The Machrie Golf Links Key Information
The Machrie is a wonderful modern interpretation of the classic links game. The sound of the sea waves is an almost constant companion, with the most stunning of the sea views starting from the 3rd tee. The one from the 9th, where you tee off directly towards the sea, takes some beating.
It is simply a magnificent place to play, and thought-provoking too, with several strategic choices to be made as you make your way round. Magical green settings abound, with the 2nd, wedged between river and beach, standing out.
REASONS TO PLAY THE MACHRIE LINKS
- Simply getting to Islay, whether by air or sea, makes it an adventure
- An amazing assault on your visual senses pretty much from start to finish
- There may only be one golf course on Islay, but a disproportionate number of distilleries for whisky lovers
RANKINGS
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 52
Golf on whisky-rich Islay in the Inner Hebrides dates back to Willie Campbell’s original Machrie Links in 1891. This had long been a highly regarded golfing outpost in UK&I golfing circles. But it is the recent developments here that have been attracting ever-more worldwide acclaim for what remains the only island course in our Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland rankings.
Tour pro, DJ Russell, was initially tasked with making a few tweaks, but the term “a few tweaks” soon took on a whole new meaning. The project gradually expanded into a wholesale upgrading of this famous links on the island’s west coast along with a major redevelopment of the hotel into a first-rate 47-room facility.
Yes, just three greens remain from The Machrie’s previous incarnation, which may grate with some purists. But DJ’s new masterpiece plays over a rumpled, landscape of unending drama with several front-nine tees set right beside the beach. No wonder it sits right at the top of most people's lists of the best island courses in the UK&I.
I've been fortunate enough to play The Machrie both many years ago and since the most recent changes, and while many might say you should never touch a classic, there are exceptions and, for me, The Machrie is one of those.
Admittedlly, I knew little about golf course design 30 years ago on my first visit, but on my return, things had clearly been taken to a whole new level on a links that is an absolute delight to both play and walk round due to its stunning oceanside setting. For a lover of both links golf and whisky, like me, there are few better places on earth to visit than Islay.
It is quite simply a magnificent place to play golf, and thought-provoking too, with several strategic choices to be made as you make your way round. Magical green settings abound, with the 2nd, wedged between river and beach, standing out along with the gorgeous, short par-3 9th with its ocean backdrop.
And those purists will be relieved to learn that just enough blind or semi-blind shots remain – one of the original course’s trademarks - most notably on the approach to the clever risk-reward 7th along the shore.
Add in a fine short-game area, the superb six-hole Wee course and three putting greens, and the new ‘Hebrides’ social course, whose holes mirror the original 1891 course at a tenth of the size, and you now have one excellent golf facility worth the trek to Islay alone even without the allure of the many distilleries.
If you’ve not been to The Machrie for some time, it’s time to take another look. If you’ve never been, just go.
What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…
The Machrie is the golfing jewel in the delightful Hebridean Island of Islay. The signature par 3 9th highlights much that is good about the course. From an elevated tee and playing towards the sea, the green nestles among the sandy dune scrapes with the beach and views of the distant mountains in the background. As a total experience, The Machrie really is hard to beat. I could play the course day-after-day and never get bored with it.
As with all the very top courses, it is a seriously difficult technical challenge. Best to aim for middle of the greens on approach shots and then worry about the putting. And pray for calm conditions…! A fairly exclusive clique within the UK&I T100 golf courses in terms of locations arduous to reach has been created by the golfing gods for those prepared to travel. And travel you should, to enjoy the magic of The Machrie.
The Machrie Hotel & Golf Links location
Enquire about a booking at The Machrie
The Machrie Links scorecard
Best Courses Near The Machrie Links
Best Places To Stay Near The Machrie
Machrie Hotel & Golf Links - Book now at Booking.com
The Machrie, just outside Port Ellen, has its own excellent four-star hotel. Each room has a desk minibar, safe, flat-screen TV and private bathroom fitted with a shower and free toiletries. Many bathrooms also have a bath. The hotel restaurant and bar are available for lunch and dinner, serving a variety of Scottish and British dishes. Afternoon tea is also served in the Stag or Courtyard Lounge.
The Trout Fly Guest House, Port Ellen - Book now at Booking.com
The Trout Fly Guest House lies in the centre of Port Ellen, minutes from the ferry terminal and just three miles from the airport. There is a resident's lounge for you to relax in with a TV and tea/coffee making facilities plus free WiFi throughout. The local distilleries of Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg are close by as is the local RSPB reserve.
The Machrie Links Gallery
THE MACHRIE LINKS HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I
- 2025/26 - 52
- 2023/24 - 52
- 2021/22 - 52
- 2019/20 - 90
- 2011/12 - 95
- 2009/10 - 89
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is The Machrie Golf Links?
The Machrie lies on the western side of the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland, close to the island's airport. There are daily flights to Islay from Glasgow with Loganair that take 25 minutes. Or you can take the ferry from Kennacraig on Kintyre into either Port Ellen in the south or Port Askaig further north, from where you can also get a short ferry crossing to Jura.
How many golf courses are there on Islay?
Sadly, just one these days at The Machrie. There were several more in the past, among them a nine-hole course at Gartmain in Bowmore, which closed shortly before World War II. There was also a course at Uisguintuie, which closed in the 1920s, as well as courses at Gesgeir, Kilnaughton and Scanistle. There is now a very high-end golf course at Ardfin on the neighbouring island of Jura, which opened in 2015.
