The Routing of Machrihanish

The routing at Machrihanish, like the routing at Dornoch, follows a path that seems obvious in retrospect, but must have been fascinating to originally discover. Head north through the dunes going out, then swing back south, skirting the edges of the dunes, coming home. A difference being the relationship to the sea. The dunes at Machrihanish going out are as voluptuous and intricate as they come. You’re not playing next to the sea, you’re playing on the sea. Tacking back and forth through the dunes. Everything is hidden slightly, until it’s not.

The outward nine at Machrihanish is as good as golf gets. Starting from the iconic first tee across the edge of the Atlantic Ocean to the approach at the 2nd across Machrihanish Water, the start to the round is exhilarating. The rolling, hidden green behind a large dune ridge on the 2nd quickly prepares you for the wild ride ahead. The 3rd and 4th holes are a bit of a respite only in the difficulty of the task, but are sublimely beautiful to play. The 5th tee begins a series of tee shots across unspoiled dunes to hidden fairways sitting in serpentine valleys. The fairways in turn roll and heave across the dunes. Magic.

The 6th hole is short, but with precise distance and direction control from the tee needed to attack the green nestled into a hollow. The 7th is a wonder - a long two shot hole defended by a singular dune ridge protecting the aggressive line of play. But what a dune ridge it is! Two bold shots can find a green site sitting on a mild plateau hidden from view. The 8th hole continues the trend of needing to be accurate with your drive to find the best approach to the elevated green. Finally, at the far northwest corner of the property, sitting elevated a short distance from the beach, one reaches the 9th tee. Driving again over the dunes one reaches a generous fairway to a greensite near the boundary with the Campbeltown Airport. Here the landscape changes as one prepares to play back home.

As you begin the homeward nine, you head south into the prevailing wind. Now, rather than playing in the middle of the dunes, you play along the edges of the dunes, over methodically rumpling landforms. The 10th hole is the first of two par 5 holes, followed closely by the 12th. They are both excellent examples of holes that play about 500 yards in length. The 10th is brilliantly bisected by a dune ridge located at the mid-point of the hole. One must drive accurately to have a view of the green. The 12th has a more generous fairway off the tee, but the 2nd half of the fairway rolls and tumbles, causing balls to deflect in odd directions and stances to be uneven. The green site, exquisitely bisected by a valley, sits in a hollow amongst the dunes with steep slopes and bunkers defending in front.

The 11th is the first of three short holes coming in, all of varying length. The 13th and 14 holes, short and long par 4 holes into the prevailing wind, are played along rumpled ground that reaches a crescendo at the green. The 13th has a center-line bunker lying at an uncomfortable distance when the wind is down or at your back, with surrounding contours that make the hazard play much larger. The real beauty of the hole, however, is the nature of the approach. The green has a large false front facing you, then slopes away from front to back. A tricky approach even if you are blessed with a relatively level lie. The 14th, like the long 10th before it, has a generous landing area for the first half of the hole. At that point, the fairway starts to heave and roll, abutting the edge of the dunes, culminating at the green. Fun stuff.

Before one finishes atop the dunes and crosses Machrihanish Water on the way home, back to back par 3 holes confront you at 15 and 16. One shorter, requiring precision, and the 2nd one a longer brute. Reminiscent of Cypress Point, at least in terms of the timing and the challenge at that stage of the round. A drive across the Water on the 17th is next, requiring one to navigate between the tall grasses on the right and out-of-bounds on the left. You’re now down off the dunes and heading back toward the clubhouse and the village. Finally, the short 18th hole with the prospect of a finishing birdie, respecting the out-of-bounds again on the left and a series of bunkers adjacent to the 1st fairway on the right. Some call the finish an anti-climax. I tend to think of it as a bit unorthodox, as links golf tends to be. If you have a proper mix of holes with various challenges, as Machrihanish certainly provides, does the order they are presented really matter? Certainly not in medal play. In match play the game is often already decided before the 18th is reached, so why not enjoy ourselves as we head to the clubhouse for a pint?

The Joy that is Machrihanish