This year Enterkine House are celebrating their 10 year anniversary as a Country House Hotel; located in Ayrshire, the luxury privately-owned property is a an ideal spot for both golfers and non-golfers alike. The main house has six bedrooms which are all individually decorated. Kirk House is a self-contained former farmhouse situated on the grounds which consists of six comfortable en-suite bedrooms and is only a short walk from the main house. A recent highly-acclaimed addition is The Woodland Lodge; a unique luxurious dwelling, ideal for a couple. So there are plenty of options for different types of accommodation.
The Woodland Lodge at Enterkine House
The restaurant was refurbished last year and Browne’s @ Enterkine offers stylish and affordable food. The Head Chef, Paul Moffat, has been at Enterkine since 2004 and has won various awards since his arrival.
Enterkine House is a great place to relax and enjoy the surroundings – check out the website!
By Denise McKee. Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is a member of our admin team.
Scotland is home to many of the world’s finest courses. In addition to the many Open Championship venues and bigger name courses, it is also home to some great courses which many people may not be aware of. I would consider Western Gailes to be one of the best ‘hidden gems’ around; situated about 10 minutes from Troon, the course is a true test of links golf and one which I consider to be a ‘must play’ if you spend any time in the Ayrshire area. Turnberry, Troon and Prestwick are all within striking distance of the course.
Normally I struggle to enjoy a golf course if I play badly, but Western Gailes is one of the few exceptions to my rule. I remember being 6 over par and 3 balls lighter after 4 holes when I played, I also managed to break my pull cart (not through anger!) yet still managed to enjoy my round. My fingers are crossed for another chance to play there this year and I will definitely be putting in some hours on the range to iron out my erratic driving.
I am often asked for dining suggestions from groups before they travel to the West coast of Scotland. Here is my personal number one suggestion for anybody travelling or thinking of going to the Ayrshire Coast.
Wildings Hotel & Restaurant is a fantastic place to eat and is no more than a 5 minute drive (1mile) from the magnificent Turnberry Resort, home of the famous Ailsa Course. Situated in the small harbour village of Maidens, this is a well run family business and is rumoured to be one of Tom Watson’s favourite haunts when the Open comes to town.
Wildings Restaurant
The menu has a strong French influence and sources some of the areas finest produce; whether this is from the local countryside or the ever-present sea. In my opinion, it’s well worth a visit if you’re a seafood lover like myself or if you just fancy a decent steak.
My friendly advice to all is to book in advance of your trip in order to avoid disappointment!
By Jonny Ferguson. Jonny has been with PerryGolf for over 2 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
Machrihanish Golf Club is one of Scotland’s true hidden gems. Situated on the Southern tip of the Mull of Kintyre, the course is not easily accessible by road and is often excluded from itineraries purely because of its location. The journey time by road from Glasgow Airport is at least 3 hours, but by sea the time can be more than halved. Most people will travel to Machrihanish whilst spending time in Ayrshire – usually in Troon or Turnberry – and with the Kintyre Express making the journey much more achievable, I think it is an excellent addition to any schedule. Check out our website for more information on the Kintyre Express.
PerryGolf team onboard the Kintyre Express
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to play the course earlier this year and had an outstanding experience. Our departure time from Troon was 9:00am for an 11:30am tee-time – which was ideal as it gave me enough time to travel down from my home and stop for a bacon sandwich en-route. The journey between Troon and Campbeltown was quicker than I thought and Wilson Smith, the captain of the Kintyre Express, gave us a running commentary of the surrounding area as we progressed. When we arrived at Campbeltown Harbour, two taxis were waiting to transfer us to the golf course as Wilson had called in advance and made the reservation. After a short taxi journey, we arrived in time for a quick warm up, a few putts, and were then faced with the first tee-shot over a corner of the Atlantic – no warm up could have prepared me for that. I was delighted to walk to the 2ndtee with a par. The rest of the course did not disappoint; each hole had its own character and offered something a little bit different. Machrihanish is not a long course with the onus put on hitting the ball straight off the tee for good lines to the greens. They have recently added some new tees to the course and I’d recommend single figure handicapped players play from the blue tees – the club is quite relaxed and will accommodate players who wish to do so. After golf there was enough time for a light bite and a couple of pints before the taxis picked us up again to transfer us back to Campbeltown Harbour to meet Wilson and the Kintyre Express.
The entire day was a great experience which I’d recommend to anyone spending a couple of nights in Ayrshire. It is something a little bit quirky and a memorable way to add a course which is in the Top 100 in the World to your schedule.
