A new ferry service between Ardrosson and Campbeltown was recently announced for the summer months this year. Ardrosson is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. Campbeltown is situated near the Mull of Kintyre in Argyll, Scotland. This new ferry service is a huge boost for the local community and more importantly for PerryGolf clients.
Machrihanish Dunes 14th by Clive Barber.
Read more “New Ferry Service Between Ardrosson and Campbeltown”
During the season, several of my groups have enjoyed a trip on the Kintyre Express to play Machrihanish Golf Course. My last group also enjoyed combining a whisky tour with a day of golf; they travelled to Springbank Distillery which is about 20 minutes from Machrihanish. With several tours and different experiences offered by the Distillery, the group really enjoyed the Scottish experience. Highly recommended.
By Denise McKee. Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 11 years and is a member of our admin team.
As a big fan of the Machrie course located onScotland’s west coast on the island of Islay, I was pleased to hear about a new golf course planned to open on the neighbouring island of Jura. Golf on the West Coast and Western Isles of Scotland offers a unique opportunity to play the game as it was done originally. There are some great courses to choose from too…there is the Machrie as mentioned, but also Askernish on South Uist and Shiskine onArran. On the Mull of Kintyre peninsula you can also choose from Machrihanish, Machrihanish Dunes and Dunaverty. Many of these courses are also conveniently located for those looking to do some whiskey distillery touring on a trip and you can visit great places like Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Isle of Arran and Springbank. This is the ideal option for anyone looking to do a Scotland golf trip that is a little bit different and play some real hidden gems. You can read more on the development on the course on Jura by clicking here.
By Alastair Niven. Alastair has been with PerryGolf for over 11 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
Another tale of great winter golf in Scotland! I must be doing something right. In the second week of February on a glorious day with a blue sky and a shimmering ocean, I recently played 36 holes of golf at the recently opened and strongly acclaimed Machrihanish Dunes, and also the much loved Dunaverty. My fourball included Richard Simmons, Editor of UK publication Golf International, plus my good friends Ronan Rafferty, former Ryder Cup player, and Alan White, Chairman of the Scottish PGA.
Having last visited Machrihanish Dunes early in its construction, I went for my first game with a sense of anticipation. Well I can tell you I was certainly not disappointed. It occupies a marvelous piece of land with spectacular views right on the edge of Machrihanish Bay; its layout twisting and turning through the gentle dunes to provide a thorough test and outstanding experience. There are a number of blind shots (which is all part of the game), and it is certainly a tough golf course to play on the first circuit, but if played from the appropriate set of tees it is an extremely playable golf course by all standards. It might not have the “smoothness” of many new courses. So what. They will continue to refine and fine tune in all areas, and it will only get better. Pure and simple, it gets my vote, and I encourage all true lovers of the game to make a visit. You want unspoiled links golf the way it used to be?…then this is the real deal.
Another bonus for me was a game at Dunaverty, located just 20 minutes south of Machrihanish. It enjoys a wonderful location right on the south eastern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula, with different but equally fabulous views as experienced from Machrihanish Dunes. At less than 5,000 yards and a par of 66, it is the perfect second round! It’s par three 7th hole claims the only bunker on the golf course, and accordingly is mischievously called “St Andrews” -:)
The extremely comfortable Ugadale Cottages now available in the village of Machrihanish provide the perfect accommodations for golfing groups with excellent casual dining available in the Old Clubhouse. You can now follow this exciting addition to the Scottish golf scene on their facebook page.
If you want to experience great links golf, get over there!
Southworth Development, LLC have recently announced that Machrihanish Dunes, the new McLay Kidd layout beside the famous Machrihanish, has received top honours from Links Magazine as one of the “Top New International Courses” and has also been given 21st place in Golfweek’s “Best New Modern Courses of Great Britain and Ireland”. You can see more details on each of these awards at the links below but this certainly makes the rugged Mull of Kintyre a very attractive destination for those who like their golf away from the crowds and played the way golf used to be played!
Links Magazine article – Click Here
Golfweek article – Click Here
By Alastair Niven. Alastair has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
