
Askernish Course
Askernish Golf Club

About this course
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.
Quick facts
- Location
- Askernish, Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1891
- Designer(s)
- Gordon Irvine, Martin Ebert, Old Tom Morris
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,255 yards
- Difficulty
- 72.4/128
Getting there
The journey to Askernish Golf Club is an odyssey in itself, beginning with a flight to Glasgow or Inverness before connecting to the tiny airstrip at Benbecula or taking the ferry from Oban to Lochboisdale on South Uist. From there, a half-hour drive south along the island's single-track spine road carries you through a landscape of peat bogs, lochs, and low Atlantic light, the machair grasslands gradually revealing themselves as you approach the southwestern coast. This is not a destination for those seeking convenience - the remoteness is the point, and by the time you reach the modest clubhouse overlooking the dunes, you have crossed into a world where golf exists in its most elemental, unadorned form.

FAQ
Common questions about Askernish
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Askernish was designed by Gordon Irvine, Martin Ebert, and Old Tom Morris.
Yes. Askernish is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Askernish is 72.
Askernish plays 6,255 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Askernish is 128.
Askernish is a 18-hole course.
