TOP OF THE TREE AT CHRISTMAS
ROYAL Dornoch Golf Club is bidding goodbye to 2024 in style.
The rankings compiled by prestigious US based publication “Golf Digest” are always eagerly awaited, especially in North America.
In addition to coming in at number two behind Royal County Down in the 2024/2025 list of the leading courses outwith the USA, Royal Dornoch tops the index of the “Best Courses in Scotland.”
“It’s marvellous that Royal Dornoch usually occupies rungs towards the top of the various ranking ladders,” said managing secretary Neil Hampton.
“Many of our visiting golfers hail from North America and it is reassuring to see the Championship Course so highly regarded by the panel of experts drawn together by ‘Golf Digest.”
Royal Dornoch is in good company in the Scottish rankings, with the Old Course, Muirfield, Turnberry Ailsa and North Berwick making up the top five.
Reflecting on the Championship Course, “Golf Digest” notes: “Herbert Warren Wind called it the most natural course in the world. Tom Watson called it the most fun he’d had playing golf. Donald Ross called it his home, having been born in the village and taught the game on the links.
“Tucked in an arc of dunes along the North Sea shoreline, Dornoch’s greens, some by Old Tom Morris, others by John Sutherland or 1920 Open champion George Duncan, sit mostly on plateaus and don’t really favor bounce-and-run golf. That’s the challenge: hitting those greens in a Dornoch wind.”
Neil added: “It is good to see nearby Highland courses rated highly by our American friends, with Castle Stuart, Nairn, Brora and Skibo all getting a mention.
“Given the quality of other courses in the surrounding area, it’s not surprising that visitors making a trip to the Highlands are becoming more aware of what the region has to offer golfing parties.
“The Golf Highland website – golfhighland.com – is well worth a look for options if anyone is planning a golf break in the region.
The “Golf Digest” team notes that “Scotland’s depth of golf is nothing short of sensational” and accounts for 20% – 19 courses – in their 2024/2025 World’s Greatest Courses rankings.