Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Q: Which hole is hardest at Royal Dornoch Golf Club?

Hole 6 has stroke index 1 — the hardest hole on the scorecard.

Dornoch, Scotland

Par

Holes

Yards

6,681

Par 3 / 4 / 5

4 · 11 · 3

Course Layout

130 features mapped — fairways, greens, bunkers, tees, water. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Fairway Green Bunker Tee Water

Hole-by-Hole Strategy

Dogleg and layup calls derived from hole centerline geometry. 8 doglegs · 0 layup holes.

#	Par	Yards	Plays Like	Shape	Call
1	4	322	121 -201y · -3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
1	3	122	121 -1y · -3ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
2	3	173	344 +171y · -3ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
2	4	345	344 -1y · -3ft	Slight dogleg right (23.2°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
3	4	408	392 -16y · +0ft	Slight dogleg left (19.8°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
3	4	392	392 +0y · +0ft	Moderate dogleg right (34.6°)	Favor the left side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
5	4	367	367 +0y · +0ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
14	4	428	427 -1y · -3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
15	4	349	304 -45y · +7ft	Slight dogleg left (13.7°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
15	4	302	304 +2y · +7ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
16	4	386	367 -19y · -3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
16	4	368	367 -1y · -3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
17	4	419	469 +50y · +3ft	Moderate dogleg left (34.2°)	Favor the right side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
17	4	468	469 +1y · +3ft	Moderate dogleg left (25.7°)	Favor the right side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
18	4	440	127 -313y · +0ft	Slight dogleg right (19.9°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
18	3	127	127 +0y · +0ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
?	4	307	328 +21y · +3ft	Slight dogleg right (21.9°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
?	4	327	328 +1y · +3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
Total	69	6,050	Distances from OSM centerlines; elevation from SRTM (Open-Meteo).

Course by the Numbers

Calculated from 130 mapped features. Areas are measured directly from the polygon geometry.

52 bunkers

1,541 sq yd of sand — 2.9 bunkers per hole on average.

679 sq yd avg green

Classification: Large greens (~6,500 sq ft avg) — tough 3-putt territory. Huge surfaces — a 40-ft putt is a common outcome even from a good shot.

1505 sq yd

Largest green on the course — a three-club difference front-to-back is possible.

4.97 ha of fairway

Total groomed playing surface across 21 fairway zones.

8 doglegs

0 sharp, 8 moderate. Plotting a line off the tee matters more here than pure distance.

52 bunkers · 28 greens · 21 fairway zones · 28 tee boxes · 1 water hazards.

About Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Royal Dornoch Golf Club is a golf club in Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland. It is generally referred to as Royal Dornoch. The club has two 18-hole courses: the Championship Course and the Struie Course. Both are links courses located on the Dornoch Firth.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What Should You Expect to Shoot?

These expected scores use the World Handicap System formula: your handicap index × slope ÷ 113, plus course rating. Use them to set a realistic target before you tee off.

Championship

Rating 74.0 · Slope 140 · Par 72 · 7,000 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	8	82	+10
10	14	88	+16
15	21	95	+23
20	27	101	+29
25	33	107	+35
30	39	113	+41

Medal

Rating 72.0 · Slope 132 · Par 72 · 6,500 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	6	78	+6
10	12	84	+12
15	18	90	+18
20	23	95	+23
25	29	101	+29
30	35	107	+35

Club

Rating 70.0 · Slope 125 · Par 72 · 6,000 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	4	74	+2
10	9	79	+7
15	15	85	+13
20	20	90	+18
25	26	96	+24
30	31	101	+29

Ladies

Rating 73.0 · Slope 130 · Par 72 · 5,400 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	7	80	+8
10	13	86	+14
15	18	91	+19
20	24	97	+25
25	30	103	+31
30	36	109	+37

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Par	4	5	4	4	3	4	4	3	4	35	4	4	3	5	4	4	3	4	5	36	71
Yards	390	536	372	402	177	406	371	153	441	3,248	432	373	188	568	407	389	153	400	523	3,433	6,681
Stroke Index	7	3	13	11	17	1	9	15	5		8	4	16	2	10	6	18	12	14

Holes That Decide Your Round

Hardest Hole · SI 1

Hole 6

Par 4 · 406 yards

Play for the fat of the green and take bogey off the table. Build your pre-round plan →

Longest Hole

Hole 13

Par 5 · 568 yards

Three good shots beats two heroic ones. Bogey here is a solid result for anyone above 10 handicap.

Scoring Opportunity

Hole 8

Par 3 · 153 yards

Attack the pin — if your wedge game is on, this is where strokes get gained back.

Easiest Hole · SI 18

Hole 16

Par 3 · 153 yards

Expected par or better. If you drop a stroke here, it's usually a mental mistake — which is trackable.

Pre-Round Checklist for Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Know your average distance off the tee — budget for 11 par-4 tee shots. Check 4 par-3 yardages — pick your go-to clubs now, not on the tee. Plan hole 6 (hardest) for bogey — don't chase birdie there. Hole 13 is long — know your layup number. Arrive 45 min early — 15 range, 10 short game, 10 putting, 10 to the tee.

Your Game Plan for Royal Dornoch Golf Club

The scorecard tells you the course. The Grand Plan assessment tells you you — which part of your game is actually bleeding strokes. Pair both, and you have a pre-round strategy tailored to this course AND your weaknesses.

Take the 2-min Assessment Try the App Free for 30 Days

Tee Sets

Championship

Yards:: 7,000
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 74.0
Slope:: 140

Medal

Yards:: 6,500
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 72.0
Slope:: 132

Club

Yards:: 6,000
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 70.0
Slope:: 125

Ladies

Yards:: 5,400
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 73.0
Slope:: 130

Other Notable Courses near Dornoch

Castle Stuart Golf Links

Inverness, Scotland

Par 72 ·18 holes ·7,009 yd

Mapped Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the par at Royal Dornoch Golf Club?

Royal Dornoch Golf Club is a par 71 course with 18 holes measuring 6,681 total yards. Front nine par 35 (3,248 yards), back nine par 36 (3,433 yards).

What is the longest hole at Royal Dornoch Golf Club?

The longest hole is hole 13, a par 5 playing 568 yards.

Which hole is hardest at Royal Dornoch Golf Club?

Hole 6 has the lowest stroke index (1). It's a par 4 playing 406 yards.

What should I shoot at Royal Dornoch Golf Club?

Use the expected-score table above — it's calculated from your handicap and this course's official WHS rating and slope. A 15 handicap typically shoots mid-80s to low-90s depending on the tee set; a 25 handicap mid-90s to low-100s. Track your actual scores against these targets to see how your game travels.