Royal Dornoch - sharp practice?

Just wondering if the continental habit of teaming up strangers together is now routine at other premier venues in the UK.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary a few weeks ago and decided to treat ourselves to a game at Royal Dornoch. We booked online but were only told (not requested) on arrival at the first tee that we would be playing with another couple. As delightful as the couple were, there is no way we would have chosen to spend our special day in the company of strangers, had we been apprised beforehand.

Why not Gael?, were you planning a bit of rumpy pumpy in the dunes?

Not sure why you would expect anything else gael? Unless you paid double the greens fee to have the dunes to yourselves.
Can't see how golfcourses could budget successfuly all their tee times were predicated on twosomes.

thegolfchannel.com today has an article headlined "gael force". It was about the very excellent business outside an Irish castle, but sounds like it could easily have been about your Dornoching.

It's just that they never used to so we were completely unprepared for it.

I really don't see why they couldn't have put this information on their website and been upfront about it.

Is it possible they were concerned they might lose business?

As I said ... sharp practice.

I imagine if you'd have asked nicely you could have been permitted to go out, unless it was fully booked.
We were joined by an American R&A member on your favourite course yesterday (The Castle) and he was splendid company, most people who make up a tee time usually are.

How was it anyway? Dornoch is certainly in my top 3 courses.

I reckon Mr gaelgowfer rumbled your mid round plan and organised it!

It's not too difficult to find the terms and conditions document on the course website - from the online booking procedure - http://www.royaldornoch.com/uploads/termsandconditions.pdf

Right at the top of that document it says this...

Visitor Booking Terms & Conditions
Full payment is required to secure the booking. A provisional enquiry will be held for 14 days after which the tee time will be released unless full payment has been made.
Our policy is to allow 2 ball play only before 9am, after this time any format is allowed, however we may join smaller parties to make 4 balls.

I was appalled when I played Valderamma, there was another group on the course. I thought I had booked the entire course to myself for the day.....

S_R ... the course was in the best condition I've seen for thirty years or more.

I've always felt that's part and parcel of booking the top courses. Personally I love it and have never once not enjoyed the company of whoever I've been paired with.

Ok, fair enough Gael it was a special day for you and you's would have preferred to have played by yourselves....Did you explain that and ask?? Dornoch strikes me as the kind of place that would try their damnedest to try and accommodate your wishes.

Good to hear it's in great condition, I absolutely love the place. Easily one of my top 3 of all the courses I've played.

"I've always felt that's part and parcel of booking the top courses. "

As I said before, it never used to have such a policy and indeed think it must have been introduced in fairly recent times hence the other part of my question as to whether or not this was now normal practice at other top UK courses?

It's harldy something you can phase in though, you either do it or you don't.

I think it depends on how busy they are Gael. Most of the rota courses will fill up 4 balls (although it would appear that you can book 2 balls at Muirfield).

I've also been asked when booking good courses if I minded being paired up. Great though the internet and online booking is, sometimes a well timed conversation can achieve what a click to confirm can't!!

In the States including Hawaii and also Mexico it's very much the norm....and one mandatory buggy between 2 is also the rather irritating norm too.

Playing an am/am at Bondhay next week and whilst we are a group of four they will split us into two pairs with other players.Not ideal as I was looking forward to the group playing together but I guess it will completely avoid any talk after of cheating when a group comes in the 95 points