The World's Greatest Course? Royal Dornoch

[Garland Bayley]

“… go and see Royal Dornoch because it is a perfect 10 on the Doak scale, and no one should miss it.” Tom Doak, The Confidential Guide

“On no other course is the nature of links golf so fully realized. Royal Dornoch is the Platonic form of links golf. Those narrow undulating fairways throw up pits, curves, mounds; those greens at once vast and narrow, so fast, so true, often sitting on their own natural plateaux, all curving away at the edges. The course asks serious, legitimate golf questions, hole after hole, stroke after stroke. The challenges are so subtle, complex and fair, it’s impossible to regret or resent them.” Andrew Greig, Preferred Lies

[Garland Bayley]

Kelly,

Not worth buying for you. Perhaps for someone who has not been to Scotland like me. I found it fun to read about the places he played and then looking them up in my Confidential Guide. I checked it out of the library, but would not buy it myself.

[Tom Dunne]

The question shouldn't really be "is it worth buying?" but "is it worth reading?" And the answer to that is definitely yes. People on this site tend to complain about the lack of good golf writing, but it isn't as easy as it looks, and Greig's is a pretty damn good book.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Kelly, didn't you get Garland this year in the GCA.com Secret Santa? I think he's trying to drop hints. Mark

[David_Tepper]

Andrew Grieg's "Preferred Lies" is very much worth reading. It is available at www.bookcloseouts.com for $5.49. At that price, it is worth buying as well!

[Rob Rigg]

Does anyone have pics?

I am too lazy to look for old threads unless instructed to do so . . . 

[Joel Zuckerman]

People on this site tend to complain about the lack of good golf writing, but it isn't as easy as it looks.

Well said!

[David_Tepper]

Rob Rigg -

There have been dozens and dozens of Dornoch pics posted here in recent years. Seek and ye' shall find!

Here is a link to a 5-minute video tour of Royal Dornoch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJlkLjcLfKc

DT

[David_Tepper]

Here is a link to a more critical thread of Royal Dornoch, with many pics:

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35383.0.html

[David_Tepper]

Rob Rigg -

Here is a still photo tour (with 150-200 pictures) of the whole course:

http://www.golfarchitecturepictures.com/Web%20Galleries/Scotland/Royal%20Dornoch%201/index.html

DT

[Jonathan Cummings]

Tom may give Dornoch a ten but not even he thinks it's the world's greatest course.  It's not the greatest even within a few hundred miles.  JC

[Garland Bayley]

Tom may give Dornoch a ten but not even he thinks it's the world's greatest course.  It's not the greatest even within a few hundred miles.  JC

Tom may or may not think it is the world's greatest. Andrew does. I suspect there is a good chance Rihc does and am curious what Mr. Tepper thinks.

[David_Tepper]

Garland -

I have not played nearly enough of "the world's greatest courses" to pass judgement. Even if I had, I do not profess to be enough of a critical thinker/analyst to do so.

As I mentioned on Jason Topp's thread on Dornoch (linked above), it is interesting that Planet Golf ranks Dornoch #3 in the world among courses outside the U.S., yet the Golf World (U.K.) magazine panel this summer did not even rank Dornoch in the top 10 of courses in GB&I.

DT

[Mark Bourgeois]

Rob Rigg -

There have been dozens and dozens of Dornoch pics posted here in recent years. Seek and ye' shall find!

Here is a link to a 5-minute video tour of Royal Dornoch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJlkLjcLfKc

DT

Renton Laidlaw! Thanks for this, David.

[Rob Rigg]

David,

Thanks for doing my due diligence for me! 

[Rich Goodale]

Excellent link to the video, David--although I think that Renton stole some of my lines......

Garland

I would never be so arrogant to say that Dornoch or any other course is the "World's Greatest."  I've probably played half of the 10-15 contenders for that "title," and Dornoch is as good as any of them.  That's all I'm prepared to say, about Dornoch or any of the other "contenders."  The fact that Dornoch has been such a significant (and amazingly pleasant) part of my life since I first played there 30 years ago, plus the fact that I have had the privilege of playing it many times, competitively, friendly and solitary, and in all conditions, including those rare times when it was at its absolute best, and the fact that I know well so many of the people of its past, present and future makes my opinion incredibly biased.  There is no way I can compare my experience of Dornoch with those great courses that I have only played once or twice or even 10-15 times.

I also fully beleive that if the roll of the dice had been different, at many points of my life, I might not have ever seen Dornoch, or only seen it once, and could be as rabid about NGLA as is Pat Mucci or as Gene Greco is about Sand Hills or Tom Paul about Fernandina Beach.  Life is a lottery, and you have to take what it gives you.  I am very lucky in that one of the things it has given me is Dornoch.

[Kevin Pallier]

I wouldn't say it's the "World's Greatest" but it easily fits into my quintet of courses that I give 10/10.

Funnily enough - there's another thread at the moment = RM (Composite) that also gets that rating in my book......should I start one on TOC / RCD / Muirfield to complete the set ? 

[Garland Bayley]

I wouldn't say it's the "World's Greatest" but it easily fits into my quintet of courses that I give 10/10.

Funnily enough - there's another thread at the moment = RM (Composite) that also gets that rating in my book......should I start one on TOC / RCD / Muirfield to complete the set ? 

Well that RM Composite is kind of a Brigadoon. If they close the other 18 holes and only open the Composite full time, then it can compete with Dornoch.

[Anthony Gray]

  Not the world's greatest but worth the trip. The 2nd hole is very unique.
Is the green manmade or natural?

   Anthony

[Sean_A]

Excellent link to the video, David--although I think that Renton stole some of my lines......

Garland

I would never be so arrogant to say that Dornoch or any other course is the "World's Greatest."  I've probably played half of the 10-15 contenders for that "title," and Dornoch is as good as any of them.  That's all I'm prepared to say, about Dornoch or any of the other "contenders."  The fact that Dornoch has been such a significant (and amazingly pleasant) part of my life since I first played there 30 years ago, plus the fact that I have had the privilege of playing it many times, competitively, friendly and solitary, and in all conditions, including those rare times when it was at its absolute best, and the fact that I know well so many of the people of its past, present and future makes my opinion incredibly biased.  There is no way I can compare my experience of Dornoch with those great courses that I have only played once or twice or even 10-15 times.

I also fully beleive that if the roll of the dice had been different, at many points of my life, I might not have ever seen Dornoch, or only seen it once, and could be as rabid about NGLA as is Pat Mucci or as Gene Greco is about Sand Hills or Tom Paul about Fernandina Beach.  Life is a lottery, and you have to take what it gives you.  I am very lucky in that one of the things it has given me is Dornoch.

Rich

What an entirely satisfying experience Dornoch must be for you.  Thank you much for this post.  Its heart felt sentiment is one we all can all appreciate and take some comfort in.

Ciao

[David Stamm]

Rob Rigg -

There have been dozens and dozens of Dornoch pics posted here in recent years. Seek and ye' shall find!

Here is a link to a 5-minute video tour of Royal Dornoch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJlkLjcLfKc

DT

David, thank you posting the link! I tried finding this series that Laidlaw did for some time. The others are posted right next to this. I'm going to check them out now.


Rich, a very well written response. Dornoch is a place I hope to see before the end of my days. Yours seems a heart felt description about the place. You have been fortunate to have such intimate expriences of what looks to be one of the truly special locations in all the world.

[Rich Goodale]

Many thanks for the kind comment on the Dornoch thread, Sean.

I hope you and your family have great holidays and that we can find a way to get together for some golf next year.

Slainte

Rich

[Mark Bourgeois]

Platonic form of discussion board posting.

[Shane Wright]

Garland:

Thank you for starting another thread on Dornoch.  With the history of discussions on GCA, it is hard not to find past threads on a course with Dornoch's pedigree.  But reading more about Dornoch will never bore me.

Is it the world's greatest course?  I think most will agree it is not, however, it is a religious experience for many, including myself.  It is hard to get a true perspective without playing a course numerous time.  I have played many of the best in Ireland and Scotland but in most cases, only 1 time.  Unfortunately I only played Dornoch 1 time, but the holes are forever engrained in my memory after just the 1 round.  I can say that about only a few other courses. 

If you are from the U.S. and are making a trip across the pond to Scotland, leaving Dornoch off of the itinerary would be a complete shame.  Many blame the remoteness for exclusion, however, would you leave Sand Hills off of a golf trip if you were invited?  Dornoch is just a hop and a skip in comparison and Doak is absolutely right, "No one should miss it."

[john_stiles]

It is hard to disagree or find fault with Tom Doak's opinion.  Would agree that it is a Doak 10 as well.   I think it easily falls into the mix for arguing whether it is the world's best.

It is certainly well worth the trip, and extended play.

Hope I get there again.