Championship Course
Nairn Golf Club


About this course
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.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Best in UK
Best in Scotland
Quick facts
- Location
- Nairn, The Highlands, Scotland
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1887
- Holes
- 18
- Designer(s)
- Old Tom Morris, James Braid, Ben Sayers, C. K. Cotton
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,821 yards
- Difficulty
- 77.3/144
- Course Vaults score
- 8.6
Getting there
The journey to Nairn Golf Club begins at Inverness Airport (INV), a compact Highland gateway situated roughly twenty miles southwest of the club, followed by a drive of thirty to forty minutes that traces the Moray Firth coastline northeastward through the Scottish Highlands. The route unfolds with quiet drama - leaving the A96 to descend toward the Nairn seafront, where the North Sea comes into view and the air carries the salt-tinged clarity of the northern coast. Private aviation arrives at Inverness or the smaller Nairn Airfield, both offering discreet access to this remote corner of Scotland. The final approach delivers you to the club's clifftop setting overlooking the Firth, where the austere beauty of the links landscape and the distant mountains of the Great Glen announce your arrival at one of Scotland's most storied and secluded golfing sanctuaries.

FAQ
Common questions about Championship at Nairn Golf Club
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Championship at Nairn Golf Club has a Course Vaults score of 8.6 out of 10 based on 38 logged golfers.
Championship was designed by Old Tom Morris, James Braid, Ben Sayers, and C. K. Cotton.
Yes. Championship at Nairn Golf Club is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Championship is 72.
Championship plays 6,821 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Championship is 144.




