The Machrie: Old fashioned, Scottish links golf at its best  Golf International, Inc. For any golfer yet to experience playing a real Scottish links course, one of the game's greatest treats still lies in store, There is a special attraction about links golf that quickly captures the thrill-seeker hidden deep within each of us; but be warned, once tasted, the neatly manicured fairways of your home club will never seem the same.  Machrie: A journey through golf history This is the way golf was supposed to be, a test between the player, the elements and the layouts that have been carved and shaped by Mother Nature over centuries. With no bulldozers or other mechanical means to artificially transform the terrain, these natural old courses are the essence of golf and the very history of the game. There may be no better place to experience the true delights of a Scottish links than at The Machrie, a 116 year old wonder, located on the tiny Isle of Islay, sitting 15 miles off Scotland's west coast. The name may not have the panache of a Royal Troon, Carnoustie or St. Andrews, but this little known course contains more links character than all of the rest together. Just 240 square miles and a sparse population of barely 3,400 inhabitants might make Islay (pronounced Eye-la) sound insignificant, but nothing could be further from the truth. The island contains more of Scotland than you may think.  Bowmore is Islay's oldest whisky distillery. It is home to no less than seven working whisky distilleries and is classified as an official whisky region in its own right. Laphroaig, Bowmore, Lagavulin, Ardbeg Caol Ila, Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain, each produce a unique version of the distinctively peaty tasting whisky that proudly carries the Islay label The temptation to visit a distillery or two (or maybe more) and sample the island product is not to be resisted -- succumb to temptation, but do so with moderation -- there's a lot of whisky to taste. Most distilleries welcome visitors with open arms and a genuine warmth unique to Islay. Their insistence in offering samples of whisky is nothing less than generous, so pace yourself.  Machrie's wild sand dunes and hungry rough are to be avoided at all costs. Islay's profusion of distilleries is more than enough to encourage many a golfer to visit, but once those connoisseurs of the "water of life" learn this is also home to one of the world's greatest, yet virtually unknown links courses, the appeal increases ten fold. There is something about island golf that always impresses and Machrie delivers all of the promise, and more. Wonderfully wild, isolated and filled with character, this is traditional links golf at its very best. Originally laid out in 1891 by Willie Campbell, shortly before he emigrated to the USA to become the first professional at Brookline, Mass., the design is one of the finest produced in the 19th century. Working in total unison with the ideal terrain of windswept dunes, Campbell went out of his way to build a course that was to be the longest and most difficult of the day -- and he succeeded in grand style.  The Laphroaig Still House -- producing the water of life. The course today, remains very much as it was more than a hundred years ago when the great triumvirate, James Braid, JH Taylor and Harry Vardon, played it in a competition for a purse of one hundred pounds. The three agreed, Machrie was the most difficult course any of them had ever played. At 6,250 yards, Machrie's length is modest by today's standards, but that doesn't detract from the amazing challenge it musters and no less important, the sheer joy it will bring to any maven of links golf. There are blind holes everywhere, a killer wind that is as fickle as it is destructive and the ever-present sand dunes that hide Machrie's wicked teeth. Keep a sense of humor, enjoy the spectacular views and savor a true masterpiece of golf history -- this is one of those layouts that demand to be played more than once.  The Machrie: Old-fashioned golf at its best.
Machrie can be experienced on a day excursion, taking a 45 minute flight from Glasgow airport, but this will limit you to a single round and eliminate the opportunity to visit a distillery or two. Better to make Islay a real experience and plan on a couple of nights on the island, staying at the 100 year old inn located on the course. The rooms are very comfortable, the food excellent and the staff brimming over with Islay hospitality. There is something about island golf that is different, even in the world of links golf and this tiny little island makes that fact of life, very apparent. An evening or two spent with good friends in front of the bar's peat fire, while sampling a dram or two and figuring out how you will master Machrie tomorrow, will last a lifetime. For a few ideas on how to include Islay's whisky and golf, on your Scottish trip, click here. © 2007 David Brice / Golf International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Golf International -- Providers of quality golf travel arrangements since 1988. For more suggestions on how to include Scotland in your golf trip, click here. |
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