Machrihanish

[bigslice]

What an absolute nonsense report on the Dunes. Did you play like a chomper?

The Dunes is a wonderful track and is a great compliment to Machrihanish and indeed Dunaverty. Even as a member at Machrihanish I can fully appreciate the Dunes and I think it has achieved what McLay Kidd set out to do. He has worked with the land and shaped a course which works with nature and the land.

It is long however if your pathetic enough to moan about walking to the first tee then I would question why you even bother playing golf, a game which includes walking and lots of it.

While I agree that its not perfect it is a work in progress and they are taking on board criticism and making changes. They have remodeled greens and shortened the carry on 17. (or 8 depending on what way you play the course) I've still to play a perfectly created golf course and the Dunes is not perfect but it is a bloody good test of golf with some absolutely fabulous golf holes. The natural bunkering and rolling greens are superb, the routing through the dunes is inspiring and the setting is perfect for golf in my opinion.

I would strongly urge you to play it again and appreciate the track for what it is. Open your eyes a bit more and just enjoy the course its fabulous.

this is why I love the forum, two folks opinions of the same course.
im looking forward to the dunes weekend and will defo have both eyes open. I like to play a course twice before forming an opinion. take Barrassie I wont be rushing back to play that as it cant handle the rain and think I can play on a better course every week. but these are my thoughts and im entitled to them

 

[thecraw]

What I described of the course and the amount of walking between holes is factually correct - the reference to the distance to the 1st tee being only one part of that. I have no way of measuring accurately but I would estimate that there was a full mile of walking over and above the length of the yellow tee course. That this seriously affected my enjoyment of the game is also true and is the experience I was reporting on. I played well and my eyes were well open to many other aspects of the course which I didn't comment on.

It's fine that you have a much more favourable view of the course than I got on first acquaintance, but I see no reason for your being so insulting in your way of sharing it.

Hardly insulting. I can be a lot more blunt if you like. How can you complain about walking?

1ST A walk to the tee to start your round.
2ND A small walk up the dunes to the 2nd tee.
3RD A walk to the 3rd tee of 150-200 yards?
4TH A small walk to the 4th tee.
5TH A small walk again to the 5th tee.
6TH A decent walk back to the 6th tee.
7TH A small walk to the 7th tee.
8TH A big walk to the 8th.
9TH No walk.

10TH A bit of a walk down to the 10th tee.
11TH A small walk again to the 11th tee
12TH Again a little walk.
13TH A small stroll again
14TH A walk out the punchbowl up onto the 14th tee.
15TH A wee walk again up the dunes to the 15th tee.
16TH A decent walk again to the 16th tee.
17TH A little walk.
18TH A big walk again.

The Dunes is a long track. I think people focus on the wrong areas. As you point out your welcome to your opinion and I have mine. Its a slog if you don't enjoy it. If you love the links and the experience you'll not notice the distance until later on when your sitting down to a meal and a pint.

I apologise if you took my post as insulting.

 

[MikeH]

this is why I love the forum, two folks opinions of the same course.
im looking forward to the dunes weekend and will defo have both eyes open. I like to play a course twice before forming an opinion. take Barrassie I wont be rushing back to play that as it cant handle the rain and think I can play on a better course every week. but these are my thoughts and im entitled to them

+ 1

 

[Colin L]

Yes, playing more than once is sound, and I will almost certainly be playing the Dunes again. Maybe I should have said more in my first post about the golf itself, the purpose in posting having been to make a serious point that the layout is scattered and that the travel between holes is excessive. The former made it difficult to get any sense of a shape, a pattern of the course (which I think matters to your total experience of a course) and the latter interrupted the flow of the game and detracted from the enjoyment of my round. All of that was a considered reaction, not in any way a moan about having to exert myself!

So what were the holes like to play, once you reached them? Challenging and how! Natural contours, dips, hollows, lucky bounces, unlucky bounces, many blind shots, a couple of 500+ yard monsters, one fairway that had so many humps and troughs it was like the inside of an egg box, and greens that were like 3D models of the Grampians. Difficult, exhilarating, at times frustrating, at times very rewarding. Links golf at an extreme edge. It could be extremely enjoyable and now that I know what to expect of the layout and the distances, and given the encouragement of those of you who have enjoyed it, another round should indeed allow me to get the same enjoyment from it.

 

[stevek1969]

Opinions are like back ends everyone has one, so 2 good reviews and a bit of discussion thats the way it should be, the only thing i didn't like about the Dunes was it was to far from my house, 3 1/2 drive across some amazing scenery to get there.

 

[stevek1969]

Yes, playing more than once is sound, and I will almost certainly be playing the Dunes again. Maybe I should have said more in my first post about the golf itself, the purpose in posting having been to make a serious point that the layout is scattered and that the travel between holes is excessive. The former made it difficult to get any sense of a shape, a pattern of the course (which I think matters to your total experience of a course) and the latter interrupted the flow of the game and detracted from the enjoyment of my round. All of that was a considered reaction, not in any way a moan about having to exert myself!

So what were the holes like to play, once you reached them? Challenging and how! Natural contours, dips, hollows, lucky bounces, unlucky bounces, many blind shots, a couple of 500+ yard monsters, one fairway that had so many humps and troughs it was like the inside of an egg box, and greens that were like 3D models of the Grampians. Difficult, exhilarating, at times frustrating, at times very rewarding. Links golf at an extreme edge. It could be extremely enjoyable and now that I know what to expect of the layout and the distances, and given the encouragement of those of you who have enjoyed it, another round should indeed allow me to get the same enjoyment from it.

:thup:

 

[Val]

Opinions are like back ends everyone has one, so 2 good reviews and a bit of discussion thats the way it should be, the only thing i didn't like about the Dunes was it was to far from my house, 3 1/2 drive across some amazing scenery to get there.

Likewise mate, it would be nice to tee it up there every medal but reckon it could be emotionally draining week in week out.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Last time I was at the Dunes I was running across it in a wetsuit, carrying a surfboard and dodging the diggers while they were building it. Looking forward to getting a game there in a few weeks!

 

[stevek1969]

Likewise mate, it would be nice to tee it up there every medal but reckon it could be emotionally draining week in week out.

Correct Val, i think it would be physically draining as well i drove there and back the same day as my mate decided to a wee sherry.I love it down there i've played Machrihanish and love it even hit down the road the Inverrary once:rofl:

 

[bigslice]

Yes, playing more than once is sound, and I will almost certainly be playing the Dunes again. Maybe I should have said more in my first post about the golf itself, the purpose in posting having been to make a serious point that the layout is scattered and that the travel between holes is excessive. The former made it difficult to get any sense of a shape, a pattern of the course (which I think matters to your total experience of a course) and the latter interrupted the flow of the game and detracted from the enjoyment of my round. All of that was a considered reaction, not in any way a moan about having to exert myself!

So what were the holes like to play, once you reached them? Challenging and how! Natural contours, dips, hollows, lucky bounces, unlucky bounces, many blind shots, a couple of 500+ yard monsters, one fairway that had so many humps and troughs it was like the inside of an egg box, and greens that were like 3D models of the Grampians. Difficult, exhilarating, at times frustrating, at times very rewarding. Links golf at an extreme edge. It could be extremely enjoyable and now that I know what to expect of the layout and the distances, and given the encouragement of those of you who have enjoyed it, another round should indeed allow me to get the same enjoyment from it.

I playing it I think at least 4 times in the one weekend so looking forward to it. I really need to play a course twice cos the first time Im like a little lost sheep. recently played dundonald enjoyed it never noticed how long it was but it was 5 hours but when I p[lay it again I can be more opinionated.
great two posts by the way.

 

[Colin L]

I apologise if you took my post as insulting.

I did. :angry: But thanks for the apology. :cheers:

 

[thecraw]

Craw.

Seems to me that it's time you opened the other eye!

Feel free to expand your comment please????

 

[Colin L]

I've been looking at a very mixed bag of online reviews of the Dunes and come to the conclusion that it is the Margaret Thatcher of golf courses - it divides the nation.

 

[richart]

I've been looking at a very mixed bag of online reviews of the Dunes and come to the conclusion that it is the Margaret Thatcher of golf courses - it divides the nation.

I thought that was the Castle course at St Andrews ?

 

[Val]

I thought that was the Castle course at St Andrews ?

You really are trying to get thecraw biting :rofl:

 

[Foxholer]

Feel free to expand your comment please????

If you really need it expanded, I'm afraid there's no point doing so!

 

[bladeplayer]

All good pics , but I Love the bunker shot pic , class ..