47 11 | Royal Dornoch LOCATION Dornoch, Scotland DESIGNER King Collins Dormer Golf has been played in Dornoch for over 400 years, but the next few might just see the biggest changes in the Royal Burgh since John Sutherland transformed a nine-hole course into the links now ranked among the best in the world. In late 2024, the club sought proposals from architects to make use of some 50 acres of new land. Design firm King Collins Dormer (KCD) came up with a radical proposal to create an entirely new third 18, to rebuild the Struie, the club’s second course, and create various practice and short game facilities. The club appointed KCD in May 2025, and work has been done since to prepare for what will be a massive upheaval. A pre-planning ‘scoping’ document has been filed with the local council, and the actual planning application is in development. “The plan is to build the new course first and then move on to the rest of the works,” says Rob Collins. Photo: King Collins Dormer 10 | Portstewart LOCATION Londonderry, Northern Ireland DESIGNER European Golf Design Portstewart Golf Club has completed a three-year redevelopment of its Strand course. European Golf Design produced a masterplan in 2022 to strengthen strategy, enhance the finishing holes, and add new practice greens and a full-length range. Work began in winter 2023-24 and included redesigning the Strand’s thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth holes, followed by rebunkering the front nine. More recently there have been changes to holes sixteen, seventeen and eighteen, the creation of four new practice greens, the range and bays, as well as new first, seventeenth and eighteenth holes on the Riverside course. The revamped Strand course reopened in May 2026. Photo: European Golf Design GB&I DEVELOPMENT
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