Dunaverty Golf Club

Dunaverty Golf Club may be overshadowed by neighbours Machrihanish and Machrihanish Dunes, but it’s still one of the best golf clubs in Scotland. 

Dunaverty Golf Club lacks the GB&I Top 100 prestige of neighbours on the Kintyre peninsula, Machrihanish and Machrihanish Dunes, but it does not lack for pedigree and is easy to like.

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It was founded in 1889 by those farming the land surrounding the hamlet of Southend, which is right on the tip of Kintyre and whose notable landmark is Dunaverty Rock, a site for fortification that once sheltered Robert the Bruce. The castle is long gone though, raised to the ground by Covenanters who besieged the Royalist garrison.

Dunaverty’s course was initially all laid out beyond Conieglen Burn but was redesigned before the Second World War and then revitalised after it had fallen into disrepair. The ‘new’ holes next to the clubhouse might lack the aesthetic appeal of those perched on the beach or, more pertinently, high above it, but they do include on their fringe arguably the very best of Dunaverty. The blind, short 4th played to a slender green situated in a dell is the kind of hole that today’s course architects dream of.

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The 4th begins the best section of a links that is routed on predominantly sandy terrain whose marked fluctuations in elevation give rise, literally, to breathtaking coastal views in the manner of Crail, Portpatrick or Castle Stuart.

The 6th is another fine par 3, with the beach to the right and evil hollows short of the green that are frequently in play given this is a uncharacteristically stout 245 yards. It is followed by another short hole featuring a rare bunker – we counted just one on each nine – guarding a saucer-shaped sloping green.

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Then the dog-leg 8th, with Sanda Island in the distance, plays along a narrow fairway with gorse aplenty in view off the tee.

The back nine then twists and turns and rises and falls as you thread your way home, offering even better views if not the same calibre of hole. The highlight is ‘The Burn’, the 412-yard 17th with out of bounds all the way down the right that ends on a back-to-front sloping green positioned over the road and the burn.

Curtis Cup player Belle Robertson, who developed her golf skills here, probably had no trouble with it. For the rest of us, it is a six waiting to happen.

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• Course does not have: Bar
• Course has: Buggy Hire
• Course does not have: Driving Range
• Course does not have: Practice Green
• Course has: Pro Shop
• Course has: Restaurant
• Course has: Trolley Hire
• Course does not have: Dress Code
• Course does not have: Club Hire
• Course does not have: Handicap

• 4 out of 5 Windy day! 28 December 2007

  By thecraw

  Dont travel all the way to play Machrihanish without also sampling this little delight. Its a fun well laid out great course. Some fantastic little holes and enjoyable from the first to the last. The 10th is 120 yards where I just got up with a full five iron and the next is 266 where i flew the green from the tee with a six iron. It was wild! Overall a great little course. The term "hidden gem" is used far too frequently in my opinion, but this is definately one!! Play it.

• 3.5 out of 5 Short but sweet 29 June 2007

  By bigalvale

  A very well maintained and enjoyable course with excellent views. Not too long but still contains some testing holes. A very good example of a reasonably priced links experience