Nairn Golf Club

The Championship Course at Nairn Golf Club occupies a distinctive stretch of linksland along the Moray Firth in the Scottish Highlands. Old Tom Morris laid out the original course in 1887, establishing the routing that takes advantage of the natural duneland and coastal topography. The course has evolved through subsequent work by several notable architects: James Braid made modifications in the early twentieth century, Ben Sayers contributed design input, and C. K. Cotton undertook revisions that helped shape the modern layout. The links runs out along the shoreline before turning back, offering views across the Moray Firth toward the Black Isle and, on clear days, the mountains beyond. The terrain features classic linksland characteristics—undulating fairways, natural dunes, gorse, and seaside grasses—with the wind off the water a constant strategic factor. The outward nine plays closer to the beach, while the inward holes move slightly inland but maintain the links character throughout. Nairn has hosted significant amateur championships, including multiple Scottish Amateur Championships and the Walker Cup in 1999, when Great Britain and Ireland defeated the United States. The course has also served as a Final Qualifying venue for The Open Championship when the championship has been played at nearby courses in the region. The club maintains traditional links golf values, and the course is known for being firm and fast-running in typical conditions, rewarding ground game and strategic positioning over pure length.