Captain's Newsletter
Mid-Season Captain's Newsletter
Dear Members,
As we reach the midpoint of our golfing season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on recent highlights, provide some updates on our ongoing improvements, and share what’s coming up in the weeks ahead.
Kalos Golf Visit – A Glorious Day of Golf and Hospitality
On June 20th, we had the pleasure of welcoming 80 golfers from the Kalos Golf Cruise on the final leg of their exclusive tour around the British Isles. In contrast to their last visit two years ago, when wind and rain prevailed, this year brought glorious sunshine and perfect playing conditions.
A huge thank you to our dedicated team of caddies who made the day extra special for our visitors, and in particular to Iain MacPherson for his excellent work in recruiting, organising, and scheduling the caddies for the day.
As part of our arrangements with Kalos, we trialled a coloured flag system to indicate pin positions: Red for front, Yellow for middle, and White for back. This simple yet effective system received excellent feedback and has now been adopted permanently at Machrihanish.
We are also delighted to confirm that Kalos Golf will return next year, and we look forward to giving them an equally warm welcome.
Famous Faces, Glowing Praise
We were honoured to welcome two high-profile visitors to Machrihanish in recent weeks, both of whom left us with glowing feedback.
First, a warm welcome back to Robert MacIntyre, our very own Argyll golfing great, current Scottish Open Champion and runner-up at this year’s US Open. Robert visited last week for links golf preparation ahead of the upcoming British Open at Royal Portrush. It’s always a privilege to host such a talented and grounded ambassador of Scottish golf, and he spoke highly of both the course and the club atmosphere.
We also had the pleasure of hosting Brandel Chamblee, former PGA professional and lead host on the Golf Channel in the USA. Brandel was hugely complimentary of the layout, natural beauty, and authenticity of the Machrihanish golfing experience. His kind words and positive remarks reflect the special place our club holds in the wider golfing world.
On-Course Facilities – A Step Forward
We are pleased to confirm that temporary on-course toilet facilities are now in place beside the 10th fairway, next to the fence bordering the MACC base. These will remain in place throughout the main season, and the committee is currently exploring options for a permanent solution by 2026.
Improving Club Resources & Member Experience
We are continuing to invest in small but meaningful enhancements to improve your comfort and the overall club experience:
A new coffee vending machine will be installed next week just outside the locker room entrance, offering a convenient pick-me-up before or after your round.
A new Club-V1 competition entry terminal is now installed upstairs in the bar area, helping to streamline card entry and ease congestion on busy competition days. We hope this makes your competition experience quicker and more efficient.
Looking Ahead – Ongoing Improvements and Developments
As part of our continuous improvement agenda, we have several key developments underway:
Course Consultancy
We have enlisted the expertise of Robert Patterson, a respected agronomist and course consultant. Robert, was a former Head Greenkeeper at Royal Dornoch, Course Manager at Royal Aberdeen and currently undertaking consultancy with Trump International, will be conducting a full review of the course. I’ll be sharing the main findings and recommendations from his report with members once it’s complete.
Hospitality Management
With the continued growth of our bar and restaurant footfall, the committee has approved the recruitment of a Hospitality Manager to enhance our service and management structure. Adverts will appear both locally and nationally, and we aim to have someone in post by the Autumn.
Member & Visitor Feedback
To better understand and improve your experience, we’ll be launching online feedback surveys for both the golf course and restaurant next week. Watch out for the QR codes appearing on your table. Your thoughts will play a valuable role in shaping future improvements.
150th Anniversary Pro-Am
With our 150th anniversary next year, we are excited to announce that we have provisionally agreed with the PGA in Scotland to reintroduce the Pro-Am. This special event will take place on 23rd May and will replace our usual Am-Am at the end of Golf Week. Sponsorship details for this event will be shared in due course, but we are confident it will be a memorable highlight in our anniversary celebrations.
Competitions & Visitor Numbers – A Thriving Club
Our course continues to receive glowing feedback from visitors, and we’re thrilled to report over 1,100 visitor rounds in May alone.
Our open competitions have also been a great success, with record entries across the board. Don’t miss out, entries are still open for upcoming events including:
Seniors Open
Thomson Open
Jimmy Kerr Memorial Open
McFadyens Am-Am
McKinven & Colville 4 Ball Better Ball
If you haven’t entered yet, get your name in quickly!
We were also delighted to once again host the annual Catherine Armour Memorial Texas Scramble, which raised funds for the Beatson Cancer Charity. This year’s event was a tremendous success, raising just short of £6,000. Well done to David Armour and all the Beatson Charity volunteers.
A special congratulations to Stephen Jordan, who recorded a hole-in-one at the 4th hole during our Midweek Stableford on 18th June. A fantastic achievement and a moment to remember!
Finally, a sincere thank you to all our local sponsors for their continued support throughout the season, and in particular our main sponsors: Springbank, McFadyens, McKinven and Colville, and Glen Scotia Distillery, your contributions are vital to the success of these events.
Summer Junior Golf Program – In Full Swing
Our Summer Junior Golf Program is now well underway and will run until mid-September. Organised by our Golf Professional, Jennie Dunn, the program includes coaching classes and competitions for all our junior age groups.
A reminder to parents of our junior members, you are very welcome to enjoy the clubhouse restaurant and bar during these sessions.
Rankings & Recognition
Machrihanish Golf Club continues to earn high praise across leading golf publications and review platforms. Considering there are around 3,500 courses across the UK and Ireland, our continued presence in the top tier is a remarkable achievement, and a testament to the dedication of our staff, members, and volunteers over many years.
These rankings reflect not just the stunning natural setting and historic design of our course, but also the continued commitment to excellence from everyone involved with the club.
In Remembrance – Dean MacPhee
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the sudden passing of Dean MacPhee, one of our long-standing assistant chefs, at the end of May.
Dean was a valued and much-loved member of the team here at Machrihanish for many years. His dedication, good humour, and warmth left a lasting impression on colleagues and members alike. His loss has been deeply felt by all of us, and he will always be remembered as part of the fabric of our club community.
In Closing
Thank you to all members, volunteers, staff, and sponsors for your ongoing support. It’s been a fantastic season so far, and there’s much more to look forward to. As always, if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Warm regards,
Malcolm Stalker
Captain, The Machrihanish Golf Club
As we reach the midpoint of our golfing season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on recent highlights, provide some updates on our ongoing improvements, and share what’s coming up in the weeks ahead.
Kalos Golf Visit – A Glorious Day of Golf and Hospitality
On June 20th, we had the pleasure of welcoming 80 golfers from the Kalos Golf Cruise on the final leg of their exclusive tour around the British Isles. In contrast to their last visit two years ago, when wind and rain prevailed, this year brought glorious sunshine and perfect playing conditions.
A huge thank you to our dedicated team of caddies who made the day extra special for our visitors, and in particular to Iain MacPherson for his excellent work in recruiting, organising, and scheduling the caddies for the day.
As part of our arrangements with Kalos, we trialled a coloured flag system to indicate pin positions: Red for front, Yellow for middle, and White for back. This simple yet effective system received excellent feedback and has now been adopted permanently at Machrihanish.
We are also delighted to confirm that Kalos Golf will return next year, and we look forward to giving them an equally warm welcome.
Famous Faces, Glowing Praise
We were honoured to welcome two high-profile visitors to Machrihanish in recent weeks, both of whom left us with glowing feedback.
First, a warm welcome back to Robert MacIntyre, our very own Argyll golfing great, current Scottish Open Champion and runner-up at this year’s US Open. Robert visited last week for links golf preparation ahead of the upcoming British Open at Royal Portrush. It’s always a privilege to host such a talented and grounded ambassador of Scottish golf, and he spoke highly of both the course and the club atmosphere.
We also had the pleasure of hosting Brandel Chamblee, former PGA professional and lead host on the Golf Channel in the USA. Brandel was hugely complimentary of the layout, natural beauty, and authenticity of the Machrihanish golfing experience. His kind words and positive remarks reflect the special place our club holds in the wider golfing world.
On-Course Facilities – A Step Forward
We are pleased to confirm that temporary on-course toilet facilities are now in place beside the 10th fairway, next to the fence bordering the MACC base. These will remain in place throughout the main season, and the committee is currently exploring options for a permanent solution by 2026.
Improving Club Resources & Member Experience
We are continuing to invest in small but meaningful enhancements to improve your comfort and the overall club experience:
A new coffee vending machine will be installed next week just outside the locker room entrance, offering a convenient pick-me-up before or after your round.
A new Club-V1 competition entry terminal is now installed upstairs in the bar area, helping to streamline card entry and ease congestion on busy competition days. We hope this makes your competition experience quicker and more efficient.
Looking Ahead – Ongoing Improvements and Developments
As part of our continuous improvement agenda, we have several key developments underway:
Course Consultancy
We have enlisted the expertise of Robert Patterson, a respected agronomist and course consultant. Robert, was a former Head Greenkeeper at Royal Dornoch, Course Manager at Royal Aberdeen and currently undertaking consultancy with Trump International, will be conducting a full review of the course. I’ll be sharing the main findings and recommendations from his report with members once it’s complete.
Hospitality Management
With the continued growth of our bar and restaurant footfall, the committee has approved the recruitment of a Hospitality Manager to enhance our service and management structure. Adverts will appear both locally and nationally, and we aim to have someone in post by the Autumn.
Member & Visitor Feedback
To better understand and improve your experience, we’ll be launching online feedback surveys for both the golf course and restaurant next week. Watch out for the QR codes appearing on your table. Your thoughts will play a valuable role in shaping future improvements.
150th Anniversary Pro-Am
With our 150th anniversary next year, we are excited to announce that we have provisionally agreed with the PGA in Scotland to reintroduce the Pro-Am. This special event will take place on 23rd May and will replace our usual Am-Am at the end of Golf Week. Sponsorship details for this event will be shared in due course, but we are confident it will be a memorable highlight in our anniversary celebrations.
Competitions & Visitor Numbers – A Thriving Club
Our course continues to receive glowing feedback from visitors, and we’re thrilled to report over 1,100 visitor rounds in May alone.
Our open competitions have also been a great success, with record entries across the board. Don’t miss out, entries are still open for upcoming events including:
Seniors Open
Thomson Open
Jimmy Kerr Memorial Open
McFadyens Am-Am
McKinven & Colville 4 Ball Better Ball
If you haven’t entered yet, get your name in quickly!
We were also delighted to once again host the annual Catherine Armour Memorial Texas Scramble, which raised funds for the Beatson Cancer Charity. This year’s event was a tremendous success, raising just short of £6,000. Well done to David Armour and all the Beatson Charity volunteers.
A special congratulations to Stephen Jordan, who recorded a hole-in-one at the 4th hole during our Midweek Stableford on 18th June. A fantastic achievement and a moment to remember!
Finally, a sincere thank you to all our local sponsors for their continued support throughout the season, and in particular our main sponsors: Springbank, McFadyens, McKinven and Colville, and Glen Scotia Distillery, your contributions are vital to the success of these events.
Summer Junior Golf Program – In Full Swing
Our Summer Junior Golf Program is now well underway and will run until mid-September. Organised by our Golf Professional, Jennie Dunn, the program includes coaching classes and competitions for all our junior age groups.
A reminder to parents of our junior members, you are very welcome to enjoy the clubhouse restaurant and bar during these sessions.
Rankings & Recognition
Machrihanish Golf Club continues to earn high praise across leading golf publications and review platforms. Considering there are around 3,500 courses across the UK and Ireland, our continued presence in the top tier is a remarkable achievement, and a testament to the dedication of our staff, members, and volunteers over many years.
These rankings reflect not just the stunning natural setting and historic design of our course, but also the continued commitment to excellence from everyone involved with the club.
In Remembrance – Dean MacPhee
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the sudden passing of Dean MacPhee, one of our long-standing assistant chefs, at the end of May.
Dean was a valued and much-loved member of the team here at Machrihanish for many years. His dedication, good humour, and warmth left a lasting impression on colleagues and members alike. His loss has been deeply felt by all of us, and he will always be remembered as part of the fabric of our club community.
In Closing
Thank you to all members, volunteers, staff, and sponsors for your ongoing support. It’s been a fantastic season so far, and there’s much more to look forward to. As always, if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Warm regards,
Malcolm Stalker
Captain, The Machrihanish Golf Club