7 Things to See at the Machrie Golf Links Golf and the Good Life on the Isle of Islay Over the last few years, the Machrie Golf Links on the Scottish isle of Islay has gone from a far flung destination to one with a rapidly growing appeal for Scotland golf tours. The explanation for…
The Machrie
Some photos courtesy of Machrie Golf Links
Course Guide
- Course Founded: 1891
- Par 72
- 6400 Yards
- Designers: Willie Campbell, D.J. Russell
- GOLF UK & Ireland Top 100: #87
- Pro Tip: Savor the view from the 9th tee
Nearby Courses
Course Description
For most of the world, the often mispronounced Isle of Islay (“Eye-luh”) is best known for its peaty whiskies with equally challenging names. Distilleries like Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg have provided Islay’s greatest export for centuries. But golfers with a penchant for wandering off the well worn path have long admired Islay for an altogether different reason. That reason is the Machrie Golf Links.
To say that the original Machrie was one of the most enigmatic golf courses in Scotland would be an understatement. The fairways were narrow, the rough was decidedly penal, and blind shots were found on nearly every hole. In fact, over half of the full swings on the old Machrie Links were likely to be blind. Of course, the links hailed from a different era. In 1891, Willie Campbell, the architect of the Machrie and future head professional at The Country Club and Myopia Hunt Club, simply identified the best greensites around the property and stitched the routing together exactly as the land allowed. Earth movers need not apply. The end result was eccentric and downright notorious. And yet, that’s also precisely why many loved it.
Machrie Hotel & Golf Links - Where Golf Meets Whisky in Islay
The old Machrie was far from everyone’s cup of tea and, as a result, the tee sheet and hotel were both usually sparsely populated. The property changed hands in 2011 and the new ownership embarked on a complete reimagination of the hotel and golf links. The transformation was nothing short of spectacular.
The redesign of the Machrie Links was spearheaded by European Tour player DJ Russell. With the exception of a handful of greens, no stone was left unturned in the process. The new routing removed most of the blind shots, and the frustratingly narrow fairways were replaced with an abundance of width off the tee. Although the course is just a few years old, the fairways roll and tumble over the land in a way that feels like they’ve been there for 100 years. The same is true for the putting surfaces, which are beautifully contoured and fit as naturally to the property as Wille Campbell’s original greens.
As you make your way around the Machrie Links, a few observations may come to mind. First, you’ll notice a delightful absence of bunkers. In a holdover from the original links, there’s fewer than 10 traps on the entire course. The keen eye will also see a few parallels to Castle Stuart, Kingsbarns, or many of the modern links-style courses of the U.S. Specifically, the Machrie is a downright fun golf course that doesn’t believe in punishing the golfer repeatedly, but instead embraces their enjoyment above all else.
Finally, as you stand on the tee of the par-3 9th hole and look down to the green pressed hard against the ocean, one final observation will be inescapable: The Machrie is a sublime place to play the game and worth every step off the well worn path to get there.
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