Portmahomack aka Tarbat Golf Club - Eric Terhorst revisits

[Garland Bayley]

More accolades gleaned from the website:

Golf architecture historian Tom MacWood on Tarbat GC

This course looks to be a step above the average little nine-holer. Another golf course attributed to the never discussed (or almost never discussed) John Sutherland.

I've seen Reay, Wick, Spey Bay, Newburgh, Fortrose & Rosemarkie

the real discovery: TARBAT GOLF CLUB, Portmahomack
...

Tom Doak associate Clyde Johnson ranked Scottish 9-hole courses

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1. Cruden Bay - St. Olaf's
2. Mussleburgh Links
3. Traigh
4. Killin
5. Rosehearty
6. Durness
7. Dalmunzie Castle
8. Tarbat (Portmahomack) *I had about 15mins of daylight to check this out, but saw enough to want to go back.
9. Comrie
10. Carradale
...

...
this was the first time I have played Portmahamock in the 38 years I have been to Dornoch, and I will play this course again and again until I die.
...

I am curious whether anyone knows whether Rich played the course again since then, and before becoming sick with cancer?

[Garland Bayley]

And now a question. My searches for Tarbat came across the following tidbit.

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Brora
...
The 17th, Tarbatness, was a fine challenging long uphill par 4 of 438 yard with a centreline fescue covered mound in the landing area.  Why did I think that a 5800 yard par 69 course would be too short?
...

Why would the 17th a Brora be named Tarbatness?
Is the tee at the 17th high enough that you can see across the bay to Tarbat?
Could that be the reason?

EDIT
I get it. Dai's recent post mentions Tarbat Ness lighthouse. So apparently you can see the lighthouse from 17.
TIDE

There is a certain karma about 17 at Brora being named Tarbatness and Bryan bringing it to my attention. At Buda, Bryan was my partner in foursomes. He knocked a drive down the hill perhaps 230-240 yards, and I hit my three wood straight at the flag from there, followed by Bryan calmly rolling in the putt put for a three. 

[JohnVDB]

Garland, nice overview of the course.  Of note, the 18th tee is much closer to the road at the top of the satellite picture making the shot over the corner of the school grounds  much more intimidating.

[Garland Bayley]

I found video on youtube from a drone flying over Portmahomack and Tarbat Golf Club

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJWO3--QQh0

[David_Tepper]

For those in the Dornoch area, a visit to the 9-hole Bonar Bridge GC is certainly worth a couple of hours. The scenic pine tree and heather-lined course over looks Loch Migdale and is a nice place to play if you are feeling a little windblown from all that seaside golf.


Photos of the course here: https://www.bonarbridgegolf.co.uk/the-course

[John Mayhugh]

Garland,
I get the idea that you enjoyed your experience in Portmahomack! Thanks for sharing all this with us.

That land does look worth a stop. Hope I get a chance in the next few years. I'm very enthused about that 8th hole.

[James Boon]

Fourth hole.

Although Eric described the land of the fourth hole to be "non-descript farmland" there seems to be some dunal undulation, James Boon would disagree with Eric.

Tarbat (Portmahomack)
A little out of the way, but anyone passing Tain on the way to Dornoch should check it out. 4, 6, 7 and 8 all have great links ground movement!

Garland,


Great thread on a wonderful wee nine holer. I was convinced I'd done a photo tour on here but my mind is playing tricks on me as I clearly havent. But I went looking for it as at first your tour was confusing me, but the above quote confirms it... I didnt play the course in the right order!!!


I dont recall there being anyone around or any scorecards either so after putting my money in the honesty box, I just teed off next to the clubhouse, thinking it was the 1st, when in fact it was the 3rd!


So when I say the 4th has links terrain, that was how this numpty played it, but everyone else would call that hole the 6th 


Cheers,


James

[Garland Bayley]

James,

I'm guessing you played it in the same order that Rich did. The order you played it may have been the order they were using at the time you played it.

I now recall that when I was staying at Jon Wigget's he mentioned they had changed the order of play.

[Niall C]

Garland


Nice thread. I like how you have collected all the comments. I'd forgotten my comment on the first and if I'm honest it's not really the hole I remember most, or at all, from my single walk round a number of years ago. The hole I really remember is the one playing towards the church with the rumbunctious fairway.


Niall

[Niall C]

Garland -

In the interest of full disclosure, note that I was agreeing with the prior comments of the late Mr. Goodale regarding Tarbat, who said:

"Oh yeah, and I don't think it is a links, BTW."

I also commented that several of the holes at Tarbat had links-like terrain.

DT

While I'd agree that some of the grass is less than the fine leafed stuff you would hope for on a links, Robert Price lists the course as being both links land and links vegetation.


Niall


ps. Garland, re-reading this thread made me realise I really need to get back there. It also surprised me on how much I'd commented on the course previously.

[jeffwarne]

Fantastic thread Garland.
Those greens!!-makes me despise modern turf/speeds even more.




Clyde has Rosehearty over Durness?
hmmm....

[Garland Bayley]

Thanks for all the positive comments.

Ask not what GCA.com can do for you, ask what you can do for GCA.com.

[JohnVDB]

I have a bunch of pictures from there.  If only there was an easy way to put them on here.

[Garland Bayley]

JohnVDB was kind enough to share his photos of Tarbat and I have integrated the throughout them thread.

[JohnVDB]

Thanks for getting the pictures in there.  The main comment I’d make is that even the pictures we put in there don’t do justice to the slope of the 8th green.  Really a fun green on a 300 yard hole.

[James Reader]

A couple of photos that show just how amazing the 8th fairway is (these are looking over the 7th green towards the 8th green).


I’m so glad I read this thread last night and decided on a quick 9 at Portmahomack this afternoon after a round at Golspie this morning.  Great fun!  If I hadn’t run out of daylight I’d have been straight back to the 1st tee for another go.

[Joe Zucker]

I had the pleasure of playing Tarbat this summer as our "fight off the jet lag" round on our way up to Dornoch from Inverness.  The course is unfussy, interesting, and very Scottish.  Exactly what we were looking for after a long flight from the states.  I'm also very glad to have found it through GCA and recommend it to anyone making their way up to the highlands. 

[JohnVDB]

James,


I’m glad you enjoyed it and got the great pictures.  Too bad I didn’t know you were around or we could have gotten together for a bit.


I’m off to Inverness airport tomorrow to head back to New Jersey Thursday morning.

[James Reader]

James,


I’m glad you enjoyed it and got the great pictures.  Too bad I didn’t know you were around or we could have gotten together for a bit.


I’m off to Inverness airport tomorrow to head back to New Jersey Thursday morning.

Sorry to have missed you John.  I’m up here playing in events at Dornoch, Golspie and Brora and made a last minute decision over lunch to play Portmahomack this afternoon because the weather was so good.  It’s my first time spending a few days up here (I had a flying visit to Dornoch years ago) and I’ll definitely be back soon.  It’s a stunning part of the world, even before you add in the great golf. 

[Ken Moum]

I happily bring this thread back after playing a Senior Stableford Open at Portmahomack on Wednesday.


No one mentioned it before, but this is NOT a nine-hole course.  It's ten holes with an, apparently new, par three beside the original seventh hole. Played as the 16th, it's about 40 yards longer.


Regardless,  the day was amazing.  I loved the course, agree (as usual) with Warne about the greens and speeds.


The clubhouse, members, course and my playing partners were divine. At a cost of £12 for the comp


They have lucked out with a young woman running The Bistro in the clubhouse with excellent food, including pastries, and espresso.


The whole thing would be my ideal club.

[Garland Bayley]

...
No one mentioned it before, but this is NOT a nine-hole course.  It's ten holes with an, apparently new, par three beside the original seventh hole. Played as the 16th, it's about 40 yards longer.
...

Someone needs to go back and read the first post. 

Ideal? Yup!

[Ken Moum]

...
No one mentioned it before, but this is NOT a nine-hole course.  It's ten holes with an, apparently new, par three beside the original seventh hole. Played as the 16th, it's about 40 yards longer.
...

Someone needs to go back and read the first post. 

Ideal? Yup!

So much for by thoroughness of reading..

[Garland Bayley]

...
No one mentioned it before, but this is NOT a nine-hole course.  It's ten holes with an, apparently new, par three beside the original seventh hole. Played as the 16th, it's about 40 yards longer.
...

Someone needs to go back and read the first post. 

Ideal? Yup!

So much for by thoroughness of reading..

No worries. I certainly have been guilty of the same.

[Thomas Dai]

The whole thing would be my ideal club.

I know where you’re coming from. Do we really need more? Doubt it. Simple game really yet one that’s got out of hand with an excess of frills over the years, especially over the last few decades.
Atb

[Ken Moum]

The whole thing would be my ideal club.

I know where you’re coming from. Do we really need more? Doubt it. Simple game really yet one that’s got out of hand with an excess of frills over the years, especially over the last few decades.
Atb

I told someone today, a Swede who caught up with my wife and me at Golspie, that after the Sr. Open last Wednesday we had the perfect "hang." Didn't want to leave.


BTW, he had a great comment.  He said at home in Sweden people play slow and leave, Scots play fast and hang around. "I like the Scot's way better."