The golf
Tain: par 70, 6,109 yards
The 1st tee of Royal Dornoch’s Championship links lies just 100 yards from Links House, and it was great to play the revered links again in September 2025 just a few months before the unveiling of its new £13.9 million clubhouse.
Beautiful light on the par-3 13th at Royal Dornoch
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
But in this article, I’m focusing on Tain’s Old Tom Morris links just a few miles away, which I had last visited 20 years ago.
Looking up the 18th hole towards the clubhouse at Tain
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
In lovely autumn weather I thoroughly enjoyed my round, heeding the pro’s advice to take just enough club on the 2nd to get over the crest but also stay short of the burn.
I particularly liked 8 and 9 – a lovely self-enclosed par 3 then a clever, sharp-right dogleg. The famous 11th plays right down to the Firth, with its blind approach played over three pronounced hillocks (or on to the left-hand one in the case of my pulled 8-iron).
The signature 11th green at Tain right by the Firth from the 12th tee
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
The back-to-back par 3s at 16 and 17 are beautifully varied – a lovely little downhiller over a burn then an altogether longer affair where water also gets involved if you leak it right.
The 16th is one of two cracking back-to-back par 3s near the end at Tain
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
Much work had taken place here for the better since my previous visit, with the clearing of gorse and scrub giving the middle parts of the links a much less claustrophobic feel overall.
The hotel
Links House is the ideal luxury base for any trip centring on the famous golf town of Dornoch.
The original, sand-coloured building is a former manse built in 1843, completely renovated under new ownership since 2011.
The new Glenshiel building arrived in 2013 to bring the total Links House accommodation offering up to 15 luxury rooms and suites.
The Glenshiel building, which opened in 2013, added more room options at Links House
(Image credit: Links House, Royal Dornoch)
The interior elegance and style is in keeping with the original building’s heritage while The Mara restaurant’s menu matches its ambience.
The Mara restaurant serves first-class local cuisine
(Image credit:…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Latest from Golf Monthly…