Tain sits on the south shore of the Dornoch Firth, the first town you reach in Easter Ross after crossing from Sutherland. Its links began as an Old Tom Morris layout in 1890, and the club’s defining feature is the narrow River Tain, which runs through the opening and closing stretches. The 11th, called Alps, asks for a blind pitch over two sandhills. Fees are lower than at Royal Dornoch across the water, and Glenmorangie, which lends its name to the 12th, is just along the road.
Tain Golf Club green fees and tee times.
Tee times are booked in advance through the club office on 01862 892314 or by email to info@tain-golfclub.co.uk. The cheaper summer rate for golfers with a UK CDH number can only be booked by email. The summer price falls in steps through the day, so a later start saves money without a separate twilight booking, and a day ticket allows unlimited golf on the day, subject to availability. Weekend visitor times and a handicap limit are not set out on the pages we could read, so ask both when you book.
INDICATIVE GREEN FEE · CHECKED NOVEMBER 2026From £50
2027 winter visitor rate (January to March, November and December). April and October £85; summer peak £130 from 07:30 to 12:50, £115 from 13:00 and £65 from 15:00; UK CDH holders £95 in summer by email.
Winter 2027 (Jan to Mar, Nov and Dec)
£50
April and October 2027
£85
Summer peak, 07:30 to 12:50
£130
Summer, 13:00 to 14:50
£115
Summer, from 15:00
£65
UK CDH number holders (email booking)
£95
Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The round, in perspective.
The club began in 1890 as St Duthus Golf Club, named after the town’s patron saint, and became Tain Golf Club when the clubhouse was built in 1911. Morris laid out 15 holes and the course later reached 18. Sources differ on how much of his work survives: GolfPass counts about eight holes still largely intact, including the 2nd to 4th and the 14th and 15th, while National Club Golfer puts the figure at 11. Today it is a par 70 of around 6,400 yards from the back. The river crosses the 2nd, the 3rd tee shot carries it, it nearly surrounds the 16th green, and it crosses the 17th twice. That 17th is the second of back-to-back par 3s, about 215 yards from the tips. At Alps, a straightforward drive leaves a blind approach over a marker post on two big dunes to a bowl green near the shore.
Know before you go.
Hire
Clubs, buggies, trolleys and caddies available
Day ticket
Unlimited golf on the day, subject to availability
Make the trip work.
Tain works as a base for the whole Dornoch Firth. The club sells Highland golf tickets with its neighbours: for 2027 the Tain and Golspie ticket costs £205 from May to September and £165 in April and October, and Tain and Brora costs £275 in summer and £220 in the shoulder months, with lower rates for UK club members. Combining Tain with Royal Dornoch makes sense if you want a second links that costs far less but uses the same firth views. Allow time for Glenmorangie, which runs tours from its distillery on the edge of town.
Inverness Airport is around 45 miles south, under an hour by car on the A9 over the Kessock and Cromarty bridges. Tain station, on the Far North Line from Inverness, is close to the course. The clubhouse is at the east end of town beside the river, and Dornoch is about 15 minutes north over the Dornoch Firth bridge.
Tain is a small royal burgh with hotels and guest houses within a few minutes of the clubhouse; Mansfield Castle Hotel, a Victorian house on the Scotsburn road, is the best known. Dornoch, a quarter of an hour away, has a wider range of rooms and restaurants and puts you between Tain, Royal Dornoch, Golspie and Brora. Glenmorangie House, the distillery’s country house, is out on the Tarbat peninsula near Fearn.
Make a trip of it.
Royal Dornoch is the obvious headline partner across the firth, with its Struie course as a second option. Golspie and Brora both sell joint tickets with Tain, and Tarbat, a nine-hole course at Portmahomack, is a quiet half-day out on the peninsula. Off the course, the Glenmorangie distillery is on the A9 just north of town, and Tain Through Time tells the story of St Duthus and the medieval pilgrims who came here.
Find your season.
The club prices the year in three seasons: summer peak from May to September, shoulder in April and October at £85, and winter at £50 for 2027. The Dornoch Firth coast is among the drier parts of the Highlands, and June daylight lasts well past ten in the evening.
For summer 2027 the club lists £130 for morning tee times, £115 from 13:00 and £65 from 15:00. Golfers with a UK CDH number pay £95 if they book by email. April and October cost £85, and winter rounds £50.
What is the Alps hole at Tain?
The 11th. After a fairly simple drive you play a blind approach over a marker post on top of two large dunes to a bowl-shaped green close to the shore, with out of bounds near the water behind it.
Can I play Tain and Brora on one ticket?
Yes. Tain’s 2027 Highland golf ticket for Tain and Brora costs £275 from May to September and £220 in April and October. Brora’s own 2026 version was £235, with the second round due within three days of the first.
Can visitors play Tain on a day ticket?
Yes. The club sells day tickets that allow unlimited golf on the day of play, subject to tee-time availability. That suits a long June day, when you can fit a second round in after a morning start.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
