Machrihanish Dunes opened in 2009 on the dunes north of the old Machrihanish links, on Kintyre’s Atlantic coast. It is the only golf course ever built on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and that protection shaped everything: only the tees and greens were moulded, and Kidd planned for grazing sheep to help keep the rough in check. The resort that owns it also runs the Ugadale Hotel beside the old course and the Royal Hotel in Campbeltown, so most visitors come on a stay-and-play break, with a round of golf for each night booked.
Machrihanish Dunes green fees and tee times.
Book online through the course’s BRS visitor booking page, or contact the golf house by email at golfhouse@machdunes.com or by phone on 01586 810058. If you are also staying, the resort’s Stay & Play breaks at the Ugadale Hotel, the Ugadale Cottages or the Royal Hotel include one round on the Dunes per person for each night booked, and are booked through the resort’s accommodation site. The course does not publish a handicap limit or a green fee table on its website, so prices are on request: ask the golf house for the rate on your date, or check it on the BRS page when you choose a time. Ask about cancellation terms before you pay.
The round, in perspective.
Scottish architect David McLay Kidd, the designer of Bandon Dunes, built the course on 259 acres of protected linksland, of which only seven acres were disturbed. Endangered plants and animals set where tees and greens could go, so the fairways are the dunes as they were found, just mown shorter. Kidd said he designed each hole around the natural ground, relied on wandering sheep to keep the fescue in check, and promised a round that was a full-fledged mountaineering expedition rather than a gentle walk. The course measures 7,082 yards from the back, and six greens and five tees sit right at the edge of the ocean. On a clear day you can see Islay, where Willie Campbell laid out the Machrie in 1891.
Know before you go.
Booking
BRS online, golfhouse@machdunes.com or 01586 810058
Shuttle
Free from the Ugadale and the Royal Hotel, 1 April–30 September
Practice
Driving range and putting greens on site
Caddies
Course guides and caddies on request
Make the trip work.
The golf house is a stone building out in the dunes, separate from the hotels. If you are staying with the resort, use the free shuttle between the course and the Ugadale or the Royal Hotel, which runs from 1 April to 30 September; outside those months you will need a car or taxi. The course is a hard walk over big dunes, as Kidd intended, so plan on one round a day here and keep a second round for the old links next door. Book dinner at the hotels ahead in summer.
Campbeltown Airport, served by Loganair from Glasgow, is a few minutes’ drive from the course. Driving from Glasgow takes about three hours along Loch Lomond and Loch Fyne on the A82 and A83. CalMac also sails from Ardrossan to Campbeltown, and private passenger boats can be hired from Troon and from Ballycastle in Northern Ireland.
The Ugadale Hotel has 22 rooms and suites, some with sea views towards Islay and Jura, plus The Kintyre Restaurant and the Old Clubhouse Pub. The Ugadale Cottages next door each have two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a fireplace. In Campbeltown, the Royal Hotel on the harbour has the Harbourview Grille and the Black Sheep Pub, and is the livelier base.
Make a trip of it.
The Machrihanish Golf Club and its 1879 Old Tom Morris links are a short walk from the Ugadale, so pairing the two is the obvious plan, and the 9-hole Pans course next to it works as an evening loop. On a longer trip, take a boat or flight to Islay for The Machrie. Off the course, Campbeltown’s distilleries offer tours, and the Mull of Kintyre is a scenic drive to the south.
Find your season.
April to September is the main season, and the only months the free resort shuttle runs. Outside it you will need your own transport to the golf house. Daylight on Kintyre in December is short, and the six greens and five tees on the shoreline take the full force of Atlantic wind.
David McLay Kidd, the Scottish architect behind Bandon Dunes in Oregon. He routed the course around protected plants and wildlife, shaped only the tees and greens, and left the fairways as natural dune ground. The course opened in 2009.
How do I book a tee time at Machrihanish Dunes?
Book online through the BRS visitor page linked from the resort website, email golfhouse@machdunes.com or call 01586 810058. Hotel guests can also take a Stay & Play package, which includes one round per person for each night.
Why is Machrihanish Dunes on an SSSI?
The dunes north of Machrihanish are protected for their rare plants and animals. The course is the only one built on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is why just seven of its 259 acres were disturbed and only the tees and greens were shaped.
Is there a shuttle to Machrihanish Dunes?
Yes, for resort guests. A free shuttle runs between the course and the Ugadale Hotel, Ugadale Cottages and the Royal Hotel in Campbeltown from 1 April to 30 September.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
