The Northern Highlands has some of the best Links courses in the world. Once you have played the Royal Dornoch, Why not visit some of our neighbouring courses, all within easy travel distance of Dornoch.
Tain
Tain Golf Club in Ross-Shire is a classic Scottish Highland links course designed by Old Tom Morris. It is situated 9 miles south of Dornoch.
Their Championship length links overlooking the Dornoch Firth offers one of the best settings imaginable in the Highlands for a round of golf and is accessible to everyone. With sea on one side and the backdrop of the mountains behind, every day brings a different aspect to this challenging and beautiful course and the layout of the holes guarantees an interesting round for beginners or experts.
Visitor rates:
Single round- between £20 & £55
Day Ticket- between £20 & £70 see website for more details.
Bonar Bridge and Ardgay
Set in some of the most spectacular scenery in Sutherland with Rolling Hills and views over Loch Migdale, Bonar Bridge, Ardgay Golf Course has been voted the most picturesque 9 hole course in Scotland and described as a "mini Gleneagles''. The club extends a warm Highland welcome to all, and is only 45 minutes north of Inverness on the Struie road (which offers you the chance to see one of Sutherland's most famous sights ‘'The Million Dollar view‘')
The course has something for everyone no matter what your ability. A recently completed practice facility with two nets, bunker and putting green offers you the chance to have a good warm up before taking on the course.
Visitor rates:
Day Ticket- £25 and £10 for juniors.
Golspie
Golspie Golf Course designed by James Braid is situated on the Dornoch Firth with a beguiling mix of classic links, heath and parkland holes. The course has stunning views from all holes of the Dornoch Firth on one side and the backdrop of Ben Bhraggie on the other.
The Par 70 course offers an excellent golfing experience whether you are a plus 1 handicapper or an enthusiastic beginner.
Golspie Golf Course are delighted to be rated rated as nr 54 in Golf World's Top 100 courses in Scotland for 2015.
‘Beautifully presented and with as much variety as you could ever wish for. Golspie alternates between links, heathland, woodland and even parkland. The consecutive short holes at the 16th and 17th are a highlight.'
Visitor rates:
Single round- £45
Day Ticket- £55
Brora
Recognised as probably the best example of the great James Braids course designs and certainly the one that has kept to the original vision of the games greatest architect, Brora hugs the coastline and commands breathtaking mountain and sea views just 20 minutes north of Royal Dornoch and an hour from Inverness. Five times Open Champion Peter Thomson rates Brora as “the best traditional links course in the world” Given 194 acres of Scottish links land to work on, what in 1923 was entitled "Braid's Plan" is hardly altered. Here the visitor will enjoy the mixture of bent grass and beach sand, burn water and gorse in glorious yellow May bloom. There is even a railway which comes into play from the tenth tee.
Visitor rates:
Single round- between £49 & £59
Day Ticket- between £69 & £79. See website for more details
Tarbat
Tarbat Golf Club is over 100 years old and celebrated it's centenary in 2009. It sits in the beautiful little seaside resort of Pormahomack. Only 10 minutes from the main A9 near Tain in Ross-Shire it is the only nine links course in the area. Although only 5295 yards in length for the 2 x nine holes, with cleverly placed bunkers, elevated greens and undulating fairways a good test of golf can be enjoyed.
Visitor rates:
Day Ticket- £20. See website for more details
Royal Dornoch- Championship
Championship Course ranked No.5 in the world and No.1 in Scotland by Golf Digest 2016.
Royal Dornoch is spellbinding and many golfers from all over the world make the pilgrimage to this natural links at some point in their lives. It is often quoted as one of the must-play courses.
It's the timeless setting that makes Royal Dornoch such a pleasing place to play golf. It's wild, isolated and, at the same time, absolutely beautiful; there's the blaze of colour in early summer when the gorse is in flower. The pure white sandy beach divides the links from the Dornoch Firth and it all feels very humbling.
The curving bay of the Dornoch Firth and its magnificent white broad beaches are backed by a narrow strip of softly contoured dune land rising in two distinctive levels, providing just enough room for parallel fairways. The ridges, hillocks, dunes and undulating links land have all the characters of the best of links courses, and most of the difficulties. The first eight holes follow the ridge and the remaining ten holes played in the opposite direction are bounded, except the 17th and 18th on the left by the sandy beaches of the firth.
Visitor rates:
Single round- £130 (May to September) £120 (April & October) £65 (November to March)
Day Ticket- £210 ( May to September) £190 (April & October)
Royal Dornoch- Struie
Struie Course ranked No.50 in the best links courses of UK & Ireland by Golf Digest 2011
Formed in 1877, Royal Dornoch means exceptional standards and they always aim to exceed the expectations of their frequent visitors and loyal members. However, they aim to do this in a relaxed, informal environment, with an emphasis on traditional highland hospitality.
The Struie course originally opened as a 12 hole Ladies course in 1899 and opened to the present 18 holes in 1999. The work of Donald Steel and his design team back in the 1990s, it encapsulates natural Scottish Links golf, working with the natural landscape, local plant and wildlife, the layout incorporates many of the unique Dornoch features.
Visitor rates:
Single round- £45 ( May to September) £35 (April & October) £25 (November to March)
Day Ticket- £67.50 ( May to September) £52.50 (April & October)
Fortrose and Rosemarkie
Located on the Chanonry Peninsula in the ‘Black Isle’ our Scottish links golf course enjoys breathtaking views over the Moray Firth, very close to the City of Inverness. Now confirmed as being the 15th Oldest Recorded Club in the World 1793 the course was re-designed by the five time Open Champion James Braid in 1932. Playing on one of the finest links golf courses in Scotland is a must for your golfing calendar, especially as we are so close to other distinguished links in the area, such as Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart, Brora and Nairn.
The course has received accolades such as ‘a gem of a course by the sea’, ‘perhaps the best jewel in the highland golfing crown’ and ‘a unique course with special character to be found nowhere else’. The course is open every day of the year and we welcome golfers from all over the world to play on this fantastic links course which has hosted a number of national championships and will continue to do so in the years ahead.
Visitor rates:
Single round- between £25 & £50
Day Ticket- between £35 & £70. See website for more details.
Castle Stuart
For such a new golf course, Castle Stuart Golf Links has already forged an illustrious history and secured its place in the world’s golfing pantheon. Its spectacular impact began in its very first year, 2009, when Golf Magazine named it top new international course and simultaneously placed it at number 56 in the world list. Then the beautifully situated course, with commanding views over the Moray Firth to the hills and mountains beyond, shot to wider prominence in 2011 when it hosted the first ever European Tour event in the Scottish Highlands. The Scottish Open, played at Castle Stuart for three successive years, showcased the stunning course and surroundings to a global television audience. Having attracted international acclaim for its design, location and ability to be playable yet challenging for both amateurs and professionals, the course’s reputation has continued to burgeon and it made number 87 in Golf Digest’s 2014 Top 100 Courses in the World. (Text from www.highlandgolflinks.com)
Visitor rates:
May – Oct £190 per round
April & November – £140 per round
36 Hole Ticket – £235 (May – October)
36 Hole Ticket – £190 (April & November)
Nairn
Ranked number 11 in the list of Top 100 Courses in Scotland 2015 (Golf World Magazine), this Traditional Scottish Golf Links Course was created from a Highland wilderness of gorse and heather, and tests the talents of professional and amateur alike. Founded in 1887, it is now one of the best courses in Scotland, and has hosted a large number of important championships. What delights the visitor and member alike is the Scottish-ness of the links. Other than in a strong westerly, it leads you in gently before demanding accurate driving and precision second shots.
Visitor rates:
Round Ticket (Monday-Sunday) £120.00
Two Round Ticket £180.00
(Playable over 4 day period April to October)
Round Ticket (November to March) £50
Dornoch Firth Golf Pass
Playing more than one golf course during your stay? Why not sign up for a Dornoch Firth Golf Pass, saving you money and giving you good deals on accommodation too!
For the first time, The Dornoch Firth Golf Pass brings together five of the Highland’s finest golf courses to offer an easy to book golf card for the visitor enabling great discounts to be taken throughout the year.
With a £40 Dornoch Firth Golf Pass you receive 30% off when you play Brora, Golspie, Tain and Royal Dornoch’s Championship Links and Struie course.
The card can be purchased at any of the courses involved and many other attractions and accommodation providers in the area or you can visit our website and do it all from there. You then simply book your tee times direct with the golf club to receive your discount.
(All text taken from Club websites unless stated.)
Originally Published Here: Ten things to DO in Dornoch: Golf
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