History

Originally known as The Kintyre Club, The Machrihanish Golf Club, was formed in 1876 when a small group of individuals met in the Argyll Arms Hotel in Campbeltown to form a club to play golf at Machrihanish. The Machrihanish Ladies Golf Club was formed in 1890 and at first, played on its own 9-hole course (now The Pans).

The initial layout was just 10 holes, played according to the rules laid out by The Prestwick Golf Club. Prestwick’s professional at the time, Charles Hunter, redesigned the layout, extending it to 12 holes. In 1879, Old Tom Morris further extended the course to 18 holes, at which time the iconic opening tee was moved to its current location. Minor subsequent changes to the 18-hole Old Tom Morris course were made in 1914 by JH Taylor, and then shortly after the second world war by Sir Guy Campbell.

In the early years, the club leased the course from a local farmer. As such, cattle and sheep grazed the links, requiring the greens to be fenced to protect them from damage. The club ultimately acquired the course in the 1970s, but sheep remained for 10 years or so as part of the arrangement to secure ownership of the land.

The club then acquired a larger property in the 1960s that was developed over the following 40 years into the old clubhouse that existed until 2018. The club adopted its motif, the oystercatcher (designed by Veronica Togneri), in 1961 at the prompting of then captain, John Trappe.

The Machrihanish Golf Club celebrated its centenary in 1976. Since then, the club has grown as local members were supplemented by members drawn from Glasgow and the west of Scotland. In more recent times, the appeal of the club has drawn in members from Europe, North America and Asia. The club is proud to have a diverse and international membership, and equally proud of its tradition of regularly welcoming visitors from around the world.

In December 2018, a devastating fire destroyed the old clubhouse. Fortunately, most of the memorabilia and records were saved by staff and volunteers. Shortly thereafter, in early 2019, work began on construction of the new clubhouse, completed in early 2021.