New Machrihanish Golf course preserves wildlife

Machrihanish Dunes. - copyright SNH

November 2008. In sharp contract with Donald Trump's efforts to ruin the dunescape of Aberdeenshire, close collaboration between wildlife experts from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and golf course designers DMK Golf Design has resulted in Machrihanish Dunes, the first 18-hole links golf course to be built on the west coast of Scotland for 100 years. The course, which lies to the north of Campbeltown in the west of Scotland, has been carefully designed on a nationally important wildlife site, special for its sand dunes and the rich plant life they support.

Benefits
Stan Phillips from Scottish Natural Heritage said: "When we were first approached by the developers we took a lot of convincing to even consider having a golf course slap bang in the middle of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). But we quickly realised that the links golf course could be designed carefully and sensitively, and have some benefits to the wildlife on the site."

Sheep grazing
The dunes are home to many species of orchids, including the rare pyramidal orchid and the early marsh orchid. Following a very thorough survey of the site by the developers, the greens, tees and fairways were sited well away from any environmentally sensitive areas. Fertilisers and pesticides are only used on greens and tees and a flock of sheep graze the site, keeping the rough under control and helping the rare plant life flourish. The club house, roads and car park are all sited out with the SSSI.

Paul Kimber, one of the course designers with DMK Golf Design said: "We knew from the beginning that the biggest hurdle for the development would be making it possible for SNH to allow the project to go ahead without objections. We had worked on other sites where areas were protected but never an entire site! The developer hired one of the best ecologists and after being educated by her and SNH we were able to come up with a design that would work for everybody.

Old Tom Morris
"Indeed through the design, development and construction of the course we have worked closely together resulting in a unique golfing experience more akin to the time of Old Tom Morris and the earliest days of golf."

Machrihanish Dunes
Set on the shores of the Atlantic, Machrihanish Dunes shares breathtaking views with the adjacent Machrihanish Golf Club links laid out by "Old Tom" Morris in 1879, one of Scotland's classic links courses. Measuring 7300 yards, Machrihanish Dunes has 23 "natural holes", which fit so well into the natural landscape prior to construction that only minimal effort was required to prepare them for play.

Minimal mowing
Paul added: "We followed the lie of the land and unlike most courses around the world, we did not lay out the course and make the land change with it, we designed each hole around the natural terrain. For maintenance we will do a little mowing, but will mostly rely on the wandering sheep to keep the grass in check - just like the old courses used to do. We are returning golf to how it should be played; no longer is it a gentle walk in a garden, it will be a full-fledged mountaineering expedition at this course."

Stan said: "At the start of this process I knew very little about golf, and the golf course developers and designers knew little about wildlife. Now I'm pretty up on golf course design and Paul can tell a gentian from an orchid!"