Royal Dornoch forms reciprocal deal with American golf club
One of the UK’s leading golf clubs, Royal Dornoch in Scotland, has formed a reciprocal deal with The Country Club of North Carolina.
As part of the agreement, members of each club can play at the other for free.
There has been a growing trend for golf clubs to offer reciprocal free membership to other clubs in recent years, as it is a proven way to boost membership retention.
Royal Dornoch already works on this basis with nine other golf clubs around the world, although The Country Club of North Carolina is the first American golf club it has partnered with.
Neil Hampton, Royal Dornoch’s general manager, said: “This is only the tenth time we have established a reciprocal arrangement with another club in our 140-year history, so it’s a rare and considered decision.
“We already have a strong bond with the Country Club of North Carolina, and this arrangement will strengthen those ties further and be of mutual benefit to both memberships.”
That bond is because since 2011 the two clubs have played an annual match, which is hosted in Scotland and the US in alternate years, against each other. The teams play for a trophy in the form of a putter, which was donated by Royal Dornoch.
In fact when the development of the Country Club of North Carolina was discussed in the early 1960s, it was even suggested the club be named Royal Dornoch, in tribute to Donald Ross, Dornoch’s first golf professional, who designed the Pinehurst No 2 course, which is less than a mile away from the Country Club of North Carolina.
Although the club did not take the Dornoch name when it opened in 1963, the men’s association adopted the name the Dornochers, and ‘Royal Dornoch Villas’ were built alongside ‘Lake Dornoch’ on the Carolina complex’s Dogwood Course.
Ziggy Zalzneck, president of The Country Club of North Carolina, said: “We are very honoured to enter into this reciprocal agreement with Royal Dornoch Golf Club.
“Many of our members have had the pleasure of visiting Royal Dornoch, and even more members will have now this opportunity.
“We also look forward to hosting the Royal Dornoch members as they visit CCNC.”
Royal Dornoch’s other reciprocal clubs are Royal Melbourne, Royal Sydney, Royal Queensland, Royal Hobart and Lake Karrinyup, in Australia; Royal Auckland, in New Zealand; Royal Cape, in South Africa; Royal Colwood in Victoria, British Columbia; and Hong Kong Golf Club.
Congratulations Ziggy on becoming the president of CCNC.
Good reciprocal arrangement with this NC club Neil.