Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club (Dunskey)

The village of Portpatrick (originally called Portree) nestles under the cliffs on the southwest coast of Wigtownshire in southern Scotland. On the cliff top, Charles Orr Ewing MP, owner of Dunskey Estates, founded the golf club in 1903. The course commands magnificent views across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland some 22 miles away. The Isle of Man and Mull of Kintyre are also landforms than can be viewed with favourable weather conditions.

The original nine holes measured 1,445 yards and were laid out by Charles Hunter, the professional at Prestwick Golf Club further along the west coast. In 1913, it was decided to extend the course to 18 holes of 5,570 yards, some 343 yards shorter than its current length. There are only two par fives and four par threes on the present-day card with a par of 70. Of the twelve par fours, only one is more than 400 yards and, indeed, the driveable signature 13th 'Sandeel' and 14th 'Glenside' both measure less than 300 yards.

The term 'holiday golf' can often appear disparaging when used to describe a golf course but it is most appropriate when applied to Portpatrick Dunskey as so many of the golfers who play here are visitors – half the income for the club in 2003 came from visiting green fees – and they return for more of the same year after year. One of the leading golf magazines described the course in 1984 as 'the number one holiday golf destination'.

Very few of the returning golfers would disagree with this description of a course that just oozes charm. Although the ground is rolling moorland and seaside heathland in nature, Portpatrick also has a very links-like feel to it in places with yellow gorse flanking many of the fairways. Greens, like the overall yardage of the course, are modest in size but that in no way detracts from the pleasure of playing the Dunskey.

The Dunskey course has been upgraded in the last few years with the introduction of bunkers, which has really tightened things up and increased the Standard Scratch Score to 69. Portpatrick Dunskey is one of Scotland's true hidden treasures and well worthy of inclusion as a gem in any of the golfing annals.