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…
Shiskine
Course Guide
- Course Founded: 1896
- Par 42
- 2996 Yards
- Designers: Wille Park Jr., Willie Fernie
- Our Unofficial Ranking: Best 12-hole course in the World
- Pro Tip: So nice, you should play it twice.
Nearby Courses
Course Description
On the Isle of Arran off the coast of Ayrshire, lies a course unlike any other in Scotland. One might even say there’s simply nothing else like it in golf.
The Shiskine Golf & Tennis Club started as a 9-hole course designed in 1896 by Willie Fernie, a former Open champion and the head professional at Royal Troon. Willie Park, Jr. - who gave us the magnificent Old course at Sunningdale - was commissioned to extend the course to 18-holes, but neglect during the Great War left six of those holes no longer suitable for golf. Rather than acquire new land to complete the course, Shiskine simply pressed on with the 12 remaining holes which are played to this very day.
Shiskine Golf - The Best 12-hole Course in the World
Although a 12-hole layout is certainly unconventional, so too is the course itself. While traversing the rugged terrain in the shadow of the Drumadoon Cliffs, a blind shot comes into play on nearly every hole, sometimes twice. The 3rd hole, for example, is a par-3 played nearly straight up to an invisible green built onto the side of a cliff. This is followed by the enchanting 4th, which plays right off the same shelf to a green set against Kilbrannon Sound. The view from the tee alone will have made the trip to Arran fully worthwhile.
Shiskine is equal parts quirky and eccentric, as well as thrilling and spectacular. It is golf in its purest form, on a course that would simply never be built today. This little 12-hole course is the equivalent of a golf roller coaster, and just like any great thrill ride, the golfer comes away smiling, excited, and oftentimes craving more.
Luckily, the whole round only takes about two hours, leaving plenty of time for another ride.
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