Tee and Whisky
Imagine playing a round of golf in
Scotland and recounting it over a dram. If you are partial to
beautiful golf courses and the occasional single malt, head for the
Highlands.
Dufftown golf
course is in the heart of glorious Speyside, the
rolling fairways lined with heather. The dramatic 10th at Dufftown
- called Glenfiddich - happens to be one of Sam Torrance’s
favourite golf holes in Scotland (see Sam’s 19 Holes).
Dufftown is the Malt Whisky Capital of
Scotland. The saying goes that ‘Rome was built on
seven hills. Dufftown was built on seven stills’.
The Balvenie is one of
the few remaining distilleries with its own malting floors.
Glenfiddich
was the first to open its doors to visitors four decades ago. Drop
by the fantastic Speyside
Cooperage and see skilled craftsmen hard at work on
the whisky casks.
Glen Moray in Elgin is one
of eight distilleries on the world’s only Malt Whisky Trail.
Elgin golf course is an
immaculate heathland affair while nearby the Old Course at Moray Golf Club in
Lossiemouth is a classic links boasting possibly the finest
finishing hole in Scotland.
Over on the Black Isle, Fortrose & Rosemarkie golf course
counts as one of James Braid’s most remarkable design achievements:
18 challenging holes on the narrow Chanonry peninsula. There’s a
good chance of spotting bottlenose dolphins too.
Glen
Ord and The Dalmore are the
area’s two historic distilleries.
Venture further north and you can play lovely
Tain golf course before
popping by Glenmorangie distillery
where one of the world’s favourite drams is produced from some of
the country’s tallest stills. Nearby is Balblair, one of Scotland’s
oldest working distilleries.
Keep heading up the coast until you reach
Royal Dornoch, a
legendary links described by Tom Watson as ‘the most fun I’ve ever
had on a golf course’. Countless others have sung the praises
of one of the most humbling and perfect golfing experiences
possible in Scotland.
Since you have come this far north, you may as
well tackle Brora, an
endearing course with all the attributes of a Scottish seaside
classic. Brora offers a bracing challenge and little has changed
since James Braid reworked the course in 1923. Brora is a firm
favourite of five times Open champion Peter Thomson who is
president of the James Braid Golfing Society, whose headquarters
are at Brora.
And when your final round is complete, sit back
with a dram of Clynelish,
the local malt whose unique maritime character is highly regarded
by the experts.
For great golf and wonderful whisky, head
for the Highlands of Scotland.
