A Journal for the Thrifty Gowfer
Scottish Islands
Kirkwall, Orkney
Plate II — Parkland course — tree-lined fairways, year-round play
Founded 1889 at Grainbank above Kirkwall — 5,405 yards, par 69, with out of bounds on nine of the eighteen holes and views to St Magnus Cathedral.
Orkney Golf Club has played at Grainbank on the hill above Kirkwall since 1889, and the course makes constant use of what the hill gives it: the fourth, named Helliar Holm for the islet its tee overlooks, has a bench placed by the club specifically so you can sit and take in Kirkwall and the sandstone bulk of St Magnus Cathedral below. The fourteenth turns the panorama the other way, over Kirkwall Bay to the North Isles.
At 5,405 yards, par 69, the numbers look gentle and lie. Out of bounds presses against nine of the eighteen holes, gorse handles most of the rest, and the sixth — called The Burn, stroke index one for both men and women — explains itself. A 2020 redevelopment rebuilt several greens with added swales and mounding, so the surfaces are better than a remote island club has any right to maintain.
Visitors pay £50 a round in season — £40 if you can prove an Orkney address, a nice piece of island fairness — and £25 through the winter. Booking runs through MasterScoreboard, the club keeps left-handed hire sets, and the course is a fifteen-minute walk from Kirkwall's harbour front.
The Full Scorecard
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Conditions This Week
Scored 0–10 for golf — wind, rain, conditions · Full 7-region forecast →
Location
Kirkwall, Orkney · KW15 1RDOpen in OpenStreetMap →
Plan This Round
Where to Stay
Hotels, lodges and self-catering near the first tee. Map-style search via Stay22 covering Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Vrbo.
How to Get There
Glasgow (GLA) or Inverness (INV) is 240 minutes away by car. Train + onward taxi works for the carless visitor.
Insure Your Round
Most home contents policies don't cover golf clubs in transit. The picker matches you to the right kind of cover in two minutes.
Played here? Consider
Picked for parkland rounds in Scotland.
Outerwear
The mid-weight option for parkland — fully waterproof but lighter than the wind-spec links jackets. Packs into a back-pocket pouch when the sun comes out.
Layer
Scotland's premium sportswear name. Cut for a swing rather than a jog; the moisture-wicking suits warmer parkland rounds where the wind isn't doing the work.
Tech
Tree-lined parkland holes are exactly the situation where a rangefinder pays for itself. The V6's slope mode is allowed in any non-tournament round.
Stays Nearby
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering within easy reach of Kirkwall. Tap any property to check rates.
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