Machrihanish Golf Club Championship Course Key Information
It’s something of a pilgrimage to reach the Kintyre peninsula but connoisseurs who make the journey are well-rewarded. Excellent use of the land for the vast majority of the course, with vast swathes of marram grass set on bank upon bank of windswept dunes.
There's a stretch of truly memorable and hugely enjoyable holes through the tumbling dunes from the 3rd all the way to the turn, accompanied by stirring views out to the Inner Hebrides. The 3rd is a particularly splendid par 4 played to a well-bunkered green with those distant islands on the horizon.
REASONS TO PLAY MACHRIHANISH
- A superb example of Old Tom Morris fitting a golf course to the natural terrain
- A 1st hole that some regard as the best opener in golf as it curves around the beach (which is in play!)
- A great opportunity to play two starkly contrasting links in one trip with 21st-century Machrihanish Dunes close by
RANKINGS
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 68
Machrihanish has rightly been a mainstay of our Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland from the outset.
For many, the Old Tom Morris Championship course, away from it all on the Kintyre Peninsula, is a ‘must visit’ links in the same bracket as Royal Dornoch 240 miles north-east. Anyone who has made the journey will testify that it is one well worth making for way more than the chance to finally stand on the famous 1st tee and gaze across the beach to the curving fairway beyond.
I well remember my first visit, with my debut played out in the kind of weather even ducks wouldn't venture out in while my non-golfing wife sat chatting to the members in the clubhouse over a steaming pot of tea.
Thankfully, other visits have enjoyed far better weather and there is a real buzz as you get ever closer to the course driving down the Kintyre peninsula on the A83, which hugs the shore for long stretches. That buzz gets greater as you get out of the car to gaze down the famous 1st hole from outside the pro shop. And yes, I did once get to play my second shot from the beach, which is in bounds.
But Machrihanish is far from a ‘best 1st hole in golf’ one-trick pony. The links terrain is among the most natural you will encounter. There's a stretch of truly memorable and hugely enjoyable holes through the tumbling dunes from the 3rd all the way to the turn, all the while accompanied by stirring views out to the Inner Hebrides. Even more reason why it continues to rank among the best courses in Scotland many decades after its birth.
That 3rd hole is a particularly splendid par 4 played to a well-bunkered green with those distant islands on the horizon. After the turn, there are still great holes aplenty a little further from the shore, with the 232-yard par-3 16th a bit of a shock to the system late on, especially if you encounter it in to the wind and are standing there with driver in hand, doubting even that is enough!
Yes, the short par-4 finale may not be the strongest finishing hole around, but golf is a game of give and take, so the chance of a closing birdie will be very welcome if you have succumbed to the 16th. Not every course has to finish with a severe test, with Machrihanish very much in the Prestwick mould on this front.
Indeed, Prestwick is a good comparison, and not just for that and the Old Tom Morris connection. Machrihanish is very much a reminder of the early art of laying out a course to fit the existing terrain rather than adjusting the terrain to suit the designer’s desires – a layout as natural as they come.
In 2018 a devastating clubhouse fire, which razed the building to the ground, sent the club reeling. But the silver lining to that particular cloud was a new purpose-built 21st-century clubhouse that opened in 2021.
Yet more good reason to visit this magical links that, in some ways, provides a living link to the game’s past. Machrihanish is good for the soul, no matter how you play.
What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…
You cannot be anything other than thrilled to tee off over the beach on the 1st, although with increasing numbers of walkers, it’s a worry about hitting someone! It's difficult to match the views anywhere in UK, especially the front-nine dunes and beach. If you climb up onto the high dunes at the back of the men’s 10th tee, the view of the beach and sea is really spectacular.
Jack Nicklaus called the signature 1st the best opening hole in the world and he’s not wrong! A great drive made it a really easy par 5 on the ladies' card for me, but it was still a big risk/reward decision to have to make on your very first shot, which was fun. I've never seen undulations on greens like they were here, and they were immaculate, too. There was really good definition between the fairways and rough, although not much semi, so you could lose a ball on a half-decent shot, which felt a little unfair.
Machrihanish Golf Club Location
Best Courses Near Machrihanish
Best Places To Stay Near Machrihanish
The Ugadale Hotel and Cottages - Book now at Hotels.com
This elegant beachfront hotel and cottage complex in Machrihanish lies right next to the Machrihanish Golf Club but is part of the Machrihanish Dunes set-up. The Ugadale Hotel has been restored to its former glory in recent years and offers 22 stunning guest rooms and suites, finished to the highest standard. A mix of casual elegance combined with modern amenities, historic charm, and unmatched natural beauty.
The Royal Hotel Campbeltown - Book now at Booking.com
Boasting a beautiful location next to the harbour, with rolling hills in the distance, this hotel is five miles from Machrihanish in the heart of Campbeltown. There is free Wi-Fi throughout, and a free shuttle service to the dunes and Campbeltown Airport. The Royal Hotel is also home to The Black Sheep Pub and the elegant Harbourview Grille.
Machrihanish Golf Club Championship Course scorecard
Machrihanish Championship Course Gallery
MACHRIHANISH Championship Course HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I
- 2025/26 - 68
- 2023/24 - 67
- 2021/22 - 64
- 2019/20 - 56
- 2017/18 - 53
- 2015/16 - 50
- 2013/14 - 50
- 2011/12 - 37
- 2009/10 - 32
Frequently Asked Questions
How easy is it to get to Machrihanish?
Machrihanish lies near the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula in western Scotland. You can take a very scenic drive (three hours from Glasgow) on the A82, followed by the A83. Loganair operates daily flights from Glasgow to Campeltown Airport, a ten-minute drive from the golf club, with a flight time of 40 minutes. Or there are various ferry options including a three-hour crossing from Ardrossan near Troon from Thursday to Sunday.
Who designed the course at Machrihanish?
Originally known as The Kintyre Club, the initial layout at Machrihanish, which dates back to 1876, comprised just ten holes before it was extended to 12 by Charles Hunter. In 1879, Old Tom Morris further extended the course to a full 18 holes, creating the iconic first tee-shot around the beach in the process. Further minor changes were made by J.H. Taylor in 1914 and Sir Guy Campbell shortly after WWII.
