Golfers, Scotland's Highlands are calling
By David Brice, Golf International Inc.
The Highlands is a very special part of Scotland and any visitor who ventures up into these parts has many treats in store. This is the quintessential Scotland, the most dramatically handsome part of the country and one of the most scenic in all Europe. This is the real Scotland and if you haven't experienced the Highlands, you haven't experienced Scotland.
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It's a land of ancient castles and bloody battlefields where much of Scottish history has been written. It gave the world tartan, the kilt, and bagpipes; it's the home of Scotch whisky and the world's most famous monster. Here you will find the best salmon and trout fishing on the globe, the most hospitable of all the friendly Scots and of course, Scotland's special gift to the world, golf.
The concentration of golf courses in the Highlands may not be as heavy as in some other parts, but what might be lacking in quantity is more than made up for in quality. Simply put, Highlands golf is as good as can be found anywhere and far better than in most places.
There are more than 50 courses in the region, ranging from the inspiring links courses that line the rugged eastern shoreline, to some of the world's most stunning inland layouts, set against back-drops of mountains, rolling glens and pine-forests. There are a myriad of reasons why any golfer with an appreciation of the finer aspects of the game, should include this magical part of Scotland in their trip and non-golfers will be equally impressed. The wealth of history, culture, ancient castles, stately homes and the endless canvas of Mother Nature's splendor, is captivating and often, overwhelming. Golfer or not the Scottish Highlands captures every visitor's heart.
Royal Dornoch is the reigning King of Highlands golf and as one of the world's greatest courses, why not? Our own Tom Watson called Royal Dornoch his very favorite links course, bar none and no visiting golfer is ever disappointed. Secluded, strikingly good looking, as tough as nails and packed with golf history, this is a masterpiece of traditional links design.
Golf has been played at Dornoch since the early 17th century and Old Tom Morris laid out the first formal track in 1877. The mighty links at Royal Dornoch launched the design career of the great Donald Ross, who added his own creative genius to these links, long before taking his talents to American shores and Pinehurst.
Were this jewel of Highlands golf located in a more populated area, with all of hotels and other accoutrements required of a British Open venue, Royal Dornoch would have been made a permanent part of the illustrious Open Rota, years ago, but that honor, will never be - and neither would most want it. Without the glory of The Open, Dornoch is still ranked among the world's top dozen courses and many would argue, is the very best links of all in the British Isles - the magical appeal of the undisputed King, remains uniquely irresistible.
Too much emphasis is perhaps placed on Royal Dornoch's location as being remote, or isolated, implying that it sits in the middle of some desert, far removed from civilization and this is certainly not the case. Scotland is not a huge country and while the heaviest concentration of the 5 million population resides in the southern portion, known as the Lowlands, surrounding the cities of Edinbugh and Glasgow, the Highlands is not another planet.
It will take less than 3 hours to drive on the motorway from Edinburgh to Inverness, capital of the Highlands and an intriguing town in its own right. Base yourself in Inverness or the nearby town of Nairn, located 20 minutes along the coast and all of the attractions of this delightfully appealing region will be close at hand, including the best of Highlands golf. From Inverness, Royal Dornoch is a scenic drive north of barely 45-minutes and the Prince of Highlands Golf, Nairn's Championship Course, will be even closer.
Nairn Golf Club is home to another of the world's great, historic links layouts and one more example of the artistry of Old Tom Morris, assisted by later additions of high class bunkering from the true master of such things, James Braid. If you come to the Highlands to play Royal Dornoch, you can't leave without experiencing the wonders of Nairn's Championship Course, for many years, one of Scotland's best guarded, golf secrets.
Royal Dornoch and Nairn Championship have been the horse and carriage of Highlands golf since the 19th century and if a visitor played one, they simply had to play the other. But life has a tendency to become increasingly more complicated and golf in the Highlands is no exception, with more recent additions to the listing of must play courses, the most outstanding of which, sits just a few miles from Inverness town center.
Castle Stuart Links opened its doors a few months ago, to more pre-opening fanfare than perhaps any other course in recent memory. The inspiration of Mark Parsinen, the Californian who had the audacity to enter golf's inner-sanctum at St. Andrews with his outstanding, Kingsbarns Links, ten years ago, has performed another golf miracle at Castle Stuart. All but guaranteed to reach the same dizzying levels of success as Kingsbarns, Castle Stuart is a remarkable accomplishment of links design that immediately takes its rightful place, alongside Nairn and Royal Dornoch.
Assisted in the design by fellow American, Gil Hanse, Parsinen has produced a layout that is as true to the traditions of Scottish links golf as could have been thought possible. The pre-opening publicity, automatically regarded with suspicion by many, has turned out to be the reality, impressing even the most skeptical Scots. The Highlands has a newborn that can only be on a rocket-ride to stardom and a place, high among the top ranked links courses in the country. Add one more to your must play list.
Little more than a half hour drive south of Inverness, is the Highlands resort of Aviemore, tucked away in the Cairngorm National Park. Popular as a center for hiking, pony trekking, fishing, shooting and skiing, Aviemore added a top-drawer golf course to its many attractions in 2006. The Spey Valley moorland course is from the drawing board of noted English designer, Dave Thomas and a very worthy addition to the Highlands collection of top-class golf.
Surrounded by the dramatic Cairngorm mountains and the River Spey (of whisky fame) coming into play on several holes, this is an eye dazzler, worth the trip for the stunning scenery alone. But Thomas has built a track that is guaranteed to grab the attention of even the most jaded golf traveler.
Measuring a healthy, 7,200 yards from the tips, there are elevated tees and tree-lined fairways, bordered by serious rough of heather and gorse and Thomas has used his trademark bunkering, always shrewdly placed, with a generosity, not always appreciated. The greens are huge and filled with undulations enough to test the most accomplished with the short-stick, to the extreme. Already being compared to Gleneagles Kings Course, Spey Valley adds one more feather to the Highlands golfing cap.
The list of must play courses in the Highlands has just doubled from the two that have been here for well over a century, to the four that include a pair of impressive new boys on the block, but this is still only the tip of the iceberg.
No golfer should ever dream of coming to these parts, without experiencing the special treat of playing at least one or two of the so-called, "hidden gems of the Highlands". These are the less well known golf clubs that manage to fly under the radar of most visitors. They are to be found throughout Scotland, but here in the northern half of the country, they are very special, usually of an amazingly high quality, with a rich history and always, with a genuine welcome that is second to none. It's at these gems where most will discover the most Scottish golf experiences of all.
There can be no question that the Scottish Highlands are unique and offer so many opportunities to discover another, thoroughly intriguing side of Scotland, whether on the golf courses or off. Make the Highlands a part of your trip to the home of golf and you will understand. For more ideas and suggestions on how to get the most out of your trip to Scotland, click here.
©2009 David Brice / Golf International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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