The third review from Course Experience Psychologist Stephen Smith as he tours the home of golf.
Nairn is a coastal town just east of Inverness and very well served by the airport which lies between the two. The Championship course is regarded by many as one of the finer courses in the country. This course has held the Walker Cup in 1999 and the Curtis Cup in 2012. The place must have passed on the luck from the Scottish heather as the Great Britain and Ireland teams won both those matches against strong USA teams.
The players included people like Paul Casey, Charley Hull and Leona Maguire who have all gone on to great things in the professional game. One of the Walker Cup team players said “I have always considered it to be a great test of links golf and one of Scotland’s best courses”. His name was Luke Donald, I wonder what ever became of him? With all of this heritage, and having viewed the excellent video on the website, the travelling golfer’s heart nearly bursts with high levels of anticipation.
Will the venue and experience live up to the expectation? On the basis of our visit you need not worry as Nairn golf club far exceeds your hopes at every point. The pro shop is well stocked friendly and efficient and the clubhouse and bar is incredibly well designed. It looks out onto the course and the Moray firth giving a fantastic vista that only gets the anticipatory juices flowing even more.
The food was excellent and well-priced and here was a special wee touch – the very first thing the waitress asked about was our tee time. When we enquired as to why she explained that this was to ensure that the food was cooked in order of play and in time so no one would be rushed to eat. The level of thought that has gone into the visitor experience continued at the starter’s hut. Push trolleys were free, course planners were free and there was a box that was full of markers and tees- help yourself.
The starter was really on the ball and asked if we would let a two ball out in front of us and promised there was a gap behind. True to his word we very quickly found ourselves playing millionaire’s golf with no one on front and no one behind. We had plenty of time to stop and admire the views across to the Black Isle and admire the basking sharks and dolphins in the bay. Like Fortrose & Rosemarkie (on the other side of the water) the views are so stunning you can forget you are actually there to play golf.
And the golf is good on a classic links course – with a twist. The 13th Hole cuts inland at 90 degrees to the layout and for a couple of holes you could be far inland on a classic highlands course – then its back to the links for a challenging finish. Nairn really was everything you could hope for in a golf experience. It is certainly not cheap in high season but genuine quality never is!
Key Info
Holes: 18
Par: Black: 71. White: 71. Blue: 71. Green: 70. Grey: 70
Yards: Black 6,832. White: 6,426. Blue: 6,125. Green: 5,633. Grey: 5,342
Slope: Black: 121. White: 136. Blue: 133. Green: 126. Grey: 121
Visitor Green Fees: £50 winter rising to £199 in summer. In the summer there is a fourball rate of £460 taking the price down to £115 per player.
Website: www.nairngolfclub.co.uk
Location
Prices correct at time of writing (September 2023).
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