Askernish is one of the greatest heart-warming stories in all of golf. The golf course was rediscovered in 2002 by Ralph Thompson, a local greenkeeper and golf enthusiast. Thompson suspected that the overgrown land near the island’s machair (coastal grassland) was once part of an old course. Historical research confirmed that the course was designed by Old Tom Morris in 1891 but had fallen out of use and disappeared over the decades.

Thompson met Gordon Irvine who had a golf course consultancy business, in December 2005. On a cold, windy day they walked Askernish, and Gordon showed it to him.

He spoke of Old Tom coming to South Uist, in July of 1891 for Lady Emily Eliza Steele Gordan Cathcart (1845-1932) to build a course. Horace Hutchinson accompanied Old Tom. Askernish would be where Lords and Ladies could entertain themselves if they did not want to fish and hunt.

It was abandoned in WWI, as all the men left. It was used for runways for the Royal Air Force and by the Post office in the 1920's.

After the rediscovery, a group including golf course architect Martin Ebert and golf writer Donald Steel helped restore the course, leading to its reopening in 2008 as a revived, authentic “Old Tom Morris” links experience.

In 2009, Mike Kaiser became involved as well and offered his help and expertise to help Askernish to survive. He commissioned Tom Doak to take a look and see what changes he might recommend. His response, per Ralph Thompson was, “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

They sold many lifetime memberships in North America, and Doak and Keiser were amongst the supporters and financial backers of Askernish.

Askernish is unique in that It has the honor of being the only original ‘untouched’ Old Tom Morris course—never being altered by any other architect. All the others have been altered, updated added to or redesigned—often many times—over decades. Some of his courses have original holes and/or green complexes remaining, e.g., Machrihanish, Cruden Bay, Prestwick, Lahinch, and others but none with the original, untouched layout.

As we rolled down the access road, we passed Lady Cathcart’s old residence and came upon the clubhouse. It truly fits the moment and the course. A tiny, eight hundred square foot, one-room house. Just enough room to accommodate the pro-shop, café/bar with a couple tables and restrooms. It even had a few picnic tables out front. What else do you need? It made the Dunaverty clubhouse look like a castle.

“You must be the Americans that had a tee time for earlier?” the Head Professional asked. “I’m glad you made it, usually the rain scares folks away.”

“Couldn’t miss it,” I responded. “I’ve read a lot about the course and its history.”

“Yes,” he continued, “quite a History and an Old Tom classic. So glad it was rediscovered. There is only one group out there, so you will have the course to yourselves.”

We headed out to the first tee as a gang-some, as Woody would call it, six strong—The Hebrides Squad had picked up WillieB at the Islay Airport the day before and we would finally get to assess our rain gear.

As we were prepping for our first tee shot, I read this excerpt from the back of my course guide:

“Askernish golf club is one of the most unique golf experiences in the World.

As you will find out, the history of Askernish is one full of mystery, stories, turmoil and intrigue. At the head of this are the people who pioneered golf on the Hebridean Isle of South Uist: from Old Tom Morris in 1891 to the modern-day restorers who continue to develop golf as it should be.

Year round, golf at Askernish is an unforgettable experience set amongst an extraordinary Hebridean landscape. Our island home, untouched by man’s hand, is a haven from the modern world. Playing on our rediscovered golf course, an example of golf as Old Tom Morris would recognize it, is a game you will never forget.

As we welcome you to Askernish and we look forward to seeing you on the links!”

Ralph Thompson, Club Chairman

As we eased into the round, it made me think about how very seldom we (Americans) play in the rain, if ever. I loved it and it certainly makes one concentrate on your swing and be in the moment. The first four holes are fairly non-descript, and flat with not much character, but in the end, every course has a few weak holes. The head professional gave us fore-warning, do not judge the book by its first few pages, be patient.

To get the blood flowing, when we came to hole #3, Wicked Lady (referring to Lady Cathcart) just off the tee I walked a bit ahead of the other lads, spun around, and recited a few lines that I had memorized from Billy Collins’ poem about the course:

The hikers come for the air and the sights,
and the anglers are here for the fishing.
But nothing is better under blue skies than when I’m Askernishing.

We had a good laugh and it helped us get in the groove.

It was a fun, playful little, short par-4 of 272-yards and it taught me that Old Tom had a penchant for designing fun, short two-shotters back in the day long before it became the specialty of Coore & Crenshaw.

As you head up #5 fairway, Marloch, you can feel that you are coming upon the beef and beauty of the course and begin to spot the Ocean to the right As we walked off that green and up toward #6 tee, perched over the ocean, we got a fresh jolt of adrenaline.

The next hole, called Runway, reveals the magic of Askernish, and is the beginning of the roller-coaster thrill ride of holes 6 through 16. Through, around and over mammoth sized dunes,. Number 6, Runway is a beautiful, rugged par-5 of 570 yards aptly named paying homage to its use by the RAF during WWI. It was easily one of my favorite par-five’s in Scotland, let alone anywhere.

Paddy and WillieB decided to head-in after this hole as they could see the clubhouse from the top of the hill. They had a date with a couple of whisky’s in the clubhouse where it was warm and dry.

The rain would subside once we got to the green on Cabinet Minister - #7. A 377-yard par-4 that was challenging and very uphill with absolute towering dunes. The name is a tongue-in-cheek suggesting that only a cabinet minister could afford to lose the number of golf balls that this hole sucks-up. Our foursome gave back at least 12 balls to the gorse; I totaled three in a row myself.

David and I made it further through #11, Barra Sight (the Island that is in view on clear days) and tough, and uphill 200-yard par-3. We consulted the map on the Scorecard and saw that we had a gap and a direct route around a dune that would bring us to the middle of the 15th fairway. Old knees and backs can certainly take their toll at some point.

The 15th Balaclava and #16, Old Tom’s Pulpit, a great 363-yard par-four into a blind, punchbowl green which brought a smile to my face as I cannot get enough of punchbowl greens in Scotland and Ireland.

David and I had a great walk in and had a blast playing those four holes. The 17th was a nice par-3, and we ended up with Slainte Mhath, #18, (meaning Good Health in Scottish Gaelic, or “Cheers”) At this point we were having a blast and a good walk and almost did not want it to end.

We tucked in at the clubhouse and took advantage of the assortment of single-malts for sale via airline bottles. We reminisced and traded stories for over an hour, and just when commented on how DP and Sam were faring, in they came!

They told us the tale of the attack of the killer midges after the rain stopped and it dried up. The midges won the battle, but they survived to fight another day. Kudos to them! They made it around the whole track and entertained filled us in on the 4 ½ holes that we missed.

When I played Askernish, as I do with all the other Old Tom courses (Machrihanish, Cruden Bay, Prestwick, et. al) I try to put myself in the mindset of Old Tom himself. Do not try to view it and rate it against the Top 100 courses in the World. Do not be too concerned that it appears to be ‘rough around the edges.’ Take it for what it is and let your mind wander and harken back over a hundred years when they played with hickories, featheries, and eventually gutta perchas. It is still the same game, and you still need to hit the shots and make the putts on a shaggy green.

The course does not have a large maintenance staff, and my guess is that they only cut the greens weekly. They use no chemicals and work in close harmony with nature. That is exactly why it is hailed by many environmental experts as the most natural links course in the World.

Another reviewer put it this way:

“One of the game’s most authentic and least tamed playing experiences re-affirms that golf can be simple yet exhilarating. Some of the best holes in world of golf are here, even if it is not expensive to play. Unfortunately, this business model is struggling and words of poor presentation mute the desire to trek to the Outer Hebrides, no matter how compelling the stretch is from holes 6 through 15. Its design has what it takes to be world top fifty if only the green staff could increase to six, or even five, people. Do not miss it.”

I loved Askernish and that day will be forever etched in my mind of how we battled the elements and played some of the most beautiful, rugged dunes and unique holes that I will every experience.

But the true favorites and winners of Askernish are the dunes and the green complexes themselves. The green complexes are wicked, cool, crazy, and undulated. Wild and natural. More so than any of the other Old Tom courses I have played

My main regret is that we did not play Askernish more than once. In Tom Coyne’s, A Course Called Scotland, he played it four times. Why not! It is, after all, hard to get to.

South Uist: Billy Collins, US Poet Laureate

There’s plenty of reasons to come here.
The salmon’s as good as the drinks.
Some like the whisky, some like the beer,
but I’m happiest when out on the links.
It’s fine to be a student of genealogy,
busy tracing your family’s course.
But the only ghost I need for company,
is the ghost of Old Tom Morris.

The hikers come for the air and the sights,
and the anglers are here for the fishing.
But nothing is better under blue skies than when I am Askernishing.

Billy Collins—an ex-US Poet Laureate--could not have put it better. I, like the poem suggests, do like my whisky, but I am indeed at my happiest when I am on the links.

Course Rating: Eagle, It you can get there, play Askernish a few times, and try to catch-it on a sunny day at least once. ! Holes 5-16 are World class. This is one of those off-the-beaten-path excursions that you just have to do!