[David_Tepper]

https://www.northern-times.co.uk/Sport/Golf/Very-special-place-has-global-appeal-05112018.htm

[Ken Moum]

Who knew?


Sadly, we have a classic Catch22 problem here.


In order for Brora and its like to be successful, people think that visitor $$ is an absolute necessity.


But once the traveling golfers find a place, it is no longer at all like the thing that made people love it.


As a member of RDC you know this as well as anyone.  During the high season members have to deal with a tee sheet full of visitors and a pace of play that can only be described as deplorable.


TOC isn't much different.


I've spent some time in the former greenkeeper's apartment at Golspie and have always gotten a warm feeling when someone shows up at 6 a.m. or 9 p.m. and goes off to play without having to worry about a tee time.


Once you're on the American Check List, that opportunity disappears pretty fast.


Is it horrible?  i Guess not, but assembly line golf somehow seems out of character on linksland.  A car park full of tour buses might be good for business, but...


Of course this is true of nearly all outdoor activities.  A big part of what makes them attractive is the ability to interact with nature in a simple way.  Bike trails full of bikers and hikers, hunting spots filled with hunters, lakes or streams awash in boaters and fishermen are, to put it succinctly, awful.


Maybe I lived too long in northern Minnesota and South Dakota.


K

[JC Jones]

Seems odd to both brag about the best courses in Scotland being public and yet also complain about the downside of being a public golf course.

[Thomas Dai]

What was the course conditioning like say 20-30 yrs ago, ie before it became relatively famous/popular?Appreciably worse than now? As good as now? Somewhere in the middle?
Atb

[David_Tepper]

Ken -

If not the main driver of the economy in the Highlands north of Inverness, tourism (golf & otherwise) is certainly one of them. Over 60 cruise ships docked at Invergordon this year, a record.

My understanding is the current population of the Highlands is 10%-20% less than it was 150 years ago. If it wasn't for tourism, human life in the Highlands would slowly whether away, just like it is now doing in much of the mid-west in the U.S.

DT

[Jerry Kluger]

There is a reason why golf dues in Scotland are not the equivalent of $500 per month which is common in the US.

[Daryl David]

There is a reason why golf dues in Scotland are not the equivalent of $500 per month which is common in the US.

I wish $500 a month were a lot more common. 😄

[Jon Wiggett]

Thomas,


I can remember the club's horse still grazing when I played there first in the early 80's. I do not think the greens are any better than they were then but the fairways and tees are certainly being cut a little short than before. I suspect that although the course may see an upturn in numbers of visitors especially if Coul Links happens I doubt it will ever be overrun as it is not on the tick box tour. Having said that I think that it does offer the best classical links experience in the Highlands and along with Wick and Reay it offers a great mini tour of the far North.




Jerry,


There are very few $500 a year clubs either.
Jon

[Ken Moum]

Ken -

If not the main driver of the economy in the Highlands north of Inverness, tourism (golf & otherwise) is certainly one of them. Over 60 cruise ships docked at Invergordon this year, a record.


Okay, but it's not a completely positive situation.  For instance, I was in a B&B only a few miles from your flat last fall and the neighbor across the road started spreading something on his pasture that was absolutely foul smelling.  Sort of like the contents of the sewage tank on my motorhome.  Turns out he's got a friend with a contract to "process" the shit (literally) the pump out of those ships at Invergordon. Just a lovely thing to be putting on a pasture near a stream.

My understanding is the current population of the Highlands is 10%-20% less than it was 150 years ago. If it wasn't for tourism, human life in the Highlands would slowly whether away, just like it is now doing in much of the mid-west in the U.S.


As a left coaster, it's not surprising that you'd have heard how horrible things are in the places I have lived most of my life.  As Twain said "the report of my death was an exaggeration."


Small towns in Kansas and South Dakota are certainly dying, but it's not for a lack of people to be their customers.  In my experience it's more about the changes in transportation. Even 100 years ago no one could drive 60 miles to town to buy groceries, and they certainly couldn't get Amazon or Walmart to deliver to their door for free.


But relying on tourism is fraught with risk, especially in a place that's perceived as remote, like the Highlands or South Dakota, where I have lots of experience.


I lived in SD for 23 years and worked for the Game, Fish and Parks Dept. the whole time. South Dakota tourism VERY dependent on hunting and fishing, and one of the risks is how volatile it can be.  A change in fuels costs that could double the price of pane ticket can devastate a place like the Highlands.


FWIW, South Dakota's population was 694,000 in 1931, and it took until 2009 to pass 800,000.
 

[David_Tepper]

Ken -

There are no easy solutions to difficult problems.

DT

[Ian Mackenzie]

Seems odd to both brag about the best courses in Scotland being public and yet also complain about the downside of being a public golf course.

Odd?


I did not detect complaints in the article.


Perhaps it is just you...yet again.


Have you played the course before? Have you ever visited the area?


Very positive article.

[Ken Moum]

Ken -

There are no easy solutions to difficult problems.

DT

That seems obvious, but its surprising how often people think something is going to be easy and then express amazement when it's not.


Oh well...

[Jon Wiggett]

Ken,


whilst there are some who spread slurry on their land this is always animal based (sheep, cows & pigs). The spreading of human waste on land has been banned for several decades now.


Jon

[Thomas Dai]

I can remember the club's horse still grazing when I played there first in the early 80's. I do not think the greens are any better than they were then but the fairways and tees are certainly being cut a little short than before. I suspect that although the course may see an upturn in numbers of visitors especially if Coul Links happens I doubt it will ever be overrun as it is not on the tick box tour. Having said that I think that it does offer the best classical links experience in the Highlands and along with Wick and Reay it offers a great mini tour of the far North.

Thanks for these Brora insights Jon. I was kind of wondering if visitor attendance income had actually made any difference to the course. I guess sometimes it does, and not always for the better, and sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it just helps to keep the members subs down. Terrific course though, another delightful example of James Braid work. Braid must be one of the most unappreciated (by some) course architects.
A course in the area that I've always thought deserves more attention and visitors is Tain. Perhaps, unlike Brora and Golspie (and Dornoch too), it's due to it not being directly 'in' the village/town. Lots of good golf at Tain imo.
atb

[David_Tepper]

More on tourism in the Highlands:
https://www.northern-times.co.uk/News/Castle-under-siege-from-tourists-05112018.htm

[Ira Fishman]

A sample size of one may mean nothing, but we played Brora in July when one would expect the influx of foreigners to be heavy.  It was a nice day (no rain, moderate wind, comfortable temperature).  We teed off at 10am or so. We played in just over 3 hours as a two ball and saw maybe a handful of other groups.  Greens were in very good shape. So in our experience, its new found popularity sure did not have any adverse affects.


Ira


PS Food in clubhouse excellent and inexpensive.

[David_Tepper]

Ira -

You are absolutely right. Brora could easily absorb another 1,000 rounds of visitor play annually without disrupting the members' access to the course. 1,000 rounds spread over a 5-month season is less than two 4-balls a day.

The revenue from another 500 to 1,000 rounds of visitor play would make a huge and very positive impact to the financial well being of courses like Brora, Golspie & Tain. If nothing else, it would keep them in business.

DT 

[Ken Moum]

Ken,


whilst there are some who spread slurry on their land this is always animal based (sheep, cows & pigs). The spreading of human waste on land has been banned for several decades now.


Jon

I know that.  And I have been around few places that use animal waste that way.


This was WAY different.  Since I live in an RV full time, I am familiar with the difference in "aroma."  When I talked to the B&B owner about it, he said he was pretty certain it was coming from the cruise ships.  And he'd tried to get someone to investigate, apparently without success.


The one good thing, it made me stop thinking about the midges.


K

[Ken Moum]

A course in the area that I've always thought deserves more attention and visitors is Tain. Perhaps, unlike Brora and Golspie (and Dornoch too), it's due to it not being directly 'in' the village/town. Lots of good golf at Tain imo.
atb

I've always thought that Tain suffered from the fact that on it's best holes you can't see the sea. When you are along the water, it's hardly inspiring golf.

[Jon Wiggett]

Ken,


still not convinced on the slurry.


As for Tain, it is a much overlooked course with some great golf. I disagree about the lack of sea views as the courses in general in the area are quiet which is more to do with location. I have said it before but IMO if Brora was in East Lothian it would be in with a shout for top 5 UK.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Ken,


still not convinced on the slurry.

+1


I was in recycling for a while.  The financial penalties for the farmers and the damage reputation to the Cruise firms if Human Waste was spread, are HUGE.  As Jon said, its defintely illegal.


Could have been food waste recycling from the Cruise Ships?

[JC Jones]

Seems odd to both brag about the best courses in Scotland being public and yet also complain about the downside of being a public golf course.

Odd?


I did not detect complaints in the article.


Perhaps it is just you...yet again.


Have you played the course before? Have you ever visited the area?


Very positive article.

I wasn't responding to the article. 


Is there a chance you can stop following me around GCA, policing my posts and showing yourself to be a clown?

[James Brown]

Played my favorite round of the year at Brora in August on an afternoon during their 5 day open.  Greens were the fastest and firmest I have played in Scotland, Course was in great shape.  Played as a single late in the day and there were only 2 other groups on the course. Was quite literally attacked by a huge cow on the 9th hole, which I dodged deftly at the last minute, to epic laughter from the foursome on the 10th tee. 


Where else is that gonna happen?


Best natural links on earth.  I see why Peter Thompson loved it.  Hit every shot I have on a course that measures 6200 yards.  The soul of the game lives on the 16th hole. 

[Mark Chaplin]

Ken,


whilst there are some who spread slurry on their land this is always animal based (sheep, cows & pigs). The spreading of human waste on land has been banned for several decades now.


Jon

Jon and others, far from being illegal most slurry is treated human waste. In Scotland around 200,000 tonnes a year of “sewage slurry”, a polite way of saying treated human waste is spread on the land.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sewage-sludge-in-agriculture-code-of-practice

[Niall C]

Best natural links on earth.  Played many ?  The soul of the game lives on the 16th hole. How so ?

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