Askernish gets go-ahead

1 October 2006

The restoration of the 18 hole golf course at Askernish in the Western Isles of Scotland, originally designed by Old Tom Morris in 1892 (GCA issue 4), is to go ahead this winter. Planning permission was granted in late August by the Western Isles Council, and the Askernish club, with assistance from architect Martin Ebert, has secured sponsorship from the developers of Angus Glen, a course designed by Ebert and currently under construction in Canada.

Angus Glen members will have reciprocal membership at Askernish under the scheme.

Ransomes Jacobsen is providing machinery for the construction and maintenance of the golf course. MD David Withers said: "Our involvement came about when I was speaking at an English Golf Union event at Woodhall Spa and spent some time with Malcolm Peake who was a fellow speaker and until recently chairman of greens at Temple GC. He explained what was being attempted at Askernish and how the environmental elements of the restoration were being structured and it sounded like the Askernish project team have very similar environmental aspirations to our own. It was a natural decision to get involved with such a great project.We have a very strong presence in Scotland and the opportunity to get involved at such an early stage of this project was particularly appealing, I am hoping to visit at some point in the not too distant future to see what, from all accounts, is a breathtaking site."