While the world’s best golfers will be fighting fiercely to manoeuvre themselves into position to capture the Open Championship, a championship of different sorts will take place on Saturday, July 20^th, 2013.

Those golfers not at Muirfield will be making their way to the picture postcard island of Skye for the annual – Isle of Skye Open.

The Isle of Skyle Golf Club is one of just two golf courses on Skye and what wonderful nine-hole experience.

Isle of Skye Golf – Photograph GolfByTourMiss

The club with next year celebrate its 50-year anniversary having been founded in 1964 when the Portree Golf Club lost access to their course when the new owner wanted land to graze sheep.

Not to be denied, a new site was offered alongside the A87 that runs between Broadford and Skyke’s largest township at Portree.

And was a stunning location with the captivating Cullin Mountains standing like sentinels of the nine-hole layout that runs along the stunning Sound of Raasay with the Isle of Raasay on the opposite shoreline.

In 1987 the club approved to change the name of the club to ‘The Isle of Skye’.

The Isle of Skye GC – Photograph GolfByTourmiss

The club is somewhat unique in the world as all the holes have Gaelic names to reflect the culture and history of the area.

There is also an ancient cemetery lying outside the boundary fence off the joint sixth and 15 tees, and the remains of houses in the ancient settlement of Tormichaig can be seen from the 4^th/13^th tee.

The ‘Isle of Skye’ course plays to a par 33 over the front nine and if you play all 18 holes it’s a par 67 whereas the opening nine measures 2430 yards and you can add a further 2,436 yards if you play the full course.

The only real change is that the second hole plays to a par four and 447-yards on the first loop and a par five and 492-yards second time again.

If anything, the second hole would seem the hardest hole even though it’s sixth that it the club’s No. 1 index hole.  The big task at the second is not to fly the fence and out-of-bounds left and onto the Sound of Raasay shoreline.

The challenge at the sixth hole is not to find either of the two burns that cross the fairway at strategic points on this 373-yard (outward nine) and 349-yard test (inward half).

As well, local knowledge is a big asset playing the eighth as George Morris, and distant relative to Old Tom Morris, and myself found out.

There is a marker post indicating the direction of the green but as we found out anything a fraction long and also right lands you in trouble.

Isle of Skye Golf Club – Photograph GolfByTourMiss

There is just a handful of bunkers on the course, and none more menacing to catch any shot short at the 9^th/18^th, so it can be argued it could be toughened with the addition of further sand traps.

But the joy in playing the charming Isle of Skye Golf Club course is not necessarily the challenge but more so this picture postcard setting.

Yes, you might be struggling to post a decent score but you will indeed be struggling to find a prettier location for a golf course.

* Click on photographs to enlarge. (All photographs copyright – GolfByTourMiss