Machrie golf course

The word "machrie" is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic machair, which means more or less the same as "links" did on the east coast of Scotland.

An original Willie Campbell design dating back to 1891 it was intentionally made long, at least by 19th Century standards, to attract golfers to Islay.

The Machrie Links hosted a famous match in 1901 between James Braid, John Henry Taylor and Harry Vardon for a prize of £100, reputed to be the largest prize of its kind at that time in the British Isles.

The publication's review that discussed the significant design changes included this comment: "Russell’s routing has a much greater number of expansive views of the sea on the front nine.

The new version of the Machrie Hotel, now has 47 bedrooms, including 4 2-bedroom lodges; it opened in 2018, replacing a predecessor, that was described as "dilapidated".