ROYAL DORNOCH GOES GLOBAL AS CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE LAUNCHES ON TRACKMAN
PGA Head Coach Gary Dingwall has welcomed the addition of Royal Dornoch’s world renowned Championship Course to the market leading Trackman Virtual Golf 3 simulator library.
The announcement that Royal Dornoch has joined other icons of world golf like The Old Course, PGA National and Valderrama follows hard on the heels of the opening of the new clubhouse, which features a state-of-the-art swing studio offering members access to the latest Trackman technology.
Now, golfers around the globe with access to Trackman simulators can savour the stunning views of the Dornoch Firth and distant Highland hills, and experience every detail and subtle nuance of the golden gorse lined fairways and teasing greens of the celebrated Championship Course.
“The Trackman team has done a remarkable job in capturing Royal Dornoch in all its glory, including the new clubhouse which only opened last month,” said Gary.
“They mapped the course using drones, lasers and all the tech at their disposal, and I must admit there was very little tweaking to be done after we were invited to look over the initial version.
“Some of the run outs from the greens weren’t quite right. For instance, we found the ball was sticking on the top of the slope at the sixth hole, rather than feeding all the way down as it does in real life.
“We wanted golfers who have never been here, but who may have us on their bucket list, to experience the genuine summer run on the links. The graphics are remarkably realistic.”
Every year, thousands of golfers make the pilgrimage to walk in the footsteps of the club’s first professional and legendary designer Donald Ross, greats of the game including Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw, and Old Tom Morris, who was lured north from St Andrews to create the original lay-out.
Golfers can now enjoy a taste of the Championship Course wherever they access a Trackman simulator.
“We welcome golfers from around the world to Royal Dornoch and many of our visitors come from North America and Europe,” said Gary.
“But this can only further enhance the reputation of Royal Dornoch, particularly in Asia where many golfers never actually see a golf course. But they might be tempted to join the stream of players who set their sights on coming here.
“The Trackman is ideal for anyone coming here who wants to get a flavour of the Championship Course.
“Also, we can set-up exclusive competitions for our members, who can join in no matter where they live, whether their home is in Dornoch, New York or Sydney,” noted Gary.
“All that will be needed is a QR code and they will be able to play what is essentially a monthly medal. We can set up the course, changing the pin positions and even the wind speed and direction at the touch of a screen.
“All that is needed is access to a Trackman and they will be able to sign in on a members’ only link.”
The spacious new clubhouse swing studio and fitting room – which will offer Titleist and Ping products – allows Gary and teaching pro Ally McNaughton to expand their coaching options for members and juniors on a screen measuring 10×12 feet.