Back in September 1977 German journalist Jürgen Juchtmann was introduced to the delights of Royal Dornoch during a Press trip.
When his wife Heidi discovered the ticket stub for the Struie Course among travel memorabilia collected over the years, with the new clubhouse set to open in the next few weeks, the couple wondered if the club would be interested in adding it to their archives.
When general manager Neil Hampton confirmed it would be a welcome addition to the club’s treasure trove tracking heritage stretching back nearly 150 years, the wheels were set in motion for an autumn visit to Dornoch.
And Neil decided Jürgen could tee-up on the Championship Course – for 75p!
“It was nearly 50 years ago that I came to Dornoch on a Press trip organised by my good friend Bob Koenig, head of the British Tourism Authority in Frankfurt,” recalled 15 handicapper Jürgen (74).
“Heidi and I still come to the UK twice a year. We are both Anglophiles. We even have a satellite dish on our home to get the television channels in English.
“We still remember seeing the beautiful golden gorse at Dornoch and there is still some blossoming on the golf course despite being late in the season.
“It was Heidi who came across the ticket stub from that 1977 visit three or four months ago. She is a great collector.
“We were delighted when the club said they would like it for their archives.
“It is like an old cinema ticket, and I found out that 75p in 1977 was the equivalent of two pints of beer! It was all very different from today.
“Back then it wasn’t difficult to get on either of the courses. During our latest visit the Championship Course was fully booked, even in October.
“I was delighted when the club surprised me and said I could play the famous Championship Course for a symbolic 75p green fee! In fact, they did not take any money at all.
“I was teamed up with three others and we had a lovely time together playing a fabulous golf course and we spent an hour chatting in the clubhouse afterwards.
“The weather was nice and that made the experience even better.
The Juchtmanns live in the Westpahlian town of Minden, near Hanover, and Jürgen was a founder member of the International Golf Club Exter, late renamed Golfclub Heerhof, in 1984.
Last year, the land was converted to a vast solar farm, and Jürgen now golfs two or three times a week at the nine-hole Club Am Harrl, near Bückeburg.
“I played off 11 when I was younger and I still enjoy my golf and it was nice to get a birdie on the first hole and a few pars and bogeys on the Championship Course,” said Jürgen, who served as deputy Editor in Chief for regional newspaper Neue Westfälische in Bielefeld before retiring in 2012.
General manager Neil was delighted to welcome Jürgen, and the 1977 ticket stub, back to Royal Dornoch.
“It was lovely of Jürgen and Heidi to think of us when they came across the Struie stub,” he said.
In Case You Missed It:
“The ladies in our archives team have been hard at work collating all manner of material as we prepare to move into our new clubhouse and this will be a welcome addition.
“It is a timely reminder of how much the fortunes of
Royal Dornoch have changed for the better over recent decades.”
