Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club Course Review
Set on a stunning peninsula, Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club is a gorgeous place for golf
Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club Course Review
GF £25-£75; Twilight: £20-£45
Par 71 5,893 yards
Slope 119
GM Verdict Short and sweet links golf on a long, low peninsula
Favourite Hole The short par-5 4th offers real drama and a buckling landscape. Don’t let a birdie four become a seven
A long, narrow peninsula juts out into the Moray Firth, slicing through the waters until you reach the lighthouse at the very tip. The narrow road to reach it passes golf holes on both sides and it is easy to see that this low landscape will be whipped by the wind.
This is Chanonry Point and golf was first played on this land in 1702. Today’s layout is attributed to James Braid who extended the course to 18 holes in 1935. He created a smart routing that takes you out to the lighthouse on a straight opening run of four holes, above the beach, before crossing the road at the tip and then sending you back along the opposite shore for three more. The remaining 10 holes then play over the land between these eight, filling the inside of what resembles a thin slice of cake.
The landscape is exposed and there are but a handful of trees here. Gorse is your only protection so you can expect a day playing the wind. The course’s small, devious greens and strategic pot bunkers (the one short of the par-3 9th could leave you with nightmares) will not let you away with loose shots and you won’t want to sully your scorecard by hooking your opening tee shot onto the beach.
This will prove a particular challenge on the opening eight holes for anyone with a draw because that sea is never far away. You will also do well to avoid the choking gorse left and right of the fairway, and this is something you will encounter frequently. The 2nd green introduces you to the beautiful wrinkled shapes of the land. They’re like creased bedsheets and that extends to the 3rd green which is of the upturned saucer variety.
Overall, the greens are smartly defended by bunkers as well as the small surfaces themselves, which are all too easy to slip off. Short sharp slopes will whip your ball away, leaving awkward recovery shots. You could be there for a while on the 3rd. The bunkerless par-5 4th is the highlight of the day. At just 465 yards it is Index 1 and regarded as one of the best holes in the Highlands. This is all about the buckling fairway, a semi-blind drive and not being over-ambitious as you play to the green high out on the Point, beneath the lighthouse. Even a simple wedge to the green guarantees you nothing.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
The middle of the course may lack some of that same drama (the back nine starts with eight par 4s, including back-to back holes of under 300 yards) but finding greens is always a challenge and playing the wind lasts till you walk off the 18th green. The card may tell you this is a short course but care is always needed and chasing flags is not recommended. This is a links that requires patience, intelligence and respect.
Fortrose & Rosemarkie is actually just three miles from Castle Stuart, albeit across water and actually 20 miles by road. The area has several more Top 100 and Next 100 golf courses and makes for a great golfing destination.
Kevin Markham stepped into a campervan in 2007, and spent the next 14 months playing every 18-hole golf course in Ireland… 360 of them. He wrote two books on the back of those travels and has been working in the golf industry ever since, both as a freelance writer and a photographer. His love of golf courses has seen him playing extensively in Scotland, as well as across Europe. In total, he has played over 550 courses including most of Scotland’s top 100, and over half of Portugal’s growing number. He writes for the Irish Examiner newspaper, Irish Golfer magazine, and Destination Golf, and is a regular contributor to Golf Monthly. He has his own photography website – kevinmarkhamphotography.com – and spends hours on golf courses waiting to capture the perfect sunrise or sunset.
Kevin can be contacted via Twitter - @kevinmarkham
-
All-Century Golf Bag: Which 14 Clubs From 2000-2024 Make The Cut?
Fergus Bisset considers popularity, reviews, innovation and his own opinion to select an all-century bag, driver to putter. Do you agree with his selections?
By Fergus Bisset Published
-
You Can Now Buy TAG Heuer Golf Watches At PGA TOUR Superstore, And Boy Do I Want One!
TAG Heuer golf watches are as premium as it gets in the golf space, and I cannot stress enough how much I want one...
By Sam Tremlett Published
-
100 Best Cheap Golf Courses In UK And Ireland
Our list of 100 hidden gem golf courses everyone can play in the UK and Ireland...
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Rossmore Golf Club Course Review
Rossmore Golf Club's rollercoaster ride serves up big downhill drives, old stone walls, streams and views up into Northern Ireland
By Kevin Markham Published
-
Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club Course Review
The Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club's beautiful parkland course is laid out over the former estate of Charles Rolls of Rolls-Royce fame
By Kevin Markham Published
-
Rathcore Golf Club Course Review
Rathcore Golf Club in Co. Meath is a 21st-century gem adorned with water features and hillocks that enhance its beauty and challenge
By Kevin Markham Published
-
Portumna Golf Club Course Review
Portumna has one of the best courses in Co. Galway plus a 17th hole sometimes mentioned in 'best in Ireland' conversations...
By Kevin Markham Published
-
West Kilbride Golf Club Course Review
By Kevin Markham Published
-
North West Golf Club Course Review
One of Ireland’s founding fathers, North West Golf Club is home to a fabulous links in a lovely setting
By Kevin Markham Published
-
Tullamore Golf Club Course Review
Tullamore Golf Club is home to a James Braid creation with challenging doglegs aplenty in the beautiful Co. Offaly countryside
By Kevin Markham Published