Willie Campbell designed the course in 1891; legend has it he spent just two days on Islay before concluding “this place was made for gowf”. In 1901, Harry Vardon, JH Taylor and James Braid played an exhibition match here for what was then the richest purse in golf, £100. The original layout famously included 17 blind shots, most of which DJ Russell smoothed out in a complete redesign between 2013 and 2018.
When getting to a golf course is as challenging as travelling to Islay, expectations – or rather, hopes – are bound to be high. That was certainly the case for me. I was therefore all the more delighted that ‘The Machrie Golf Links’ fully lived up to these high expectations. The course is a real gem. Time and again, golfers are treated to wonderful views of the Atlantic Ocean, and even on the holes that don’t face the sea, the surrounding landscape is simply stunning. The rollercoaster fairways are a thrilling, yet always fair, ride. A fantastic course!
