Askernish Golf Club

Askernish occupies a remote stretch of machair land on the southern tip of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides. The course has an unusual history: Old Tom Morris laid out holes here in 1891, but the layout fell into disuse and was largely forgotten for decades. In the early 2000s, golf historian Gordon Irvine rediscovered evidence of Morris's original design, and architect Martin Ebert led efforts to restore and reconstruct the course, which reopened in 2008. The work aimed to recover Morris's routing and design principles while adapting to the natural evolution of the land. The course plays across classic machair terrain, characterized by sandy soil, natural undulations, and close-cropped turf grazed by sheep and cattle. The routing follows the contours of the land with minimal earthmoving, and many greens sit in natural bowls or plateaus shaped by wind and time. Holes run along the Atlantic coastline, offering views across the water and exposure to prevailing winds that significantly affect play. Askernish represents a rare example of golf in its most elemental form, with few modern amenities and a layout that relies entirely on natural features. The course appeals to those interested in golf history and links puritanism, providing an experience closer to the game's nineteenth-century origins than most contemporary designs. Access requires travel to one of Scotland's most isolated regions, and the course operates with minimal infrastructure in keeping with its surroundings.