ROYAL DORNOCH PICKED FOR ROLE IN HEALTH HUBS PROJECT
ROYAL Dornoch is ready to play its part in a major new golf and health project.
The club has been selected as one of 10 Golf Health Hubs providing physical activity, rehabilitation and respite opportunities for their local community.
The Golf in Society project, Golf at the Heart of Healthy Ageing Across Scotland, backed by Scottish Golf, Active Scotland and with £100,000 of support from The R&A Foundation, aims to help families and individuals living with long-term health conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke, frailty, loneliness and depression by creating opportunities to socialise, get active and improve wellbeing through tailored golf sessions.
Royal Dornoch general manager Neil Hampton said the club was delighted to participate in the project.
“We are at heart a community club and with the opening of our new clubhouse we can accommodate more organisations in more spacious surroundings than before,” he explained.
“We have meetings in the pipeline to firm-up our role in the project, which will also involve the University of the Highlands and Islands here in Dornoch.
“Before the pandemic we used to be heavily involved with our local dementia group, with head professional Andrew Skinner and assistant general manager Claire Riddell taking the lead.
“The emphaisis was on golf history and encouraging the long-term memories that it would trigger. The participants also got to enjoy themselves out on the putting green in the fresh air.
“We know this sort of project works and the benefits it brings to both sufferers and their carers.
“Given that background, we were more than pleased to participate in this new national project.”
Golf in Society’s social mission is to create opportunities for everyone to discover how golf can transform overall wellbeing.
Scottish Golf, the governing body for golf in Scotland, and Active Scotland, a department within the Scottish Government, are supporting the project by engaging key stakeholders, and recruiting Community Golf Activators.
Key to Scottish Golf’s involvement is the ambition to ensure golf is for everyone, and contributes to a healthier, more active and aspirational Scotland.
Thanks to the generosity of donors, The R&A Foundation is providing £100,000 of support over the next three years to expand the Golf in Society health initiative across Scotland.
By investing in projects that improve health and wellbeing, broaden access to golf and strengthen its role in society, the Foundation is helping more adults to stay active, connected and supported through the game.
Founded by Anthony Blackburn, Golf in Society is already delivering its work across existing sites in Scotland and England, with strong evidence of the benefits.
In 2025, over 800 sessions took place across venues nationwide with 9.5 million steps taken by participants helping to improve levels of physical activity.
Over 10 million mental stimulation decisions were also taken during play and, at the same time, over 15,000 hours of respite were provided to carers.
Robbie Clyde, CEO of Scottish Golf, said: “This project enables those who may never have picked up a club before to benefit from a unique sport that can be played over the course of a lifetime, and we are delighted to work with our member golf clubs and be involved in bringing these Golf Health Hubs to communities across Scotland.”
Kevin Barker, Director, Golf Development – GB&I and Africa at The R&A, added: “By working in partnership with golf clubs, Scottish Golf and Active Scotland, these additional Golf Health Hubs will create welcoming spaces where people can stay active, build connections and experience the many benefits that golf can bring to everyday life.”