The Making of Machrihanish Dunes

Architect, head greenkeeper jump environmental hurdles to help create a natural gem in Scotland

Just inside dunes in this speck of a town on the Mull of Kintyre in southwestern Scotland, a golf course has come to life. To say it was "built" is somewhat misleading. It's more as if Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club was unfurled or, perhaps, revealed.

In all likelihood, never has the creation of a golf course ever been attempted on land that came with so many environmental restrictions, and quite possibly no other architect or grow-in superintendent has had to work under such taut constraints as David McLay Kidd and Euan Grant.

In all likelihood, never has the creation of a golf course ever been attempted on land that came with so many environmental restrictions. (PHOTO COURTESY: SOUTHWORTH DEVELOPMENT)

Machrihanish Dunes, which has a soft opening this month and opens officially on July 21, is the only course ever built inside a Site of Special Scientific Interest — commonly known as "Triple-S I" — the most restrictive classification of Scottish National Heritage (SNH). It's the organization that protects the flora, fauna and geology of the country, ensuring it can be enjoyed by the inhabitants and tourists. Of the roughly 275 acres on the site, construction of the course disturbed a miniscule seven, not 70, seven. Earth was only moved for creation of tees and greens. Fairway bunker placement was determined, not by the architect, but by grassless areas created naturally, in some instances, by the scratching of the native rabbits. The routing was, in essence, determined by SNH and thousands of years of wind and water.

Kidd says he submitted dozens of routings before the current one was accepted. Since that time literally hundreds of alterations have been made. The site, which was used to graze cattle for generations and abuts one of the world's great links courses in Machrihanish Golf Club, contains a plethora of Scottish rarities both geological and floral. Beginning just in from the Atlantic Ocean, the large fore dunes are rich in lime, which is unusual for the west of Scotland. The fore dunes meld into a plain that once ran eight or so miles across Kintyre to Campbeltown on the east coast of the peninsula. Back then, peat bogs would have been found on the site as well. Of what is left of the plain, there are five varieties of orchids and one gentian worthy of protection. The most rare are the Early Marsh orchid and Pyramid orchid found in the low, damp areas of the dunes known as dune slacks. The course was routed away from large patches of the plants so that even wayward shots will not end there.

Sheep are a common sight. A few will be allowed to wander the grounds during the peak season. (PHOTO BY: ANTHONY PIOPPI)

Head Greenkeeper Euan Grant says he expected restraints in regard to turf maintenance at Machrihanish Dunes. "But no way could I envision to what extent they would be," he adds.

There is no artificial drainage anywhere on the course. Irrigation is only for greens and tees. Grant, who has done two grow-ins, can use no fertilizers, pesticides or plant growth regulators on areas other than greens and tees. No topdressing of fairways is allowed. Overseeding of fairways can only be done with grass varieties that fit the exact natural turf types on the property; so far Grant has found 21 kilos of acceptable seed, all produced in the surrounding area. Other than for the greens, no seed from outside sources will find its way onto the property.

As an example of how truly difficult the project is, Grant explains the construction of the greens. The first step was for the natural turf from each site to be removed with a sod cutter at a thickness that would allow it to be replanted. The thin slivers of grass invariably left by the process had to be saved and reused. The turfgrass was then replanted on site carefully, but not just anywhere.

The turfgrass taken from nearest the dunes had to be put back near the dunes in areas determined by SNH. Turfgrass removed near the mid-point of the course had to go back down in that section as well. Turfgrass was used to cover rabbit holes or other exposed areas.

1 2 

• Digital Golfdom
• Podcasts
• Online Exclusives
• Industry News
• The Links
• Golfdom Insider
• Polls
• Turfgrass Trends
• Special Reports
• The Golfdom Report
• Archives