Course Review - Machrihanish Dunes

[Paul_Stewart]

The wildest course you could ever wish to play. thewaygolfbegan.com is the official site of this American-funded newly-completed links course at the bottom of the Mull of Kintyre.

All I can say is forget your score, enjoy the experience.

Located some five miles from the actual Machrihanish course, this is like nothing else you will have ever played and makes the original Machrie course look like a flat parkland layout.

Huge dunes, undulating fairways, massive bunkers, sloping greens. Oh and it's next to the sea so wind, wind and more wind, combined with rough, heather, gorse so wild that napalm and agent orange is part of the greenkeeeper's standard armoury.

But it's totally unused right now as the American investment team behind it are concentrating on timeshare of the cottages and hotel in the town, and have a long-term plan to get things underway. When I played there in late July, I was the only person on the course the entire four hours I was out there.

There are a choice of five tees and I went with the whites which is a 6,500 yard layout. There were two more sets behind that for the masochistic and plain stupid. I nailed pretty much every tee shot I hit and only missed one fairway. And shot 83. God knows what I would have scored without a great driving day.

The walks between greens and tees are quite serious and you use the course planner like an orienteering runner would use a map. There are more blind shots than David Blunkett would have in a normal 18 holes and every hole is memorable as you can see from the pictures.

The cost of playing Mach Dunes is £79 and I guess you would play it if you are in the town to play the original layout. But it's worth it because it is like nothing else you will ever find anywhere in the world.


Click here for a set of pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52763424@N03/sets/72157624695257856/

 

[Dodger]

Interesting to hear you enjoyed it Paul.

I have not played it but have seen the land it is on and the land itself looked great,sells itself for a golf course, but I have spoke to umpteen people including many locals who said they wouldn't be suprised if it wasn't here in 10 years time as it is a course you would play once but never ever play again.

A guy at my track played it in a 2 ball,both good golfers and it took 5hrs 15 to go round.He said he hit umpteen poor shots way wide if the marker poles (many blind shots) but many finished perfect while many that he nailed over the marker poles ended up in the shite.....the way golf began?? My arse he said,a pile of gimmicked crap.

I intend to be over there in May next year again and may just double up with the real McCoy next door and take in the dunes to see what all the fuss is about.

 

[bigslice]

good reviewss paul, are you a travelling salesman!! plenty of good courses you have played and reviewed

 

[thecraw]

Interesting to hear you enjoyed it Paul.

I have not played it but have seen the land it is on and the land itself looked great,sells itself for a golf course, but I have spoke to umpteen people including many locals who said they wouldn't be suprised if it wasn't here in 10 years time as it is a course you would play once but never ever play again.

A guy at my track played it in a 2 ball,both good golfers and it took 5hrs 15 to go round.He said he hit umpteen poor shots way wide if the marker poles (many blind shots) but many finished perfect while many that he nailed over the marker poles ended up in the shite.....the way golf began?? My arse he said,a pile of gimmicked crap.

I intend to be over there in May next year again and may just double up with the real McCoy next door and take in the dunes to see what all the fuss is about.

All I can say is that your mate is talking the biggest pile of doggy poo I have ever heard. I suggest he had a bad day off the tee and found a convenient excuse!

The golf course is fantastic in my opinion. The way golf began, that I don't know about, however I loved every bit of this experience from the warm and personal welcome to walking off the last green with a grin as wide as some of the dunes.

Firstly I appreciate why some people may not like this course however I'm a links golf man through and through. I loved the humps and bumps, the undulated rolling fairways, the rippled effect looking down the fairways and the dunes lining the holes. I loved the natural bunkers and use of the land. I loved the layout and the huge elephant grave yard greens.

The golf course itself is still a work in progress and I suggest that the greens may need at least another year possibly two to reach their full potential. Some are better than others however they all offer a roller coaster experience so make sure your putting is up to scratch are you'll walk off the course a broken man!

If I was being ultra critical I would say that the 2nd hole is the poorest on the course however even its a good hole. McLay Kidd has produced a classic here. Considering no earth was moved and apart from the construction of tees and greens this course is as natural as you will find and I believe he has produced as good a layout as Machrihanish itself. I would also suggest that this course is potentially stronger than Machrihanish over all. The par 3's and par 5's are all superb and most of the par 4's are superb. A real risk and reward with a big slice of lady luck type course.

I used every club in my bag today bar a 7 iron, its that type of course.

I would play here every day and some of the punch bowl greens are a joy. I could spend hours out there just pitching and putting from various positions around these greens.

How would I rate this? That's a tough question, As I say, I'm a links junkie and I love what has been produced here. How do I measure this???? If pushed I would say I enjoyed this better than Castle Stuart, its a better lay out and so much more natural, however it was not (as yet) as good condition wise.

Dodger back to your mate, 5 hours 15 minutes???? Marker poles in the wrong place??? I think he played like a fanny and wouldn't admit it too you. Alan and I were round in 3 hrs 45 mins. We certainly were not motoring either.

 

[algar5]

Crawford,

Spot On with the Review. I thought it was a grest links golf course and unlike other reviews I have read I believe it was a fair test of golf. The greens are still a touch inconsistent and need to mature. My favourite hole would be the 7th which is a cracking Par 5 and a superb driving hole. I agree regarding the 2nd but it is by no means a bad hole.

Already looking forward to March, 2011 and to all attending you are in for a real treat.

 

[thecraw]

I found these on my camera, they're not great and to be honest they don't really do the place justice.


Crawford.

 

[Lerx]

That green in the second pic scares the hell out of me!

 

[thecraw]

That green in the second pic scares the hell out of me!

Don't worry, that's only the first green and there are worse to come!

 

[thecraw]

Having played the Dunes again today it only confirms to me that this course is class. It really is the real McCoy. Pure links golf in a setting that is second to none. A brilliant layout and a great mix of holes. From tough holes, to risk and reward holes, strategic holes and holes that encourage you to open up the shoulders the Dunes has the lot.

The Dunes is also not content to rest on its laurels and plans are in place for further development this year with four greens being reshaped and relayed, the second fairway is being altered and built up plus the plans for all the off course development make it an exciting prospect to keep tabs on.

I strongly recommend this as a must play.

 

[Toad]

I certainly enjoyed my first visit at the forum meet this year and would go back.
Alan I sent most of my drives right over the markers and never had a problem with it ending up in the rough, might just be that I'm a short arse with the driver though .