Can you help Durness survive the pandemic?

If you’ve ever stood on the 9th at Durness Golf Club, with the rocks and waves below you and that carry over the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll know it’s one of golf’s most exhilarating tee shots.

A round at Britain’s most north westerly course, a remote cliff-top links found at the tip of Scotland, rewards the commitment of visitors who’ve driven hundreds of miles to experience this assault on the senses.

Tourists account for around half of the club’s income and the coronavirus pandemic has the potential to hit the club very hard.

So in order to survive, and to plug that gap of fewer visitors travelling to the 9-hole links, the club are appealing for members.

Durness Golf Club launched their recruitment drive on social media on Monday and have already been stunned by messages from players all over the world, who are contacting them to get more details.

“We well understand in these unprecedented times that your pennies are being stretched,” states a membership leaflet Durness sending out to those who get in touch.

“That said, in order for us to survive and make provision for the gap that no visitors is leaving us; we are looking to add much needed new members.”

Head greenkeeper Alistair Morrison said the club had been contacted by people who had played the course and wanted to help and others who had never set foot on the links but wanted to make sure they’d still have the chance.

“I put the post on twitter and within a couple of minutes someone messaged me from India,” he explained. “He had played last April and fell in love with the place and wanted to come and visit again. You wouldn’t imagine it would get around the world so quickly.

“Some (of those who responded) had been here and some hadn’t. Some of their friends had been and they had seen the photos. Anything would be a huge help at the moment.”

Full membership, which offers unlimited golf when the course is open and reciprocals at the likes of Tain, Brora and Golspie, is £185 for 12 months starting from May 1.

Anyone interested in taking a membership should email secretary Lucy Mackay at lucy@durnessgolfclub.org

Have you played at Durness Golf Club? Let me know what you thought of the course in the comments, or tweet me.

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