several endangered species of flora and fauna. Machrihanish Dunes is the only course ever created on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Because of the fragility of this pristine coastal environment and in order to preserve for all time the unmatched natural beauty of the site, the course was built and will be maintained with the lightest touch possible. Of the 259 acres on which the course sits, only seven - yes, seven - were disturbed during the construction of the course. Only the tees and greens were shaped. The fairways upon which golfers tread are just as they were found, only mown shorter. And if you see any Hebridean black sheep wandering about, just know that they are there to help us keep the rough in check.

As a result of these efforts, Machrihanish Dunes has received Golf Environmental Organization (GEO) Certification for creating and maintaining a sustainable golf agenda, while fulfilling GEO's required assessments for maintenance and management practices at the most comprehensive eco-levels. Machrihanish Dunes is the first ever 18-hole golf course in the U.K. to achieve this prestigious certification.

The 18-hole journey features no less than six greens and five tees at the ocean’s edge. Highly trained course guides and caddies will be your accomplices as you make your way through your round. You would do well to heed the advice they offer!

There are more than 32,000 golf courses in the world. Only 270 of them are authentic links courses like the one here at Machrihanish Dunes. But the term “golf course” is perhaps not even the right label for these magical golfing grounds. In truth, it might be best to think of the 7,175-yard Machrihanish Dunes course as a beautiful, natural place where, thanks to good fortune, we are being allowed to play golf.