Courses 51-60

published 28 September 2006

51. Royal Dornoch (56)

6552 yards; Par 70; SSS 73

Green fees £50-£85

Royal Dornoch sits on the coast where the tranquil Firth of Dornoch meets the more tenacious North Sea. It?s a fabulous setting, providing the perfect destination for golfers looking to escape the rat race. Links specialist Tom Watson, an honorary member here, said of his first visit to Dornoch in 1981: ?It?s the most fun I?ve ever had on a golf course.? Dornoch presents a challenge to say the least. With rolling fairways, run-offs and raised greens the layout demands creative shot-making. Accuracy is paramount for successful navigation and placement from the tee is often crucial.

Green fees £35-£80 including lunch

This course is guaranteed to demand the use of every club in the bag. There is also the opportunity to open up your shoulders and give the driver a thump, however, and it is very playable for all handicaps. The general presentation of all hazards is excellent with the ditches and traps readily visible. The variety and the ever-changing slopes of the greens demand good approach shots to the right part of the green to give yourself any chance of a birdie.

Green fees £45-£80

Very few golf courses get the adrenalin pumping and the smiles coming back to back like this course. It?s a tremendously exciting layout that lays down a true challenge for the amateur golfer. It is not until approaching the turn and beyond, namely the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th, that the true greatness of the course can be recognised. It is a run of exciting and mischievous holes that cannot be surpassed. Remember to check the tide table before your round ? the course becomes an island at high tide.

Green fees £45-£75

The Rosemount course balances challenge with enjoyment. It?s a charming club in the most delightful of wooded environments. Its fairness is illustrated by the fact that solid tee shots taking the right line nearly always reap the benefit for the approach shot into the greens. The corridors created between the trees give terrific images of the fairways and pins in this most delightful of wooded environments. It is difficult to imagine that anyone could possibly not enjoy themselves at Blairgowrie.

Green fees £35-£75

Green fees £15-£55

Green fees £60-£110

A classic heathland course in a world-famous setting that?s living proof a course doesn?t need to be long to pose a challenge. Beautifully preserved, as you would expect from a course at this venue, it is a joy to play and is a popular alternative to the other two courses in the Wentworth collection. The greens and fairways were virtually flawless and the course rewarded good shots and penalised bad ones ? just as a top class course should.

Green fees £24-£37

Another fine example of the good value found in the north of England, this delightful track is a test right from the start. I can?t think of one green that was not either small or undulating to test the resolve. Many of them are nestled away in the dunes and, along with the clever bunkering, I got the impression that the designer wanted the shaping of the holes to be an art form. All the holes have excellent names such as ?Cosy Corner? and ?Crocodile?.

Green fees £35-£55

Everything you want from a course. Variety, fabulous bunkering, plenty of risk and reward opportunities and the need for accuracy. Whilst the strength and direction of the wind will always be a factor, course management is crucial if a good score is to be posted here. Distance control and club selection are crucial on this excellent links test. The top condition of the tees, fairways and greens will not disappoint.

Green fees £45-£55

The James Braid-designed Church course at this Cornwall club is one of the best maintained I have come across and it?s a credit to the management and the green staff. The greens were on the fast side but perfectly presented. Although the fairways had started to go brown due to the hot and dry weather this summer this did not prevent me from playing a full shot. All the tees had the full range of furnishings with the back tees offering a whole new game. The main bar and lounge areas are on the ground floor and overlook the 18th green. There are also great views to be enjoyed across the Camel estuary and north to the Atlantic.

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