Spey Bay
Ben Sayers laid out Spey Bay in 1907 on a wild stretch of shingle and gorse where the River Spey meets the Moray Firth. A natural par 70 of about 6,219 yards, it was bought by the golf collective LinksDAO in 2023 and restored by Clayton, DeVries and Pont in 2024, a quiet old links given a thoughtful second life.
Photo: Ben Rolandsen via Google.
The verdict
Spey Bay is one of Scotland's understated links pleasures, a Ben Sayers design from 1907 running along the shingle banks where the Spey pours into the Moray Firth. For decades it was a hidden, slightly rough edged charmer; since the golf collective LinksDAO bought it in 2023 and brought in Clayton, DeVries and Pont to restore it in 2024, the routing and turf have been carefully revived.
It is not a championship monster, a par 70 of about 6,219 yards, but it is honest, breezy links golf with the beach in play, gorse and heather framing the fairways and the firm ground asking for the running shot. For a golfer touring the Moray coast it is a rewarding, friendly stop with a genuinely interesting story attached.
Spey Bay Golf Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1907
- Designer
- Ben Sayers, CDP restoration 2024
- Type
- Seaside links
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- About 6,219 yds
- Green fee
- From about £45
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Spey Bay Golf Club and leading course databases. Ben Sayers laid out the links in 1907, a par 70 of about 6,219 yards; the club was acquired by LinksDAO in 2023 and the course restored by Clayton, DeVries and Pont in 2024. Indicative visitor green fees run from around £45 midweek to about £65 for an 18 hole round in high season (indicative, 2026). Rates change, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Spey Bay plays as a true links should, firm and fast over rumpled ground with the Moray Firth on one flank and gorse, heather and the river on the other. The opening holes set the tone, asking for low, controlled ball flight into the prevailing wind off the firth, and the bounce of the fescue turf rewards the player who works the ball along the ground.
The signature is the short par 4 corner of the course near the beach, where a small green perched on a hillock turns a modest yardage into a proper test of nerve and judgment. The CDP restoration has reclaimed lost width and sharpened the green surrounds, so recovery shots once again ask for imagination rather than brute force.
It closes back toward the clubhouse and the small on site hotel, the wind now at your back or across, the firm turf running out the longer clubs. Spey Bay will not exhaust a low handicapper on the card, but in a stiff coastal breeze it is all the links golf anyone could want.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Welcomes visitors and societies; book a tee time in advance, especially in the summer season |
| Green fee | Indicatively from around £45 midweek to about £65 for an 18 hole round in high season (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | Reserve directly with the club; the on site hotel makes a stay and play simple |
| On the day | A walkable links beside the Moray Firth; firm turf, gorse and the beach in play on several holes |
| Getting there | Near Fochabers in Moray, about an hour east of Inverness on the Moray coast |
| Best months | May to September for the driest, firmest links conditions and longest daylight |
Access and fees verified June 2026; rates and tee sheet policy change, so always confirm directly with Spey Bay Golf Club before planning a visit.
Where to stay nearby
The simplest base is the small hotel beside the course itself, which makes Spey Bay a natural stay and play and a fine spot to watch the light change over the firth. Beyond that, the towns of Fochabers and Elgin offer a good spread of inns and hotels a short drive inland.
Spey Bay sits in the heart of Speyside, so a round here pairs beautifully with the malt whisky trail and the wider links of the Moray coast. It is an easy region in which to build a relaxed few days of golf, distilleries and coastline.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Spey Bay Golf Club.
Build a Speyside golf trip
We book the Spey Bay tee times, pair them with the best of the Moray coast and arrange the lodging and the whisky trail around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Spey Bay Golf Club questions
Who designed Spey Bay and when did it open?
Ben Sayers laid out the links in 1907; in 2024 the course was restored by Clayton, DeVries and Pont after the club was acquired by the golf collective LinksDAO in 2023.
What is the par and length of Spey Bay?
It is a par 70 of about 6,219 yards, a natural links running along the Moray Firth where the River Spey reaches the sea.
Can visitors play Spey Bay?
Yes. Spey Bay welcomes visitors and societies, and booking ahead is wise during the summer season.
When is the best time to play Spey Bay?
May to September brings the firmest links turf and the longest daylight in the north of Scotland.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.