Golf Business News – Royal Dornoch forms a close relationship with the Donald Ross Society

The president of the US-based Donald Ross Society believes there is an untapped opportunity for the Scottish town of Dornoch to boost tourism through its deep-rooted golf links.

Vaughn Halyard met Royal Dornoch Golf Club manager Neil Hampton and captain Professor David Bell during his recent visit to the Scottish Highlands. And as well as enjoying the fun of the Championship Course, where local lad Ross was 'keeper of the green' and first team player before being lured to the USA, Halyard used the opportunity to reacquaint himself with the environment.

A media executive based in Los Angeles, whose home is in Milwaukee, Halyard leads the Donald Ross Society in the US, founded in 1989 to preserve and enhance the profile of the man responsible for creating 456 studies in North America and beyond – and to protect the integrity' of the golden age of golf course architecture'.

Halyard said: “Like many others, every time I go back to Royal Dornoch, it's special to me. During this visit, Neil, David and I discussed ways the Ross Society and Royal Dornoch could collaborate and collaborate going forward.

“I am impressed with the good ideas of the team. We discussed how we can promote even greater economic benefits in terms of tourism dollars to the city where Donald Ross was born and raised. There has been a welcome investment in tourism infrastructure, with improved hotels, but there is huge untapped potential in expanding the narrative associated with Donald Ross. These ties enhance and complement the history that makes this ancient city so special.”

The Ross Society operates near Pinehurst, which is called the 'Cradle of American Golf'. It has been designated as a championship sponsor by the United States Golf Association.

“It was great to see Dornoch officially sign the partnership agreement with Pinehurst last year,” said Halyard. “Donald Ross gave us the prestigious Pinehurst No.2 course and many others after leaving Scotland. Businessman Richard Tufts and friends identified the young Ross as just the man to help develop the sport in the United States more than 100 years ago.

“The Ross Society works closely with Tufts Archives and the History Links Museum in Dornoch is an obvious place to explain the shared legacy of Donald Ross. Dornoch and the golf club were talked about a lot during the recent US Open from Pinehurst, but Ross has designed more than 400 courses in North America, with many design features.”

Halyard continued: “Ross has had a major impact on the development of golf and golf in the USA. He was carrying a large machine. He was rich and far from a one-trick pony, working with all kinds of venues across the country.

“Royal Dornoch's Championship Course is always an amazing experience for any golfer but, as the home of Donald Ross, playing there is a magical, spiritual journey. There is a distinct natural, historical, and familial relationship between Royal Dornoch and hundreds of Donald Ross designed courses in North America and the Caribbean.

“At the Ross Society we are working with Royal Dornoch to develop the relationship between them. Each can trace a direct historical line to Royal Dornoch. Pinehurst, Seminole, and Oakland Hills share the same ancestry as lesser-known places like Cedar Rapids in Iowa, Tupper Lake in upstate New York and The Highlands in North Carolina.

“Reflecting on the power of this extended relationship with Royal Dornoch is not only exciting for the Ross Society, but by extension, the entire community of Donald Ross design studies.”