12 Royal Dornoch Championship
2010 Top 100 Golf Course Rankings: Royal Dornoch Championship, number 12 [Getty Images]
12 Royal Dornoch Championship
Architect: T Morris
Stats: 6,595 yds, par 70, SSS 73
GF: £45-£100
Visitor information: Visitors welcome seven days a week with limited availability on Saturdays
W: royaldornoch.com
2008 Ranking: 17 (Up 5)
Improvements since 2008 Rankings:
Course: None
Clubhouse: None
Those who have made the pilgrimage to Dornoch talk of the course in a mixture of joyful exaltations and hushed tones of reverence. And, until you have played it yourself, it's hard to grasp what these disciples are on about. St Andrews aside, no course in the UK or Ireland casts a spell on the golfer like Royal Dornoch does. The layout is wonderfully natural, shaped to fit the undulating coastal terrain. With sloping fairways, daunting run-offs, swathes of gorse and cavernous bunkers, Dornoch is a unique links course in a mesmerising setting.
Panellists' comments: "Its secret is the perfect balance of charm and challenge"; "Isolation is part of its immense appeal"
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Reader comments
Add your commentsNovember 20 21:58
Stephen Smith
When Old Tom Morris went North from St Andrews to design this wonder it would have taken more than a day to get there- even with the new and fangled invention of the steam train. Over a hundred years later it will still have to be a special trip for most of us in these isles. Perhaps the attraction of the other great British courses that are easier to get to will draw the eye of most, but for the truly dedicated golfer a round on this course is a once in a lifetime treat that no one who loves the game should deny themselves. I now Live in London and have done for 20 or more years but it was always a dream of mine to travel to this wonderful outpost and fulfil a lifetimes dream. Old Tom clearly used his experience at St. Andrews to ensure that he used all the wonderfully natural elements at his disposal to leave us mere mortals with a challenge that leave even the most hi tech advances in equipment impotent. My advice would be to travel up in June to take advantage of the eternal summer evenings that banish night to a few small hours at that latitude. It will take a long time to get there so enjoy your evening meal and a few local pints (or drams- there will be quite a few to choose from) then wander out in the long evening and just spend some time in quiet solitude as you take in the delight of the mesmerising setting and dream of the challenge to come. If you can sleep through the rising excitement try and rise early to catch the glint of the sun in the morning and the mist as it rises above the course built to fit the undulating coastal terrain. Then make sure you stop to smell the flowers (gorse) along the way as this course can take you to incredible highs but can also break your heart with its sloping fairways,treacherous run offs and bunkers that are used for training by the local mountain rescue teams to practice their cave drills. And when it is all over take a stroll out of the bar, sip that whisky and give a quiet toast to Old Tom for leaving us a gift that all true golfers will treasure for generations to come .