Krakow Old Timers Golf Group Blog: Mike Clark in Scotland

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Mike Clark in Scotland - Day 20

Today I got up early and crossed the Dornoch Firth to witness a beautiful sunrise on the way to Nairn Golf Club. I’m on my way to play with Bruce, the interim golf professional at Boat of Garten but also a member at Nairn. He was kind enough to invite me as his guest. I was always going to play there, but it was nice to play with a member that knows the course. Thru all the golf that I’ve played in Scotland this trip, I’ve done a smashing job of staying out of both fairway and greenside bunkers for the most part…, that is until today. I’m not quite sure how many bunkers are on the Nairn Links but I reason to guess I was in the vast majority of them. At the conclusion of my round I actually went into the shop and asked the assistant professional if the club would consider selling me a rake as a momento of my experience. It was a fun day none the less and Bruce and I had a reasonably close match until I was fairway bunkered on 17 and hit a towering 8 iron out of that one and into another by the green with an impossibly steep face. Game over.

After a nice lunch in the clubhouse I struck out for another 9 holes at Tarbat Links which I’ve played once before but definitely worth a second go around. It’s not terribly long but has one of the best par 3s I’ve played in Scotland. 190 into the wind with an OB fence down the left and two huge bunkers guarding the entrance to the narrow undulating green. Par is a great score and I was very happy to make one.

I had hoped to have a nice easy dinner back at the Royal Dornoch clubhouse tonight but there was a private function scheduled so I was politely denied.

I assumed, reserved for folks more important than a guy from Owensville Mo, since on my way back to the car park, the guests were arriving by helicopter.

I found a nice restaurant in town that was more than accommodating run by a gent from Texas and his Scottish wife. Tomorrow there is talk of 50 mph winds as some crazy front pushes thru. I’d hate to get shut out of golf…. But there is always the possibility of a distillery tour. I’ve kept that on the back burner in case of an emergency.