Southworth – a Boston-based, privately-held global golf company specialising in the development and management of clubs and residential communities – has unveiled plans for a significant resort expansion to The Village at Machrihanish Dunes in Argyll, Scotland and is actively vetting hospitality investors and operators regarding potential partnerships.
Southworth is honoured and excited to expand Scotland’s most sustainable golf resort, which currently includes the renowned Machrihanish Dunes golf course, an authentic, David McLay Kidd-designed links. Machrihanish Dunes has been dubbed “one of the most natural golf courses in the world” and is proud to be the first-ever GEO-certified golf course in the UK. In addition to the celebrated golf course, the resort includes two historic hotels, lovingly restored to modern hospitality standards, five restaurants and pubs, and eight seaside golf cottages.
The expansion project will add a seaside links course adjacent to Machrihanish Dunes – and is to be developed in the same manner.
Tommy Southworth, President of Southworth, said: “Machrihanish Dunes lies on one of the most unique pieces of land in the world, so it is only fitting that we expand our offerings for all types of visitors to this special corner of Scotland, while being sensitive to the stunning natural landscape. In combination with Machrihanish Dunes and other area links courses, including the acclaimed Machrihanish Golf Club, a world top 100 links designed by Old Tom Morris, the addition of another 18-hole links will help turn the Kintyre Peninsula into the next great golfing destination in Scotland.”
Along with the new golf course, these approvals include an expansive golf training facility and practice facility, 73 additional hotel rooms, and 50 golf cottages, and a myriad of additional amenities. Upon completion, Southworth’s assets within the resort will total more than 200 rooms and seven food and beverage outlets to support the 36 holes of golf along with the surrounding acclaimed courses.
Southworth has sought out these expansion permits with the goal of partnering with a world-class hospitality partner to create a resort destination with broad appeal and generous amenity sets that offer something for everyone and expand interest in this beautiful location. Preliminary discussions are underway.
The new golf course sits, in part, on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and will be created and maintained using the same sustainable practices in use on the existing course. An unwavering dedication to preserving and enhancing the biodiversity of this special landscape has proven successful at Machrihanish Dunes, as evidenced by the re-emergence and flourishing of a number of wildlife and plant species. The new 18-hole routing will meet Machrihanish Dunes in the linksland along the ocean’s edge and meander its way through the rugged dunescape and into the foothills, creating a unique design that features a mix of awe-inspiring views, dramatic elevation changes and traditional seaside links.
Eleanor Brown, Director of Sustainability with Southworth, said: “Southworth believesit is paramount that we support and protect the communities and environments where we operate, ensuring we keep each club setting spectacular for generations to come. Being stewards of land and community means operating with a sustainability-first mindset from ideation through the execution of any project or initiative. It also means supporting the communities in which we operate, through local hiring and training, philanthropic initiatives and more.”
The project, true to Southworth’s ethos, has included significant input from the local community through regular contact and focus groups. The project aims to not only be respectful to its surroundings but also go a step further by increasing the area of dune vegetation habitat.
To ensure a wealth of species thrive, Southworth will partner with NatureScot on a long-term habitat management plan for the lifetime of the golf course, in keeping with the successful model in place at Machrihanish Dunes.
One of the largest teaching facilities in the UK is planned for the site, with indoor and outdoor practice bays, and a nine-acre short-game area. To complement the golf amenities, a new sports and racquet centre will provide visitors with state-of-the-art tennis, pickleball and football facilities.
The development will also include an approximately 35,000-square-foot clubhouse with a 150-seat restaurant and a large function room that will host up to 250 guests – making it ideal for weddings and corporate events. The clubhouse will also be home to an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, fitness area and spa for members to use at their leisure.
These additions join the historic Ugadale Hotel, which sits just steps from the “Best Starting Hole in Golf” and the Old Tom Morris Pub, and the captivating Royal Hotel, which is located in the heart of Campbelltown and overlooks its impressive harbour, among the components of a resort steeped in history and situated at one of the world’s most beautiful and preserved locations.
Southworth added: “We will ensure the pure and authentic surroundings of Machrihanish remain, while creating a significant boost to the local economy, not only through the creation of hundreds of jobs upon completion, but through utilising the skillsets of a myriad of local companies,” Southworth adds.
“We remain hopelessly in love with Machrihanish Dunes – the place, the people and the golf experience.”
For more information, please visit https://machrihanishdunes.com/ and https://southworthclubs.com/
About The Village at Machrihanish Dunes
The Village at Machrihanish Dunes, voted “Scotland’s Best Resort Experience”, “Best Hotel” and “Best Catering” by Golf Tourism Scotland, is a world-class seaside resort featuring a UK. Top-100 links golf course, four-star accommodations, casual and fine dining options, a boutique spa, plus a host of other resort amenities, all located in one of Scotland’s most beautiful regions. The Ugadale Hotel & Cottages in Machrihanish offer 22 rooms and suites plus eight luxurious two-bedroom cottages. The Royal Hotel, with 23 rooms all overlooking Campbeltown Harbour, is located in downtown Campbeltown, a mere five miles away. The resort is ideally suited for golfers; non-golf visitors; golf group visits; family reunions; corporate meetings, events, and retreats; weddings and other social functions; and more. The course, the first 18-hole course in the UK. to earn certification from the Golf Environmental Organization, is consistently ranked as one of the most ecologically friendly courses in the world. Designed by David McLay-Kidd, it opened in 2009 on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the first course ever to be built on such a site and also the first to be built on the west coast of Scotland in over 100 years. For more information on The Village at Machrihanish Dunes or to book reservations, visit machrihanishdunes.com.
About Southworth
Southworth is a privately held company specializing in the development and management of private clubs and highly amenitized and programmed residential communities. Founded to challenge the industry status quo in 1991, Southworth recognized an opportunity to think beyond the restrictive private clubs of the day. Today, many national and international club communities later, the Southworth legacy continues to evolve. With a newfound commitment to forward-looking culture and values, and with the next generation of family leadership firmly in place, Southworth has reintroduced itself as the trusted curator of an elevated lifestyle whose inclusive clubs offer one-of-a-kind community and connections for a life well-lived. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Southworth currently owns and operates private clubs and residential communities across North America, the Caribbean and Europe. These award-winning properties include: Willowbend on Cape Cod, Mass.; Renaissance on Boston’s North Shore; Meredith Bay on New Hampshire’s famed Lake Winnipesaukee; Creighton Farms in Aldie, Va. 35 minutes west of Washington, DC; Machrihanish Dunes in Argyll, Scotland; and The Abaco Club, located on Great Abaco Island in The Bahamas. For more information, visit SouthworthClubs.com.
