Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Set within the Scottish Highlands, in the county of Sutherland, Royal Dornoch Golf Club is situated in the coastal town of Dornoch, on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth. Only an hour's drive north from Inverness airport, Royal Dornoch is home to the truly historic and majestic Championship Course. A fast-running links course, with many holes bound in by white broad beaches, it offers the ridges, hillocks, dunes and undulating links-land, characterising all of the best and most difficult links courses. As if that is not enough, Royal Dornoch Golf Club hosts another challenging eighteen hole links track named the Struie Course. Affording visitors a friendly and welcoming invite into their clubhouse and full access to their excellent practice facilities, Royal Dornoch Golf Club will roll out the Highland hospitality for your Scottish Golf Break.

History: Golf in Dornoch can be traced back to 1616, and some claim even earlier. It is noted, that those who visited marvelled at the wonderful links-land and the challenge it presented. In 1877, the citizens of the Royal Burgh of Dornoch met and formed the Dornoch Golf Club. In the early years, the course consisted of only nine holes. In 1886, Old Tom Morris, was invited by the club to make a survey of the links and lay out a more fully planned golf course, in keeping with the abundant natural resources already provided on the famed Dornoch Links. The aim of the club and its members was to achieve a first class golf course.

Around the turn of the century, the great Sandy Herd first played with the new rubber-cored ball. As a consequence, of the faster ball and how much further it travelled, John Sutherland (club secretary) and his committee decided to remodel the course and as a result Dornoch became, for a time, the fifth longest course in Britain. In 1906, through the influence of Her Grace the Duchess of Sutherland, Duchess Millicent, a good friend to the club, Dornoch Golf Club secured the title of ‘Royal’ from King Edward VII.

In the years preceding the First World War, women golfers, playing at a high level, regularly gathered in Dornoch to compete on the Ladies course. However, the Second World War led to land on the Ladies course, now part of the Struie Course, on the lower links, being given over to an aerodrome. During this time, a number of holes on the Championship Course were also lost. Post war, In the late 1940s, the decision was taken to construct further holes out towards Embo. These holes form the present 6th to the 11th loop on the Championship Course, and once again the House of Sutherland helped by leasing the land (later purchased) to the club. A restricted nine hole relief course, known as the Struie Course, was also formed. The Struie was then lovingly developed into a full eighteen hole course during the 1990s, and opened as such in 1999. The result being that, Royal Dornoch Golf Club now boasts two magnificent links courses.

Championship Course: Laid out on an exceptional piece of links-land, where the game has been played since the 17th century, the Championship Course, in its current form, is a wonderful test of links golf. Following a ridge for the opening eight holes, bound by expansive white beaches for the next eight, before heading home on the final two, the course offers eye-watering views and challenges galore, as you plot your way towards the inverted saucer shaped plateau greens, which are the soul of the course. The Championship Course is an eighteen hole, par 70 (men), par 76 (women), track. It has tees ranging from 5,336 to 6,754 yards. If you have ever played links golf, you will immediately fall in love with the Championship Course at Royal Dornoch, and if you have not, there are not many places better, world-wide, to begin playing links golf.

SGB Signature Hole: Achinchanter. Hole 4. Measuring 359 yards (W) and 440 yards (M) from the tee this par 4 (M), par 5 (W), is in our opinion Royal Dornoch’s finest hole. With a gorse hill running the length of the hole, to the left, and a sloping fairway towards the right, leading to a series of gullies, the ideal tee shot is a draw. No easy feat, when the tee box is situated on a hillock to the left of the fairway and the fairway itself has a spine running through it. After you safely find the fairway, the second shot is full of jeopardy. Playing towards a raised triangle shaped green, protected by two bunkers front-right, two bunkers front-left, and a valley in between, you can either run the risk of hitting directly onto the green and potentially running off, on the right, or to the rear, or you can choose to play up through the valley at the front, risking rolling back down the bank or ending up in any one of the afore-mentioned bunkers. Achinchanter is a tremendous hole, and one where we would take a par, any day of the week.

Struie Course: The Struie, at Royal Dornoch, is a great course that can often challenge even the most serious golfer, while giving those with higher handicaps the chance to play a highly respected links course. The Struie Course is an eighteen hole, par 71 (men), par 72 (women), track. It has tees ranging from 5,211 to 6,265 yards. The course has many admirers, and is ranked within the UK's top 50 links courses. The Struie is a course you could play every day and never tire of.

Practice facilities: Complimentary use of practice facilities are available to visitors, prior to their tee time. Facilities include, driving nets, a short game area and a practice putting green, located beside the clubhouse, and at the practice ground, the club have a number of covered bays. (Golf balls are not supplied.)

Clubhouse: Ensuring you make the most of your Royal Dornoch experience, playing visitors are welcome to use the clubhouse for its bar and dining, and its locker-room, lockers, showers and drying facilities. Cart and club hire options are available too. The pro shop offers a wide range of Royal Dornoch branded clothing and merchandise, golfing accoutrements and provides coaching opportunities, from beginners to professional level.

Food & Dining: While visiting Royal Dornoch, the clubhouse offers informal dining within the bar & dining room overlooking the first tee. With spectacular views of the Dornoch Firth, and serving the highest quality local produce, all of the menu items are freshly prepared in-house. Serving food from 10am to 7.00pm, seven days a week, seasonal specials created from local produce change regularly, while the bar is open until 9pm.

Accommodation: We partner with a number of hotels and letting agents across The Highlands. Whether you want to stay on a country estate, in a hotel, a luxury lodge, an apartment or a signature villa, Scottish Golf Breaks can arrange it for you.

Featured deal:

Typical packages include:

Accommodation in a hotel, lodges, apartments or a signature villa
A round on Royal Dornoch, Championship Course
A round on Royal Dornoch, Struie Course
Dinner Reservation @ The Clubhouse, Royal Dornoch Golf Club
Full Scottish Breakfast
Use of resort facilities: Access to locker-rooms, lockers, showers and changing facilities at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, and complimentary use of the driving range, and practice chipping & putting areas

Packages can be designed to your specification and group size, and can include alternative accommodation, additional courses across The Highlands and or other regions within Scotland.

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