Welcome to UK-GolfGuide's page which contains feedback from site users who have played at Tain Golf Club.

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Steven Najdzionek (USA) 11/12/07

Tain Golf Club is by all accounts an excellent example of a fantastic layout, great holes, and history all wrapped up into one. Overshadowed and often overlooked by those heading to Royal Dornoch, Tain should be apart of any itinerary that brings you to this part of the country.

Tain's course is an "old Tom Morris" design. What makes this such a special course is that very little has been changed since it was originally designed and built in 1890. Every hole is different. There is the odd shot that is to a blind green, but then that was not unusual for some of the courses of this era (i.e. Machrie, Machrihanish, Dunaverty, Beith, Shiskine, etc.). If you are a lover of interesting course designs, history, and generally a really nice golf experience, then this is an outstanding course to include on your next trip up north.

Side note regarding Tain and the courses in this region: When many of my friends and acquaintances who are members of highly prestiguous golf clubs in the states come to Scotland the often will hit the most famous of courses and if they make it up to the north they tend to go for a game to Royal Dornoch (which is fantastic) and then head back done south and that is in many ways so very unfortunate, because this region has so very many first class golf courses and golf experiences of which Tain is right on top of the list. In addition to Tain, there is Carnegie Links, Brora and Golspie which are right up the road. So if you are playing at Dornoch, do try to sneek in a game at Tain, (& possibly a couple others) you will not be dissappointed.

Value for Money	10
Challenge	8
Off Course	7

Harald Hallen (Sweden) 26/07/07

This was the third stop on a golf tour in July by four Swedish golfers.

We had the bad luck of playing Tain on a day with absolutely dreadful weather. There was heavy rain (and it had rained a lot in the days before as well) and fairly strong winds. We spent the morning in our hotel, waiting for the weather to improve, then went to the golf course where we spent more time waiting. Finally, around 2.30 in the afternoon, the rain seemed to be easing off and we went out. While we waited (a couple of hours), no golfers had been seen either going out or coming in from the course.

Seeing us teeing off, a group of 4 Americans picked up their courage and followed us out on the course. We were probably the only players to play that day, apart from a single watersoaked player whom we had seen loading clubs into his car when we arrived.

The first fairway was waterlogged and there was a bit of water on the green, but not so much as to prevent putting. Apart from this, and some water on the 18th fairway, the course was surprisingly dry. The greens were fantastic (the best we played on our tour - and that included courses like Royal Dornoch and Murcar). They were fast in spite of the rain and they ran absolutely true.

As it turned out, the rain had only made a temporary pause and we only got to play 3 or 4 holes in relatively good weather conditions. Although we got pretty wet and miserable it was a great golfing experience, with many good golf holes. I particularly loved the somewat quirky 'Alps' (hole 11, a par 4 where the green is hidden behind a couple of enormous sandhills).

We were able to use '2-fore-1' vouchers without any problem, which obviously affects my value for money rating. Paying the standard green fee, I'd probably have rated it an 8.

Value for Money	10
Challenge	7
Off Course	7

Richard Lupton (England) 10/03/07

We played this course a couple of years ago when it had suffered from some heavy rain the previous week and was more like a swamp than a golf course. It had come highly recommended and so we played it again this week, again probably not the best time to play, to have a second look. Regrettably we left disappointed again.

There is no doubt that there are some interesting holes on this course. Stroke index 1 needs to be played well to get anything respecatble, the "alps" hole provides a real suprise when you get your first glimpse of the green, and the par 3 16th is a pleasing looking hole from the tee.

But there are a number of things that let it down. The back 9 in particular, with a couple of holes excepted, could be described as dull at best. Too many holes play a similar length and leave the same shots selection time and again - driver followed by 9 iron downwards.

They have a serious problem with drainage from what we have seen. As I said, our first visit was played on what could be described as a swamp, our second visit was better but still very wet and muddy after a period of good and mild weather.

What was most worrying was that I asked the pro what the course was like before paying and before going out, explaining our previous visit had been something of a non event. He said it was a little wet in parts but generally in good nick as they'd had little rain recently. Only when it was too late did we realise what he had failed to tell us.

The greens, which on our previous visit had been poor due to being wet through, were now absolutely appalling and made putting a farce. Absolutely covered in sand and fertiliser, hollotined obvously over the past month, they were terrible. Now I appreciate that we are paying half the normal fee to play at winter rates, but even so for £20 per person I don't expect to be putting on "greens" that have more resemblance to a car park than anything you'd expect to find on a golf course.

I mentioned it to the pro after we had played and received a simple shrug of the shoulders. I don't mind being left disappointed with a course when I have played it, but I object to being misled about its playing condition.

Off course, as with so many of the highland clubs, we were made to feel very welcome, but I have to say Tain is not a course we will be rushing back to in the foreseeable future.

Value for Money	2
Challenge	5
Off Course	6

'Young P' (England) 28/08/06

'Haste ye Back' they say at Tain – and after four years we were back to attack this bad boy.

After unscheduled warm-ups over the weekend at Gleneagles Queen's and nearby Tarbat, we were in the mood to do some damage. But unfortunately for us, apart from a fantastic morning round by Young B, the course had other ideas. In particular, the fairways were like rock and the greens were fast, and I mean FAST – considerably faster than across the firth at Dornoch. In summer you have to play this course a certain way and if you don't you get punished severely. Er.. which is largely what happened to us.

Update on my review of four years ago: the 9th was still one of my favourite par 4s but later this week it was to be usurped by the 9th at Golspie which has similar demands but on a grander scale. I also have to confess to feeling that this course just goes a little bit flat over the final six holes relative to the previous 12.

But don't get me wrong. This is a very good layout that will give your game a serious examination, the pro is a top bloke and the clubhouse is one of the friendliest I know.

Just remember: although it's not a big name, underestimate this course at your peril.

Next stop: twenty miles up the road at Brora.

8.5/10

'Young P'

Value for Money	9
Challenge	8
Off Course	8

D. Ronald Graham (Scotland) 02/10/02

I played Tain for the first time this year. Being a member of Western Gailes and the beautiful Gairlch course in Wester Ross,I nataurlly had a bias towars the west. What could be as good as Western" I asked myself.

I found the answer at Tain. Not a bad hole.

I loved Mafeking (9th.)

I adored the Alps and the par 5 fourth is a great hole.

What better way to finish a week in the Highlands than play Tain.

What is even better is I joined it and within 4 weeks was a member.I can't wait to get back several times this year and next. Play it it is superb

Young P (England) 13/07/02

Stop two on our 2002 summer golf tour of Scotland and I rated this place. In short, it’s a great welcome, a demanding course in very good nick and terrific scenery. On our afternoon/evening round, we were even treated to a display by the Red Arrows!

That just about sums it all up really, but I have to mention a few of the best holes. There’s a tight Par 5 at four, tough Par 3s at five and eight before an even harder sequence of four consecutive Par 4s starting at the ninth, not least since they bring you out onto the side of the Dornoch Firth, where the wind really comes into play.

The dogleg ninth, ‘Mafeking’, complete with a crazy U-bunker by the green, is probably one of the best Par 4s I’ve played, as is the coruscating 11th hole, ‘The Alps’, where you play down the glorious view towards the Firth and your approach shot over two great humps to a completely blind green. You will not forget this hole in a hurry!

You’ll quickly realise that one of the key components to success at Tain is accuracy: gorse, heather and seriously thick rough abound and if it goes in any of them you’re really up against it to find your ball. Thus the emphasis is much more on strategic play.

Another fantastic element of the course is that it's laid out over a huge area and each hole is almost invisible from any of the others, almost in it's own little world.

Most people travelling this way (about 35 miles north of Inverness) come to play Dornoch. Take my advice though: if you’re in the area, make sure you add Tain to your itinerary – trust me it’s worth it.

8.5/10

Young P