Royal Dornoch isn’t just one of Scotland’s greatest golf courses – it’s one of the greatest on Earth. Often ranked in the world’s top 10, this Highlands masterpiece blends natural beauty, architectural brilliance, and emotional gravitas. The layout hugs the Dornoch Firth, with holes tumbling across high ridgelines and into valleys shaped by ancient dunes. Greens are raised and heavily contoured – the famed “plateau greens” that Donald Ross took with him to Pinehurst. The course plays firm and fast, with gorse-lined fairways and deceptive bunkering. Every hole feels like a postcard. The 2nd (“Ord”) and 14th (“Foxy”) are standout par-4s, requiring strategy and nerve. The par-3 6th plays directly out to sea, while the 17th and 18th offer a thrilling finish as the wind off the firth intensifies. Dornoch is not about power – it’s about precision, rhythm, and restraint. The town itself adds to the magic – remote, peaceful, and utterly in tune with the game’s origins. This is pilgrimage golf at its finest.