Golf on the Moray Firth

This strip of coastline boasts some of the finest links courses in Scotland. Here Golfmagic takes a look at Moray Golf Club.

Alex Dawkins's picture
Tue, 12 Nov 2013
Golf on the Moray Firth

Stretching from Aberdeenshire round to Castle Stuart, Royal Dornoch and Brora, the trail of championship links golf courses on the north-eastern coast of Scotland is a gift from the gods (and Donald Trump of course).

All of the famed courses in that part of the country come with sterling reputations, and Moray Golf Club was no different, and I’m pleased to say it didn’t disappoint.

Set in Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth shoreline about 40 miles east of Inverness, Moray is undoubtedly another golfing gem tucked away on the Scottish coastline.

I stayed in the delightful Links Lodge, a bed and breakfast right across the road from the golf course. The rooms offer spectacular views of the course and, in particular, the 18th green, as I found out when I opened the curtains and saw the bright sun battling through the sea mist rolling across the course first thing in the morning.

Initially the building served as the clubhouse when Moray Golf Club was founded in 1889 before a new clubhouse was added a few years later. The Lodge is run by John Thomson, who is also Moray’s vice-captain, and whose father was instrumental in the construction of the New Course, which was refined by Sir Henry cotton in 1979.

John was also kind enough to accompany me round the Old Course, my course review of which can be read here.

Despite having a population of fewer than 7,000 people, Lossiemouth has plenty more to offer than just the golf course. The nearby RAF Lossiemouth is the only operational RAF base left in Scotland, and home to No.617 Squadron (commonly known as the Dambusters). Gordounston School is also just a few miles down the road, while Lossiemouth also marks the end of the whisky trail. In fact, Moray Golf Club actually produces its own ten-year-old single malt whisky, available to buy in the clubhouse – which has a welcoming and laid-back atmosphere.

Moray also has the distinction of producing the first ever female professional golfer, Meg Farquhar, as well as banning the first Labour prime minister of the Uk – Lossiemouth-born Ramsey Macdonald!

And when you finally do get around to playing some golf, you are sure to find the 6,572-yard par-71 course a delight. The Old Course at Moray – designed by none other than Old Tom Morris – is all that a links course should be. The gorse-lined fairways are firm and dry with gentle undulations and moguls, and the greens are fast and subtle.

If the quality and state of the course was to be expected, then one thing that did take me by surprise was the weather I was treated to. This was, after all, October in the north of Scotland. My bag was stuffed full of base layers and waterproofs, yet I found myself striding up the 18th in just a polo shirt. In actual fact, this warm and sunny weather wasn’t merely down to good fortune. There are very few places in the UK that receive less rainfall than Moray, as the Grampians and Highlands tend to suck the rain out of the clouds before it can reach the Moray Firth, meaning the golf courses on this stretch of land usually remain dry and in great condition.

Lossiemouth’s central position in this belt of golfing paradise and the range of other activities and excursions on offer nearby make it the perfect place to set up camp if you’re embarking on a golf tour of northern Scotland. Although many golfing pilgrims often get distracted by St Andrews, Muirfield and co. before they get as far north as the Moray Firth, those that do make it that far (and it is a long – about 175 miles north of Edinburgh) will be delighted they made the effort.

Stretching from Aberdeenshire round to Castle Stuart, Royal Dornoch and Brora, the trail of championship links golf courses on the north-eastern coast of Scotland is a gift from the gods (and Donald Trump of course).

All of the famed courses in that part of the country come with sterling reputations, and Moray Golf Club was no different, and I’m pleased to say it didn’t disappoint.

Set in Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth shoreline about 40 miles east of Inverness, Moray is undoubtedly another golfing gem tucked away on the Scottish coastline.

I stayed in the delightful Links Lodge, a bed and breakfast right across the road from the golf course. The rooms offer spectacular views of the course and, in particular, the 18th green, as I found out when I opened the curtains and saw the bright sun battling through the sea mist rolling across the course first thing in the morning. (The full Scottish breakfast at the Links Lodge also deserves a special mention - served with delightfully rich and locally sourced black pudding and sausages from the local butcher).

Initially the building served as the clubhouse when Moray Golf Club was founded in 1889 before a new clubhouse was added a few years later. The Lodge is run by John Thomson, who is also Moray’s vice-captain, and whose father was instrumental in the construction of the New Course, which was refined by Sir Henry cotton in 1979.

John was also kind enough to accompany me round the Old Course, my course review of which can be read here.

Despite having a population of fewer than 7,000 people, Lossiemouth has plenty more to offer than just the golf course. The nearby RAF Lossiemouth is the only operational RAF base left in Scotland, and home to No.617 Squadron (commonly known as the Dambusters). Gordounston School is also just a few miles down the road, while Lossiemouth also marks the end of the malt whisky trail. In fact, Moray Golf Club actually produces its own ten-year-old single malt whisky, available to buy in the clubhouse – which has a welcoming and laid-back atmosphere.

Moray also has the distinction of producing the first ever female professional golfer, Meg Farquhar, as well as banning the first Labour prime minister of the Uk – Lossiemouth-born Ramsey Macdonald!

And when you finally do get around to playing some golf, you are sure to find the 6,572-yard par-71 course a delight. The Old Course at Moray – designed by none other than Old Tom Morris – is all that a links course should be. The gorse-lined fairways are firm and dry with gentle undulations and moguls, and the greens are fast and subtle.

If the quality and state of the course was to be expected, then one thing that did take me by surprise was the weather I was treated to. This was, after all, October in the north of Scotland. My bag was stuffed full of base layers and waterproofs, yet I found myself striding up the 18th in just a polo shirt. In actual fact, this warm and sunny weather wasn’t merely down to good fortune. There are very few places in the UK that receive less rainfall than Moray, as the Grampians and Highlands tend to suck the rain out of the clouds before it can reach the Moray Firth, meaning the golf courses on this stretch of land usually remain dry and in great condition.

Lossiemouth’s central position in this belt of golfing paradise and the range of other activities and excursions on offer nearby make it the perfect place to set up camp if you’re embarking on a golf tour of northern Scotland. Although many golfing pilgrims often get distracted by St Andrews, Muirfield and co. before they get as far north as the Moray Firth, those that do make it that far (and it is a long – about 175 miles north of Edinburgh) will be delighted they made the effort.

For more information on golf in Scotland, please visit http://golf.visitscotland.com
Where to play golf: www.moraygolf.co.uk
Where to stay: www.linkslodge.co.uk