On December 15, 2025, the Royal Dornoch Golf Club in Dornoch, Scotland started a new chapter in the club’s long and storied history. Club officials, local dignitaries, and the club’s membership opened the doors to a brand-new, three-story, 21,000-square foot clubhouse. The previous clubhouse had been in existence for more than a century. As they say, it was time for a change. The old clubhouse remains just a memory.
“It was time for an upgrade in our clubhouse,” said Neil Hampton, the Royal Dornoch Golf Club’s Director of Golf. “Our new clubhouse matches the reputation of our world-class and highly esteemed Championship Course and our Struie Course, which is one of the top 50 links golf courses in Scotland.”
The old clubhouse remains just a memory.
“In February/March of 2026, we knocked down the old (clubhouse),” said Hampton. “We let the members take away lots of memorabilia first and let the local clubs have the fixtures and fittings that were left.”
According to Hampton, the reality of seeing the clubhouse being completed was better than his expectations, which were big from the moment ground was broken to build the clubhouse.
“It’s better than we had imagined — both inside and out,” said Hampton. “The 2D drawings and artists impressions could never convey just how good it is.”
The environmentally friendly sandstone building provides visitors with stunning and memorable panoramic views of the first fairway and the 18th green of Royal Dornoch’s Championship Course, as well as the waters of the nearby Dornoch Firth.
The amenities of this clubhouse are in sync with everything members and visiting golfers expect of one of Scotland’s premier golf clubs, which is ranked among the very best in the world of golf.
The new clubhouse features modern locker rooms, a well-stocked pro shop that sits on the ground floor, a Trackman studio which provides visitors with an additional off-the-golf-course golf experience when they visit Royal Dornoch, and a spacious restaurant and bar area – accessible via a central stairway and a lift/elevator – that can accommodate as many as 180 diners.
While sitting in the restaurant and bar area, there’s a big-screen television on display for all to see. While relaxing with a drink or enjoying a meal with friends, there may be no better venue in the world to watch a golf telecast than from the second floor of this clubhouse with its eye-opening views of the Royal Dornoch’s Championship Course and the adjacent Dornoch Firth.
According to Hampton, while visitors will see a spectacular state-of-the-art clubhouse when they visit the Royal Dornoch GC, the mood remains informal.
“The restaurant and lounge area were designed with a floor-to-ceiling window which provides members and visitors with incredible views of the Championship Course and the adjacent Dornoch Firth,” said Hampton. “The restaurant area also includes an outdoor terrace for dining when the weather is pleasant.”
As you would expect for a clubhouse at a Scottish golf club, nearly 30 different brands of Scotch whiskey are served and the Bannerman fish and chips continue to be the most popular item on the menu.
Many of the items on the menu are prepared using locally sourced produce which is the finest quality from the land, sea and sky!
The stylish and spacious pro shop is the ideal spot to purchase a gift to mark your visit to the Royal Dornoch GC. Royal Dornoch’s Highland Wildcat crest is instantly recognized throughout the world of golf. The variety of Royal Dornoch GC logo merchandise includes golf balls, markers, caps, sports shirts, sweaters, and hoodies, to name a few.
While building the new clubhouse, special attention was given to designing the stairway where the walls are adorned with pictures, portraits, and memorabilia that reflect this club’s rich history and heritage.
The iconic Carnegie Shield — gifted to the Royal Dornoch GC in 1901 by Andrew Carnegie, the Scotland-born U.S. steel magnate – has been relocated from the old clubhouse to the new clubhouse. It now hangs on the wall in the restaurant and should not be missed by visitors.
As far as the appeal of the Championship Course at Royal Dornoch is concerned, that remains unchanged.
Five-time Open Champion Tom Watson sums it up very well.
“I have played none finer, a natural masterpiece,” said Watson, a native of Kansas City, Missouri.
As soon as you step foot inside the new clubhouse, you’ll find the warm welcome that’s part of the fabric of life in the Scottish Highlands. The Royal Dornoch Golf Club and its new three-story, state-of-the-art clubhouse await your arrival.
