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Machrihanish Dunes is set to be finished in 2008 and already the owners of the course have started selling the new links course as an attraction in Kintyre.
By bringing nine management staff from Visit Scotland, they were able to view the progress of the new golf course and to see exactly what it is they are selling, not just to the people of Britain but across Europe and America as well.
There has been a lot of interest world wide in this course.
By the end of October the green keeping and architect team are hoping to have all the tees and greens seeded and most of the course repaired it being used as farmland for winter grazing.
Euan Grant, Keeper of the Green used to be the head of green keeping at the Old Course at St Andrews. He will be in charge of maintaining the course once it is complete and said: ‘This is a difficult process to produce the greens and tees. We firstly need to identify an area.
‘We then need to consult with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) so that the turf we lift can be moved to an area with the same kind of soil.
Then by hand we have to roll up the section we have marked out to be lifted and transport it to the designated area.’
‘SNH have labelled this site a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) which makes sure that we are doing everything economically by the book, like sticking to designated tracks.
‘The work involves a lot of hand labour as there is only so much the machines can do.’
Brightside Leisure Development Ltd is developing the Club, with Mr David McLay Kidd designing the course.
Mr Kidd has also designed a number of other courses for which he is internationally acclaimed for, such as the Bandon Dunes in Oregon and the 7th Course at St Andrews, known as The Castle.
The project has meant local contractors and workmen have been employed and there are six local boys working on the site.
Local company McFadyens Contractors have been employed to help clean up the old site including moving any farming debris left over from winter grazing.
So far in the project, tees 10 and 18 are finished, and greens 10 and 17 are finished.
They are currently working on the green for holes 9 and 18 and the tees for holes 1, 9 and 17.
Although Machrihanish Dunes Golf Course is not yet complete, there is very little work to actually be done as the dunes are grassed predominantly with fescues, wind blown bunkers and grazed fairways.
This has meant the new course is similar to the original links course, with six tees and five greens at the waters edge.
After the construction of the course has been finished the architectures are estimating it will take another year to complete, which will hopefully be 2008, with all the other aspects of the course including a new clubhouse completed by then.
