Golf development and management company Southworth has unveiled expansion plans for Machrihanish Dunes in Argyll, Scotland.
The resort has the Machrihanish Dunes course designed by David McLay Kidd, two hotels, five restaurants and eight seaside cottages. The expansion project, which has received planning permission, will add a second layout adjacent to Kidd’s course, an extensive golf training facility and practice area, a new hotel and 50 cottages.
The new course will have holes on the cliff edge and will meander through rugged dunescape and into the foothills, offering a mix of long-range views, dramatic elevation changes and traditional seaside links. No architect has been publicly named yet.
“Machrihanish Dunes lies on one of the most unique pieces of land in the world, so it is only fitting that we expand our offerings for all types of visitors to this special corner of Scotland, while being sensitive to the stunning natural landscape,” said Tommy Southworth, president of Southworth. “In combination with Machrihanish Dunes and other area links courses, including the acclaimed Machrihanish Golf Club, a world top 100 links designed by Old Tom Morris, the addition of another 18-hole links will help turn the Kintyre Peninsula into the next great golfing destination in Scotland.”
The project has included input from the local community through contact and focus groups. Currently, Southworth is vetting hospitality investors and operators regarding potential partnerships, and the development company is seeking out a world-class hospitality partner to create a resort destination, with preliminary discussions under way.
The land of the new course sits, in part, on a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and will be built and maintained with the same sustainable practices that are in use on the existing course. The project also aims to increase the area of dune vegetation habitat and Southworth will partner with NatureScot on a long-term habitat management plan for the lifetime of the course, as it has for the first layout.
“Southworth believes it is paramount that we support and protect the communities and environments where we operate, ensuring we keep each club setting spectacular for generations to come,” said Eleanor Brown, director of sustainability at Southworth. “Being stewards of land and community means operating with a sustainability-first mindset from ideation through the execution of any project or initiative. It also means supporting the communities in which we operate, through local hiring and training, philanthropic initiatives and more.”
A large teaching facility is planned, with indoor and outdoor practice bays, and a nine-acre short-game area. A new 35,000-square-foot clubhouse, 150-seat restaurant, large function room, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, fitness area and spa are also part of the expansion plans.