By Anita Draycott

Fancy playing a true seaside links course? Nairn Golf Club is just the place with the sparkling waters of the Moray Firth always in sight, the dappling effect of sunlight on the Black Isle and the distant peaks of Strath Conan. The first seven fairways play along the beach to the right. Good luck if you tend to slice your Titleist!

Originally laid out in 1887, the Championship Course has a first-rate pedigree: Archie Simpson, Old Tom Morris and James Braid all did some tinkering here.

The fifth hole, selected for inclusion in The 500 World’s Greatest Golf Holes, typifies the challenge: you must wallop your drive over the edge of the beach to avoid a Braid bunker on the left side of the fairway, then land your ball on a slick green perched on a plateau. Did I mention the gale-force wind?

Nairn Golf View Hotel & Spa, set on a hill just beside the golf course is the ideal place to relax after your round. Perhaps it’s time to sooth those golf muscles with a Hot Stone Massage at the hotel’s Sonas Spa? If the weather is pleasant, opt to dine outdoors overlooking the sea and maybe a few frolicking dolphins.