Machrihanish Golf Club

Playing Machrihanish Golf Club is a journey back to the roots of links golf. This is an Old Tom Morris course, and you can really feel the history and the natural character of the land throughout the round. And then there is the 1st tee. Jack Nicklaus famously called it the “best opening hole in the world” – and standing there, it is easy to understand why. The view from the tee is spectacular, with the beach and Atlantic in front of you, and you have to decide how much of the bay you dare to take on with your opening shot. What a way to start a round of golf! I was lucky enough to play Machrihanish twice under completely different conditions. The first round was in very strong wind, while the second was played in much calmer and better weather. What a difference! It almost felt like playing two different golf courses. Especially in the wind, you quickly learn that traditional links golf requires a completely different approach from the golf we normally play in Germany. You have to forget about always flying the ball high towards the flag and start using the ground, controlling the trajectory and thinking much more creatively. It was therefore a fantastic experience to play with a local, who definitely knows how to play this course. Watching him hit low shots and run the ball onto the greens was a little links-golf lesson in itself. This is exactly the kind of golf that makes playing a historic links course so much fun. The course itself feels wonderfully natural. Knowing that Old Tom Morris redesigned and extended Machrihanish to 18 holes in 1879 makes walking these fairways even more special. There is so much history here, but at the same time it doesn't feel like a museum – it is simply proper links golf that is still meant to be played. Everything around the course adds to the experience. The Pro Shop is right next to the 1st tee, while across the road you find the impressive new clubhouse. The previous clubhouse was completely destroyed by fire in December 2018, with the new clubhouse completed in 2021. After the round, the terrace is the perfect place to sit down with a drink. From here you have a fantastic view across the course, including the 1st and 18th, and can simply watch other golfers start and finish their rounds. Machrihanish is one of those places where I could play golf every day. Historic, natural, unpredictable and completely different depending on the wind and weather. A true links golf experience and an absolute dream. I would play it again tomorrow. Stayed in Ugadale Hotel, which is next to the Clubhouse and Tee 1, perfect!

Jack Nicklaus once described the first hole at Machrihanish as “the best opening hole of golf in the world”. I’m not sure anyone can definitively confirm such a statement, but having now played it twice, I can certainly say it belongs in my personal top three. The opening tee shot is extraordinary. From the back tees you play across the beach, and the challenge is deciding how much of Machrihanish Bay you want to take on. Do you play for 200, 220 or 240 metres? Your decision determines the angle into the hole, and then you have to factor in the wind, which can turn a good decision into a very bad one. The first time I played it, I found the beach, but still managed to make a bogey. The second time, with the wind helping, I managed to find the middle of the fairway and make par. Either way, it is an unforgettable way to start a round. But the reason I love Machrihanish is that the course is so much more than its famous first hole. The Championship Course is an Old Tom Morris links, originally extended to 18 holes by Morris in 1879. The layout makes wonderfully natural use of the existing landscape. There were no bulldozers or modern earth-moving equipment available to Old Tom, so he had to work with the land rather than reshape it. And what a piece of land it is. The natural contours, dunes and topography of this part of Scotland seem almost made for links golf. The greens are not necessarily the most dramatically undulating you will find, but the approaches and the different ways of getting the ball onto the putting surfaces are wonderfully creative. The course constantly asks you to think about angles, wind and how you want to approach each green. It is golf that rewards imagination rather than simply power. We played the course twice in very different conditions. The first day the wind was blowing around 30–40 mph, making the course exceptionally difficult and at times almost brutal. The second round was in sunshine with only a light breeze. It was certainly more agreeable, but Machrihanish still refused to become a pushover. The new clubhouse is another highlight. The previous clubhouse was destroyed by fire in 2018, and the new clubhouse, completed in 2021, has huge glass windows overlooking the course and bay. The views towards the 1st and 18th are particularly impressive. Next to the Championship Course is the nine-hole Pans Course. It is a shorter, more compact layout with small, quirky greens and tight fairways. We didn't have time to play it, but it looked like a very enjoyable additional golfing experience and also provides a natural buffer between the village and the Championship Course. Machrihanish is a course I could play over and over again. It has that rare quality where changing weather and wind completely alter the character of the round, while the natural landscape provides an endlessly interesting canvas. There is no accommodation directly operated by Machrihanish Golf Club, although there are accommodation developments next to the clubhouse. For visitors, the nearby Machrihanish Dunes resort offers several options. The Ugadale Hotel and its cottages are only a short walk from the first tee, and the resort also provides a complimentary shuttle to the courses. For me, Machrihanish is one of those courses where the journey is part of the experience. The first tee shot is spectacular, but it is the combination of natural linksland, strategic golf, weather and atmosphere that makes me want to come back.

L'anno scorso per motivi di budget avevo giocato a Dunes, qui vicino. Quest'anno, essendo ritornato fin qui, ho preso una partenza twilight perché pensavo che non potessi perdermelo.  Il campo merita la fama che ha rispondendo a tutte le caratteristiche dei links di qualità: mai banale, mai in piano, green velocissimi e con pendenze le più varie, colpi ciechi (tanti), roughts ingiocabili, colpi da guidare. Il leggendario tee shot della uno ha fatto un'altra vittima, che bellezza! La scenografia è bellissima e l'organizzazione del gioco è molto professionale. Bella la club house dove il rapporto qualità prezzo del cibo è eccellente ed il personale gentilissimo. Finire le 18 buche alle 20 alla mia età è dura ma la giornata è stata bellissima.

Im Clubhaus steht ein Satz, den eine Golf-Berühmtheit wohl geäußert hat. Der geht sinngemäß so: Wenn man in seinem Leben nur noch einen Platz spielen dürfte, wäre es dieser. Und der Mann hat recht! Was ein Platz!! Was ne Landschaft! Was ein Wind! Was ein Design! Was eine Herausforderung! Was ein Spaß! Wenn dieser Platz nur nicht so verdammt weit weg wäre! Geniesst jeden Schlag auf diesem Course. Egal, wo er auch hingeht ;-)

Machrihanish Championship Course

The original hole is pretty tricky, a long par 4. A lot of golfers end up on the beach that stretches along the fairway. Watch out, there's people walking on it. Just play it safe with a longer iron. Three to #12 perfectly placed holes between the dunes. Blind shots are played quite often, such as on hole 7, the right dogleg. Two par 3's in a row, holes 15 and 16, are interesting. Great links.

Pans 9 Hole Course

Surprisingly great nine in very good condition. Shorter, only about two kilometers. Stretches along the main 18. Five holes one way, four back. Nice hole is #4, par 5. Shorter holes will get your confidence ready for the main course. Very good greens.