Struie at Royal Dornoch Golf Club

The Struie Course serves as the second eighteen at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, sharing the same linksland setting along Dornoch Firth in the Scottish Highlands. Designed by Donald Steel and opened in 1999, it was created to complement the championship links while providing a less demanding but still authentic links experience. The course occupies ground to the north of the famous Championship Course, utilizing similar duneland terrain with views across the firth toward the hills of Sutherland.

Steel's routing works through rolling linksland with natural undulations, gorse, and the characteristic firm turf of the region. The layout measures around 6,200 yards and plays to a par of 71, making it more accessible than its celebrated neighbor while retaining the strategic interest and shot-making challenges inherent to links golf. The design emphasizes ground game options and requires thoughtful club selection in the coastal winds that sweep across both courses.

The Struie provides an important function for Royal Dornoch, accommodating visiting golfers and members while preserving the Championship Course for its primary role. It allows the club to welcome more players to experience Dornoch's distinctive setting without compromising the integrity of the historic links. For golfers making the journey to this remote corner of Scotland, the Struie offers a worthy second round that captures the essential character of Highland links golf, with the same dramatic landscape and testing conditions that define the area.