I tell people in Middleburg that you can always rebuild our town , but you can ’ t replace the people here . Iona is the same . They are a wonderful , thoughtful , caring and generous people , and they welcome you with their hearts and into their homes . It ’ s just amazing . It ’ s my second family .”
I tell people in Middleburg that you can always rebuild our town , but you can ’ t replace the people here . Iona is the same . They are a wonderful , thoughtful , caring and generous people , and they welcome you with their hearts and into their homes . It ’ s just amazing . It ’ s my second family .”
the late 12th century . Around 1200 , the sons of Somerled , known as the “ King of the Isles ,” founded a Benedictine abbey on the island . Pilgrimages to St . Columba ’ s Shrine continued to flourish even after monastic life on Iona ceased with the Protestant Reformation of 1560 . The world-famous Book of Kells is believed to have been created here , alongside other remarkable works of art . Today , the Iona Abbey Museum houses Scotland ’ s finest collection of early medieval carved stones and crosses .
Now , back to the golf course , which boasts its own fascinating history . The original nine holes on the island ’ s west side were laid out in 1886 by Allan Mac- Beth of Glasgow . Some 20 years later , the course was expanded to 18 holes , incorporating property from the adjoining Culbhuirg Farm , owned by a professor at Glasgow University .
The course was laid out on a type of land known as machair — a sandy , low-lying grassy plain by the sea , unique to the exposed west coasts of Scotland and Ireland . In 1934 , The Scotsman newspaper praised the course , noting that it had “ turf second to none .”
They call it the Iona Golf Club , though there is no clubhouse on the property , no pro shop , no motorized golf carts or any other amenities . On the other hand , there are no green fees . Everyone walks the course , with pull carts available free of charge . The tournament itself has no entry fee , but participants are encouraged to make a donation of 10 to 20 pounds to support the upkeep of the nearby abbey .
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
On the second Friday of every August , they play the Iona Open , using only the first 11 holes on the course . No handicaps are necessary . Players simply throw out their two worst holes , so only the best nine holes count . Modest prizes are awarded , including a not-so-coveted wooden spoon that goes to the worst score of the day .
Littleton , who grew up in Northern Virginia and has been Middleburg ’ s mayor since 2018 , first learned about Iona and its golf course during his coursework for law
IONA
GOLF CLUB
MAINTAINED BY COWS & SHEEP
4,600 PAR
YARDS
66
NO GREEN FEES
ORIGINAL 9 HOLES BUILT IN
1886
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