GOLFERS at Royal Dornoch will now be able to take a comfort break half way round the course following the erection of a £65,000 ‘Halfway House.’
The innovatively designed, larch clad building, housing two toilets and accessed via a secure entry pad system, has been built behind the ninth green.
There is also a service area from which refreshments and snacks will be provided on competition days and as required throughout the season.
Dornoch resident and longstanding club member Alison Burnett recently opened the new facility on Monday. She has a 52-year connection with the renowned course.
She said she had experienced for herself the benefits of having a ‘Halfway House’ when playing other courses.
"I’ve played at many championship resorts worldwide and when I first recognised the advantages of having a place to stop along my round, I knew this was something we should do at Royal Dornoch," she said.
"I was delighted when the committee and management agreed to go ahead with the proposal and I am even more delighted at the sympathetic design of the structure."
Architect Colin Henderson of Neil Sutherland Architects, Inverness, chose an elliptical design, which nestles into the curve of the hills and has stunning views back over the course and the Dornoch Firth.
Built in concrete, it is clad in larch with Douglas Fir supports and a sedum roof, which blends into the course.
Local contractors J and S Gunn, Dornoch, and Richard MacKenzie, Tain, were involved in the construction work. The project took just three months to complete.
Royal Dornoch general manager Neil Hampton said: "Golf is a world sport and we consider Royal Dornoch to be a world class course. The bar is continually rising as regards the course and the amenities we provide. Mrs Burnett’s suggestion for a half-way house fitted in with our ongoing development plans at the club."
