{"id":1426,"date":"2025-06-22T09:42:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T09:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/?p=1426"},"modified":"2025-06-22T09:42:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T09:42:59","slug":"iona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/2025\/06\/22\/iona\/","title":{"rendered":"Iona"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iona-dogs.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"440\" height=\"282\" title=\"Iona dogs\" style=\"display: inline; background-image: none;\" alt=\"Iona dogs\" src=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iona-dogs_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.doggolf.info\/DogGolfDB\/Golf%20Course%20Profile.aspx?resort=612\"><font color=\"#008000\">Iona<\/font><\/a><font color=\"#008000\"> is an absolutely legendry golf course which is a true experience to play. But the exceptionality of the play is piqued by the unprecedented degree of \u201chazards\u201d literally sprinkled throughout the course.<\/font><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Water<\/b> \u2013 The biggest water hazard in the UK \u2013 the Atlantic Ocean \u2013 is the least of your worries as the course is set over 100 yards off of it (still makes for a lovely vista).<\/font><\/li>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Sand<\/b> \u2013 The course does feature the biggest, nastiest sand trap I have ever come upon. A sprawling, malignant monstrosity perched on a steep incline to boot.<\/font><\/li>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Visibility<\/b> \u2013 Our hole course, Temple GC, has a famous 10<sup>th<\/sup> hole with a blind par 3 into a 200 yard crater so deep that you can see the flag in it. That hole is nearly ALL of Iona. I wonder if this topology is to minimize the impact of the course on the spectacular sea views by eliminating the visibility of most of the flags? There are poles to guide your drives in the general direction of the hidden flag, but many were knocked over by the wind I assume. A scorecard with map is a must (which you buy at the local Post Office for \u00a31\u2026the course\u2019s primary source of income), but even then finding your next hole is a bit of a treasure hunt, especially if\u2026<\/font><\/li>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Sheep<\/b> \u2013Not just obstacles to avoid hitting, but also were cuddled around the Hole 2 tee marker so we couldn\u2019t find it (see photo)<\/font><\/li>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Flowers<\/b> \u2013 Purple or pink balls are recommended as lots of white and yellow flowers and clumps of white sheep wool further add to the scavenger hunt feel of a round (see photo)<\/font><\/li>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Natural Fertilizer<\/b> \u2013 This you won\u2019t have any trouble finding. But you will struggle to avoid. We played our own personal rule that you got to move away from poo instead of sending it flying.<\/font><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><font color=\"#008000\">So why would one want to put up with so many impediments?<\/font><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Creatures<\/b> \u2013 For those so included, the creature caddies provide a distinctive and fun vibe to the day.<\/font><\/li>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Chipping Practice<\/b> \u2013 The course essentially thin greenery on beach sand which is quite drenched in many places. So there are no real \u201cfairways\u201d and even the concept of a \u201cgreen\u201d is questionable. So it is nearly 5k of chipping and light rough practice in challenging conditions. <\/font><\/li>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Scenery<\/b> \u2013 Not just the expansive ocean, but the curious, rocky, distinctly Scottish undulating topology<\/font><\/li>\n<li><font color=\"#008000\"><b>Challenge<\/b> \u2013 All of these idiosyncrasies add up to a unique challenge for the jaded golfer.<\/font><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linksgolf.co.uk\/clubs\/scotland\/iona.html\"><font color=\"#008000\">Golf Links<\/font><\/a><font color=\"#008000\"> described it as, \u201c<i>Golf in its purest form<\/i>.\u201d<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font color=\"#008000\">And for the standard 4 course assessments\u2026<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font color=\"#008000\"><i>Welcome<\/i> \u2013 Well, there is no welcome at all as there is no clubhouse. Just a sign on the front gate (see photo) advising to have dogs on leads (for the sake of the ubiquitous livestock).<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font color=\"#008000\"><i>Walk<\/i> \u2013 One would think it is flat, but holes. Lots of blind holes. And they are made blind by the quite dramatically undulating landscape which involves its share of inclines to hike.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font color=\"#008000\"><i>Water<\/i> \u2013 Ironically so Scotland \u2013 land of rivers, waterfalls and lochs \u2013 there was no fresh water anywhere to be seen (aside from an ever-present ocean), so bring some for hot days.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font color=\"#008000\"><i>Wildlife<\/i> \u2013 Sheep!!! And occasionally cattle (see photo) and the various sea birds.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font color=\"#008000\"><i>Wind Down<\/i> \u2013 Every pub and restaurant in Iona appears to be dog friendly. We had a delightful meal at the Argyll Hotel down the road from us by the pier. The black raspberry &amp; cherry ice cream from Iona the menu was simply some of the best ice cream I\u2019ve ever had in the UK.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iona-gc-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"440\" height=\"264\" title=\"Iona gc 2\" style=\"display: inline; background-image: none;\" alt=\"Iona gc 2\" src=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iona-gc-2_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/iona-sand-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"440\" height=\"249\" title=\"iona sand 1\" style=\"display: inline; background-image: none;\" alt=\"iona sand 1\" src=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/iona-sand-1_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/iona-sand-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"440\" height=\"233\" title=\"iona sand 2\" style=\"display: inline; background-image: none;\" alt=\"iona sand 2\" src=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/iona-sand-2_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iona-poo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"440\" height=\"233\" title=\"Iona poo\" style=\"display: inline; background-image: none;\" alt=\"Iona poo\" src=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iona-poo_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/iona-dogs-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"440\" height=\"280\" title=\"iona dogs 2\" style=\"display: inline; background-image: none;\" alt=\"iona dogs 2\" src=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/iona-dogs-2_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/iona-cattle.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"440\" height=\"335\" title=\"iona cattle\" style=\"display: inline; background-image: none;\" alt=\"iona cattle\" src=\"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/iona-cattle_thumb.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uyjb96mdlL4?si=F3shcQT46HOYnU2e&amp;controls=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iona is an absolutely legendry golf course which is a true experience to play. But the exceptionality of the play is piqued by the unprecedented degree of \u201chazards\u201d literally sprinkled throughout the course. Water \u2013 The biggest water hazard in the UK \u2013 the Atlantic Ocean \u2013 is the least of your worries as the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1426"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1427,"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426\/revisions\/1427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/doggolf.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}