Captainron
Big Hitting, South African Sweary Person
Had the pleasure of playing Machirihanish and Machrihanish Dunes last weekend. They take a bit of getting to but the trip is definitely worthwhile.
I must say that I took a real shine to Machrihanish and I agree with several forumers here that this is one of the best courses in the land. The pro who is known locally as ‘Smiling Ken’ due to his ‘sunny’ disposition and surly manner lived up to his moniker and made me feel less than welcome. I asked if there were any members going out that day and he said that there weren’t any booked on. I just had to pay and hang around. I duly paid my £56 and was dismissed from the pro shop so that he could continue to watch the Open in his office. Luckily a local photographer was looking to get some shots of someone driving on the epic first hole for a local hotel website. I spent the next 15 minutes hitting balls on the best opening drive in golf which cheered me up no end.
After 5 more minutes a group of lads turned up who get together every Friday night at around 5pm during the summer. At this point I found out that playing with a member will only set you back £5! The pro had pretty much lied to me in order to get a full green fee.
The course is magnificent and was in really good shape. The greens which had suffered earlier in the season were now immaculate. I am a massive fan of Cruden Bay because it requires imagination and the full array of shots as a true links demands. Added to this is the feeling of having fun whilst going about your business. Machrihanish is in the same and I would now class this as my favourite course to play. The usually fearsome wind was down to a light breeze which made for good scoring. Even in these benign conditions the course demands that you think your way around and the copious well placed bunkers gobble up any poorly thought out shot.
So if you want a cheap round on one of the best courses, in great company be there at 4.30 on a Friday in summer and wait for Andy, Allan and the gang to rock up. They delight in signing visitors on so they can show off their magnificent course.
I was less impressed with the recently laid out Machrihaninsh Dunes. It was in poor shape compared with its neighbour and several tee boxes were closed and covered in shade cloth to encourage growth. The recent lack of rain had taken its toll and they were fighting to get them back into play. After playing and enjoying Machrihanishs’ tight turf and its constant questioning, it seemed that Machrihanish Dunes was a bit of a try hard for me. It just never felt natural in any way. The fact that the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] was now the first told me that they hadn’t really thought the whole thing through enough. Don’t get me wrong, I still had a good time and there were a few strong holes to be found but on the whole I thought that the Dunes felt a bit ‘forced’.
I must say that I took a real shine to Machrihanish and I agree with several forumers here that this is one of the best courses in the land. The pro who is known locally as ‘Smiling Ken’ due to his ‘sunny’ disposition and surly manner lived up to his moniker and made me feel less than welcome. I asked if there were any members going out that day and he said that there weren’t any booked on. I just had to pay and hang around. I duly paid my £56 and was dismissed from the pro shop so that he could continue to watch the Open in his office. Luckily a local photographer was looking to get some shots of someone driving on the epic first hole for a local hotel website. I spent the next 15 minutes hitting balls on the best opening drive in golf which cheered me up no end.
After 5 more minutes a group of lads turned up who get together every Friday night at around 5pm during the summer. At this point I found out that playing with a member will only set you back £5! The pro had pretty much lied to me in order to get a full green fee.
The course is magnificent and was in really good shape. The greens which had suffered earlier in the season were now immaculate. I am a massive fan of Cruden Bay because it requires imagination and the full array of shots as a true links demands. Added to this is the feeling of having fun whilst going about your business. Machrihanish is in the same and I would now class this as my favourite course to play. The usually fearsome wind was down to a light breeze which made for good scoring. Even in these benign conditions the course demands that you think your way around and the copious well placed bunkers gobble up any poorly thought out shot.
So if you want a cheap round on one of the best courses, in great company be there at 4.30 on a Friday in summer and wait for Andy, Allan and the gang to rock up. They delight in signing visitors on so they can show off their magnificent course.
I was less impressed with the recently laid out Machrihaninsh Dunes. It was in poor shape compared with its neighbour and several tee boxes were closed and covered in shade cloth to encourage growth. The recent lack of rain had taken its toll and they were fighting to get them back into play. After playing and enjoying Machrihanishs’ tight turf and its constant questioning, it seemed that Machrihanish Dunes was a bit of a try hard for me. It just never felt natural in any way. The fact that the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] was now the first told me that they hadn’t really thought the whole thing through enough. Don’t get me wrong, I still had a good time and there were a few strong holes to be found but on the whole I thought that the Dunes felt a bit ‘forced’.
