Machrihanish Dunes isn't just the way golf began it's the way golf should be.

One of the only golf courses situated on a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI), and the only course built on one after it was designated as such, Machrihanish Dunes is a testament to what can be achieved when golf course developers work with nature, rather than against it. With SSSI status, the land which Machrihanish Dunes inhabits is amongst the most protected in Scotland. Pristine and beautiful, the site is not only the largest sand dune in the region but is also home to five rare types of orchid. Some, including the regal pyramid orchid, cannot be found anywhere else in Kintyre.

With the special designation of the dunes, it was of utmost importance that construction of the golf course have only minimal disruption on the natural environment. Fortunately the dunes of Machrihanish as nature created them were already perfect for golf. Course architect David McLay Kidd identified not just 18, but 23 holes that he considered "natural holes" playable with just a minimal amount of shaping. By respecting the land, and using its natural undulations, the developers set out to create a truly natural, unique links experience.

In designing the course, Kidd collaborated with independent environmental specialist Carol Crawford, and worked to develop the course much the same way the founding fathers of golf in Scotland would have done years ago. Almost no heavy machinery was used. Shaping was done only on the greens and tees, and only with the use of a backhoe. Bunkers, for the most part, were simply placed in areas that rabbits had already damaged. In the end, just seven of the course's 275 acres were altered to make the course as it exists today.

Today, maintenance of the course is also done in an environmentally collaborative manner. Sheep are brought on in the off season to help keep fescue grasses in check. No chemicals or irrigation is used on the fairways, because none is needed. As head groundskeeper Keith Martin notes, links courses have specific playing characteristics of firm, fast-running turf within the playing areas. Most of the existing sward already has the ideal species.

Though Machrihanish was built in a way that mirrors how golf began, it may also be the first clear look at the golf course of the future. Fully sustainable, rugged, raw, and beautiful, Machrihanish Dunes co-exists with the land to actually improve the quality of the environment. With the active removal of trash and non-native pests that had begun to inhabit the space, Machrihanish Dunes has returned a pristine state to the land that has helped offer visitors such a wonderfully natural golf experience.

This unmatched respect for the natural environment sets Machrihanish Dunes apart from any course that has preceded it. It serves as a model for what responsible stewardship of the land is all about. And it allows the course to exist as its own entity, growing and changing with the land to provide an ever-better golfing experience. Here, as we are recreating history, we are also making it.