A spellbinding and timeless venue, Royal Dornoch is enough to mesmerise any individual who plays golf within its remote and untouched natural vale.
This is a land of brooding mountains and wild scenery. On a calm day, an almost eerie calm falls on the links course. It is a calm punctuated only by the roar of an occasional jet on an RAF training mission. Otherwise, it’s a simple contest – just you and your ball against a venue of rare cunning.
There are in fact two seas that feature at Dornoch: the sea of yellow gorse that frames the golf course, which is quite something to behold. And then there is the sea of blue that is visible on every shot you hit but is never in play.
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History
Golf in Dornoch can be traced back to 1616, and some claim even earlier, and it’s steeped in history.
The town itself goes back much, much further, with its cathedral built in 1239. More recently, it and Dornoch were thrust – reluctantly – into the public spotlight when Madonna and Guy Ritchie were wedded at the nearby Skibo Castle. Thankfully, it seems to have had no lasting effect on a community as far removed from the artificial glitz of Hollywood as is imaginable.
During the Second World War, a selection of holes were used as holding areas for aircraft by the RAF. If you ever find yourself in the clubhouse at Dornoch, there’s a lovely picture in the history book taken from the Cathedral showing literally hundreds of parked planes ready to jet off into war.
Over the course of 2024 and 2025, the club has also constructed a brand new clubhouse, sitting between the opening tee boxes of both courses. It has replaced the historic clubhouse that has stood to the left of the opening hole on the Championship Course for more than a century.
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What makes Royal Dornoch special?
The warm welcome you will get is second to none, making the journey truly similar to that of a pilgrimage. A genuine championship course.
The pilgrimage to Dornoch is much more than a round of golf. History seems to bubble from its every pore. The current layout is based on the original work of Old Tom Morris, under whose tutelage Donald Ross served an apprenticeship, although there have been significant amendments since.
Not only does Royal Dornoch have the Championship Course – one of the best layouts in world golf – but it also has a dependable second layout in its armoury. The Struie Course is a great ‘No.2’, and with upcoming work set to improve the layout, it will only make the venue even stronger.
Where does it rank?
Championship Course – 12th in GB&I, 5th in Scotland, 1st in the Highlands
Struie Course – 87th in Scotland, 13th in the Highlands
Where is it?
Royal Dornoch is situated in the Scottish Highlands. It is also on the coastline of Scotland, with players on the Championship Course enjoying views of the North Sea. The A9, which runs from Falkirk to Thurso, is just a couple of miles from the entrance to the golf club. The likes of Brora, Golspie and Tain are all in close order to Royal Dornoch, in a wonderful part of the world for golf.
Both Golspie and Tain Stations are around 10 miles from Royal Dornoch, sitting in opposite directions. Trains on the Inverness-Wick line run through both stations, but on an irregular basis. For international travellers, Inverness Airport is around an hour from Royal Dornoch, while those coming from further afield may have to fly into Edinburgh, which is around four hours to the south.
Get in touch with Royal Dornoch
For more information about the club and course, visit its website or call them on 01862 810219.
Now have your say
Have you ever had the pleasure of playing at Royal Dornoch? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
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