Askernish Golf Club — Local services in Scotland

Had the great oportunity to play Askernish Golf course yesterday. A nice course with all you can expect from a links course. Very challenging greens and some outstanding views. BUT: When you put aside all the "Old Tom Morris-romantic" it is a Golf course that will stay in my mind for some reasons, and they are not all for the good.

Firstly some of the Red teeboxes are not visible at first glance, so some signposts are really required.

Secondly, and that is not the fault of the Golf Club, the beach before Askernish is one of the most polluted beaches i have ever seen on the outer hebrides, and i have travelled from Tolsta in the North of Lewis to Vatersay in the South.

At least, and that is my hardest critisism, the Golf Course has a major problem, that makes him even dangerous for the walking Golfer: Rabbits.

There are far to many rabbitholes, some even on the greens. There are thousands of them, all over the course. You can't feel safe when walking down the rough. Ok, you can place your ball on the fairways, but thats not always possible.

So there is more to do, as far as...

What an incredible place. The course opens quietly as it moves from the clubhouse towards the sea but from hole 6 on there is an absolutely magnificent stretch of holes that's as good as anything I've played. The long par 3 eleventh across a canyon to a green perched above the beach was a driver for all of us in the prevailing wind. The 12th is just a ridiculous golf hole, in the best sense. The views, the routing between the dunes, the undulations and the green locations... The whole course is just unbelievable. We played twice on a June weekend in lovely weather and the course was still very quiet - more golfers need to play Askernish to get a taste of links golf at its rawest. Be aware - it's a long and a tiring walk and a step back in time with hairy, slow greens and fairways pockmarked by animal tracks, rabbit warrens and resulting sand patches. Best window to visit is probably late May to September when the course has recovered from the winter. Don't go expecting a manicured "high end" experience - just go if you can and if you...

A proper old fashioned golf course the most natural form of golf available like playing a museum golf course if that's possible the greens are not manicured but that's what makes the course special for me.The rough is not long but you hit a ball in the rough it's probably lost. Not complaining about that as it's natural not uniformed in any way to follow guidelines of which people may think a golf course should be or play. Fantastic loved every hole. Played the course 4 times over 3 days. The course really comes alive after the 5th. 6 to 18 are some of the best holes ever played although the first 5 are good golf holes. You have to learn how to play the course once you get a better understanding how to play the course you really do appreciate the course even more....