Tain Golf Club Course Review

Tain Golf Club Course Review

GF £35 - £70
Par 70, 6,404 yards
Slope 127
GM Verdict – A fine Scottish seaside course is a beautiful setting, delivering interesting and entertaining variety.
Favourite Hole – 17th. Black Bridge is one of the great par-3s requiring power and accuracy to avoid the snaking river.

Old Tom Morris was employed to lay out a course at Tain in 1889 and it was open for play in 1890. The course is fondly described as his “Northern Jewel.” 10 of Old Tom’s original holes remain in play to this day: On the way out, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th and 9th and coming home, the 10th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th.

Sheltered by its position on the south side of the Dornoch Firth, Tain is sometimes overlooked by visitors who steam straight on to Royal Dornoch. But those who do are missing a treat. Tain offers a great example of the natural Scottish links. Protected by gorse and heather, burns and deep rough it’s a challenging proposition and one that can be extremely rewarding. On a pleasant day with the call of seabirds on a gentle breeze, and views to the surrounding mountains there are few more calm or scenic spots to swing a club in the British Isles.

Over the years, Tain has been a regular host to championships including the Northern Counties Cup and the Northern Links Challenge. The course opens with a tricky par-4. Water and out-of-bounds lurk right from the tee and the approach is blind, over a road to a testing wee green. Two further tough par-4s are followed by a demanding par-5 that is only reachable in two for the very longest hitters, prepared to take a bold line from the tee. The short holes are a feature at Tain and the 5th is the first of them – a very attractive par-3 well protected by bunkers. On the back nine – there are back-to-back Tom Morris designed par-3s on the 16th and 17th – The first of those demands accuracy to avoid both bunkers and river. The 17th is an absolute cracker with the river protecting short and right.