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One of Scotland’s most dramatic courses, Machrihanish Dunes, is celebrating the Year of Natural Scotland by herding an unusual bunch of ‘locals’ back onto the course.

Keeping it neatly manicured during the winter months, the maintenance of this stunning coastal course is a labour of love for these ‘natural lawnmowers’; a flock of 40 black Hebridean sheep!

After swinging back into action on the course this weekend, these woolly wonders are not only a hit with visitors but provide a perfect example of environmentally friendly practice in Scotland, the Home of Golf.

So much so, in fact, that they can be credited with helping Machrihanish Dunes secure the 2012 Association of British Travel Agents title of ‘No.1 Eco Golf Course in the World’.

David Southworth, president and CEO of Southworth Development, owners and managers of Machrihanish Dunes, said: “Here at Machrihanish Dunes we are very proud of our eco-friendly status and in particular the iconic characters who have helped us achieve our environmentally friendly credentials.

“By using the ‘natural lawnmowers’ to thin out the rough on the course we are able to help preserve several rare and protected species of orchids that grow here on this site and in few other places. The added benefit is visitors can enjoy the company of these unique companions as they play a round.”

VisitScotland Chairman Mike Cantlay added: “These woolly wonders will have people flocking to Machrihanish Dunes to see them in action.

“Here at Machrihanish Dunes, we are very proud of our eco-friendly status” – David Southworth

“Golf in Scotland is now a £1bn industry and our reputation as the Home of Golf will be reinforced as we host one of the biggest events on the global golf calendar at Gleneagles in 2014 – the Ryder Cup. The greenkeepers there, however, will have to book our fleecy friends well in advance as I’ve feeling they’ll be a big hit with golf courses across Scotland.”

Another links course proving its mettle in terms of environmentally-friendly practice is Askernish Golf Club in South Uist, which is now hailed ‘the most natural links course in the world’ by environmental experts after it was restored using only traditional design principles.

The dunes’ natural contours form the fairways, and no artificial chemicals are used in maintenance. Like Machrihanish Dunes, sheep and cows keep the grass manageable during the winter months without the need of potentially damaging mowing equipment.

At Gleneagles, the host of the Ryder Cup 2014, eco-friendly credentials have been boosted by the purchase of three bicycles, used by staff when accessing its 850 acres of greens. With a real focus on sustainability, Gleneagles also grows its own organic grapes for the fruit platters served daily throughout the resort during the fruit season.And although the luxury resort does not take grape growing to the next, alcoholic stage, it does recycle all left-over wine corks by sending them to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for use in its innovative drainage systems.

Environmentally-friendly golf doesn’t need to be confined to the greens, however. At Dundonald Links on the west coast, bee-hives have been introduced to increase on-site biodiversity. The added bonus is a sweet treat after the 18th hole; homemade Dunny Honey which is harvested by the course’s greens crew.

In 2012, Dundonald also achieved its objective of sending zero amount of waste to landfill and on the golf course green waste such as grass clippings and woody waste are stored and screened for recycling. This has resulted in 3000 tonnes of top soil, which is used for all golf course construction.

 

Machrihanish Dunes: Find out more

For more information on Machrihanish Dunes or to book a tee time, visit machdunes.com

Remember: Machrihanish Dunes is one of the courses you can play with bunkered’s fantastic 2014 subscription offer. To find out more, click here.

 

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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