HIDDEN GEMS ~ SCOTLAND
Durness
GF Round: £30; twilight: £20
This nine-hole links is embraced by the awe-inspiring beauty of the Highlands and perched on the most northerly coastline of the Scottish mainland.
Durness is relentless in moving you up, down and sideways in a blisteringly adventurous rumble over heaving, rugged dunescapes. The scenery is spellbinding and hitting those shots at distant mountain ranges, towering dunes or beautiful bays takes Durness to a different level. But, for a ‘humble’ nine-holer, this links has so much more. The condition is magnificent, there are 18 different tees and holes constantly keep you guessing. You don’t have a moment to pause for breath.
Views are not the only constant: sheep, too, keep you company for your round, giving a relatively young course (1988) a feeling of having stepped back in time. The greens are well protected, so putting surfaces are always pristine and their contours are smart. The thin 3rd green, sitting low in shapely terrain, is no more than a sliver, and the 4th has the sharpest of fall-offs. The par-3 final hole promises the shot of the day as you hit across the ocean.
GM verdict A nine-hole links of explosive variety, views and adventure.
Kinghorn
GF Round: £25wd, £28we; day: £28wd, £31we
The county of Fife is awash with famous links, with the result that many visiting golfers overlook the less well-known, such as Kinghorn. The original nine holes were designed in 1887 by Old Tom Morris, but golf was played here earlier in 1812. What
