Machrihanish Golf Club: Championship Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info

Machrihanish Golf Club Championship Course Key Information

For many, the Old Tom Morris Championship course at Machrihanish, away from it all on the Kintyre Peninsula, is a ‘must visit’ links in the same bracket as Royal Dornoch 240 miles north-east. Machrihanish has rightly been a mainstay of our Top 100 Courses UK and Ireland from the outset.

Anyone who has made the journey will testify that it is one well worth making for way more than the chance to finally stand on the famous 1st tee and gaze across the beach to the curving fairway beyond.

Machrihanish is far from a ‘best 1st hole in golf’ one-trick pony, though. The links terrain is among the most natural you will encounter.

There's a stretch of truly memorable and hugely enjoyable holes through the tumbling dunes from the 3rd all the way to the turn, all the while accompanied by stirring views out to the Inner Hebrides. Good reason why it continues to rank among the best courses in Scotland.

That 3rd hole is a particularly splendid par 4 played to a well-bunkered green with those distant islands on the horizon. After the turn, there are still great holes aplenty a little further from the shore, with the 232-yard par-3 16th a bit of a shock to the system late on, especially if you encounter it in to the wind and are standing there with driver in hand, doubting even that is enough!

Yes, the short par-4 finale may not be the strongest finishing hole around, but golf is a game of give and take, so the chance of a closing birdie will be very welcome if you have succumbed to the 16th. Not every course has to finish with a severe test, with Machrihanish very much in the Prestwick mould on this front.

Indeed, Prestwick is a good comparison, and not just for that and the Old Tom Morris connection. Machrihanish is very much a reminder of the early art of laying out a course to fit the existing terrain rather than adjusting the terrain to suit the designer’s desires – a layout as natural as they come.

In 2018 a devastating clubhouse fire, which razed the building to the ground, sent the club reeling. But the silver lining to that particular cloud was a new purpose-built 21st-century clubhouse that opened in 2021.

Yet more good reason to visit this magical links that, in some ways, provides a living link to the game’s past. Machrihanish is good for the soul, no matter how you play.

What The Top 100 Panel Said

Sheila Diamond

You cannot be anything other than thrilled to tee off over the beach on the 1st, although with increasing numbers of walkers, it’s a worry about hitting someone! It's difficult to match the views anywhere in UK, especially the front-nine dunes and beach. If you climb up onto the high dunes at the back of the men’s 10th tee, the view of the beach and sea is really spectacular. 

Sue Mawhinney

Understated and traditional and full of charm and beauty. Despite the conditioning not being at its best for my visit, this was a special and interesting course to play and it has some spectacular holes, particularly the 1st! I feel sad that I played the course when it wasn’t at its best, but would love to return when it is.

Machrihanish Golf Club Location

Machrihanish Golf Club Championship Course Green Fees

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Best Courses Near Machrihanish

MACHRIHANISH DUNES
David McLay Kidd designs have a reputation for ‘interesting’ green complexes and there’s plenty of those from the off here, although some have been considerably softened, just as they have at the Castle Course in St Andrews, another McLay Kidd design. Like the Castle Course, the Dunes has a magical setting; unlike the Castle Course, very little earth was moved to create this mind-blowing links arena.

DUNAVERTY
A short course at the southern tip of Kintyre, Dunaverty is famous for its unusual, square-shaped greens. This stunningly located course provides a delightful links experience, running along the shoreline with dreamy views out over the sea and up into the surrounding hills. The par-4 17th is about as tough a test as you’ll find on a course of this length thanks to its long approach over a wide burn.

Best Places To Stay Near Machrihanish

The Ugadale Hotel and Cottages - Book now at Hotels.com
This elegant beachfront hotel and cottage complex in Machrihanish lies right next to the Machrihanish Golf Club but is part of the Machrihanish Dunes set-up. The Ugadale Hotel has been restored to its former glory in recent years and offers 22 stunning guest rooms and suites, finished to the highest standard. A mix of casual elegance combined with modern amenities, historic charm, and unmatched natural beauty.

The Royal Hotel Campbeltown - Book now at Booking.com
Boasting a beautiful location next to the harbour, with rolling hills in the distance, this hotel is five miles from Machrihanish in the heart of Campbeltown. There is free Wi-Fi throughout, and a free shuttle service to the dunes and Campbeltown Airport. The Royal Hotel is also home to The Black Sheep Pub and the elegant Harbourview Grille.

Machrihanish Golf Club Championship Course scorecard

Machrihanish Championship Course Gallery

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MACHRIHANISH Championship Course HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I

• 2023/24 - 67
• 2021/22 - 64
• 2019/20 - 56
• 2017/18 - 53
• 2015/16 - 50
• 2013/14 - 50
• 2011/12 - 37
• 2009/10 - 32

Frequently Asked Questions