Travel bucket list idea:
Royal Dornoch Golf Course
Sutherland, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
- https://royaldornoch.com
Last updated: 21 March, 2024
A four-hour drive from Glasgow, Royal Dornoch is a pilgrimage – and worth every effort. Wild, isolated and spellbindingly beautiful, the course – the third-oldest links in the world – bears the authorial stamp of Old Tom Morris, and it’s here that Donald Ross learnt his craft: the turtleback greens at Pinehurst No. 2 were inspired by the devilish domes that make this links a proper challenge.
Everything else about it is straightforward, but perfectly maintained. The humble clubhouse and straight out, straight back layout are deceptive, for this is a truly special place. Forget your score, just soak up the atmosphere and remember that you’re playing in the shadow of golf’s very beginnings.
Logistics
Price from: £250
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around
Duration: -
Getting there & doing it
The club is 45 miles north of Inverness (which has an airport), and roughly a four-hour drive from Glasgow. Reserve a tee time through the website as far in advance as you can.
Stay over close by at the delightful Links House, a sumptuous honey-hued boutique dripping with antiques, overlooking the golf course and the stunning, dune-backed beach.
When to do it
The course is open all year round, seven days a week. April to October are the best times to play, but good weather is never guaranteed as you’re quite far north! Tee times are available 7 days a week and most times during the day (members block a couple of hours in the morning).
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Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (UK)
Magnificent mountain scenery slashed by silvery lochs and peppered with brooding castles: all laden with rich Scottish heritage, history and tradition. Drive the NC500 road trip, or ride on the spectacular West Highland Line.
Round-ups
Round-ups that include this experience
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Spectacular landscapes, impeccable fairways and greens, brilliantly-designed holes and plenty of golfing folklore – we asked golf expert and journalist Fionn Davenport to recommend his top 30 golf courses from around the world.