The Carnegie Club (Skibo Castle)

Overview: The Carnegie Links at Skibo Castle occupies a compact peninsula beside Loch Evelix and the Dornoch Firth. Donald Steel’s routing uses water, links turf, heath and natural shoreline to create a quiet private course with a mix of open and sheltered holes. The setting can feel park-like near the estate but the strategic questions are those of a coastal links.

History: Andrew Carnegie had an earlier nine-hole course on the estate, but the modern 18-hole course was commissioned after Skibo became a private club and opened in 1995. Donald Steel designed the new layout, with Tom Mackenzie involved in its development and later redesign work. The course has continued to evolve while retaining its peninsula setting and relationship with the lochs.

Did You Know? The short 17th runs beside the Dornoch Firth and offers a choice between challenging the green from the tee or laying up. The course also hosted a televised Shell Wonderful World of Golf match between Greg Norman and Fred Couples in 1996.