[David_Tepper]

https://www.ft.com/content/46fdb312-deb4-11e8-b173-ebef6ab1374a

I think you can register for free at ft.com to read a limited number of articles per month.

[Conor Rankin]

With the potential opening of Ardfin in the spring, maybe the Scottish Isles trip will become more luxury than rough and ready. Looking forward to seeing Machrie at some stage

[David Davis]

Can't access the article but saw where there are going to be direct flights from Glasgow to Islay starting soon. That will certainly open up this area in terms of access.


Machrie would be an interesting study. A course that in my mind would of been a bit of a living museum totally modernized. It's a good course but there is nothing left from what it once was, I've heard. I did play the new version together with David Russel which was interesting as I'd consider him the best playing architect I have ever played with ha ha. 6 birdies and an ace on his own course in a 50 mph wind.


On the highly critical side there was nothing left of the old design. something like 23 blind shots turned into 0. The explanation of how it was I managed to follow for about 2 holes then it was just so much information i couldn't keep track.


Wish I could of seen it. I think there is a good chance this opinion would only apply to those of us that have this nerdy purist lean as I've heard others say they loved the course and it may well be a much more successful commercial venture in the new form as opposed to something the retail golfer was turned off by in the original form.


Hard to sell 23 blind shots to the retail golfer.

[Marty Bonnar]

Planning a visit to Islay this summer.
Eight distilleries to ‘Experience’, so not sure how much golf we’ll play, but will defo be seeing The Machrie. Very much looking forward to it.
F.

[Pete_Pittock]

One trip I had the first tee time at Royal Dornoch and tried to make the last ferry to Islay. Close, but no cigar. I was one of the few customers at The Machrie the next two days and the quirkiness was slightly above the scale of Painswick. Hope they meet with success. No hole in one, but I did find a (cow's) vertebra next to my ball in a bunker. Made sure it wasn't human before exhuming it and the half buried ball.


Hope this iteration of the course and the hotel are better received.

[Bill Gayne]

A little more than a year ago we took the ferry over to Islay from Campbelltown. The course was complete and fun to play. At that time there were only five bunkers and I think three of them were on one hole and only two of the bunkers on the course came into play. There was a plan to build a smaller practice course.  The new lodging was in the midst of construction and the old cottages were housing construction workers. I would love to go back and see the finished product. Going to the Machrie is about the journey.


I'm not a whisky drinker but we did tour Laphroaig while there. The best export from Islay is The Botanist.

[Marty Bonnar]

The best export from Islay is The Botanist.

Just about the single stupidest thing I’ve ever read on GCA.
Love,
F.

[Bill Gayne]

The best export from Islay is The Botanist.

Just about the single stupidest thing I’ve ever read on GCA.
Love,
F.

I'll bring it a little bit lower for you. I've never drank battery acid but I imagine it tastes like whisky. I bought an expensive bottle of whisky at Laphroaig and went through all the trouble to bring it back home to Virginia. Since then I've had no interest to even open and sip. I'm more than happy to share with anyone that comes to my home.

There's some great gin coming out of the Hebrides. In particular Wild Island Gin from the Isle of Colonsay.


Bill

[Marty Bonnar]

Whisky doesn’t taste like battery acid. Stick to drinking gin, Mildred.
F.

[Bill Gayne]

Touche with Mildred reference.

[Marty Bonnar]

The Botanist is sensational, but I’d always choose their original produce!
F.

[Bill Gayne]

The Botanist is good but I really love the Wild Island. Unfortunately it's not available in America so it's a must pick-up in the UK.

[Niall C]

Can't access the article but saw where there are going to be direct flights from Glasgow to Islay starting soon. That will certainly open up this area in terms of access.


Machrie would be an interesting study. A course that in my mind would of been a bit of a living museum totally modernized. It's a good course but there is nothing left from what it once was, I've heard. I did play the new version together with David Russel which was interesting as I'd consider him the best playing architect I have ever played with ha ha. 6 birdies and an ace on his own course in a 50 mph wind.


On the highly critical side there was nothing left of the old design. something like 23 blind shots turned into 0. The explanation of how it was I managed to follow for about 2 holes then it was just so much information i couldn't keep track.


Wish I could of seen it. I think there is a good chance this opinion would only apply to those of us that have this nerdy purist lean as I've heard others say they loved the course and it may well be a much more successful commercial venture in the new form as opposed to something the retail golfer was turned off by in the original form.


Hard to sell 23 blind shots to the retail golfer.

David

 I wasn't aware they had stopped the flights from Glasgow. I was aware that they recently stopped doing the package that Machrihanish still does which is a flight over in the morning, pick up and dropped off at golf course, round of golf, bite to eat and then delivered back to airport to get early evening flight.

I was disappointed when they stopped doing it a couple of years ago and I think that was down to the then owners of the course and not the airline. Back then it was c.£150 for Machrihanish trip and about £10 more for Machrie.

Re your blindness comments, it was always known as a course for blind shots, even in this land of the blind shot, but that was part of its charm. It's now another golf course and you could argue having zero blind shots is actually bizarre for a links. And while I've no way of being certain I suspect the course has always relied on visitors as opposed to membership and those visitors probably comprised mainly UK. I very much doubt they would be turned off by blind shots. Would travelling Americans who are presumably the retail golfers you refer to ? If they have made the trip to Scotland with golf clubs I've got to think they have already bought into playing something different than at home but maybe I'm wrong.

Niall

[jeffwarne]

When I played the Machrie in 2009 the problem wasn't the blind shots (I'm confident there weren't 23 blind shots-although I am 6 foot 5 ) as where to hit the ball was somewhat intuitive and marked by marker poles.
The problem was the lost ball rough just off the narrowed fairways. The course lacked two mower passes on each side from being an incredibly invigorating and scenic place to play.


I'm not high maintenance, but the black water coming out of the shower and sink was off putting at best, and the accommodations were dated at best, and the low lying barracks looking buildings around the course were quite unattractive.
Nonetheless, I would've returned in a heartbeat with slightly wider fairways and/or less lost balls that trickled into the foot high untrampled rough.


I'm not in a real hurry to race back to a course with "no blind shots" as there is so much to explore, and so many classic courses I rarely feel the need to visit new modern courses-hopefully I'm wrong.

[Tim Gallant]

Can't access the article but saw where there are going to be direct flights from Glasgow to Islay starting soon. That will certainly open up this area in terms of access.


Machrie would be an interesting study. A course that in my mind would of been a bit of a living museum totally modernized. It's a good course but there is nothing left from what it once was, I've heard. I did play the new version together with David Russel which was interesting as I'd consider him the best playing architect I have ever played with ha ha. 6 birdies and an ace on his own course in a 50 mph wind.


On the highly critical side there was nothing left of the old design. something like 23 blind shots turned into 0. The explanation of how it was I managed to follow for about 2 holes then it was just so much information i couldn't keep track.


Wish I could of seen it. I think there is a good chance this opinion would only apply to those of us that have this nerdy purist lean as I've heard others say they loved the course and it may well be a much more successful commercial venture in the new form as opposed to something the retail golfer was turned off by in the original form.


Hard to sell 23 blind shots to the retail golfer.

David

 I wasn't aware they had stopped the flights from Glasgow. I was aware that they recently stopped doing the package that Machrihanish still does which is a flight over in the morning, pick up and dropped off at golf course, round of golf, bite to eat and then delivered back to airport to get early evening flight.

I was disappointed when they stopped doing it a couple of years ago and I think that was down to the then owners of the course and not the airline. Back then it was c.£150 for Machrihanish trip and about £10 more for Machrie.

Re your blindness comments, it was always known as a course for blind shots, even in this land of the blind shot, but that was part of its charm. It's now another golf course and you could argue having zero blind shots is actually bizarre for a links. And while I've no way of being certain I suspect the course has always relied on visitors as opposed to membership and those visitors probably comprised mainly UK. I very much doubt they would be turned off by blind shots. Would travelling Americans who are presumably the retail golfers you refer to ? If they have made the trip to Scotland with golf clubs I've got to think they have already bought into playing something different than at home but maybe I'm wrong.

Niall

Niall, David,


I played the course with head greenskeeper Dean Muir there a month ago, and it's worth bearing a few things in mind:


- There are still three original greens in play (1, 4 and 6 I believe)
- There are still blind shots to be played. The 3rd green plays to an infinity-like green and depending on where the pin is, can be blind. 6 is also blind unless you're on the very left of the fairway. Unless you have a massive drive, I believe 10 would also be blind, as would the second shot into 11. Again, depending on your drive on 17, that would be completely blind.
- There are members of The Machrie who use the hotel as a clubhouse. From what I understand, it is a healthy membership. I don't know if this influenced the design considerations, but they do hold medals there regularly.
- The short course is open and looks amazing! It is basically a few greensites with short grass everywhere. You can play any shots into any of the greens, and it looked like a ton of fun.

[David Davis]

I'm not high maintenance, but the black water coming out of the shower and sink was off putting at best, and the accommodations were dated at best, and the low lying barracks looking buildings around the course were quite unattractive.
Nonetheless, I would've returned in a heartbeat with slightly wider fairways and/or less lost balls that trickled into the foot high untrampled rough.

So you want clean, drinkable running water and a warm shower not to mention you don't want to lose any balls. Definitely sounds like high maintenance to me. 75% of the world you've just excluded.    On top of that it has to be a classic course and hidden gem that no-one knows about. You are one tough cookie, Mr. Warn.

[jeffwarne]

I'm not high maintenance, but the black water coming out of the shower and sink was off putting at best, and the accommodations were dated at best, and the low lying barracks looking buildings around the course were quite unattractive.
Nonetheless, I would've returned in a heartbeat with slightly wider fairways and/or less lost balls that trickled into the foot high untrampled rough.

So you want clean, drinkable running water and a warm shower not to mention you don't want to lose any balls. Definitely sounds like high maintenance to me. 75% of the world you've just excluded.    On top of that it has to be a classic course and hidden gem that no-one knows about. You are one tough cookie, Mr. Warn.

Ha!
Exactly
I didn't mention warm but yes (warm shower probably more important than drinkable).
And I'd say 75% exclusion is a low estimate given the dearth of links courses in the world.
And yes hidden and classic are perfect 


Actually, as I typed today and 9 years ago, 2 more mower passes would've been sufficient.

[Jon Wiggett]

Jeff,


when I stayed and played there for four nights at the end of the 1980's in January the accommodation was pretty dodgy even then. No warm water and a wind tunnel of a bedroom at the inn but the food was good and the company good. Course was in good nick and apart from a couple of locals I didn't see anyone for the rest of the week.


I hope the new incarnation is a success for the owners and Islay.

[Neil Regan]

Here is an accessible article with some very appealing photos. From last year, by,I think, David Whyte at Linksland.com.


http://www.linksland.com/blog/2jagaekphal8tn8ss5l7pjgn5twden

[David McIntosh]

Can't access the article but saw where there are going to be direct flights from Glasgow to Islay starting soon. That will certainly open up this area in terms of access.

David

 I wasn't aware they had stopped the flights from Glasgow. I was aware that they recently stopped doing the package that Machrihanish still does which is a flight over in the morning, pick up and dropped off at golf course, round of golf, bite to eat and then delivered back to airport to get early evening flight.

I was disappointed when they stopped doing it a couple of years ago and I think that was down to the then owners of the course and not the airline. Back then it was c.£150 for Machrihanish trip and about £10 more for Machrie.

Niall,

I think David may have been thinking of (and he can correct me if I’m wrong!) the recent announcement that there will be direct flights from Edinburgh to Islay starting early next year. It’s apparently the first ever scheduled flight to the Hebrides out of Edinburgh and is due to commence at the end of March. Here’s the link to the story:
https://www.loganair.co.uk/edinburgh-press-release-oct18/

I played the Machrie in 2013, which wasn’t long after the hotel went into administration. The hotel had been mothballed, was draughty and in almost total darkness, all very eerie, like something out of the Shining! The only room that was still in use was the bar with a table in the corner acting as the pro shop selling markers and towels - which was a real shame. They had an old photo of the lost Mount Zion hole hanging on the wall. As for the course, there was a fair bit of blindness, but I loved it and had it up there with Machrihanish in terms of quality (I possibly even preferred it in parts, although remember the par 3s being the weakest aspect of the course). I should return at some point to see how much it has been changed from the version I played, maybe as part of a Scottish island-hopping tour in the future.

[Steve Salmen]

Some time in 2006 I took a good friend on a golf trip to Scotland.  We played a lot of great golf in a short period of time.  We embarked on an ambitious adventure at one point, playing 36 at Machrihanish then taking the ferry to Ilsay, playing 36 the next day and then ferrying back to Kennacraig and driving to Dornoch, arriving at 11pm or so.
What happened at the Machrie is still laughed about by my Scottish friends whenever I see them, regardless of the number of years passed in between.  This is classic lost in translation:

After arriving at the Machrie late in the afternoon, I went to the pro shop with my friend as the pro was closing shop.  I informed him that we had to catch the ferry the next day at whatever time and wanted to play 36 starting at 6 am, to which he replied, "Show up half six and we'll get you out." Not sure there would be enough time, I asked again if it would be OK if we teed off at 6.  Again, he said to show up, "half six" and was pretty emphatic that was the end of discussion. So, I agreed and walked away with my friend.
After my friend was pretty sure nobody was around, he grabbed me and not so quietly exclaimed, "Dude, what is wrong with you?"  I had no idea what he was talking about and said as much.  His response was priceless: "The old bastard is talking about showing up to have sex and you're into it!!"

I thought for a moment and had to laugh and tell him that half six is 6:30 in the UK.
It was a huge mistake to show up late, play 36 and split.  The place was fantastic.  I thought it was the kind of place to park yourself for 2-4 days and just relax.  Cold, brown water does not bother me on golfing holidays.  I enjoyed golfing in the dunes and would have like to have returned again.  I thought it was quite difficult without any local knowledge. 

[Niall C]

Niall,

I think David may have been thinking of (and he can correct me if I’m wrong!) the recent announcement that there will be direct flights from Edinburgh to Islay starting early next year. It’s apparently the first ever scheduled flight to the Hebrides out of Edinburgh and is due to commence at the end of March. Here’s the link to the story:
https://www.loganair.co.uk/edinburgh-press-release-oct18/

David

You are perhaps correct but I note that the article doesn't say anything about the golf so perhaps the packages that Loganair do with both Machrihanish and Mach Dunes won't be resurrected. However I had a bit of a chuckle at this quote from the guy at Guernsay airport;

"Guernsey Airport is delighted with Loganair’s launch of the Guernsey to Edinburgh route for 2019, which compliments the existing Glasgow to Guernsey service. These services now give people in Central Scotland direct access to Guernsey, during the spring and summer seasons. We also know there is demand in Guernsey for direct access to Scotland and these routes aim to capture that traffic."

Clearly he doesn't realise where Glasgow is.

Niall

[David Davis]

Can't access the article but saw where there are going to be direct flights from Glasgow to Islay starting soon. That will certainly open up this area in terms of access.

Niall,

I think David may have been thinking of (and he can correct me if I’m wrong!) the recent announcement that there will be direct flights from Edinburgh to Islay starting early next year. It’s apparently the first ever scheduled flight to the Hebrides out of Edinburgh and is due to commence at the end of March. Here’s the link to the story:
https://www.loganair.co.uk/edinburgh-press-release-oct18/

I played the Machrie in 2013, which wasn’t long after the hotel went into administration. The hotel had been mothballed, was draughty and in almost total darkness, all very eerie, like something out of the Shining! The only room that was still in use was the bar with a table in the corner acting as the pro shop selling markers and towels - which was a real shame. They had an old photo of the lost Mount Zion hole hanging on the wall. As for the course, there was a fair bit of blindness, but I loved it and had it up there with Machrihanish in terms of quality (I possibly even preferred it in parts, although remember the par 3s being the weakest aspect of the course). I should return at some point to see how much it has been changed from the version I played, maybe as part of a Scottish island-hopping tour in the future.

David,


Thanks, yes that's the one. I just saw a quick ad and then related it to this post. I will definitely be using this flight at least once next year so I hope they keep it going.


Last time I drove down, stayed the night right near Kennecraig then took the early morning ferry over. That makes for quite a journey. It's fun and a beautiful drive but I've already done that once so a 30-45 minute flight sounds like fun.

[David McIntosh]

David,

Thanks, yes that's the one. I just saw a quick ad and then related it to this post. I will definitely be using this flight at least once next year so I hope they keep it going.

Last time I drove down, stayed the night right near Kennecraig then took the early morning ferry over. That makes for quite a journey. It's fun and a beautiful drive but I've already done that once so a 30-45 minute flight sounds like fun.

David,

It looks like they’ll increase the number of flights during the summer schedule and I’d imagine you’ll be safe during the first year of operation until they work out how popular the route is and then adjust accordingly in future periods.

I did the same as you last time (drove to Kennacraig and got the ferry) and there’s some lovely scenery on the way but it’s a 6 hour trip one way from Edinburgh so, I agree, a shorter flight may be preferable next time! As you’ll know, the airport and golf course are reasonably close to Port Ellen but I did find it helpful to have my car previously for travelling around the rest of the island. We used a taxi for a night out in Bowmore (actually very good!) but not sure how easy things would be lugging clubs and bags around on public transport or how frequent it is so perhaps a hire car would still be a good idea if flying.

David

You are perhaps correct but I note that the article doesn't say anything about the golf so perhaps the packages that Loganair do with both Machrihanish and Mach Dunes won't be resurrected.

Niall,

Fear not...they’re still running the Machrihanish/Mach Dunes trips. The Machrie used to be on this page when I’ve looked before so it appears that one has been discontinued.

https://www.loganair.co.uk/adventure-days/golf-machrihanish/

I don’t remember the offer being restricted to Monday-Friday or for a minimum of 4 golfers though, as is the case now.

[Niall C]

David

I see that and I also see they have extended it to Mach Dunes. I've done the Machrihanish one in the past and it's a good way of doing it. I've been looking out over the last couple of years for the Machrie one being renewed however no luck so far and while Loganair have announced they will be flying from Edinburgh, there is nothing about an all-in package with pick up and return to airport. Yes, you can organize that yourself but it makes it easy if it is already done for you.

Niall

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