Every now and then, the NCG Top 100s Tour visits a ‘Royal’ and our players were fortunate enough to play both courses at Royal Dornoch in a two-day spell.
The venue, which is the northernmost ‘Royal’ in the United Kingdom, has the Championship Course and the Struie Course, which both offer very different tests.
On the Monday morning, our competitors – playing on the NCG Top 100s Tour Highlands Winter Swing – took on the Championship Course. The Championship Blue tees take the course back to 6,799 with a Course Rating of 73.5 – more than three shots above the course’s par of 70. The Whites are only 150 yards shorter, and with a Course Rating of 72.8.
Our male players took on the Championship Course from the Yellow tees, which plays just shy of 6,300 yards. It still have a Course Rating of 71.3, so it isn’t easy, even from further forward. We were fortunate enough that on both days, it was the very last day on either course that the proper tees were played from as well.
There are also the Reds and Greens on the Championship Course. The Reds play as a par 76 – with 4, 7, 11, 14, 16 and 18 as par 5s instead of par 4s. The Course Rating is 75.5 for this 5,920 yard layout. The shortest tees are the Greens, which play from just shy of 5,300 yards and with a Course Rating of 71.9.
Due to some construction work, the Struie Course has been reduced to a par 70, beginning with a pair of par 3s while the new clubhouse at the Highlands venue is being built. Off the Whites (which is what our men played from), the course is just over 6,000 yards long, but still has a Course Rating under par – at 69.6.
The course also has Yellows at 5,820 (68.2), and then Reds and Greens for ladies, like the Championship Course. For the ladies, the 14th (Stroke Index 1 for men) becomes a par 5 to take the total par up to 71. Off the Reds, the Course Rating is also 71.0 for the 5,270 yard track, while the 5,000-yard Green layout has a Course Rating of 69.8.
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What is the venue like and what are the best holes?
Considering the Championship Course has played host to several high-rpfile amateur events, including the Amateur Championship, Women’s Amateur Championship, Senior Amateur Championship and the Scottish Amateur Championship, it is no surprise that Royal Dornoch’s Championship Course is so highly-regarded.
The defence of the Championship Course is its greens, as there are no pot bunkers, and the fairways are pretty generous throughout a round. Raised greens reject average shots while chipping is at best awkward and at worst – try recovering from missing the short 6th to the right – close to impossible. Putting, meanwhile, can require the deftest of touches. Being on the wrong side of the hole on several greens is a three-putt waiting to happen.
The furthest point of the course begins a stretch of eight consecutive holes played parallel to the ocean. The 10th is another short hole where the putting surface simply must be located while the 11th, a long par 4, features a huge green protected by a nasty bunker. Dornoch’s best-known hole is the 14th – ‘Foxy’. This S-shaped double-dogleg par four is an anomaly, since it does not feature a single bunker. Trying to establish a safe way of carrying the ball onto the raised putting surface without simply running off the other side is a real conundrum. The 17th is another with a split fairway, and from the lower level a view of the green is denied. Instead, the approach must be flown blind over a dune with a large bunker cut out of it.
The Struie Course has an abundance of par 3s, so much so that with the additional one now on the 1st while the construction concludes, we put out Nearest The Pin markers on 1 and 18, to bookend the round! The closing hole on the Struie is a great little par 3, played over a water hazard and with a decent-sized bunker sitting in front of the green. The putting surface slopes from back to front, allowing for the ball to stop on the surface and even come back towards the hole.
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What did our competitors think of Royal Dornoch?
Looking for other opinions on Royal Dornoch? Check out what some of our players had to say about this stunning venue here:
“This has been a course that I have always wanted to tick off the bucket list, and I am so grateful to have finally done so” – Ed Player
“Dornoch is just a wonderful place, and staying so close to the course also makes playing here that much more special” – Richard McLean
“To have two days here has been brilliant! The two courses are so different, but both a joy to play.” – Lynda Munro
What about the off-course facilities?
For all golfers playing either course at Dornoch, there is complimentary use of the practice facilities. There are nets to the side of the current clubhouse, along with a large short game area and putting green by the 1st tee. There is also a practice ground which has a driving range – one that features covered bays.
As mentioned earlier, there is construction currently going on by the 1st tee, with a brand new clubhouse set to be opened at Royal Dornoch in 2025. The current building, which is historic, is a glorious place to sit, eat and enjoy the view over the 1st and 18th of the Championship Course, and out to sea.
The new clubhouse is set to be even better, and much more modern. There will be three separate areas for relaxing, with two bars and a restaurant. There will be panoramic views of the bay, which also includes both the Championship and the Struie Courses, while the building will also feature the pro shop, locker rooms and much more when it is opened.
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How can you play at Royal Dornoch?
Tee times are available every day of the week for visitors at Royal Dornoch, with both courses being able to be booked by visitors for a game.
You can check out the green fees for a game at Royal Dornoch here, and you can book yourself in for a round by visiting the club’s booking site here.
Royal Dornoch is in the Scottish Highlands, just a few miles off the A9, which is the best route to get to the most northern part of the Untied Kingdom. Dornoch is on the coast of the North Sea.
- Keep up to date with the ever-expanding 2025 NCG Top 100s Tour schedule here.
Get in touch with Royal Dornoch
For more information about the club and course, visit the club’s website.
To get in touch with Royal Dornoch, you can call them on 01862 810219, or you can send them an email via this link.
Now have your say
Have you ever played at Royal Dornoch before, or played on the NCG Top 100s Tour before? Let us know with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
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