Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club

In the last decade Scotland has seen some outstanding new links courses emerge and, in the unique coastal corner of the Mull of Kintyre, Machrihanish Dunes has become a favourite for golfers who like their links raw and natural. With roughly 32,000 golf courses worldwide, only around 270 can genuinely be classed as links, and this one earned its place when it opened in 2009.

This is proper links golf: firm, fast turf, rumpled fairways and natural dune corridors, with the Atlantic never far from view. David McLay Kidd (of Bandon Dunes fame) routed the holes through the existing landscape, so you can see it in the routing and the way the holes sit in the dunes. You'll find deep pot bunkers, runs and kick-slopes that can help or hurt, and approaches that reward imagination more than brute force.

From the back tees it can stretch to just over 7,100 yards, but the real defence is the wind. Get the breeze off the sea and you'll hit anything from flighted irons to hold-on-for-dear-life hybrids into greens that sit up on natural shelves and fall away in all the wrong places. The layout changes completely depending on wind direction, and the greens are quick, contoured and often perched on natural plateaus that punish anything offline.

This is the sort of place that makes you want to book another tee time before you've finished your pint. If you want a genuine Scottish links round away from the crowds, this is the kind of place you'll talk about on the drive home.

Who is this for?
Golfers seeking a genuine, unspoilt links experience on Scotland's west coast, with a course that rewards strategy and shot-making over length alone.

Who is it best for?
Mid-to-low handicappers who relish the challenge of firm, fast conditions and creative shot-making, plus anyone chasing a bucket-list links round in a stunning, remote setting.

Want to play Machrihanish Dunes on your next Scotland break? Have a look at our Mull of Kintyre golf trips and we'll sort the tee times and stay.