I am back in the office today after 2+ weeks in Dornoch. I hope the following observations are of interest to some of you.
1) The biggest change at RDGC is the sizeable stone/rock embankment that was constructed the past winter along the entire length of the 11th hole between that fairway and the beach. As many of you know, the 9th, 10th & 11th holes at RDGC sit close to the water between the beach and the ridge that contains the 7th hole and 8th tee. These holes have no duneland to protect them from the sea.
According to an article in 'Scottish Club Golfer' (issue #14), the 450-yard long embarkment is comprised of 14,000 tons of stone. The cost of the project was reported as being 250,000 pounds.
Let us all hope that it lasts and protects the course for many generations of golfers to come. I presume the club may construct a simliar barrier along the 9th hole at some point in the future.
2) As I noted on another thread, RDGC was surpisingly busy while I was there. The tee sheet was pretty full almost every day from 7:00am until well until the afternoon. That being said, it was at times remarkable how available courses like the Dornoch Struie and Golspie were at times. Most weekdays, the Struie course rarely had more than 6 or 8 teetimes booked. I played Golspie as a single one Saturday afternoon (teeing off about 1:00pm) and pretty much had the place to myself. My wife & I played Golspie at 9:30am on a Monday morning and got around in less than 3 hours, again not seeing many golfers around.
3) Speaking of the Struie Course, I think the 5 new holes designed a few years ago by Robin Hiseman are very, very good.
The two par-5's have a lot of width and offer options on both the 1st and 2nd shots. The green on #9 is long and narrow, while the green on #13 is wide and shallow. #11 is a short par-4 that has an angled fairway which is surprisingly difficult to hit. The Struie is well worth playing.
4) The culinary scene in the area continues to improve. I am delighted to report that 'The Quite Piggy' in Brora (Station Square, phone 01408-622011) not only survived its first year of business, but it appears to be thriving. There is even talk that the Michelin Guide has sent someone by to check the place out.
Lorraine Dunnett, the lovely proprietress, has enhanced the atmosphere further by having her comely, raven-haired sister join her in waiting on tables.
In addition, Luigi's Cafe in Dornoch has begun serving dinner 3 nights a week (Fri-Sat-Sun). We ate there twice and the food was very good and (at the moment) reasonably priced. If you like shellfish and seafood, be sure to give it a try.
5) It appears as though the "fairway view" real estate phenomenom is reaching the Highlands. There is talk that an application has been filed with the planning authorities to develop about 10 housing lots on the ridge overlooking the 3rd and 4th fairways at RDGC. They will be priced from 90,000 to 140,000 pounds (just the lots!). At Brora, the site of the old Links Hotel is being developed into "24 luxury two bedroom apartments." You can check them out at:
www.highlandescapeapartments.comAt the other end of Scotland, homes near Machrihanish are in development as well. For the interested and/or curious, information is available at:
www.soundofkintyre.co.uk