News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


Ben Sims

Machrihanish research
« on: April 06, 2025, 10:11:29 PM »
I have a couple of things about Machrihanish stuck in my head but I can’t verify the source of the info.


1) Mach’s current greens are softened versions.


2) Mach didn’t own the land its course is on until the 70’s and livestock grazed on it until then.


Normally I can find this sort of stuff online but I’m struggling. Any ideas for source data?

Simon Barrington

Re: Machrihanish research
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2025, 02:36:27 AM »

"100 Years of Golf at Machrihanish 1876-1976" D. J. McDiarmid - copies are available to buy second hand on-line.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2025, 03:20:35 AM by Simon Barrington »

Niall C

Re: Machrihanish research
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2025, 08:40:05 AM »
Ben


As per Simon's response. Also I think Dr Mac mentioned Machrihanish softening their greens either in Spirit of St A, or Golf Architecture or some article somewhere. He certainly wrote about how the course had gone backwards with the eradication of rabbits !


In terms of what's there now, I don't think you'd feel there was a lack of borrow even if they aren't as Dr Mac described them from when he first played them. However if you also play Mach Dunes their greens are probably closer to what Dr Mac was talking about.


Niall

Tom_Doak

Re: Machrihanish research
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2025, 11:20:10 AM »

In terms of what's there now, I don't think you'd feel there was a lack of borrow even if they aren't as Dr Mac described them from when he first played them. However if you also play Mach Dunes their greens are probably closer to what Dr Mac was talking about.



I have not seen Machrihanish Dunes, because I didn't want to be accused of attacking the architect if I didn't like it.  But my understanding is that the only part of the course that ISN'T natural are the greens, which were the 5 acres that were re-shaped.


My guess is that Machrihanish's original greens that MacKenzie loved were almost entirely natural.  The only greens I have seen like that are at Askernish, and those have a lot more wrinkles in them than just about anything I've ever seen -- to the point that Mike Keiser wanted to pay us to soften them.  [They made a bit more sense at 6 or 7 on the Stimpmeter than they would at 10, but when you've got a four-footer that breaks a foot even at slow green speeds, that's pretty difficult.]


I look at a green like the 2nd at Machrihanish and imagine there were a lot more like it to start with.  But I don't know if any club history is really going to tell you that?  They did share some photos with me that the bunkering was a lot more in your face to begin with . . . that hollow in front of the 12th green, for instance, was once a deep bunker.




Ben Sims

Re: Machrihanish research
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2025, 11:29:42 AM »
We played it 4(?) times in three days last year, three of them in a near gale. My buddies and I sort of laughed about the speed of the greens and the wind. If they were any more contoured they’d have to slow them down from the ~8ft we played them at.


Which is why I’m glad Niall reminded me of Mackenzie’s snippet on the greens at Machrihanish. I couldn’t remember why I thought those greens were once more contoured so thanks for that reminder.


Tom, for what it’s worth I wondered after several plays if the lovely swales in front of 14 and 18 were once rougher or perhaps bunkers themselves.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2025, 11:33:54 AM by Ben Sims »

Tom_Doak

Re: Machrihanish research
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2025, 12:23:31 PM »

Tom, for what it’s worth I wondered after several plays if the lovely swales in front of 14 and 18 were once rougher or perhaps bunkers themselves.


No idea.  Unfortunately, the Mull of Kintyre was well behind Nassau County NY in taking aerial photos of everything.  I doubt there is an aerial photo of Machrihanish from much earlier than whenever they started building the air base there . . . and that one may be classified!

Ally Mcintosh

Re: Machrihanish research
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2025, 01:23:19 PM »
I was going to post the same point Tom made in reply 3, using the 2nd hole at Machrihanish and the greens at Askernish as examples.


….I was going to say you could differentiate between “softened” and “smoothed” in the way that greens have developed over time. I suspect there are many natural links courses that have had greens “smoothed” where the greens still have really cool sites and undulations. I suspect Machrihanish has a few of those. “Softened” I usually associate with greens that were built in the first instance (even 100 years ago) but have been adapted or dumbed down for the modern game.

Tom_Doak

Re: Machrihanish research
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2025, 08:55:13 AM »
RIP the 13th at Dooks


 :'(

Tags: