The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle

Driving range 10, tee offs 10, fairways 9, roughs 10, bunkers 9, greens 9, course design 9, course difficulty 8, locker rooms 10, pro shop 10

Skibo Castle (The Carnegie Links) is a dramatic, immaculately conditioned modern links in a sensational setting. Threaded between the Dornoch Firth and the castle estate, it blends Highland grandeur with proper links turf. The course features generous fairways, strategic bunkering, and clever green complexes. It’s a playground for the privileged, no doubt but the design earns real respect, rewarding guile over brawn. My favourite holes were all on the front nine: the dogleg par-4 2nd, the par-3 6th with its nasty front pot bunker, and the stunning short par-4 7th & 8th. That said, there are no weak holes. It’s a wonderful course and a joy to play especially with the fairways baked firm and fast after such a dry spring. Not an easy invite to secure but if you get the chance to play Skibo; take it!!

Por lo menos para mi lo mas importante cuando voy a jugar a algún sitio es ka experiencia global y aquí he tenido una de las mejores de mi vida.

Club privado que admite algunas salidas de visitantes.

Si te quieres sentir como un millonario este es el sitio.

Desde el momento en que llegas el trato recibido es simplemente excelente.

El cuidado de todo tipo de detalles tanto en el campo como en la casa club es brutal.

El mismo head golf professional (Sean) me acompañó hasta mi taquilla por el día dónde te encuentras uno de los mejores welcome packs que he visto.

Antes de salir te proveen de li que desees en bebida, chocolatinas, tees, strokesaver…

Luego puedes ir a calentar al bonito campo de practicas que tienen con las bandejas para bolas y cajas para tees hechas artesanalmente en madera de árboles locales.

El campo abre relajado, calles anchas en los primeros hoyos.

Cortes de siega marcados a la perfección.

Incluso en el rough alto (mayoritariamente de tallos altos) puedes encontrar la bola con facilidad siempre que hayas tomado bien la referencia.

Para mi lo mejorcito del campo es el bucle de hoyos 6 a 8.

El 6 es un par 3 corto con un geen medio escondido detrás de una duna y con un profundo bunker defendiendo la parte visible.

El 7 par 4 corto con la calle bifurcada en dos, en la parte baja tendrás segundo golpe ciego y en la alta de la izquierda mejor visión.

Hoyo 8 par 4 no muy largo y con agua en su lado derecho. Salida en alto y gran visión del Dornoch bridge a la derecha.

La segunda vuelta tiene una serie de hoyos con agua en su parte derecha, hoyos 11 y 12 juegan medio dogleg a la derecha.

Aquí puedes encontrar la casa de avituallamiento dónde otra vez puedes coger la bebida y chocolatinas que necesites.

Bonito par 3 hoyo 13 de distancia media-corta

Otra bonito hoyo es el par 5 hoyo 15 y un buen reto el par 3 hoyo 15, este mas largo que el 13 y también con agua en toda su parte derecha.

Un hoyo muy divertido y estéticamente precioso es el corto par 4 hoyo 17 dónde te puedes tirar a green en función del viento del día.

Al finalizar tienes la comida incluida y hay que reconocer que la cocina es excelente.

At Skibo Castle’s exclusive Carnegie Club,60 per cent of the members are Americans and, therefore, when we played had not been around because of the pandemic.

Even when they are, they can expect the championship track largely to themselves because members of the public are only allocated one tee time a day.

The lucky few, for a premium price, can experience what it is like to be one of the fortunate few.

This was concierge-style hospitality from the moment we drove through the understated brown gates guarding the property on which Madonna celebrated her nuptials to Guy Ritchie in 2000.

We may have only been guests but were treated as if we were superstars by a chap called Callum from the Carnegie Club’s professional staff.

He appeared as if by magic as we approached the entrance and guided us to the changing rooms where we had our individual named lockers with a substantial goodie bag.

After a relaxing cup of coffee, we practised alone on the impressive driving range and putting green before teeing off on the side of the beautiful Dornoch Firth.

Even on a dull day, the views at Skibo were superb. In the sunshine, they would have been staggering.

This is a cleverly conceived course – a cracking layout with some memorable holes using natural terrain, dotted with 130 varieties of lichen, as well as long grass and dunes.

My favourite holes were at the waterside – both on the outward and backward nines.

The 6th is a fiendish par three, hidden by a dune to the left with a steep bank to its right and

the 7th is an outstanding curving short par four to a high green framed by a glorious backdrop of hills and water. It demands adept course management.

The back nine brings water into play if tee shots leak to the right or greens are overshot and then there are risk-and-reward holes such as the 17th – a short par four over cavernous bunkers.

However, the abiding memory will be the service.

For example, there is an upmarket halfway house which can be accessed after the fifth or 12th holes, offering drinks and snacks and the cleanest toilets I am ever likely to see on a golf course.

If this wasn’t enough, our host drove out to feed us bacon rolls, coffee and even offered us whisky after only seven holes.

We declined a wee dram then but accepted it from the young lady, in traditional Scottish garb, who greeted us with a warmer as we walked off the 18th green.

In the clubhouse, the standards of service were gobsmackingly good as we noshed through our mains and desserts.

Was it worth pushing the boat out for one day? You bet.

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