While in Islay Try the Machrie Golf Links
An enchanting vacation with outstanding golf amidst stunning scenery sums up the experience of Machrie Hotel and Golf Links on the island of Islay in the Hebrides, Scotland. This classic links course extends on an elevation above the Laggan Bay with the greens at differing levels. The hotel offers excellent service and a welcoming atmosphere in a traditional warm setting that makes Scotland so well loved and well known. It is remote, but well worth a visit for more reasons than a spectacular game of golf...
The island is also known for its distilleries so if you fancy single malt whiskey this is a good place to combine golf and a whiskey trail. Nothing like a glass of peaty single malt to warm you during inclement weather.
The old fashioned traditional Scottish Links course was established in 1891 by a leading designer of the times. Willie Campbell. The Machrie golf course is permanently associated in the minds of golf lovers with the memorable Open Championship of 1901, when the legendary golfing trio labeled the “Great Triumvirate” played here. They were Harry Vardon, John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Today it is earning its name and place among the leading golf courses of the world. The course is often rendered unplayable because of bad weather, but it is always an exhilarating experience to play a round here.
The course has many features that are reminiscent of Prestwick and Cruden Bay in its layout. There are few bunkers and traps but several blind shots to challenge the player. The capricious wind is an essential feature of this 6250 yards course has as it blows from different directions in varying intensities. The natural sand dunes are a hazard in this natural course where the essence of the layout has changed very little since the early days. The small modifications on the course have only enhanced its appeal. The course is on varying elevations and the views across the golden sands of Laggan Bay are stunning. There is an all pervading sense of golfing history when one plays here that makes it an unforgettable experience.
