A Hidden Jewel
 Mar 27th, 2001
(Nov 8th, 2002)
Advantages:
See review
Disadvantages:
Fairly difficult course
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
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  kimborob
About me:
Hi folks - I return after a looong time away and may try and get back into the way of writing!! In t...
Member since:26.07.2000
Reviews:40
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Review rated by 7 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
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Tain golf course, I believe, is a hidden jewel in the North of Scotland, often overlooked for Royal Dornoch which is near neighbour but in my opinion, not such a fabulous course. Tain overlooks the Dornoch Firth in a beautiful setting in the highlands with a backdrop of mountains on one side and the sea on the other, ideal for a round of golf on a beautifully kept, very challenging links course. It is only 35 miles from Inverness, making it very accessible to visitors and there are numerous hotels and guest houses in the area including some top class hotels. The course itself is a Tom Morris design, built in 1890 - 6404 yards long (SSS 70 mens medals, 73 for women) with some very interesting and some very difficult holes. It is a challenge to all standards of golfer. Its sheltered location below the town of Tain ensures a decent amount of shelter from the elements all year round and there is very seldom a need for winter greens to be used as its close proximity to the sea ensures any frost does not linger.
A new club house was built in 1998 with full facilities available for visitors including a purpose built visitor locker room and showering/changing facilities. The bar and dining area are fitted with large windows affording great views of the course including the 18th green which is directly
in front of the clubhouse. ~~ Hole by hole report ~~
1. Road (4) The first is 382 yards from medal tees, a good straight drive is needed to avoid the left hand fairway bunker and the water hazard in the form of a burn which runs from the right side of the fairway. Off the fairway on the right side is often very wet and marshy and should be avoided at all costs. Second shot is a blind approach played across the road to a well sheltered green. An extra club is recommended. Watch the left hand green-side bunker.
2. River (4) The second (391 yards) requires an accurate drive to the narrow fairway. This hole is a slight dog-leg left and the river runs round the front of the green. Lots of thick whins to the left of the tee and fairway and there is an out of bounds (OOB from now on) behind the large plateau green which is also guarded by bunkers left and right.
3. Knowe (4) 435 yard dog-leg left, a long drive is required to have any chance of reaching the well guarded green with second shot. Right hand green-side bunker catches anything short and anything left runs off the sloping green. OOB down the right side and water hazard in front and to right of tee which should not come into play!!
4. Long (5) As its name suggests, a very long slightly uphill(542 yards) par 5, dog-leg right. Marker should be aimed for off the tee to open up the second shot. OOB on right. An accurate approach shot is required to find the small well bunkered green.
5. Quaich (3) A welcome par 3, 181 yards to the green, full carry recommended as anything short will find one of the three bunkers.
6. Bunker (4) A straightforward 309 yard birdie opportunity, if you can avoid the two well placed fairway bunkers and the two green-side bunkers!!
7. Morrich (4) 377 yards, another birdie opportunity, fairway narows as green approaches and there are three fairway bunkers down the left. Watch for OOB on the right off the tee. Green guarded by two bunkers on left side.
8. Short (3) Another welcome, relatively easy par 3, 189 yards, two right side and one left green-side bunker. Green runs from left to right.
9. Mafeking (4) A 355 yard, dog-leg right. Aim left of centre to open up green which is well guarded by a horseshoe shaped bunker to the left, a large bunker behind and a pot bunker to the front right. Two bunkers on right side of fairway may come into play from tee. Ignore the green you see straight ahead, it is used only in winter.
10. Garden (4) 403 yards to green, lots of whins left and right side of fairway, bunker to the left may catch long hitters. Green is well guarded by two bunkers each side. If short with approach anything right will find sand.
11. Alps (4) This was the hole I liked least, 380 yards, an elevated tee OOB down left side and behind the green. Two large humps (that is the only way I can think to describe them!)in front of the green giving a blind approach. It is an idea to check the pin placement on the green before leaving the tee as it is the last time you will the see the green for a while!
12. Plaids (4) 386 yards, OOB down both left and right sides and narrow fairway with bunkers left and right to catch your less than perfect drives. Bunker to the right of fairway about 60 yards from green and OOB to left and behind green.
13. Kelpie (5) Reasonably straighforward 501 yard par 5, OOB on left and right side but relatively wide fairway. Fairway bunkers to catch drives down left and two fairway bunkers off to right may catch some second shots. Fairway narrows before the small green and there is sand to left.
14. Well (4) 438 yard with mounds in the middle of fairway, long drive required to give chance of reaching green in two. Green narrow at front and anything less than accurate will find one of the two bunkers which guard it. I found the marker a little off putting at this hole as it is placed in gorse bushes, off the fairway to the left.
15. Braehead (4) 346 yard with OOB down right side, a drive left side will give best line into this very difficult, undulating green. Sand at the rear and a dry bunker to the right.
16. Kelag (3) Now for very difficult, back to back par 3's. 147 yards to the green, full carry needed as anything short will find the river which snakes round the front and right side of the green. There are three well placed green-side bunkers to catch anything left.
17. Black Bridge (3) Most difficult of the two. 215 yards with river coming into play short and long and also to the right. Small green well guarded by left and right green-side bunkers. If you are not confident about making the green, lay up before the river, there is a small patch of fairway especially for this purpose!!
18. Home (4) 427 yards, back across the road towards the clubhouse. River may come into play again if you are too far right. Large very well guarded, heavily bunkered green with OOB behind to finish off this superb course.
I thoroughly enjoyed my two rounds on this excellent course and will definitely return for another beating. When I played, there had been several days of heavy rain and the course was fairly wet but I would imagine that with the wind blowing most of the time it would dry out fairly quickly. It is a difficult enough course and I had a bad enough score without the wind, I dread to think how it may play in the wind..... A round cost about £30 and the clubhouse has catering facilities.
HAPPY GOLFING!!
nov 2002 - update >>>> Having just played the course again - i can confirm that it is still as good as I remember it!! The greens were superb and very fast.....some more info which I missed the first time......
Tain Golf Club
Chapel Road
Tain Ross-Shire IV19 1JE
01862 892314
e-mail : tgc@cali.co.uk
www.mywebaddress.net/taingolfclub
Cost: Weekdays,rnd £30, day ticket £36
Weekends,rnd £36, day ticket £46
Open all year <<<<<
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02.08.2001 20:59
I have played this one myself, certainly not easy - I prefer Royal Dornoch though.
28.03.2001 01:43
Well done. A good review of a fine course. I've actually played this on a few occassions as a boy, when I used to go to Hilton Fearn with an aunt and uncle for summer holidays, but it's so long ago now that I have no real memory of the course at all. Keep them coming. We'll have agood golf category at Ciao in no time. I've also invited a friend of mine to join Ciao who is a published golf writer, so hopefully he might take up the invitation. I'll let you know if he does. (Ken)
27.03.2001 11:59
Well written and informative opinion, thank you. At £30 it might be just out of our rpice range. It is always handy to know about golf courses across the world just incase you happen to be visiting that area and fancy a round of golf.