Royal Dornoch and Brora tee up a 

unique deal for visitors
 
NEWS RELEASE
Dornoch, Sutherland: They share a golfing tradition and an association with Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Now the neighbouring golf clubs at Royal Dornoch and Brora are joining forces to mark two special anniversaries.This year Royal Dornoch Golf Club is celebrating 400 years of golf being played in the town and it is 125 years since a proper golf club was formed along the coast at Brora.The clubs have enjoyed a long and friendly relationship over the years and have now formed a partnership to present a unique way of commemorating both significant landmarks. 
A special deal will give 400 golfing enthusiasts the chance to play both courses on the same day for the fantastic price of £125. The package includes a morning round at Brora, followed by lunch andafternoon or early evening game at Royal Dornoch.Bookings can only be made by contacting the booking office at Royal Dornoch Golf Club on +44 (0) 1862 810219 ext.1 or bookings@royaldornoch.comRoyal Dornoch and Brora are renowned for their spectacular locations, the links courses set between stunning mountains and breath-takng sea views. 
Golf is said to have been played on Dornoch links since the monks were recorded hitting a ball over the closed cropped grass that linked the famous cathedral to the sandy beach as they grazed their animals. 
The first known recorded reference of the game being played is in 1616 when John, the 13th Earl of Sutherland, was sent to school in the town and his expenses showed that ten pounds annually was provided for “bowes, arroes, golff clubbes, and balls, with other necessars for his L[ordship's]exercise”. 
The expenses were paid by John’s uncle Sir Robert Gordon, an influential man in the court of King James VI and I, who became the earl’s tutor after the death of his father
The golf club was formed in 1877 and the first 18-hole course was laid out in 1886 by Old Tom Morris who extended the original nine holes.