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Mac Plumart

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jkinney's Askernish threads
« on: September 19, 2012, 08:04:07 PM »
I love Askernish.  And I love jkinney's photo tours.  I thought putting them all together in one thread might be a good idea.  So, here they are...

Front 9...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53547.0.html

Front 9 commentary...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53545.0.html


10 and 11...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53559.0.html


The amazing 12th...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53561.0.html


13-15...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53563.0.html


16 (Old Tom's Pulpit!!!!)

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53564.0.html


17-18...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53565.0.html


In my opinion, Askernish eases you into the round.  Then hole 7 starts the epic Dune Run with the par 3 11th being extra special, and 12 and 16 being All-World golf holes.  Then the courses eases you out of the round.

In total, it is a very special golf course.
« Last Edit: September 19, 2012, 08:54:55 PM by Mac Plumart »
Sportsman/Adventure loving golfer.

jkinney

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2012, 08:19:28 PM »
Thanks, Mac. Could you get my first thread that has my commentary on the front nine in there too  ?

Mac Plumart

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2012, 08:55:21 PM »
The opening post has been updated to include the link to the Front 9 commentary.
Sportsman/Adventure loving golfer.

Bill_McBride

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2012, 09:00:52 PM »
Does anyone have any empirical evidence about how long it takes to drive from Dornoch to Ashkernish?

How about from Ashkernish on to Edinburgh?

Mac Plumart

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2012, 09:03:09 PM »
Askernish is on the island of South Uist...I don't think it is possible to drive from mainland Scotland.  I took a small plane to get there.  Can anyone else chime in?
Sportsman/Adventure loving golfer.

Bill_McBride

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2012, 09:04:45 PM »
There must be a ferry.....

Mac Plumart

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2012, 09:08:40 PM »
Yes, you are correct.

Paging Adam Lawrence.  Adam Lawrence, please check in.
Sportsman/Adventure loving golfer.

jkinney

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2012, 09:10:04 PM »
Bill - The ferry from Oban is 5-6 hrs. The ferry from Uig (sp?) on Skye is 2-3 hours. Both land in Lochboisdale on South Uist's east coast, about 15 minutes drive to Askernish. FlyBE.com (Logan Air) has several daily flights from Glasgow Airport.

Bill_McBride

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2012, 09:37:44 PM »
I may have conned my wife into a post-Dornoch "Highlands trip" which could potentially include an Ashkernish leg!

Adam Lawrence

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2012, 02:43:22 AM »
I've only ever flown to Askernish. If you're in Dornoch, I'd think the quickest way to get there would be to take the Inverness-Stornoway-Benbecula route that Loganair runs (sold under the Flybe banner - Loganair became a Flybe partner when BA pulled out of the Highlands a few years ago).

If you really want to drive, the best way would be to go to Uig on Skye via tha A890 and the Skye Bridge, and then take the Lochmaddy ferry (crossing time one and threequarter hours). Google maps reckons it's about 150 miles to Uig. It would be a beautiful drive, and in my opinion Skye is the nicest of all the Scottish islands. With your wife in tow, I'd look to spend a day or two on Skye (go to Elgol and take the Bella Jane boat trip across the bay to Loch Coruisk in the middle of the Cuillin, Scotland's greatest mountain range, visit Dunvegan Castle. Eat dinner at the famous Three Chimneys restaurant near Dunvegan, and stay in one of their rooms if possible.

Lochmaddy is on North Uist, so you'll then have a bit of a drive to Askernish. The Uists and Benbecula are joined by causeways. You'll see the religious divide of the Hebrides up close - North Uist is Presbyterian, of the rigorous Scottish variety, while South Uist is Catholic (and Benbecula is half and half).

You'd have to go back to Glasgow, but the most picturesque way to Askernish is the flight to Barra, then a short ferry ride across the sound. Barra is the only place in the world where scheduled flights land on a beach. I've never flown into it, but I really want to.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2012, 03:24:34 AM by Adam Lawrence »
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

James Boon

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #10 on: September 20, 2012, 03:02:55 AM »
Bill,

If you are travelling with your wife, then the route Adam suggests works very well!

You can also stop off at Eielan Donan Castle just before you cross the bridge to Sky. You could also, if you were happy to lengthen the journey a little more, take the Ferry from Uig to Tarbert or miss out Skye and go from Ullapool to Stornoway (which might be the easier way from Dornoch but would miss out Skye). Either way you then get to experience Harris and Lewis as well, to get the full Western Isles experience! Harris and Lewis are a lot hillier than the Uists and Benbecula, but the scenery is stunning, some of the beaches are just incredible and the likes of Callanish or Dun Carloway Broch are not to be missed. You could even get a round in at Harris GC which looks cool and then get the ferry from Leverburgh to Berneray... Lastly, while on North Uist, check out the peat smoked salmon from the Hebridean Smokehouse at Clachan. Delicious!

This is the Outer Hebrides Tourist Board, signing off...  ;D

Adam,

I really want my next trip that way to be via the Barra beach airstrip, but my wife isn't great at flying. Perhaps a mini GCA outsing is in order?

Cheers,

James
2023 Highlights: Hollinwell, Brora, Parkstone, Cavendish, Hallamshire, Sandmoor, Moortown, Elie, Crail, St Andrews (Himalayas & Eden), Chantilly, M, Hardelot Les Pins

"It celebrates the unadulterated pleasure of being in a dialogue with nature while knocking a ball round on foot." Richard Pennell

Adam Lawrence

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2012, 03:30:22 AM »
After a short play with Googlemaps, I've now changed my mind - James's route via Stornoway is probably the best from a driving point of view. Ullapool is only sixty miles from Dornoch, the crossing to Stornoway is two and threequarter hours, and you can then explore Lewis and Harris. Lewis's best sights are the Dun Carloway broch (early fortified homestead) and the astonishing stone circle at Callanish, one of the most amazing prehistoric monuments in the whole of the UK. Stop for nine holes at Harris GC, a short but very pretty links, and view the 'Faldo Fiver' - Nick Faldo stopped to play once during a Hebridean holiday, left a short note with his green fee in the honesty box, so they now play for the fiver as their club championship trophy). Then take a drive down the moonscape eastern side of Harris. When the crofters were cleared from the fertile lands on the west of the island (to make way for sheep), they were forced to move to the other side, where the shores are pure rock. They switched to fishing, but still attempted to grow a few crops - how, I don't know. Most eventually emigrated, to places like Cape Breton in Canada.

Then take the short ferry hop from Leverburgh to North Uist, and proceed to Askernish as before!
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Adam Lawrence

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2012, 03:59:03 AM »
James - you could always point out to your wife that Barra has to be one of the world's safest airports, because the nature and size of the beach runway means planes can always land and take off straight into the wind - no crosswind approaches there (unless the wind changes I suppose :) ).

A GCA outing to Askernish would be a hoot, whether via Barra or otherwise. If there's interest, I'll have a natter with Ralph and try to set something up.
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Tony_Muldoon

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2012, 05:29:33 AM »

A GCA outing to Askernish would be a hoot, whether via Barra or otherwise. If there's interest, I'll have a natter with Ralph and try to set something up.

Easter is at the end of March next year. I would be very interested in a weekend in April?

(Let me know if that's too subtle ;))
Let's make GCA grate again!

Adam Lawrence

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2012, 05:34:56 AM »

A GCA outing to Askernish would be a hoot, whether via Barra or otherwise. If there's interest, I'll have a natter with Ralph and try to set something up.

Easter is at the end of March next year. I would be very interested in a weekend in April?

(Let me know if that's too subtle ;))

Late April might be good. Spring typically comes quite late up there, as you can imagine. But then that means the rough will be down :)
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

jkinney

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2012, 10:08:56 AM »
James - you could always point out to your wife that Barra has to be one of the world's safest airports, because the nature and size of the beach runway means planes can always land and take off straight into the wind - no crosswind approaches there (unless the wind changes I suppose :) ).

A GCA outing to Askernish would be a hoot, whether via Barra or otherwise. If there's interest, I'll have a natter with Ralph and try to set something up.

Adam - A GCA outing to Askernish is a brilliant idea. I was about to email Ralph to tell him about this thread. So let's both do so !

Adam Lawrence

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #16 on: September 20, 2012, 10:14:18 AM »
I already did!
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Ralph Thompson

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #17 on: September 20, 2012, 10:41:05 AM »
Bill

It takes you three and a half hours to drive from Dornoch to Uig in Skye. A ferry journey of two hours takes you to North Uist which is an hours drive to Askernish.
Tthe drive itself is worth it as it takes you through some of Scotlands best scenery.

jkinney

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #18 on: September 20, 2012, 12:39:43 PM »
Ralph - Thanks for correcting me. I had thought the ferry from Uig on Skye went to Lochboisdale.

jkinney

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Re: jkinney's Askernish threads
« Reply #19 on: September 22, 2012, 10:35:08 AM »

A GCA outing to Askernish would be a hoot, whether via Barra or otherwise. If there's interest, I'll have a natter with Ralph and try to set something up.

Easter is at the end of March next year. I would be very interested in a weekend in April?

(Let me know if that's too subtle ;))

Late April might be good. Spring typically comes quite late up there, as you can imagine. But then that means the rough will be down :)

Adam - I've now been there both in late May and late August. The latter I far preferred because, as you said, spring can arrive quite late - as it did in 2011. It is true that the rough is brutal in August, bu it is also beautiful with the wild flowers.