Royal Dornoch Championship course

www.royaldornoch.com

SSS White tees 73
         Red tees   76

Golf was first played on the linksland at Dornoch in 1616, making it the third oldest golf course in the world.  The club was formed in 1877 when there were nine holes.  In 1886 Old Tom Morris was invited to lay out a fully planned course and by 1889 there were eighteen holes.  The advent of the rubber cored ball at the turn of the century meant that the course was remodelled and lengthened.  During the Second World War part of the course was used as an aerodrome and in the late 1940s more remodelling was done when the Struie course was formed and new holes (6-11) were added to the Championship course.



Overlooking the second nine and Dornoch Bay

Its history is almost palpable when playing at Royal Dornoch and it is easy to imagine the original golfers on the course.  It is a traditional out-and-back layout of a links course with the deep bunkers and the wind being its fierce defences.  It is the unwary golfer who congratulates himself on a good score on the first eight holes played with the wind as he will then turn into the wind when low scores are much more difficult.  The fairways are generous but the greens are the upturned saucers which clearly inspired the famous golf architect Donald Ross who was born in Dornoch and was the club's first professional.  Holding the greens requires a well judged shot or a par will be sacrificed!  There are sea views at almost every hole and the course follows the white sands of Dornoch Bay. 

Tom Watson is an honorary member of the club and has described a round at Royal Dornoch as the most fun he has ever had on a golf course.   This is a wonderful links course which improves the more it is played. 

The tenth is a short hole with a green typically well guarded by deep bunkers

Worth playing?  Definitely for its history, the sense of playing a traditional links course and the challenge it presents.