Moray Golf Club (Old)

Only regular visitors to the southern shore of the Moray Firth will be convinced that this part of the north of Scotland is blessed with such a favourable climate that it's not unusual to see golf played on every day of the year. Happily, this assertion is true and golfers have been enjoying that fact since Moray Golf Club was founded in 1889. Old Tom Morris, who became a frequent visitor and played a number of exhibition matches in the early days, originally laid out the Old Course.

Currently a neighbour to RAF Lossiemouth, the Old course was extended to eighteen holes within two years of formation. J. Ramsay Macdonald, one of the club's more famous sons, was excluded from Moray Golf Club in 1916 because of his pacifist views, and he refused to rejoin on his becoming Prime Minister.

Moray was popular with visiting gentry in bygone years and the club had a number of members who were local distillers. The club is still strongly connected to the single malt whisky trade so hogsheads are bought annually and bottled at ten years of age. Moray and its near links neighbours present a fine option for a few days of links golf, particularly as a second course – called the New – was designed by Sir Henry Cotton and opened for play in 1979.

The shoreline 1st on the Old course is followed by a series of holes that work their way a little further inland over the first eight holes at Lossiemouth. Four of these are par fours exceeding four hundred yards, with bunkers providing an additional defence. The westernmost point is reached as Covesea Lighthouse dominates the skyline on the 11th and this hole begins another sequence of four strong par fours..

A three-hole stretch from the short, but well-bunkered par three 15th hugs the shoreline before the challenge of the 18th. Tightly bunkered down the left, with out of bounds on the right, a long accurate drive on this uphill hole is essential if the elusive home green is to yield up a finishing par.

Moray has played host to many national championships over the years and this excellent 6,717-yard par 71 links provides a real challenge to even the best of golfers. Featuring one of the finest finishing holes in Scottish golf, the Old course is well worth a visit.

Starting in 2014, Howard Swan has overseen improvement work on both the Old and the New courses. A number of bunkers have been refurbished, new tees created and gorse cut back in an ongoing renovation programme that also included remodelling the 1st and 17th holes.