A Statement from Ralph Thompson Chairman of Askernish Golf Club

[David_Tepper]

There was an article about the course opening in today's Press & Journal (Aberdeen), but I cannot seem to find it online. It appears the displaced crofters are not at all happy and there has been some minor vandalism to the course in recent days.

The article mentions the possibility of 5,000 visitors rounds, with that figure doubling in the coming years. I would be astonished if the course draws anything close to 10,000 rounds annually. Royal Dornoch draws 10,000 to 12,000 visitor rounds a year and one can get there without having to fly or take a ferry.

Does anyone know how many visitor rounds Machrinhanish and/or Machrie get each year? I cannot imagine Askernish drawing much better than those courses. It is just too remote.     

[Jason Hines]

I hope our friends in the UK will update us with any articles and new photos of the grand opening.  Happy to see this project coming down the home stretch.

[Forrest Richardson]

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/sports/missing+hebrides+course+designed+by+golf+legend+returns+after+80+years/2431187

This is a very nice story produced for the evening news. Adam Lawrence of Golf Course Architecture is interviewed along with Ralph and others.

[David_Tepper]

Article in Saturday's (23 August) Press & Journal -

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/801112

This is not the article to which I was referring in my prior post.

[Jason Hines]

Thanks for the updates, would love to see a photo journey sometime of the course to see the progress.  It would help if they do open of ferry service from Mallaig to South Uist at around 3 hours.  A Gringo/Yank such as myself could fly into Glasgow, catch the train and ferry.

Coincidentally, here is the .com version of what I ran across in the US FT Weekend edition about the outer Hebrides.  Interesting that there is no mention of the course....

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/997ca178-70ad-11dd-b514-0000779fd18c.html

Jason

[Jason McNamara]

It would help if they do open of ferry service from Mallaig to South Uist at around 3 hours.  A Gringo/Yank such as myself could fly into Glasgow, catch the train and ferry.

You basically have that option already:  take the train to Oban, then take the ferry.  Only difference is that it's 3 hrs on the train and 5 on the ferry, instead of the reverse (5 & 3) via Mallaig.  Well, and you can play Glencruitten instead of Traigh en route. 

Or just connect in Glasgow via puddle jumper to Barra, land on the beach (literally - http://tinyurl.com/53cyvq), then it's a 40-minute ferry to Eriskay (10 miles from Askernish).