I’m lucky to play more than my fair share of special golf courses, and Gozzer Ranch now sits firmly on that list. The pictures tell much of the story, but a few architectural notes are worth adding:

My last day in Scotland included a round at Cabot Highlands’ Castle Stuart course (followed by an afternoon in Inverness, which was lovely). Castle Stuart might have the greatest opening four-hole stretch I’ve seen. The rest of the front nine is just about as good, inland and elevated with some stunning views. Then the back night starts similarly to the front with three more gorgeous coastal holes. The stretch of par fours from 13-16 isn’t quite as mesmerizing, though they are still good holes before the two beautiful closers. Castle Stuart is somewhere between a traditional links (firm, fescue, pot bunkers, gorse) and a modern American one (framed visuals, big, a bit more aerial emphasis); after all, it is a Gil Hanse design and 100+ years younger than the other courses I played. It forms its own category amongst Highland courses, though Cabot’s Old Petty course opens in a few weeks and it looks just as captivating. I hope it’s not the last time I’m there.

Fortrose and Rosemarkie is overlooked by most travelers but was every bit the authentic links experience as the better-known courses. As with so many of the courses here, it starts along the water and then heads inland. Here the first 8(!) holes are basically all on the water around the outside of the peninsula, and then the remaining 10 play more in the middle. It's funny actually how many courses do that—Nairn has 7 on the water and then goes inland; Brora plays closer to the water on the way out; Golspie is on the water for 3-5; even Castle Stuart starts each nine on the water and then goes inland. Of the courses I played, only Royal Dornoch went inward rather than outward along the water. 

Anyway, it's a really strong start with some cute, mostly shorter par-4's on the way in. I really enjoyed the holes along the road, and the views are pretty stunning in many spots. Hopefully the pictures do it some justice.

On Monday morning I drove back up north about 90 minutes to play Golspie and Brora. I played Golspie first. It has some excellent par 3's, a few of the oddest features I've ever seen, and a several holes in the trees and heather away from the water. This is not the best golf course in the Highlands by any means, but it has enough to keep me interested and also generally perplexed, especially upon encountering the "randomizer," as my host called it—a field of small moguls occupying the fairway short of the green on the blind, drivable 7th hole.

Then I drove up to Brora and spent about an hour in my car, the pro shop, and the clubhouse hemming and hawing about playing because the rain was quite bad at this point. I finally decided that the flight and drive to get back there another time was even worse than the weather and I might as well have a go. Brora is most noted for the sheep that roam the course and for the electric wires circling every green that keep them out—you'll see them in many of the pictures below. I would enjoy the opportunity to try Brora again when it's firm and at least decent weather, but it was still a memorable afternoon.

This is probably the best picture I took in Scotland, of 13 and surrounds and I wanted to give it the spotlight:

I guess my biggest takeaway from the day was that, like most other offerings from the 1800's, we generally have better ideas and more understanding these days—but that doesn't mean that everything about today's offerings is superior. Many things, but not all.

Day 5 was an 18 hole open comp at Nairn Dunbar, where I played on Day 1. It rained all morning and I was already exhausted from 36 in the rain the day before, but I'm glad I played. For the second day in a row I was paired with a the eventual winner, and I tied for second, so it was a nice group. I already posted Nairn Dunbar pics on Day 1, so not a lot to add here in that department. Got a tour of the Nairn archives in the afternoon before dinner at the Cawdor (yes, like Macbeth) Tavern, which had good food and a lovely peacock named Percy.

​Every ranking of note has Royal Dornoch in the world's top 10-15 courses. One article I saw used the word "spellbinding," and that seemed to resonate with me. My favorite spot is the reveal upon reaching the 3rd tee; it's on the same level as the reveal of walking around the corner to 15 at Cypress Point. Dornoch is just about as beautiful as Cypress, too. I played in bright sunshine on Friday, then in a competition Saturday with clouds in the morning and rain most of the afternoon. (For the record, I finished 3rd at +5 and would have done better had I made more than one putt of any length all day.) I'll have to think more for whoever wants the full-on architectural analysis, but I think the pictures will be pretty clear in why it's a wonderful place and deserving of the attention it receives.

Day 2 started with a quiet morning, then 36 at Nairn Golf Club in the afternoon. Nairn is a big boy course, especially from the back tees which I was given permission to play for my second round. Some work was done to the course in 2019(?) in anticipation of the Amateur Championship, and this included fairway bunkers that severely narrow the landing areas in several holes. Anyway, the main takeaway from Day 2 was this: when you think of links courses, you of course think of firm turf and balls that bounce and roll. What I hadn't fully appreciated was that—in combination with the natural ripples of true linksland—balls might bounce and roll sideways and in all sorts of weird directions. Back home if I hit a good drive, I'll watch it for for about half a second because it's pretty obvious where it's going. In links golf the ball might bounce 15 yards right into a bunker or 20 yards left into the gorse. An approach might hit into a ripple and not go too far, or it might land on the back of one and roll 50 more yards; you just don't know, so you have to watch.

I touched down at Inverness at 3:00 PM, teed off at Nairn Dunbar with my friends at 4:52, and finished with 18 holes 3.5 hours later. It was pretty much a perfect first afternoon on a lovely links course. It barely registers on the radar of Scottish links courses overall, but it has everything: rumply fairways, revetted bunkers, crispy turf, the works. It was really fun, and the big lesson is it doesn't take much, just firm turf and a few contours, both large and small. Tomorrow is 36 at Nairn, which hosted the 1999 Walker Cup and is ranked #95 in the world by Golf Digest.

Also it's 10:07 PM and not even remotely dark!