Brora

Grok says… Brora Golf Club is a pure, timeless Scottish links gem tucked away in the remote northern Highlands along the North Sea coast, just 20 minutes north of Royal Dornoch. Founded in 1891 as a 9-hole course (extended to 18 holes shortly after), it was masterfully redesigned in 1923-1924 by five-time Open Champion James Braid, whose layout remains largely unchanged and is widely regarded as one of his finest works—subtle, strategic, and utterly authentic. This classic out-and-back par-69 (around 6,211 yards) hugs the shoreline with no obscuring dunes, offering unobstructed sea views on many holes, rumpled fairways, gorse, burns, firm turf, and a collection of memorable par-3s facing every direction. Unique quirks include grazing sheep and cattle (kept off greens by single-strand electric fences—watch your step!), a railway in play, and breathtaking backdrops of Sutherland hills and the Moray Firth. Praised by legends like Peter Thomson as one of the world’s purest links it’s a fair yet fiendish test in the wind—demanding every club while delivering pure joy, fast play, and that rare, unspoiled Highland magic.