Royal Dornoch Unveils Revised And Improved Seventh Hole

One of the world’s greatest golf courses looks improved with a revised 7th. Gorse is gone, contours exposed and a hole that always felt oddly out of place now provides an aesthetic high point.

Golf Architecture’s Richard Humphreys details the work by Mackenzie & Ebert that is still to include new tees for the 8th hole.

The work was first proposed after a course review in 2013 and approved by the club in 2015. “I very nearly did not include this concept because it felt almost inconceivable that the members would agree to alter the hole,” said Tom Mackenzie. “It was resoundingly approved – lesson learnt.”

“The view from the seventh tee is one of the most famous in the world of golf. Is there a first-time visitor to Dornoch who has not taken that photo down over the course? It seemed frustrating that once down off the tee, the sea disappeared until the green on the highest part of the course. There was plenty of room to the right, so logically, it made sense to rotate the hole that way so that the entire hole enjoyed the same view with a new sea vista behind the green.

You can see the location of the new hole corridor in this Google Earth screen capture:

Royal Dornoch’s 7th, old (above) and new (under construction)

And then there is the 8th, needing to be lengthened as more golfers have incorporated intermittent fasting into their lives, picking up 20 yards. MacKenzie (and I having been blessed to visit Dornoch twice nearly 30 years apart).

“The added advantage was that it freed space to restore the eighth, which had been overwhelmed by new clubs and balls. Thirty-seven years ago, when I first moved to Dornoch, even the best players chose whether or not to drive down the scarp. Many opted to stay on the upper level to benefit from a much better view and line to the green. Today, virtually every player drives down to the bottom. The removal of the old seventh green allows the hole to be extended and the tee shot realigned so that the drive is almost parallel to the top of the slope.”

The old seventh green was added to the course in 1946 when the course was extended.

MacKenzie was also primarily behind the upgrade of another hole set atop high ground on a stellar links: Cruden Bay’s 9th.

For those who’ve been or those who dream of getting there someday, Royal Dornoch recently posted a nice reminder of the round the course on the golf world’s radar: