THE HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND

Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club

A compact peninsula links split by the road to Chanonry Lighthouse.

THE HIGHLANDS Ubicación
LINKS Course type
18 HOYOS Holes
PAR 71 Par

Beyond the Scorecard

Course established: 1793
Course designer/s:James Braid
National ranking: #72
Known for: Moray Firth bordering eight coastal holes
Defining feature: Lighthouse road dividing the narrow peninsula

The Two Sides of Chanonry Point

The golf course at Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club occupies Chanonry Point, a narrow peninsula extending into the Moray Firth. Golf was recorded here in 1702, while the club traces its formal history to 1793. James Braid redesigned the links in 1932, shaping the compact course played today.

The road to Chanonry Lighthouse divides the layout, with holes fitted into slender strips of land on either side. Several play close to the shoreline, and the shifting wind can change the safest line within minutes. Sea views remain almost constant, though the tight ground leaves little room for careless misses.

Short yardage does not remove the challenge. Small, subtle greens are protected by strategic bunkers, dense gorse, and blind approaches, while firm turf keeps running shots in play. The 4th, a par five under 470 yards from the back tees, carries stroke index one.

The course turns repeatedly around the peninsula, so wind direction rarely feels settled. The compact routing, combined with the lighthouse and water on both sides, gives Fortrose & Rosemarkie a character found nowhere else in the Highlands.

Why Add This Course to Your Golf Experience

Fortrose & Rosemarkie adds recognised heritage and a different scale to a Kinfern golf experience in the Highlands. The club hosted the World Hickory Open in 2024 and has twice been named Scotland's Best Golfing Experience at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards.

Kinfern can pair it with Cabot Highlands courses or Nairn during an Inverness stay, then continue north towards Royal Dornoch. Its compact length offers a useful change between longer championship rounds while preserving the demands and traditions of authentic links golf.

Course Facts

Country: Scotland
Region: The Highlands
Course type: Links

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