The Northern Times – Caroline McCmorran

ROYAL Dornoch savoured success in front of an international audience at the prestigious 2024 Scottish Golf Tourism Awards.

The renowned Championship Course was hailed Scotland’s Best Course (green fee over £250) after being shortlisted alongside such stellar candidates as St Andrews, Carnoustie and Dumbarnie Links.

The club was also delighted to be shortlisted for the Best Sustainability Project, won by the St Andrews Links Trust, hard on the heels of capturing a similar accolade at the Golf Environment Awards held at Harrogate for the greenkeeping team’s groundbreaking work in tackling coastal erosion on the Struie Course.

General manager Neil Hampton has welcomed the latest accolade to come the way of Royal Dornoch.

“Success in the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards is recognition for the hard work put in year round by the team to ensure the Championship Course meets the high standards expected of a golf course widely recognised as being among the finest in the world,” he said.

“Our geographical location in the Scottish Highlands can create challenges at times but golfers making the pilgrimage to Dornoch are presented with a golf course they will long remember for its condition as well as the layout and the scenery.”

Neil added: “It’s particularly gratifying to receive this award in the wake of changes made to the 7th and 8th holes in recent years, with our greenkeepers working hand in hand with architects Mackenzie and Ebert to ensure they have blended in seamlessly with the terrain.”

The black tie awards evening was held at the Scottish National Trust’s Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre.

The event was the culmination of the 11th Scottish Golf Tourism Week, which was supported by VisitScotland, Luxe Scot and the Press and Journal.

Nearly 90 tour operators from 40 countries were lured to Inverness.
“The event will have further raised the international profile of golf tourism in the Highlands and the audience will have noted the success of not just Royal Dornoch but Fortrose and Rosemarkie, which won best course under £100 and Durness, which won the best nine hole golf course category.”