ARE there really 48 courses in Great Britain and Ireland better than Machrihanish?
So Golf World’s rankings would have us believe but of those ahead of
it in the list which I have played only Royal
Dornoch impresses me more.
If golf architecture, like other art forms, can be divided into Romantic and
Classical schools then Mach is as Byronic as they come - remote, windswept,
big dunes, greens and fairways undulating like the wild ocean.
When the tide’s in your drive has to carry some of that ocean, on one
of the most famous opening holes in golf...
It’s the epitome of Heroic golf - where the penalty for failure makes
the thrill of success all the sweeter. Having said that, the beach is a lateral
water hazard, rather than out of bounds, so recoveries are possible.
The reward for a decent drive on a bold line is a straightforward second to
relatively flat green and perhaps a par or better to get you on your way.
The second shot to the second is way up into the start of the real dunesland.
This undulating green is the best thing about the hole and a foretaste of
what’s to come...
Then it’s hole after hole of pure magic.
The third is a blind drive over this marker post...
...followed by a fascinating second to this great green. Yes, bad shots can get lucky with a kick onto the green but the imaginative player can also use the banks and slopes to coax his ball close along the fast-running turf. There are few greens like this one around, mainly because they are so hard to drain properly without the sandy soil enjoyed by links like Machrihanish.
It’s followed by the only short hole going out - in fact the only non-par4. The green is a decent size target for such a short shot but no recoveries are easy if you miss it.
The fifth sets up beautifully for a draw off the tee, leaving this second:
Again there's a myriad of ways of getting close - and plenty of ways to blow it as well. A good recovery's needed if you miss it right. You might not get down in two, but you'll have fun trying:
Sixth is just 301 yards but hitting, holding and putting the green are all a joy. Drive displays Machrihanish's inspiring dunes:
Try shaping this with a bulldozer:
On the 7th it's the second shot that's blind:
Eight is up over the hill to a sunken fairway...
...then up again to another drunken green:
The ninth green is the last close to the sea before the course turns round
for home: sunset.jpg)
Click here to see the back nine of Machrihanish