About halfway around the world (11,000+ miles) from Cape Kidnappers is Dornoch, Scotland. Located about 40 miles northeast of Inverness, which is pretty far north in Scotland, Dornoch is known as the hometown of Donald Ross, the last place in Scotland where a witch was burned at the stake, and as the site of Royal Dornoch, one of the best golf courses in the world.
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.
There's also the St. Andrews Cathedral, which is also in ruins, but has a graveyard filled with famous golfing names like Open Champion and St. Andrews native Willie Auchterlonie, and Old and Young Tom Morris.
Some pay tribute to Old Tom Morris by leaving flowers or golf tees at his grave. You can also visit his house in St. Andrews proper, or his place of work, the Old Course.
The R&A clubhouse sits directly behind the first tee. To the left, inside the green fencing is the putting green with the starter shack at the edge of the photo. As a single, I couldn't make a tee time but with the economy in a recession, open slots on the starter sheet were prevalent. When I showed up early in the morning, there were no open slots, however, by 9 am, an R&A four ball canceled, allowing me and a father and son to tee off.
Some have said that the opening tee shot at the Old Course is the scariest in the world, with the public milling around. But if you play early in the morning on a weekday, with no one around except the starter, the tee shot isn't nearly as nerve wracking. With 100 yards of width and closely mown grass for 255 yards, it's a fairway even an Australian can hit (unless you're named Ian), although my drive ended up dangerously close to the Swilcan burn, which the hole is named after.
The fairway is as flat as Kansas (which is actually been proven to be flatter than a pancake), with little to define the hole except the OB fence on the right and the Old Course Hotel in the background.
Going far right or left brings the burn into play if you hit a driver. The view is a bit more intimidating from the edges as you'll hit your approach essentially along the length of the burn as it runs curves to the front edge of the green.
This is the view of the first green from the second tee. It's from the right front corner and you can see the Road Hole bunker and the flagstick for the 17th in the background. The green is pretty flat in the front but much more sloped towards the back. As there's the burn short, your challenge is avoiding the water with front pin positions and for back pin positions, your approach is easier but your putt will be much more difficult.
There's an additional 33 yards of putting surface behind the flag (and this is one of only three non-double greens) which gives you an idea of the size of the greens at the Old Course.
While the opening hole is iconic, the second hole "Dyke", really is emblematic of the soul of the Old Course. Your tee shot is ill defined on this 400 yard hole, with the middle of the right rough being the ideal line.
Hugging the right side of the fairway provides the best angle to the green but requires the most faith on the drive.
Staying right also avoids the Cheape's bunker, which is blind from the tee and pretty close to the Old Course Hotel.
The green is not particularly deep but is very wide. The mounds on the left are at the front of the green, which sounds particularly difficult, except that you're coming in with a short iron. Miss too far left, and you'll need to putt over a ridge.
Hole 3, Cartgate (out), is a short par 4. The target line is down the path with a couple of bunkers about 200 yards right if push your shot. The Principal's Nose bunkers are far left and 170 yards out so they only come into play on the 16th hole.
The fairway is bit more rumpled and your approach needs to miss the large Cartgate bunker left of the green.
Two bunkers sit far right and short of the green but they're merely adornments. The bumps and hollows immediately to the front and right of the green will affect the player who gives too much respect to the Cartgate bunker. The putting surface is 50 yards deep, with more undulations at the back.
Hole 4, Ginger Beer, is a longer par 4 with a good deal of blindness. The safest shot is to go left over the mounds, although the Sutherland and Cottage bunkers are hidden out there. The better angle to the green is to the right, which requires you to challenge the gorse.
A big bunker left of the green is partially hidden and defines the left portion of the 4th green. A mound sits in front of the green and affects the approach shots.
The green is fairly deep and rumpled.
Hole 5 is the first of two par 5s. Hole O'Cross (Out) plays at just over 500 yards. Less renowned than the other par 5, Long, which runs directly to the left of this hole, your drive needs to be played a bit left of the gorse to avoid some pot bunkers on the right.
The three closer bunkers start at 215 yards from the tee and two farther back are 255 to reach. The fairway is pretty wide up to the second set then quickly narrows.
If you find this narrow stretch of fairway, you're in range to go at the green in two. The Spectacles (no, not the ones found on Carnoustie) are in the background and are 50 yards short of the putting surface.
Three bunkers sit short left of the green. They're not really close to the surface, which is 85 yards deep.
I wonder if anyone in the recorded history of golf has ever flown this green. Even a skulled wedge probably doesn't have enough carry to reach the back edge.
Either you love it or you hate it. Hole 6, Heathery (out), is a shorter par 4 that has double blindness on the tee shot. The line is blind although there's a white pole to guide your way. The landing area is flanked by bunkers right and left.
These are the right side bunkers and they extend to about 230 yards from the tee.
On the left side are the Coffins. These are the two furthest of the three that can be death to making par.
Also potentially harmful to your par chances is the putting surface. There's yet another mound before the putting surface and the first 11 yards are part of a false front. Short left also drops off and there's a mound back right that can be used to attack back right pin positions.
The steepness of the false front is evident in this view of the green.
Hole 7, High (out), is another tee shot with blindness. A caddy/ranger was near the tee box helping people with their lines and to also let people know when to hit as this is the first of the crossover holes (#11 tee is right of the gorse to the right and plays to the left half of the green). He told me to go further left with my tee shot to avoid the Shell bunker. I hit it on the line recommended, asked if that was ok, and he looked a little uncertain.
The big bunker on the right is the Shell bunker. The Shell is about 285 to reach, and the Hill bunker, which is at the far left of the photo, is where my drive ended up. The Hill bunker is on the far left of the 11th green, which made my bunker shot about 60 yards.
This is the view from my ball with the white flag as the pin. My second blast out of the bunker left me with a 100 foot par putt.
While I two putted for bogey, I guess it was good that pin position wasn't further right. There was another 20 or so yards to go before the back right edge of the green.
The Old Course is a bit of a right brain golf course. If you're methodical and aim left on every drive, you'll be fine as the trouble is almost always right. Also, if you look at the course map, you'll see a mirror image with 1 & 18, 2 & 17, 3 & 16, 4 & 15, 6 & 13, 7 & 12, and 9 & 10 as par 4s. The only two par 5s are 5 & 14 which leaves numbers 8 and 11 as the par 3s.
The first of the par 3s is called Short, so named for the length of the hole as well as the Short Hole bunker that sits short of the hole.
The pin position I faced had was directly behind the Short Hole bunker, which is raised and looms rather ominously.
I smartly laid up short (okay, I chunked it), then wedged to about 5 feet for my easy par. But as you can see, the hole was actually about 20 yards deep on the green (the tee shot comes from the right), with about another 30 yards to reach the back which meant that you didn't have to flirt with the bunker to get it close. The green is also pretty flat, which means you have a good chance of sinking a 30-footer for birdie.
This is the End, a drivable par 4. The two bunkers in the middle of the fairway are about 240 to carry. Kruger and Mrs. Kruger are also on this hole, but are pretty much hidden (Kreuger flanks the walking path to the fairway and Mrs. Kruger lies waiting to the left about 160 yards out).
The two bunkers in the fairway, Boase's in the foreground and End Hole in back, forces you to decide to either challenge them with a driver or lay back with an iron. My playing partner split the fairway but came dangerously close to finding the sand.
I, being the stupid American, pulled out the driver and ended up pin high, 25 feet away earning a round of applause from the group waiting on the 10th tee box. My eagle putt burned the edge, but I picked up my second, and final birdie, of the round. Once again, the green was very flat, which makes putting easier.
After playing a quick outward nine, in probably around 1.5 hours, we stopped by the drink stand as we waited for the 10th fairway and green to clear. The delay unfortunately was a sign to come as the inward nine took a lot longer and we were waiting on every shot from this point onward.
