Moray (Old)

Moray Golf Club is a true Scottish gem, and it is one of the northernmost courses on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list.

 

It is also one of the few places where amateurs can follow in the footsteps of Old Tom Morris and Sir Henry Cotton.

Moray has two courses, with the Old Course being considered to be one of the best links venues in the country. The Old Tom Morris design is a classic, and it includes seven par 4s that measure more than 400 yards. 

The venue is also the home to the Sir Henry Cotton-designed New Course, which is shorter and tighter, requiring more precision.

 

 

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

1889 saw the founding of Moray Golf Club, with the great Old Tom Morris being the man brought in to design the layout of what would become the Old Course. He became a frequent visitor to the club over the next few years.

Initially, Morris' design only had 16 holes, but within a year, the course had grown to the 18-hole layout that it sits as now. 

In the early years of the club, the majority of the membership were distillers, and the whisky trade remains a key part of the club's history, right up to the present day.

1905 saw a 9-hole Ladies Relief Course being designed and constructed. Sir Henry Cotton then came in to design what would become the New Course. It opened in 1979, and the New Course incorporated the 9-hole Ladies course in its design.
 

The Old Course is the longer of the two layouts at Moray Golf Club, and you can expect all of the usual links components on this championship course. Coastal holes, thick gorse bushes and plenty of pot bunkers are in play, but if you can avoid those, then there is a chance to score well on this 6,600-yard, par 71 track.
 

The Old Course at Moray starts kindly, with a par 4 measuring at just 320 yards, so it could be reachable for the longer hitters. The first par 5 on the course comes next, and gently fades to the left on the most inland part of the property. The 3rd is a dog-leg right par 4, and one with a generous fairway to find before taking aim at the green. The 4th is the first of the short holes on the course, one where the green is guarded by three bunkers. At 191 yards from the back tees, it requires a good strike for you to find the surface.
 

Three par 4s, all of more than 400 yards in length shortly follow, with the par 3 6th hole, the shortest on the Old Course, sandwiched in between them. It is only 160 yards, but the green is surrounded by five bunkers, while the hole is framed by gorse. Before that, the 5th has a pair of bunkers in the fairway to avoid. 7 and 8 are both dog-legs to the right with the latter being the Stroke Index 1 on the Old Course at Moray. Four fairway bunkers are in the landing zone on this 455-yard par 4, with three more than protecting the putting surface. 

 

The front nine on the Old at Moray closes with a comfortable 300-yard par 4, one that can yield a red number on the card. The 10th follows suit, another short par 4 which offers up a birdie opportunity. That is then followed by four consecutive par 4s of more than 400 yards in length, as the back nine starts to show its teeth. A burn must be contended with at both 11 and 12, with the approach short to the green on the 11th needing to clear the hazard. There is not much in the way of danger off the 13th tee unless you are way offline, with the four greenside bunkers making the approach the more dangerous of the two shots on this long par 4.

 

The 14th, the last of this tricky run, gets you down towards the beach and the North Sea. The longest of this run of par 4s at almost 450 yards, the ideal line is to carry the bunker on the right corner of the dog-leg. Anything long of the green may find the sand below. The 15th is the last of the par 3s on the Old Course, and plays to a large green with eight bunkers surrounding it - four with sand, four just grass. 

 

Both 16 and 17 dog-leg to the left to turn back towards the coast, with the tee shot on 16 requiring a decent carry to find the fairway. The 17th - the second and final par 5 on the layout - is a double dog-leg, with the hole turning left all the way. Like on 16, a long carry is needed off the tee before you can even think about whether you're going for the green in two. The Old Course finishes with the 405-yard 18th, a tricky par 4 taking you back to the clubhouse. OOB runs down the entirety of the right side, but a generous landing zone allows for you to swing relatively freely. The green is long and narrow, so make sure you have the right club in hand for your approach.
 

Where is Moray Golf Club located?
Moray Golf Club is located in the north of Scotland in the region of Moray. The venue overlooks the North Sean, with both courses located right by the coastline. The club is in the town of Lossiemouth, with the cities of Inverness 40 miles to the west, and Aberdeen around 70 miles southeast.

 

Those two cities also host the nearest major international airports to Moray Golf Club. Inverness Airport is around 50 miles away, on the opposite side of the city to the golf club, while Aberdeen Airport is slightly closer than the city of Aberdeen, 65 miles away. The latter is the bigger of the two airports. Elgin, six miles south of the venue, is home to the nearest train station, with regular services in both directions between Inverness and Aberdeen.

 

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?  
Along with the Old Course, the New Course at Moray also occupies a spot on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list. The likes of Elgin, Buckpool, Duff House Royal, Nairn Dunbar and Nairn are all within 40 miles of Moray.

What golf facilities does Moray offer?  
Along with the Old Course, Moray is also home to the New Course, making it a 36-hole venue. In terms of practice facilities, the venue plays host to a driving range and short game area for golfers to warm up on before taking to the course.
 

What are the green fees at Moray?
The price of a green fee on the Old Course at Moray 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 Moray, visit their website here. 

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