Braid Hills #1....fabulous course. Played it twice in 1999. It bookended an Old Course/Carnoustie trip.
2 of the 4 of us agreed to was the 2nd best course we played that week. At the time it was $15 US.
One of the great hidden gems, and unlike anything in the States (at least in No. Cal.) perhaps you could compare it to Pacific Grove (shorter course) but much more fun. Ridicule Monty as you wish, but do not speak ill of Braids.

Geoff, you buried the lede. Montie... promoting the "Bupa Great Edinburgh Run..." ?

Who is going to make a Fupa joke?

Monty never got the memo......design work is as dead as a bag of higgis

Has anybody played Machrihanish? Not the new Dunes course by Kidd, but the old one. I recently re-read "Spirit of St. Andrews" and I'm curious if anybody has an opinion on the conditions inside the last half-century or so, lol.


Cheers,


LK

LK ... I have played Machrihanish but well over thirty years ago. It's too long ago to offer any detailed insight other than to say it's a real old-fashioned type of links course which includes a liberal helping of blind shots and undulating, tight fairways in amongst the dunes. It's one of those courses that makes you feel as though you're stepping back into the mists of time.

Well worth a visit BUT a helluva place to get to. When it comes to the challenge of getting from A to B, Scotland is not as small a place as some folk think! If you happen to have a spare helio-copter in your hip pocket, this would be the preferred choice of locomotion.

Oh and by the way, you may need a couple of heart pills for the opening tee-shot!

Played Machrihanish two years ago. Good course, old fashioned, rather tapers away into blandness after the first eight holes. If you are really interested in playing a great course and keen enough to go even further afield, you'll need to catch a plane from Glasgow to Islay, or drive utilizing the car ferry (about five hours all told, two and a bit on the ferry). There you will find The Machrie, a wonderful course, far more interesting than Machrihanish. Old-fashioned, wending through dunes, blind holes galore, great condition, beautiful views, uncrowded: in short, on a fine day, you'll think you're in heaven. Beware: not every day is fine in Islay however!

I grew up on the Braids. It's one of those courses that's more fun than you can imagine. Pretty short but you had better hit the ball straight! I can't believe that Montgomerie has never been there before - but then he's as Scottish as Pall Mall.

Carnaptious...thanks for the writeup! I'm surprised it has some many blind shots(are these more approaches or tee shots?) - since Mackenzie spoke often of limiting blind shots on great courses/holes. And he seemed to LOVE Mach. As for it being out of the way - well, honestly...if I can afford the airfare over there(I'm in Canada), then I'd like to make the golf/lodging as economical as possible. Mach seems to have week-long cabin rentals that seem to be incredibly reasonable.

Fourputter - Thanks for the headsup on Islay!! I'm now heading out to Googleland to find out what I can about the Machrie. Cheers!


-LK

LiquidKaos

My pleasure. If you're traveling by road you can "do" both courses in one trip. M'nish is near the foot of the Mull of Kintyre (Campbeltown); the ferry for Islay leaves from Kennacraig near West Loch Tarbert, about 35 miles north, on the Mull. Probably best to play M'nish first and The Machrie second.

If you're visiting in other than late-July / early August you'll have no problem getting cheap accommodation in both places. And the drive from Glasgow is through glorious scenery along Loch Lomondside, Loch Long and Loch Fyne.

I hope your trip comes off and that you enjoy it.

@fourputter - thanks for the tips! I really hope to make it over someday, explore the root and all that(I'm Scots-Irish).


Cheers,


Rob

fourputter, I think you've identified my itinerary. My single malt tastes adore Lagavulin and otherwise are happiest with other Islay's. Now that I know about the course....

Re Machrihanish and The Machrie
Played both during a trip back home two years ago.

If it's one or t'other definitely The Machrie
But be prepared for a few blind shots.
So better make it two rounds so you know where you are going the second time round

And of course The Machrie is located in the heart of Islay malt whisky country.

Slainte

PS

It's only a brief flight from Glasgow and The Machrie hotel will be pleased to pick you up.
That's assuming you stay there. And if you don't you'll regret it

Re Machrie
You don't even have to stay at the hotel to get picked up. You arrange the a golf package through FlyBe and get a meal included.
Every year a bunch of us (12, there is a maximum number of golfers allowed per flight) from Limekilns in Fife to go Machrie for the day. Leave at 6am drive through to Glasgow, 20 minute Flight to Islay, bacon rolls and a nip, round of golf, lunch (Mince and Tatties), several (not so) light refreshments, journey back to Limekilns and finish up in the Ship Inn.
Total cost excluding drinks about £150.
Highlight of the year.

Most welcome LK. On the blind hole thing, you may have caught me out there. Perhaps there are not so many as my increasingly limited memory recalls. Perhaps my memory was coloured by the rubbish scores!

Fourputter's right about Machrie. Thoroughly recommend it. Although it too is a very long time since I played it, I seem to recall lovely turf and a distinct absence of divot marks!

Although I've never played the Dunes, it is one of those courses I would like to play before I'm called to play the ultimate blind hole! Unlike Trump who has steamrollered his way over environmental and heritage concerns in Aberdeen, McLay Kidd has worked closely with them by creating, hopefully, a course that will in all respects stand the test of time. The downside is, I doubt it will be as cheap as the next course I'm going to recommend!

For the sheer fun of it, you may wish to play Dunaverty (£20 a round!) which is on the other side of the Kintyre peninsula. It now boasts modern facilities but when I last played it, the green fee went into an honesty box. I seem to recall the presence of sheep as well! Curtis Cup player, Belle Robertson, is its most famous 'production'.

carnaptious - thanks again mate! I'm seriously going to need to start saving my pennies and make it over there. I dread waking up one day with the money in my pocket(say 10 years from now) and not having these same courses to choose from(basically the classics I have been reading about and now hearing from you folks).

Food and clothing are off my budget until the trip becomes a reality! Ah, if only..

Thanks again all - if any of you ever make it to Edmonton, AB - be sure to drop me a line for a round. I'm sure we don't have the same level of comparable courses - but the beer flows cold and true, and the banter is as good as anywheres, I'd imagine.


Cheers,

LK

Tom M:

Limekilns ... haven't been there in decades.

Dunfermline lad, myself, but I'm sure you won't hold that against me. :-) :-).

DGS:

Sure won't, we even let some people from Charlestown onto the Machrie trip. I moved through to Fife after Uni (1978) and lived in Dunfermline from 1984 until about 14 years ago when I moved down to sunny Limekilns.