Durness Golf Club
Balnakeil,
Durness, Sutherland IV27 4PX
Tel : +44 (0)1971 511364
Durness is a relatively new club/course, opened in June 1988, having been designed and built by local enthusiasts.
The scenery is stunning throughout with a variety of wildlife and plants evident. Snacks are available in the clubhouse as is trolley and club hire.
Directions
Durness lies 57 miles NW of Lairg on the A838. The course can be found 1mile from the centre of the village.
Further Information
Information herein provided by the club 3 Dec 1998.
Course Details
| Course Name: Durness Holes: 9 Yardage: 5545 SSS: 68 |
| The course may have only 9 greens but has 18 different tees so most holes can be played completely differently second time around. The scenery is stunning throughout with a variety of wildlife and plants evident. The golf is testing to say the least, with many natural hazards coming into play, including Loch Lamish on the 6th/15th and the Atlantic Ocean on the 9th/18th. Recent visitors who have been impressed include Peter Allis and Ronan Rafferty. For an appreciation and independent view of this course please see golfer reviews. 
press here for Durness Golf Club course reviews |
angela wrote on: Sep 2, 2011
It may be a little hard to get to but well worth the journey...the course is well maintained and the greens were perfect on the day...views just wonderful. I rang the day before we arrived, just turn up no need to book at tee time was the reply. When we arrived a warm welcome by a lovely lady, helpful advice on the course and 'your the first on today' The weather was misty so we were togged up, but brillant sunshine after about an hour. I can't say that any hole was a disappointment, but driving the ninth with a seven iron 6ft from the pin will be forever in my memories....hope to get back next year
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wrote on: Jun 14, 2004
this golf site sux
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Mark Allan wrote on: Mar 18, 2004
Simply one of the best delights that Scotland has to offer. Whether it is snowing or sunny, Durness is a must to visit as it offers stunning views and some very challenging holes. The 9th/18th will stand out in most golfers memories who have played there.
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doug ure + mark ross wrote on: Mar 15, 2004
As seasoned visitors to Durness we just wanted to extol the virtues of this most beautiful, and at times beastly, course. In the hope more golfers looking for a truely unique experience find there way north to play it.
On a beautiful day, when the wind is gentle and the hills a radiant green it is like playing in the palm of gods hand.
But if you venture there when the winds a howling, and the rains a lashing well you know what jack burton always said "what the hell". And believe me when I say thats where you think you've ended up.
But either way it's a course to experience.
The 1st/10th is difficult for the second shot onto an elevated green that towers above you, making you wonder if your on a golf course or a hill climbing expedition.
But don't panic because once your on the green the course opens out in front of you, and you are left to stare in awe at the spectacular scenery, that no matter which direction you look takes your breath away.
From then on the challenges of the course are varied.
The blind tee shots of the 3rd/12th, 4th/13th, and the 8th/17th mean a straight drive is essential as fairway rough looks deceptively light but will swallow your ball if given half a chance.
Other holes like the 2nd/11th, the 5th/14th, and the 7th/16th allow clear and open views of fairway and green which give the average golfer a fair chance of seeing where their ball has gone, and the possiblity of a par or better.
Although many people rave about the 9th/18th gully shot (which is special), probably the most enjoyable hole would be the par 5 6th/15th hole with it's daunting dog leg to the right, that hugs a small inlet of water. The thrill of hitting a good first shot off the tee only leaves you indecisive for your second shot, as you eye up a possible short cut to disaster over the water and onto the green. But if you can go for it, and make it, your on for an eagle and you feel an elation that will carry you through the rest of your round(or so Mark tells me), regardless of how many balls you might end up loosing through 18 holes... and you WILL loose a few.
The clubhouse offers a wide range of snacks (hot and cold), and we would both highly recommend the home made soup of the day (although for those starting off earlier there is also a full breakfast on offer, complete with tea and toast, which hits the spot everytime).
As for the people of Durness, we would have to say we have yet to meet more honest, friendly, and accomodating people (which is probably why we make a point of returning there at least once every year).
The weather can be unpredictable but if your willing to pick your weekend then the internet weather sites do usually give you a good idea of what to expect when you'll be there.
Enjoy it, and enjoy all that Durness has to offer. Once you've been there you'll want to come back again (honest).
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David Drummond wrote on: Jan 21, 2004
I only took up golf in 2000, but in such a relatively short time, have been fortunate enough to have played a number of really nice courses. The Dukes at St Andrews, Turnberry Kintyre, Taymouth Castle and both the Torrance and Devlin at St Andrews Bay are all lovely courses which would rank as desirable to many a foreign golfer - but I'm afraid they all pale into insignificance when I think of the delights of remote Durness Golf Club. Stunning views, a hill loch, playing over the Atlantic and swirling winds are all part of the attraction for me.
I spent a week at Durness last summer and played 90 holes including the men's open and enjoyed every minute. The challenge is tremendous - my handicap is 17 yet I've never managed to get under 100 for this amazing little course.
Well done Durness, see you again in the summer
David Drummond
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John Wallace wrote on: Jul 31, 2001
Myself, my wife and another couple played this gem of a course in July 2001, and would highly recommend the pilgrimage to other golfers.
I can well imagine that were the rain coming down and the gales howling in from the sea the course would be utterly different in character, but on a day where we were more worried about avoiding sunburn there can be few better days golf to be had.
Starting from a relatively inauspicious first/tenth, the course then runs alongside the sea and out into some of the most majestic scenery to be found. From clear deep blue seas and brilliant golden strips of sand, to the mountains towering in the background. The golf itself is tricky without being too arduous, the course nicely hilly and providing a pleasant mixture of challenges - some blind tee shots and approaches, water hazards, huge elevation changes, and the classic ninth/eighteenth. My own favourites were the downhill approach to the eighth and of course the Par 3 last - sea to the front, sea to the left, rough to the back, clubhouse to the right! Not for the faint-hearted!
The people were extremely friendly, the clubhouse ideal for a quick bite and affording a superb view of those (unfortunate enough to be playing the last) With the Smoo cave close by, and some excellent food stops on the way, I highly recommend the trip to Durness.
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Martin Richmond Hdcp 18 wrote on: May 31, 1999
This really is golf on the wild side. The course starts and ends teetering on the side of a cliff with spectacular views across a wonderful beach and out to sea. Some small Islands just off the coast provide occasional target practice for RAF jets and this can provide an exhilarating backdrop to what, it must be said, is a hard days golf.
After clambering up the sheer climb to the first green you will want to take a breath and enjoy the stunning views. The greens are not exactly manicured and (if you ball stays still long enough in the extreme winds) a firm hand is needed for putting.
There are several fantastic driving holes and more than one long shot required over water. If you can get round here with one ball you will be doing well. The feature hole on the course is the 9th/18th where you play from the top of one cliff, across a rocky inlet with waves crashing in, to the top of another. I would not advise it but my playing partner did once venture down a steep and slippery path to try to retrieve a couple of snap hooks from the shallow inlet. Club selection is a bit of a lottery due to the extreme winds which invariably blow up here. On one par three I have used a 7 Iron and been through the green, and a driver and been short on the same hole.
When you have completed your round the clubhouse provides a warm, welcoming relief to the stresses of the course, providing excellent food and refreshments together with a bay windowed lounge enjoying excellent views of the 1st/9th and the glorious beach.
If you do find yourself in this beautiful part of Scotland with a set of golf clubs then this course is an experience not to be missed !
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Robert Wilkinson Hdcp 18 wrote on: Jun 30, 1998
This course is something special - not a Birkdale or St Andrews by any stretch of the imagination but an experience in every sense. From the journey up to the top through the most breathtaking scenery it's possible to witness to the ninth/eighteenth which sees you tee off over a perilous cliff edge with a golden beach in the background.
This is raw, cold, aggressive golf that will make a mockery of your handicap but will, however provide you with hours of enjoyment both during and after.
A lovely little clubhouse sits precariously on a steep bank and just outside lie the 45 degree angled first and tenth tees.
Brilliant - Go there - it's inspired me to write a little bit more about this game!
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