One thing you quickly notice is that golf is an integral part of the town. Many houses and hotels are located right next to the course. Malaika and I stayed pretty close; it took me five minutes to walk to the clubhouse. There's also a walking path along the course that offers great views of the holes and the water beyond. The only real minus is that within view of the first tee is a ugly trailer park that has a prime location by the sea.
Early tee times on the championship are 2-balls so the rounds take around 3 hours (4-balls are allowed in the afternoon). The clubhouse is large but understated, which fits in with the atmosphere of the club. If you want to live like a king or queen, the Dornoch Castle, which is also a hotel, is just a few steps away.
A stand of flags and a large sign welcome you to the first tee. I have a photo of myself in front of the sign but since I look like a dork (like usual) so I'll save your retinas from that image.
The first hole is a short, potentially drivable, par 4. The tee shot is over a small road to a fairway guarded by a few bunkers short and a few more closer to the green. Out-of-bounds is defined by the wall to the left, which continues along the first few holes.
The green is not really elevated, unlike some of the other green sites on the course, and is relatively flat, although there is a drop off to the left.
Behind the green is a steeper falloff which can come into play as the hole generally plays downwind. Par, or even birdie, is likely if you can avoid a fairway bunker on either your drive or approach.
The second hole is a mid-length par 3 with an elevated green. Two bunkers guard the front right and left with room for a run-up shot.
The green is pretty deep at 41 yards long but the steepness of the sides makes the target area a bit smaller.
The deeper the approach shot, the steeper the potential falloff. Undulations on the edges of the green will keep some shots on the putting surface but with the sides mowed short, accuracy is a must.
A stout two shotter follows. The hole plays as a slight dogleg left with the tee box offset from the fairway. Four bunkers to the right define the drive.
If you find the sand off the tee, you'll be faced with a decision whether to try to clear mounds about 60 yards short of the green. Go a little right and a solo pot bunker awaits.
Around the green, two fronting bunkers left and right will gobble up mishit shots. The green is deep and slightly elevated. Two ridges, one running from the middle of the green back and another going from the middle to the right make putting to a back right pin position difficult.
The fourth hole is another par 4 with the tee box offset to the left of the left to right sloping fairway. Only one pot bunker lies in wait behind a mound well off the intended line.
The defenses for this hole are around the rather large green in the form of four bunkers, two short right and two mid-left, and drop-offs right and long.
Hole 5 is a potentially drivable par 4. At just over 300 yards from the members tees and downwind, the bold (or stupid) player will need to miss three rather large pot bunkers and bounce onto a surprisingly high raised green.
This is the view from the middle bunker where my drive ended up. With the pin location at the back of the rather large green, I was faced with a 50 yard bunker shot despite hitting a pretty decent drive. My blast left me with a 45 foot birdie putt. My playing partner, who was from Scotland, laid up and wedged to 10 feet.
Hole six is a pretty little par 3 set up against a hillside. There's trouble left in the form of gorse and three pot bunkers as well as right with the big bunker short of the green and the steep drop off beyond. The putting surface is much smaller than the first five holes, and deservedly so considering that Old Tom Morris designed this to be a testy short hole.
The view from the back of the green shows how close the gorse is. A pull left could easily be lost. Anything short of the green will roll back so if you're going to miss, long has a bit more room and the putt is not too undulating.The next hole is up the hillside to a bluff that overlooks the golf course. Number 7 is a long par 4 with danger if you miss the fairway.
There are bunkers left about 170 yards from the tee box but they don't really come into play. If you miss the short grass by 20 or 30 yards to either side, the gorse comes into play.
Hitting the correct side of the fairway gives you a better angle to the green depending on the pin. position. Two bunkers fronting the green can make it difficult to bounce a long iron shot on.
The green is a bit smaller than some of the others and with the hole playing downwind, might be a more difficult target to hit. The false front reduces the green size even more.
The eighth hole plays out to the northern most point of the golf course. The tee shot is blind with a severe downhill drop about 200 yards out.
The fairway is a slight dogleg, but if you're planning on using the slope, aim left since it'll kick severely to the right. Despite the blind shot, the tee shot is pretty easy with a wide fairway, no bunkers, and plenty of short rough to find your ball. The approach is a bit more difficult with sand short right about 30 yards from the green and two other bunkers flanking the middle of the putting surface.
The green is a bit of a punchbowl, with sideboards that can be used to kick the ball towards the center or to prevent it from bounding off the back.The ninth hole turns back towards the clubhouse. A potentially reachable par 5, it's the first of many holes that play along the sea.
The fairway is pretty wide and bunker-less. After a string of difficult par 4s, an easier hole is a welcome sight where a birdie or eagle is possible following a good drive.
The right side of the fairway has quite a few mounds that could make your lie a bit tricky. The left side is flatter, but brings the sea into play.
The left side is also preferred for the approach shot as two bunkers short right pinches the landing area on shots coming in from the right.
If you miss right like I did with my second, your chip or flop needs to be precise as a bunker on the other side awaits.
Even if you hit the green on the fly, the domed nature of the green might repel a long iron approach.
The 10th hole is another testy par 3. A short iron is needed to carry the bunkers and land on the correct tier. If you miss the small green, the sides are mowed short which along with the elevated nature of the green, adds to the danger.
The 11th is a long par 4 running between the gorse on the right and the sea on the left. On your tee shot, you'll need to avoid the lone fairway bunker that sits about 220 yards out on the right.
The raised green is protected by a couple of bunkers. At 52 yards deep, the green is one of the largest on the course. There's a upper tier at the back so if you're putting the length of the green, you'll need to give it a little extra to get to the cup.Hole 12 is a sweeping dogleg par 5.
The tee shot is defined by the tall rough line and mounds off of the fairway. To reach the green on the second shot, you'll also need to hit a draw as the green is offset to the left.
If you bail a little right, there's a bunker sitting short. Once you do hit the green, there's little undulation so birdie or even eagle putts are very make able.
The 13th hole is a par 3 with trouble all around the green. Six bunkers surround the putting surface. A seventh sits about 20 yards short, giving the illusion of being closer than it actually is. The elevated green is pretty small but most players will be hitting a short or mid-iron.
The 14th hole is one of the most famous on the golf course. Named Foxy, the long par 4 is difficult despite being bunker free. The tee shot needs to stay left for the best angle and to avoid the mounds.
The green is offset to the right and is much wider than it is deep. As the hole is 440 yards, most players will be hitting a mid to long iron which will make it difficult to hold the green. The left side is easier to hit as you can bounce up the approach but the right pin position is protected by rough and mounds.
The 15th hole plays towards the sea and into the wind. A short par 4, the player has the decision of trying to layup short or carry a tall mound 210 yards from the tee.
The green is rather large for the length of the hole. Don't get too cute with pin locations on the edges as the sides are shaved close and fall off quickly.
The tee for the long uphill par 4 16th is set right by the sea.
The hole is straight and if you hit a good drive, you'll be faced with an uphill lie. The hole rises about 50 feet, and the green is deep.
A few mounds lie around the green, but little else. Take a good look at the sea as the final two holes play more inland.
The tee shot on hole 17 is similar to hole 8 as you hit your drive to the blind fairway set well below.
You can't see the surface of the green although the top of the flag stick is visible to help guide your way. Three bunkers also help frame the shot.
The green is large and gently undulating, which is helpful considering that the blindness makes the approach more difficult.
The blindness continues with the home hole. The tee shot needs to be aimed left of the bunkers. The fairway is pretty small considering the length of the hole and the lack of a real aim point, however, the rough is pretty wide with the gorse well to the side.
At 440 yards long and usually into the wind, you'll hit a long iron into the flat and bunker free green.Royal Dornoch is a great golf course and is one of my favorites. It has a blend of great long and short holes, and the scenery is amazing. The Struie, which is the companion course, is worth a play if you're in the area for a few days, however, if you're only there one day, playing the Championship course twice would be my recommendation. As Dornoch is close to the Arctic Circle, you'll have plenty of daylight to play a round, eat a leisurely lunch, and enjoy an afternoon round.
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