Nairn was a destination for my family vacations when I was a kid growing up in Scotland. I seem to recall great beaches and fantastic weather: I guess when you are a 5 year old things look and feel a lot different to reality.
Nairn is an iconic Scottish golf club; it has a Championship and 9 hole course. Here’s a link the the Club’s website: http://www.nairngolfclub.co.uk
It has a storied history: The Nairn Golf Club had no humble origin. Masterminded in 1887 by the Edinburgh born advocate, Robert Finlay, like him the golf course was to grow immensely in stature. As for Finlay, the local MP, he rose to become a Viscount after presiding for three years as Britain’s Lord Chancellor, and remained ever faithful to Nairn.
Finlay was astute. He persuaded his influential London friends to join as members and on taking forward the initial design of Archie Simpson, Professional and Keeper of the Green at Royal Aberdeen, he called upon that ”Grand Old Man” of golf, ”Old Tom Morris”. Old Tom totally revised the course and extended it westward over the Earl of Cawdor’s property.
Twenty years on, the five times Open Champion James Braid (and the first to break 70 here with a 69 in 1901) was altering tees and bunkers before creating new greens of singular subtlety. Then, in 1920, new holes at Delnies were designed by the irrepressible Ben Sayers of North Berwick before, once more, Braid returned to contribute his expertise. Not withstanding discreet improvements fifty years ago by the esteemed architect C. K. Cotton, and some judicious lengthening prior to the Walker Cup contest in 1999, Nairn nevertheless remains substantially the links course that James Braid knew and admired so well.
Nairn is part of the Highland Links set up: http://www.highlandgolflinks.com
It’s on my “to do” list.