After 18 months in quiet mode, further news is emerging from Kintyre on plans to boost golf tourism in the area.
As reported exclusively in The Herald’s Business HQ Monthly earlier this week, Tommy Southworth of Machrihanish Dunes has said the developer expects to reveal further details later this year on the creation of a second championship golf course at the resort. A decision on the course architect will come “on the same timeline”, with work to begin in 2027.
His comments came as neighbouring Machrihanish Golf Club gets set for a year of celebrations to mark its 150th anniversary, all against an ongoing backdrop of travel difficulties to the peninsula via both road and ferries. With transport links vital in the development of premium-end golf tourism, Machrihanish Dunes is moving forward with plans to shore up air travel to Campbeltown with direct charter flights from London.
“We’re not in this to make money,” said Ian Ferguson, resort manager at Machrihanish Dunes.
“That’s not the exercise here. We want to prove there is demand for people to fly up from London for a three-night stay, and fill the planes – that should prove the concept.”
Read the full story here.
Kintyre golf tourism bid versus the north of Scotland model
Inverness Airport has been a crucial element in the success of golf tourism in the north of Scotland (Image: HIAL)
In its pursuit of high-value golfers from abroad, Machrihanish Dunes is aiming to emulate what has largely been achieved along the Cabot Highlands-Nairn-Royal Dornoch corridor. Each region has similar strengths and challenges but according to Stuart McColm of Cabot Highlands, there are also some key differences.
“It’s a beautiful part of the world; it’s just damn hard to get to,” he says of Kintyre. And unlike Inverness, the southern Scottish peninsula does not have the same baseline of population or non‑golf economic activity to underpin regular air services.
“Machrihanish doesn’t have a huge population that are going to use those flights,” Mr McColm said. “It would be purely for the visitors coming in, whereas here you’ve got a population of 75,000, you’ve got renewable energy, and you’ve got bustling tourism in general for the North Coast 500 as well.”
Read the full story here.
High 9s clubs seek to lure golfers off the beaten track
Shona Rankin gets ready to tee off at Carrbridge Golf Club (Image: Supplied)
Created in 2017 to raise the profile and fortunes of smaller clubs in the north of Scotland, High 9s Golf is a collection of 13 nine-hole courses. Several are located along the NC 500.
Run by volunteers from its member clubs, the group will for the first time be represented in its own right at Scottish Golf Tourism Week which gets underway on March 10 in Edinburgh. Golf Highland board member Shona Rankin of Carrbridge GC, a “committed advocate” of High 9s Golf, explains what the collective is hoping to achieve.
Read the full story from Around the Greens here.
For the diary…
Scottish Golf Tourism Week will take place from March 10-12 at the Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel in Edinburgh
The Scottish Golf Tourism Awards will be held on March 12 at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh
The Scottish Golf Annual Awards will take place on March 27 at voco Grand Central in Glasgow
The Willie MacKay Cup will take place on March 29 at Kings Club in Inverness
St Andrews Golf Week will take place from April 13-19
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