when was the royal dornoch golf course built

How many golf courses does Royal Dornoch have?

Royal Dornoch Golf Club is a golf club in Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland. It is generally referred to as Royal Dornoch. The club has two 18-hole courses: the Championship Course and the Struie Course. The older Championship Course is a links course located on the Dornoch Firth .

What is the history of golf at Dornoch?

Dornoch… “doe surpass the fields of Montrose or St Andrews ”, he wrote. There are also written records showing that golf was played at Dornoch in 1616, long before its first nine-hole golf club was founded in 1877. In 1886, Old Tom Morris “updated” the original nine holes and came back three years later to extend the course to 18 holes.

When did Royal Dornoch Struie Course Open?

Struie Course. There are many admirers of Royal Dornoch Struie Course, which is ranked in the UK top 50 links courses. The course originally opened as a 12 hole Ladies course in 1899 and opened to the present 18 holes in 1999.

Which golfers have made the Royal Dornoch pilgrimage?

In more recent times Tom Watson; Ben Crenshaw, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo have all embarked on what is seemingly an irresistible pilgrimage. Tom Watson described his experiences of Royal Dornoch as 'the most fun I have had playing golf in my whole life'.

Who owns Royal Dornoch golf course?

businessman David SutherlandBut Inverness businessman David Sutherland, lead shareholder in Dornoch's Royal Golf Hotel, said the plans for Coul Links influenced him to “press the button” on their expansion plans for eight new double bedrooms for the existing 22-room facility.

Why is Royal Dornoch so good?

It also must be one of the best holes to not use any bunkering. It's a long par 4 with a green that sits on a natural plateau. If you have a long approach it's almost better to layup and give yourself a good shot at the pin, because anything at the base of the ridge is going to give you a really tough up and down.

Why is it called Royal Dornoch?

In 1906, through the influence of Her Grace the Duchess of Sutherland, Duchess Millicent, a good friend to the Club, Dornoch Golf Club secured the title and dignity of 'Royal' from King Edward VII. In 1901 Mr. Andrew Carnegie presented a splendid silver Shield for open competition at Dornoch.

When was Dornoch founded?

1877Dornoch's club and course were established in 1877 and in 1886 champion golfer and legendary course designer Old Tom Morris was invited to come up with a fully-planned golf course.

Is Dornoch worth visiting?

If you're looking for a destination where your four legged friend can have as much fun as you, Dornoch certainly fits the bill as I found out. Miles of clean sandy beaches, walking trails, dog friendly businesses and accommodation ensure that you and your furry companion won't be short of things to do.

How do I get to Royal Dornoch?

You can take a bus from Edinburgh to Royal Dornoch Golf Club via Inverness, Bus Station Stance 2 and Dornoch, Cathedral Square in around 6h 9m. Alternatively, you can take a train from Edinburgh to Royal Dornoch Golf Club via Inverness, Tain, Tain, Post Office, and Dornoch, Cathedral Square in around 7h 16m.

How old is Royal Dornoch?

Royal Dornoch Golf ClubClub informationEstablished1877, 145 years agoTotal holes36Websiteroyaldornoch.comChampionship Course14 more rows

How long is Royal Dornoch?

We monitor the speed of play over the summer months and request that players keep up with the match in front. Royal Dornoch Struie Course is 3 hours 45 minutes for 18 holes. Our Pace of Play is indicated on our scorecard.

Has British Open played at Royal Dornoch?

The Old Tom Morris designed Championship Course is one that clearly captures everyone's imagination, but Royal Dornoch has never hosted The Open, or indeed any of the modern professional tournaments. It hosted the British Amateur Championship in 1985, and the Scottish Amateur in 1993, 2000 and 2012.

Why is DORNOCH famous?

An ideal spot for a Scottish golf vacation, Dornoch is perhaps best known for two things: the birthplace of Donald Ross and its world-class golf course, Royal Dornoch. By playing in the Donald Ross Invitational, golfers can celebrate the former by playing the latter.

Is DORNOCH a royal burgh?

Dornoch Town - Dornoch is a Royal Burgh in East Sutherland, designated a National Scenic Area in the Highlands of Scotland. It is situated on the coast of the Moray Firth at the north shore of the Dornoch Firth and in 2005 Dornoch became the first Fair-trade town in the Highlands.

Is DORNOCH a nice place to live?

DORNOCH has been named as one of the top 10 places to live by the sea in a feature run by a national newspaper. The Sutherland town is listed as number four in writer Tim Palmer's league table of seaside spots.

When was Dornoch Golf Club founded?

There are also written records showing that golf was played at Dornoch in 1616, long before its first nine-hole golf club was founded in 1877.

What is the 4th hole at Royal Dornoch?

There are plenty of great holes to choose from at Royal Dornoch. The 4th is in the middle of a stretch of three excellent par fours. The line from the tee is the statue of the Duke of Sutherland. “Whinny Brae” is the par three 6th that signals the change from the low-lying holes to the more elevated ones.

How long is the 14th hole in golf?

The 14th, called “Foxy”, is a long par four, measuring almost 445 yards, and it is one of the most simple and natural holes in golf featuring a classical Donald Ross domed green. The town of Dornoch is steeped in history; there has been a human settlement in the area for over 4,000 years.

What is the signature hole in golf?

Hole fourteen, known as 'foxy' is the signature hole, and is a difficult long 4 with no bunkers, but protected by natural mounds and a raised green which is very hard to hit. I particularly liked the par 4 seventeenth as well with its interesting green lying well below and over the hill from the teeing ground.

How long does it take to get to Dornoch?

Let’s be honest, for most people, it takes a concerted effort to get to Dornoch. For those who live in Glasgow, the drive by car will take about four hours. In 1630, according to the Guinness Book of Golf Facts and Feats, Sir Robert Gordon described the course in glowing terms.

Who drew on Dornoch?

Ross constantly drew on Dornoch as the model he would follow in coming up with his designs. These days every aspiring golf architect, or golf affecianado wants to make the pilgrimage to play his inspiration. Indeed most world course ratings these days include Royal Dornoch in the world top 20, and some higher.

Is Royal Dornoch a good place to play golf?

It’s the timeless setting that makes Royal Dornoch such a pleasing place to play golf. It’s wild, isolated and, at the same time, absolutely beautiful; there’s the blaze of colour in early summer when the gorse is in flower.

When was Royal Dornoch founded?

Formed in 1877, Royal Dornoch means exceptional standards and we always aim to exceed the expectations of our frequent visitors and loyal members. However, we aim to do this in a relaxed, informal environment, with an emphasis on traditional highland hospitality.

What is Royal Dornoch?

Royal Dornoch is spellbinding and many golfers from all over the world make the pilgrimage to this natural links at some point in their lives.

When was Dornoch Beach formed?

The pure white sandy beach divides the links from the Dornoch Firth and it all feels very humbling. Formed in 1877, Royal Dornoch means exceptional standards and we always aim to exceed the expectations of our frequent visitors and loyal members.

Hole 1 (Par 4, 302 yards)

Slicing through the fog my three wood landed in the middle of the fairway. Which is great, because I couldn’t fully see exactly what the hole was doing.

Hole 2 (Par 3, 167 yards)

A great par 3 that’s brutal if you miss the green. The rough is cut way down around the green so everything slopes off – hopefully not into one of the two deep pot bunkers guarding the left and right front of the green.

Hole 3 (Par 4, 398 yards)

This is when I really started getting into the course. A long dogleg left, if you drive it straight you’re going straight into the bunkers on the right of the fairway – which conveniently also flows down into them. If you layup, however, you’re leaving yourself a long approach.

Hole 4 (Par 4, 402 yards)

A perfect example of how to design a hole that has defense other than it’s bunkering. Another long par 4 with a plateaued fairway. If you find yourself right, you’ll likely be at the base of a mound – giving yourself a very tough second shot and little chance of hitting the green.

Hole 5 (Par 4, 312 yards)

A mid length par 4 with bunkers guarding anything right, and mounding in the fairway to ensure that even if your approach is only 100 yards a flat lie is anything but guaranteed.

Hole 6 (Par 3, 156 yards)

I got to the tee box on hole 6 and turned to Dan and said – “now this is a cool hole.”

Hole 7 (Par 4, 464 yards)

I wasn’t prepared for just how much elevation change there’d be at Royal Dornoch. While it’s not quite as intense as say Cruden Bay, or the monstrous walk that Trump International was, there’s definitely a bit of up and down.

Hotel History

The Royal Golf Hotel dates back to 1885, when it was first built as a family home for Robert Thomas Hamilton-Bruce who was a successful Scottish baker, flour merchant and art enthusiast. It is also believed that he used his house to display his extensive art collection.

Highland Coast Hotels

Fast forward to today and the Royal Golf Hotel Dornoch is now a proud member of the Highland Coast Hotels Collection. We are a growing collection of independent-spirited hotels that can be found along the North Coast 500.

Bringing you a true Highland experience

Aiming to bring a unique and authentic Highland experience at each Highland Coast Hotel, the Royal Golf Hotel brings the golfing experience of a lifetime to our guests and celebrates Scotland’s golfing heritage.