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Royal Dornoch Golf Club with is clubhouse in the backgroundCredit: Getty \u2013 Contributor<\/p>\n
Members queued up to say goodbye to the old clubhouse before its demolitionCredit: Bannerman Media<\/p>\n
Going forward though, this prestigious Scottish golf<\/a> course is going to look rather different.<\/p>\n Royal Dornoch Golf Club in the Highlands is considered something of a mecca for keen golfers all over the globe.<\/p>\n It was once voted the second best course anywhere in the world<\/a>, beating out the likes of the Old Course at St Andrew\u2019s and Trump Turnberry\u2019s Ailsa.<\/p>\n Many famous faces have graced its fairways over the years including Bill Clinton<\/a>, Michael Jordan and Bing Crosby.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t RED MISSED<\/p>\n Meet the Annan player-boss who’s been sent off ONCE in 25 years in Ibrox cup WIN<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t ‘THEFT AND IGNORANCE’<\/p>\n Premiership club’s ultras urge fans to boycott Celtic clash<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n Gareth Bale<\/a> was a recent visitor in 2023 and the former Duke of York, Prince Andrew, had been an honorary member.<\/p>\n Five-time Open champion Tom Watson said of the course: \u201cI have played none finer, a natural masterpiece,\u201d while fellow golf greats Greg Norman<\/a>, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam and Jack Nicklaus have also tackled the links.<\/p>\n Royal Dornoch had to close its waiting list in 2024 for the first time ever, with the club knowing it needed a more modern and spacious clubhouse to accommodate growing demand.<\/p>\n The construction of the new \u00a313.9m building has now been completed and local members were given a first look inside it last month<\/a> before an official opening in spring this year.<\/p>\n But coming in with the new means going out with the old and the club has revealed the demolition date for the 116-year-old building it used to call its clubhouse.<\/p>\n The old venue will be destroyed on February 2 but before that, members will be allowed to hand pick some memorabilia from the building as a keepsake.<\/p>\n General manager Neil Hampton has admitted that plans for what becomes of the old clubhouse\u2019s location (near to the 18th green and first tee) is up in the air.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cWe have appointed Nairn\u00a0specialists\u00a0G.F.\u00a0Job\u00a0for the\u00a0project,\u00a0and it will take around eight to\u00a0ten weeks\u00a0to level the site.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0not about\u00a0bringing in\u00a0a wrecking ball\u00a0and bulldozers\u00a0nowadays. The internal work takes place first, with\u00a0different materials\u00a0going into separate skips for recycling.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe future use of the site has yet to be decided but in the short term it will\u00a0landscaped\u00a0and\u00a0in good shape for the start of the golf season.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Hampton revealed that members were eager to grab some mementos from the clubhouse, taking home furniture, wall pictures and signage \u2013 all in the name of charity.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cIt was\u00a0especially\u00a0busy for the first couple of hours as members snapped up everything from\u00a0tables\u00a0and chairs\u00a0to\u00a0curtains, shoe cleaners and pots and pans, in addition to pictures, signage and locker doors for souvenirs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have raised\u00a0well over\u00a0\u00a33500\u00a0already\u00a0in donations to the Captain\u2019s\u00a0Charity,\u00a0which is supporting\u00a0Mikey\u2019s\u00a0Line and the East Sutherland Rescue Association,\u00a0and the club\u2019s Heritage and Junior\u00a0Foundations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBy the time the dust\u00a0settles,\u00a0I suspect we might even double that figure because we have had an offer for\u00a0all the kitchen\u00a0equipment\u00a0and clubs in the region will have the opportunity to\u00a0snap up\u00a0anything that they can\u00a0make use of.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u00a0said\u00a0our\u00a0goodbyes to the clubhouse\u00a0before\u00a0Christmas\u00a0and it\u00a0will be\u00a0fondly remembered by members and visitors alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBut nothing lasts\u00a0forever\u00a0and it\u00a0had\u00a0been showing signs of its 116 years for some considerable time. Plans for a much-needed replacement clubhouse had been\u00a0bandied\u00a0about\u00a0for\u00a0decades.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0delighted to say\u00a0our new clubhouse\u00a0is being\u00a0warmly embraced by\u00a0local\u00a0members and\u00a0townsfolk\u00a0and we look forward to welcoming golfers from around the world\u00a0to see it for\u00a0themselves\u00a0in\u00a0the spring.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a building\u00a0designed with sustainability very much to the fore, with ground source heating, motion sensors\u00a0and 136 solar panels on the south facing roof.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we were always eager to ensure that\u00a0as\u00a0much\u00a0as possible\u00a0of the old clubhouse could be recycled.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Plans to transform Royal Dornoch aren\u2019t stopping at the clubhouse.<\/p>\n The Sutherland club bought 50 acres of new land with a view to redesigning a hole one the Championship course\u2019s sister track<\/a>, the Struie course.<\/p>\n And that purchase could lead to the construction of a brand new par-3 course<\/a> with an upgraded driving range and practice facilities on the horizon too.<\/p>\n Royal Dornoch\u2019s old clubhouse prior to its demolitionCredit: Bannerman Media<\/p>\n An artist\u2019s impression of the new clubhouse<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/crop-15807016.jpg\"\/)
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