Royal Dornoch

• Location: Dornoch, Scotland
• Open: 1877
• Designer: Old Tom Morris
• Major Course Updates: J.H. Taylor, George Duncan, Martin Ebert & Tom Mackenzie
• Events Hosted: N/A
• Key Rankings: 4th best golf course in Scotland, Top 100 Golf Courses (2022), 12th best golf course in the world, Golf Magazine (2021)

 
Architect Donald Ross grew up on Royal Dornoch’s Championship links, who would later adapt many of the features—including his famous turtleback greens at North Carolina’s Pinehurst No. 2—from Dornoch. The out and back routing takes full advantage of the ocean and the hillside inland, with many of the greens sitting into the hillside or perfectly above small depressions with the trademark run offs around the greens. The par 4, 14th, nicknamed “Foxy”, is often referred to as the best bunker-less hole in the world, and members often refer to how difficult it is for a first time visitor to figure it out. The joys of links golf cannot be understated at a place as special as Dornoch’s championship layout.