Tain GC Pix

[David_Tepper]

This link gets you to some very nice pix of the Tain GC, which is on the south shore of the Dornoch Firth. It is about 3 miles or so from Royal Dornoch as the crow flies and was designed by Old Tom Morris himself.

www.tain-golfclub.co.uk/gallery/5.html

[Philip Gawith]

Some nice looking holes there David. It looks worth playing, but difficult when it must displace Dornoch or Brora.

 Of course, if I was in the neighbourhood for a few weeks, things might be different!

[ForkaB]

John K the 1st (Krystynak) played Tain last weekend on our boys weekend out at Dornoch and he thinks it's better than Brora.  I think he's just trying to be a contrarian, whatever that might be.........

[THuckaby2]

I'm obviously not a contrarian (whatever that is) but I agree with John K.

Or sort of.  I never did get to play Brora.  I just did think Tain was great... not sure what it's better or worse then, but I didn't regret my four hours* there for sure.

Cool pics - brought back great memories.

TH

*three playing, one drinking

[David_Tepper]

Philip -

I have played Tain only once, on my 1st trip to the Highlands in May of 2000.  I have been back to Dornoch 4 times since, but, for whatever reason, I have never played Tain again.

These pictures are pretty compelling. Maybe I will take a 2nd look later this month.

DT  

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Rich, I would imagine you might have a picture of yourself next to contrarian in the dictionary. John K is just looking to you for spiritual leadership and the respect one great contrarian gives to a younger up and coming one..

[Dan Kelly]

How's this for a finely rumpled fairway (No. 2 at Tain):



And a wonderfully rumpled green (No. 15 at Tain):

[Brent Hutto]

That fifteenth hole is already my favorite and I've never even been there. That green on a moderately short Par 4 is a real beauty and there are some bumps in the fairway to add interest to the tee shot.

In a lot of those pictures there's pavement near the tee boxes. Are those for golf carts?

[David_Tepper]

Brent -

I am pretty sure the 'pavement' you refer to is simply a gravel walking path they have installed in a few areas to keep golfers from tramping thru the gorse and underbrush. While most of the clubs do now have a 'buggy' or two available for hire, there are NO paved cart paths in the Highlands!

DT  

[Mark_F]

Tain is a pretty neat little course, but I don't think it's all that great, although the 15th is incredible.  The 5th, too, has a fantastic green site.

Brora is much more unique, I think, it's just several holes on the front nine are a little harder to distinguish from one another.  But the 6th, 16th and 17th, at least, more than make up for any shortcomings.

[Philippe Binette]

If every course could be like that...

simple (as far as landscape forms) and definitely looking like a fun place...

[Brent Hutto]

Philippe,

My thoughts exactly. If by Highlands standards Tain is a mediocre course, then that must be one hell of an area to play golf. If courses like Tain were available for me to play regularly, I don't think I'd lose any sleep over wishing for a better one.

[David_Tepper]

Brent -

Aside from Royal Dornoch, which is clearly one of the great courses in the world, I would be reluctant to try to rank or grade the other  courses in the area (Tain, Brora, Golspie and the improved Dornoch Struie).  If you asked 5 people who have played them all to rank them, you would probably get 5 different answers!

I think you would find that they all have something to offer and are all rewarding to play. To paraphrase Tom Huckaby's comment, "you would not regret spending 4 hours on any of them."

DT