On my recent all-too-brief visit to Scotland, we were looking for a warm-up on the way to Dornoch on a Monday morning, and spied a red flag on the Michelin map that marked the 9-hole golf course at Portmahomack, a village on the out-of-the-way peninsula east of Tain.
According the Club’s web site:
The club was founded in 1909, and John Sutherland, the famous secretary of Royal Dornoch G.C., advised on the design of the original course.As shown in the aerial view courtesy of Google Earth, the village separates the course from the beach, so it’s not hard by the water. But if you look closely at the aerial, you can see the shadows of some dunesy hillocks in the center and southern part of the property, on which the best holes are located.
We played it on a beautiful breezy morning perfect for golf, and after being told by two older gentlemen on the first tee that “it’s always like this in Scotland”
we paid our 20 GBP fee at the honor box, and trailed after them. It was thoroughly enjoyable.
The 284-yd first hole starts off into the roly-poly part of the property and features a narrow landing area for a 4- or 5-iron tee shot, then a blind second shot into a narrow green. Unfortunately my pics of that hole didn’t come out.
The 335-yd 2nd plays back toward the clubhouse, and with its wide-open fairway and playing downwind was nearly drivable—a couple of well-placed little bunkers make it more interesting.
Holes 3 and 4 play across the non-descript farmland but #3 is a challenging uphill 400-yarder terminating near the top of the hill, with a neat false-fronted green
The terrific 5th is a strong uphill 180-yard par 3, requiring an aerial approach over two two fearsome bunkers in front—good practice for the 2nd and 6th at Dornoch!
The 389yd 6th begins the journey into quirk, with this tee shot that features trouble left and blindness right:
If you don’t get it post the marker post (about 150yds out) then you’ve got this view
to a tiny green that has trouble behind, OB left, and a couple of little bunkers
#7 is a par 3 played from two different tees—this illustrates view from the blind short tee
The 7th green
The 300yd par 4 8th is one of those short two-shottters that begs to be played over and over again—first you get to negotiate the roller coaster action of the fairway
Then you have a terrifying shot to the 8th green that falls off on all sides, and is guarded by a couple more Dornoch-style bunkers
The 9th is a beautiful and interesting home hole, bordered by a schoolyard and cemetery left
The narrow green has a swale in front and falls off in back, again providing an opportunity to practice your Dornoch recovery shots before you drive up to “The Big Course”
Tarbat is one of those pleasurable little outings that make you want to be reincarnated as a Scottish villager….