XXXX Dundonald Links
Dundonald Links
Sitting right alongside Western Gailes, Dundonald Links is a much younger creation. Kyle Phillips designed this low, weaving links in 2005, using the gentle and exposed dune land to establish( and embellish) the flow of holes. The routing moves in every direction so you can be sure wind will be a factor but you will have generous fairways to aim for … although strategic bunkering will put manners on you. The key to playing well here is to have a razor sharp short game and to find the right part of the magnificent, swaying greens. Slide off them and you will have some interesting challenges … although your putter may be the wise option. Home to the 2017 Scottish Open.
Machrie
There’ s no doubt that part of the remarkable Machrie experience begins long before you reach the course itself. A ferry brings you to the remote island of Islay, and such remoteness has its own rewards. This is a breathtaking location that now boasts a revitalised classic links( designed by Willie Campbell in 1895). The original links was renowned for its many blind shots over cavorting dunes of all shapes and sizes beside the Bay of Laggan … but the new design has rerouted holes so that most of these blind shots have been removed. Greens are being changed too, although some old green sites are being reused. Golf course designer DJ Russell has exploited the potential of this revered old site to give an old classic a modern twist … and one that contains not a single bunker. And remember, the island of Islay promises some of the best whiskey in the world.
Machrihanish Championship
The name alone summons up an air of mystery and romanticism … and the golf course promises that same spirit and beauty. It is as natural as you could hope for, holes rising and falling as if in the swells of an ocean. And the ocean only adds to the drama on this remote spot on the Kintyre Peninsula. Nowhere is this more evident than on the famous 1st hole where the tee sits above the shore and you must drive diagonally across the beach to find the fairway. It’ s the sort of thrilling start that marks a course for greatness … but Machrihanish never falters and the variety of hole shapes and beautiful green settings will prove utterly endearing.
Machrihanish Dunes
If there was a classification for‘ wild golf’ then Machirihanish Dunes would hold the title. This is a young course, designed by David McLay Kidd in the 2000s, yet the land and nature have dictated the terms of the course’ s development and layout, right down to the bunkering. Set on a Site of Special Scientific Interest the terrain buckles sharply and constantly … including on the greens. There’ s no doubt that the wildness and the sheer scale of the dunes make this a muscular adventure( there are some long green-to-tee walks) but the location and that natural rhythm make the two Machrihanish courses irresistible.
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