Brora

Brora Golf Club is one of the most northerly layouts on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list, situated in the Scottish Highlands. 
 

The club was founded in the late 19th Century and was redesigned by James Braid to create the stunning 18-hole course that we see today, with stunning views out over the North Sea.

 

It is a true out-and-back links layout, with the front nine played along the coastline, with the North Sea in play pretty much throughout.

 

Visit Brora's website here.
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Brora Golf Club was founded in the late 19th Century after a public meeting held in the Upper Room of the Library Institute. The membership fee was two shillings and sixpence per year.
 

The original layout of Brora Golf Club, constructed in 1891, featured only nine holes. Nine years later, at the turn of the century, it was extended to 18. 

 

In 1924, legendary course designer James Braid arrived and submitted plans to redesign the course. Those plans were implemented almost exactly as he wanted and, a century later, not much has changed. 
 

Although it is certainly not the longest golf course that you will find on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list, Brora will still test every aspect of your game. It plays 6,200 yards from the tips, but this par 70 has humps and bumps, pot bunkers, and of course, the North Sea on the right of much of the opening nine.
 

It starts with Ardassie, which feels like a short and welcoming par 4, at less than 300 yards. Many will fancy their chances, especially with the wind behind, but a challenging green lies in wait. The 2nd fairway splits in two, with a pair of greenside bunkers protecting a long and thin putting surface. Next is one of five par 4s measuring over 400 yards. Everything slopes to the right, towards the sea. Beware the grassy canal that dissects the fairway halfway down.
 

The 4th is a birdie opportunity, a 325 yard par 4, before the 5th shows off the Clynelish Burn. Again the burn runs across the fairway, effectively cutting the hole in two. A par on 5 is a good result. The first of the par 3s follows, with three bunkers in front of the green, which sits 170 yards away from the back tees. It is the only hole on the outward nine which does not feature the sea on your right side. 
 

The Achrimsdale Burn cuts across in front of the 7th green, with two bunkers guarding the green. The longest hole on the golf course quickly follows, with the 501-yard 8th. It is the only par 5 at Brora, and a good scoring chance providing you can find the fairway. Just a single bunker is greenside, but the hole slides from left to right, with mounds and knolls all over the fairway. 

The front nine closes with a par 3, at 152 yards. Again, bunkers protect the green both left and right and anything travelling further in that direction will find the beach or the sea. After you make the turn for home, the back nine starts along the railway line, with the 10th fairway dominated by a devilishly placed bunker. The green slopes violently and a two-putt brings relief. 

The Achrimsdale Burn comes back into play on 11, with the ideal tee shot staying just short of it to give yourself the best chance of finding the green with your second shot. The 12th is scoring chance at 360 yards, with a wide fairway to attack. Anything left off the tee has a chance at finding the 6th green. After that, you come to the shortest hole on the course, the par-3 13th, which measures 125 yards from the tips. The Clynelish Burn wraps its way around the front of the green, which is guarded by five bunkers.
 

Two short par 4s sandwich the 430-yard 15th. Both 14 and 16 could be classed as birdie opportunities for good drivers. The 15th, however, is a very good par. The ideal drive will find the top of the brow and then release down to the flat ground below, also taking some distance off the approach shot. 16 is a dog-leg right where the ideal tee shot finds the left side of the fairway. From there, the green sits above you, at the top of a steep slope, so make sure you take enough club. 

 

The par 4 17th catches the eye, with two rough mounds on the fairway set to distract you. The approach is to a small and undulating green, one with a pair of bunkers guarding it. Brora’s closing hole is a lengthy par 3, playing 201 yards from the tips. The hole might seem quite straight-forward, but three bunkers guard the green, and you must negotiate this closer with the clubhouse watching on.
 

Where is Brora Golf Club located?  
Brora is located in the Scottish Highlands, with Inverness being the nearest city - though that is 60 miles to the south of the venue. To show just how northerly Brora is, you can get to John O’Groats, the most northern point of the United Kingdom, within an hour. The course sits on the eastern coastline of the country, looking out over the North Sea.
 

Inverness Airport is the largest airport in the region and as it sits on the opposite side of the city, it is around 65 miles from Brora. The other options for international travellers are Aberdeen and Edinburgh - the latter being the country's busiest airport. However, Edinburgh Airport is 210 miles to the south, via the A9.

 

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?
Brora is one of several venues on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list that sits on the northeastern coastline of the country. Golspie, Tain, Skibo Castle and Royal Dornoch - with its Championship Course and Struie Course - are all within 25 miles from Brora.

What golf facilities does Brora Golf Club offer?
Due to the spacial constraints, Brora does not have a driving range, but there are nets to warm up in. There is also a small pitching area for practicing on, along with two putting greens.

What are the green fees at Brora?  
The price of a green fee at Brora changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

 

For more information on current green fees at Brora visit their website here. 

 

Visit Brora's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.