It's Wednesday and we're off to Bora, opened in 1891, 16 miles north of Dornoch for more links golf, this time through pure linksland. Brora is only two holes wide: 9 holes out along the seashore and 9 holes back, immediately next to the outward 9.
The course is a classic of the "common ground" principle, wherein you can walk your dog or graze your livestock, at random! Each green is surrounded completely by a single electric wire, about a foot and a half off the ground, to keep the sheep and cattle from walking the greens! You step over the wire to reach the putting surface. Rule #5 on the scorecard: "ANIMAL DROPPINGS: animal droppings through the green or on the putting green may be treated as casual water"! The sheep were everywhere - check out our pictures!
We started in bright sunshine and at the furthestmost point, the 9th green, were threatened with thunderstorms with nowhere to hide! But, since we had gone out directly into the wind, we really wanted the opportunity to come back in on the downwind half, so, we played on.
Great billowing dunes and hills with plenty of pot bunkers and grassy rough, it was a hoot! One of Scott's balls landed in a fresh sheep dropping and we did not seek relief! Windy enough to require at least a 2 club difference going out and coming in, this course, like all the others we've played, was not a "grip 'em and rip 'em" track! And, even after consulting each other and the course guide book, it was still a guess as to what to hit.
We cashed in our cow chips after 18, quitting while we were ahead, and returned to Dornoch and our bottle of Glenmorangie 10 year old. Then, a stroll through town (population 1,000) and dinner again with Marg at the Sutherland, the consensus pick for best home cooking in town!
We bellied up one more time at our hotel for nightcaps, downing a 16 year old Royal Brackle and 12 year old Knockando. I think the Royal Brackle is my favorite of the trip so far!
Great people, food and final day in Dornoch! Off to play Castle Stuart in the morning, site of this year's Scottish Open (early July) then on to Edinburgh Thursday afternoon.
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