Spey Bay Golf Course

Overview: Spey Bay is a coastal links at the mouth of the River Spey, laid across sandy ground between the beach and the Moray countryside. The open setting brings sea air and changing wind into the round, while the river and shore provide natural reference points for the holes. Its character is traditional and direct: firm turf, seaside lies and a route that asks players to choose a sensible line when the wind changes the shape of the fairways and approaches.

History: The Spey Bay course was planned by Ben Sayers and opened for play in 1907 after about 160 acres of natural ground beside the sea beach were converted into an eighteen-hole layout. Contemporary reports described eighteen newly made greens and a course total of 5,902 yards at the opening. The current directory measurement is 6,236 yards, reflecting the later development of the playing ground. Spey Bay therefore combines an early 20th-century links origin with a course that has continued to be maintained for modern play.

Did You Know? The course opening in 1907 included a match between teams of seventeen couples, and a formal ceremony later that year drew more than 2,000 spectators to the shore. Those details show how the new course was presented as a community and coastal event, not merely as a private club project. The Moray Firth setting remains central, with the river mouth and beach shaping the atmosphere of the round.