Located just 8 degrees below the Arctic Circle, none of Scotland’s ancient links golf courses evokes quite as much romance as Royal Dornoch, ranked #1 in Scotland, #5 in the World, by Golf Digest. Legends Old Tom Morris, John Sutherland, James Braid and Donald Ross all perfected their craft here. In fact, Herbert Warren Wind famously assessed in his 1964 New Yorker that “Dornoch’s fairways are…better than the Old Course, greens are…reminiscent of those at Augusta but smaller, and layout… of the finest resourcefulness.”
The sunlight here is spectacular, as if out of a Cezanne painting. Yet beyond the beauty and the endless days, Royal Dornoch is one of the most thoughtful, strategic and inviting links ever played with virtually no weaknesses, no mean-spiritedness, no uninspired holes and stunning sightlines everywhere. When you play a morning round in the summer, journey out to Dun Robin Castle and fall to the temptation of playing a second round after dinner, putting-out under natural light on the 18th green at 11.30 pm - it is then you will realize you have just had one of life’s truly great experiences.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Year of Opening - 1877
- Designer - Old Tom Morris
- Par - 70
- Holes - 18
- Length - 6711 Yards