Photographs in this brochure are provided by the clubs, or taken by David Jones, unless otherwise credited
Photographs in this brochure are provided by the clubs, or taken by David Jones, unless otherwise credited
WELCOME
I'm really pleased to be able to present this UK Golf Guy trip to Kintyre, Islay and Arran.
When I first came up with the idea of running UK Golf Guy trips, I was keen to offer something a little bit different. I believe this trip delivers that in spades.
This trip is for people who want to discover courses a little off the beaten track - courses you might only have read about in books, or gazed at on social media We will visit places at the edge of Scotland but at the very heart of what the country has to offer.
The scenery on the Mull of Kintyre, Islay and Arran is just stunning and very different from the east coast of Scotland which you might already be familiar with.
But it’s not just about the scenery. The courses are very special too. We will play some that feature high up the rankings, like The Machrie, Prestwick, Machrihanish and Machrihanish Dunes. But we will also see some real gems like Dunaverty and Carradale, Shiskine and Corrie. These courses don't always win plaudits but they will definitely win a place in your hearts.
We will stay in the communities of Campbeltown and Brodick, as well as at the wonderful Machrie resort on Islay. Back on the mainland we will end our trip at the newly built accommodation at Dundonald You will be sure to eat and drink well, sampling the best produce the country has to offer.
We will be transported in a luxury bus, but there will also be a few ferries in the itinerary as we hop around the coastline.
I am always keen to add a couple of special extra touches to a trip and I am delighted that the author Jim Hartsell will join us on a pre trip Zoom call to tell us why he loves this part of the world so much. And on the trip itself the architect of The Machrie, DJ Russell, will be there to talk through how he created the acclaimed course in its current form.
I really hope you can join me on this trip. It’s genuinely one of the most special parts of the country, and will give you memories for a lifetime
David Jones UK Golf Guy
PAR 66 4,799 YARDS
Dunavertyisaneighteen-holecourseontheverysoutherntipofKintyrewhichwill leaveyouwithhappymemories,andprobablyplentyofphotosonyourphone!Thisis agreatholiday-typegolfcoursethatisn'tgoingtobeatyouup.
Onlyoneofthetenpar4sisover400yards,andtheonlypar5comesinat446 yards Thereisagoodvarietyinthepar3s,butIsuspectmostpeoplevisiting Dunavertyarehereforagoodtimeratherthantoobsesstoomuchabouttheir scores.
Thesettingisjustgorgeousandit'shardtoimagineabettercoursetostartoffthe trip!
DAY 1 SATURDAY 17TH AUGUST
We will meet at Glasgow Airport for a 10:00am departure. We will be transported in a VIP touring bus for the duration of our trip.
The drive to Dunaverty is the only really long one of the week but it is a spectacular journey past Loch Lomond, and down to the Mull of Kintyre.
We will have a bite to eat when we arrive and then tee off at Dunaverty Golf Club at 2:30pm
After the round we will transfer to The Royal Hotel in Campbeltown. The hotel has a great position, right by the harbour in the town. This will be our base for the next two nights.
After a bit of time to settle into your room, we will eat together as a group in Campbeltown.
"The sweet spot where high handicappers are not overwhelmed, but good players are punished if they try to overpower the course and miss wide. Carradale nine hole links is studded with outcroppings of rock, which threaten a wild bounce on many holes, most memorably at the difficult par 3 7th” - Tom
Doak
DesignedbyDavidMcLayKidd,this18-holelinkscourseoffersachallengingand unforgettablegolfingexperience.Thenaturallandscapeofundulatingdunes,deep bunkers,andbreathtakingviewscreatesascenicbackdrop.Itmaynothavethe historyofneighbouringMachrihanish,butsomeplayerspreferthemoderncourse!
DAY 2 SUNDAY 18TH AUGUST
This is a 27-hole day, so make sure you have a good breakfast at the hotel before we set off for Carradale.
It's about a 30 minute drive north to this 9 hole course. Carradale is very much a community golf course and will give you an insight into how locals and holiday makers enjoy the game in this part of the world. We'll enjoy lovely views and a quick nine!
After the round we will make the 45 minute drive back south to Machrihanish Dunes for our 2pm tee time We will have time for snacks and a drink before teeing off.
This evening is at your leisure, although if you want to eat with other members of the group we can organise something in one of Campbeltown's local restaurants or hostelries!
W E
PAR 70 6,245 YARDS
ThefirstholeatMachrihanishisfamedacrosstheworldasonetheverybestopening holesingolf.Andwhilethisistrue,thiscourseisfarmorethanjustthatonehole.
OldTomMorriswasthefirsttolayoutthe18holecourse,andwhilesomechanges havebeenmadesincethen,thefundamentalcourseandroutingisthesametoday
Thefirsttenholesareparticularlystrongastheyweavethroughthemagnificent dunesbeforeturningforhome.Wonderfulviews,strategicquestionsandgreat conditioningallhelptomakeMachrihanishanenchantingplacetoplaygolf.
DAY 3 MONDAY 19TH AUGUST
After breakfast and checking out of the hotel we will enjoy a round at one of the land's most revered courses, Machrihanish.
After the round we'll grab a bite to eat before heading to the ferry terminal, just under an hour away, at Kennacraig.
From Kennacraig we will catch the Cal Mac ferry for the island of Islay. It's a two hour trip across the water and is a great experience. You'll be able to take in the views with a drink or just sit back and relax as the mainland disappears behind us and the islands appear in front.
On arrival on Islay we will be transported to The Machrie hotel, our base for the next couple of nights. This luxury hotel is set on the highly-rated Machrie golf course with its superb practice facilities and lovely 'wee course' where you can hone your short game skills.
We will eat together this evening in the excellent hotel restaurant - a true Hebridean delight! Diaries permitting, the course architect, DJ Russell, will join us for dinner and tell us how he went about creating the course which has garnered such acclaim since his transformation
PAR 72 6309 YARD
Golf has been played at The Machrie since 1891. Conceived by Willie Campbell, the course was laid out on classic links land, and soon gained notoriety for its numerous blind shots. Over the years what was, to some, an endearing quirk, became seen as a factor putting people off from returning.
When the property changed hands recently, they employed architect, and former Tour player, DJ Russell to reimagine the course. In 2018 the 'new' Machrie was unveiled to the world, to great acclaim. The course still has charm and quirk, but the 23 blind shots have largely been removed. The Machrie is a fun course for players of all standards, on a fantastic resort.
DAY 4
TUESDAY 20TH AUGUST
We will enjoy a morning round at The Machrie before heading off for the afternoon to visit one of Islay's many famed whisky distilleries.
The island's distilleries, including Ardbeg, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin, produce whiskies with distinct peat smoke, brine, and seaweed notes. We will learn about the whisky making process as well as sampling a couple of drams.
After the tour we will head out to see some of the sights of Islay before enjoying a meal together.
DAY 5
WEDNESDAY 21ST AUGUST
We'll have another round at The Machrie as well as time to enjoy the Himalayas putting green and the Wee Course before we check out and head back on the ferry to the mainland.
When we get back to Kintyre we'll be jumping onto another ferry - this time just a short hop from Claonaig over to Lochranza on the island of Arran.
We will complete our journey with a drive down to Brodick where we'll be based for the next two nights.
We'll be staying at The Douglas Hotel which is well situated just by the ferry terminal - and just yards from the mini golf!
We'll eat together this evening in the excellent hotel restaurant.
Nestled at the bottom of Glen Sannox, Corrie Golf Course has views to the surrounding moutains, neighbouring islands and the west coast of Scotland. It is a nine hole course consisting of a mix of par 3s and 4s. The greens are small, tricky to read and always in good condition.
Shiskinehas12greatseasidelinksholes,eachonequitedifferenttotheprevious one,alloversuchinterestingterrain.Thecoursehasover100yearsofhistoryand yetthelayouthaschangedverylittlesinceitwentto12holes.Blindshotsarea mainfeatureandtheviewswilltakeyourbreathaway.Atruegem!
DAY 6
THURSDAY 22ND AUGUST
If it's quirk you've come for on this trip then today will be the day for you!
We'll play 21 holes - 9 at Corrie and 12 at Shiskine. The views will be stunning and you'll remember the golf you play for years to come.
If you fancy a few more holes in the evening, then we'll have a little competition on the mini golf right outside the hotel!
This evening's dinner and activities will be up to you, but we can organise something if you like to join up with other members of the group.
PAR 71 6,551 YARDS
PrestwickisaclassicScottishlinkscourseandisa'mustplay'foranyfanofthe genre.TherearefewmorequirkycoursesinScotland,butitisalsoaverystrongtest. Thosequirksmeanitisacoursethatdefinitelybenefitsfromrepeatplayandfrankly, onceyou’veplayeditonce,you’llalreadybeplanningatripback!
Thecourseissoakedinhistory.Itwasfoundedin1851whenOldTomMorrislaidout a12holecourse.Itwasoverthiscoursethatthefirst10OpenChampionshipswere played.Thecoursewasextendedto18holesin1882andhasevolvedhugelyoverthe years.However,6oftheoriginalgreensarestillusedtodayaswellassomeofthe mostfamousbunkers.
DAY 7 FRIDAY 23RD AUGUST
We'll check out of The Douglas Hotel this morning and make our final ferry trip of the week, to Ardrossan and the mainland.
The plan is to play at Prestwick in the afternoon. Prestwick haven't opened for 2024 bookings yet but I am confident that we will be able to secure tee times. If for any reason this isn't possible we will play at nearby Western Gailes instead.
10-time Open host, Prestwick, is one of my favourite courses in the country and will make for a fitting finale to our trip.
After the round we will make the short journey to Dundonald where we have rooms booked for the night. We will have a final meal together in the superb Dundonald restaurant.
DAY 8 SATURDAY 24TH AUGUST
We will arrange transfers to Glasgow airport for you this morning.
If you wish to play one last round, on Dundonald Links, then we can organise this for you before saying goodbye!
PRICING
The price for this trip is £2,995 per person for twin or double sharing, or £3,995 for single rooms. For those travelling from the USA, based on the exchange rates of 28th May 2023, this is approximately $3,785 for sharing and $4,975 for single.
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
Thepriceincludes-
7night'saccommodation,asdetailed,onabedandbreakfastbasis.
5eveningmeals-atCampbeltown,TheMachrie,Islay,Brodickand Dundonald.Mealsincludetwoalcoholicdrinksperperson.
9roundsofgolfasdetailed.
Giftonarrival.
TransportfromGlasgowairportandforthedurationofthetrip.
HOW TO BOOK
Emaildavid@ukgolfguy.comtoreserveyourplace.
Youwillbeissuedwithaninvoicefor30%ofthevalueofyourtripwhichis duewith14days.Thebalancewillbedue90daysbeforethetrip commences.
YouwillbecontractingdirectlywithOutpostOverseas,partofTheOutpost ClubwhichisaUS-basedtraveloperator.Paymentcanbemadeviabank transferorcreditcardpayment(thereisa3%surchargeforcreditcard payments).
Q&A
WHOISTHISTRIPAIMEDAT?
Anyonewholovesgolf!Whetheryouwanttocomewithagroupoffriendsor onyourown,Ithinkyouwillhaveagreattimemeetinglike-mindedpeople whoalsolovethegame.Wewillhavenomorethan16peopleonthetrip.
Wewillrunafun,dailystablefordcompetitionaswellasanoverallprizefor theweek,butparticipationisentirelyvoluntary.Thistripismoreaboutthe camaraderieanddiscoveringnewcoursesthanthecompetition.
WHERESHOULDIFLYINTO?
Wehavedesignedthetripfora10ampickupatGlasgowAirport.Otherpick upsmaybepossibleifyouarecominginearlyandstayingsomewherelocally.
ISTHEREAHANDICAPRESTRICTION?
Menshouldhavehandicapsof24orlowerandwomenshouldhavehandicaps of30orlower.
CANIHIREABUGGYORTROLLEY,ORTAKEACADDIE?
Thesecoursesarepredominantlywalkingcourses.Manualpushtrolleyswill beavailableontheday.Caddiesmaybeavailableatsome,butnotall,ofthe courses.
WHATHAPPENSIFIHAVETOCANCEL?
Ifyoucancelafterbooking,yourinitialdepositof30%willnotberefundable. Thefullcostofthetripisnon-refundableifyoucancelafterthefinalpayment hasbeenmade.Westronglyrecommendyouhavecomprehensivetravel insuranceincaseyouneedtocancelforanyreason.
TESTIMONIALS
I take huge pride in giving people on a UK Golf Guy trip a truly special experience. I know how important it is to get the big and the little things right and I will personally ensure that everything possible is done to make the trip perfect.
Here's what some previous clients have said about UK Golf Guy trips -
'I made the trip with David last year to Paris. Great courses and I made new friends. The trip ran as smoothly as could possibly be imagined… good accommodations, food and transport. Cannot wait to join up again for another trip'
Michael - Pinehurst, USA
'What a trip! I can't thank you enough for everything. The choice of courses was fantastic. I was a bit nervous about going on the trip on my own but in the end made some great new friends. Everything went so smoothly, your organisation was amazing!
Dirk - The Netherlands
'Expertly organised golf trips at the best courses. Strongly recommend @ukgolfguy for all your golf trips...'
Ian - United Kingdom
