Golf
Stunning views on all parts of the course
This Par 66, 18 hole natural links course was founded in 1889 by a small group drawn from the surrounding farms and community of Southend. The original layout was for an 18 hole course which began on the opposite side of the Burn at what is now the 15th. The course was completely remodelled and extended before the Second World War when the first clubhouse was sited behind the Wallace Cottages, part of Southend Village.
The course is sited around Dunaverty
Rock, a long established fortification which once sheltered Robert the Bruce. It is most famous for the conflict between Scottish warring factions in 1647, which culminated in the surrender and subsequent massacre of the 300-strong Royalist garrison by the besieging Covenanters.
Dunaverty Castle was subsequently razed to the ground and precious little remains.
The course is laid out amongst the sandy seascape which links South Kintyre’s farmland to the sea and, through which, the Conieglen Burn flows, and Dunaverty Rock towers above. As with many courses, Dunaverty fell into disrepair during the war years but, with a strong sense of Scottish pride and tradition, the following years saw Colonel Taylor, himself the son of one of the founder members, together with a number of volunteers, take responsibility for restoring the course. Around the same time, George MacMillan was appointed greenkeeper to undertake the restoration. Again, in keeping with tradition, Willie MacMillan followed in his father’s footsteps by succeeding him as Head Greenkeeper. However, after serving the club for over forty years, Willie decided to hand the reins over to his then assistant, David Scullion, who himself has worked at the club for the best part of fourteen years,
taking over the head role in September 2010. Willie has decided to stay on, but now only works two days a week, leaving David to do the rest of the work by himself. So, in effect, the whole course is maintained by two staff - one full time and the other part time! The quality of their work is as exquisite as the location. The greens are kept at 4.5mm in the summer and 6mm in the winter, cutting four times a week in the growing season. Holes are changed weekly. Tees are mown at 10mm in the summer and 15mm in the winter, cutting twice a week in the summer. Fairways are mown once a week in the summer to 15mm, and 20mm in winter. To help keep the grass down in the winter months, a few of the local farmers are allowed to graze their sheep on the fairways.
The equipment is pretty basic. Greens are cut using two John Deere 220B
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2011 PC 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156