Golf Travel Specialist
James
Kinloch
Fourteen years on the European Tour. 623 courses. 41 countries. He knows every room, every hole, and every shortcut.
Since 2004
623
Courses played
41
Countries visited
14
Years on Tour
2,400+
Holidays arranged
The Story
He didn't read about these places in a brochure. He caddied on them for 14 years.
James Kinloch spent fourteen years as a caddie on the European Tour — the blue-and-white bib, the heavy bag, the 6am tee times in Belek, the champagne finishes at Valderrama. In that time he caddied for six Major champions, walked inside the ropes at Augusta twice as a guest caddie, and developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the world's golf courses that no ATOL-bonded brochure can replicate.
When the Tour life ended, he moved to the other side of the velvet rope. He knew every course manager, every head pro, every sommelier in the properties they stayed at. In 2012 he founded the precursor to Dormie. The phone rang within a week.
Today James designs Dormie's most complex journeys — the ones that require a single call to the right person at Leopard Creek, or knowing which room at Constance Belle Mare Plage has the sunrise. He does not advertise. He does not need to.
"
The first time I walked onto Augusta as a guest caddie, I cried. And the second time I was on the 12th green at Amen Corner, I thought: I need to get other people here. Not here exactly — but somewhere that makes them feel this way.
— James Kinloch
Speak with James directly
James takes calls Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm. If he does not answer, he is on a course. He will call you back.
The road to Brora
It was the 2011 Open at Royal St George's, and my player had missed the cut. I had four days and a caddie bib that still opened doors. A friend at the club — Tom, greens supervisor — said "take the car north." I drove to Brora in the Scottish Highlands, a links course on the banks of a loch, with a herd of cattle using the fairways as a shortcut and a green that had been there since 1891.
There was one other golfer. We played together without speaking for nine holes. He was a retired GP from Inverness. On the 10th tee he said: "I've played here every week for thirty years. It's the best course in Britain." I've been back six times. He's there every Thursday.
That's what I try to find for every client. Not the famous course. The right course.
James recommends
Six courses you need to play
Portugal
Quinta do Lago South
"The closing stretch with the estuary at sunset — I've played it 40 times and it still stops me dead."
Turkey
Carya Golf Club
"World top 100, and most people have never heard of it. The pine forest fairways are better than anything in the UK."
South Africa
Leopard Creek
"Hippos in the hazards. Crocodiles in the drainage channels. I played it barefoot once. Don't ask."
Mauritius
Constance Belle Mare Plage
"The Indian Ocean as your backdrop on every hole. Best post-round gin and tonic on earth at the Links Bar."
Tenerife
Golf Costa Adeje
"The barrancos — volcanic ravines — make it completely unlike any other course I know. Hole 7 will haunt you."
Turkey
PGA Sultan, Antalya
"Rory stood on the 18th tee here needing a birdie to win. I've tried to birdie it for fifteen years. It won't let me."
What clients say
"
James called me back within twenty minutes of leaving a voicemail. We spoke for an hour. By the end I'd booked fourteen nights in Turkey I hadn't known existed. My handicap is still in recovery.
Richard T.
Belek Masterclass, 2024
"
I've used three other luxury golf travel companies. None of them gave me a personal mobile number and said 'call me when you land.' James did. He also pre-cleared my clubs through customs. I don't know how.
Catherine M.
Algarve Anthology, 2024
"
He upgraded our Mauritius room to an ocean villa because, quote, 'the standard room view won't do.' I didn't ask. I didn't even know there was an ocean villa. It was the best week of my life.
Graham & Sophie K.
Mauritius Golf & Paradise, 2023
Start with a conversation.
James doesn't send PDFs. He calls you. Twenty minutes on the phone, and he'll know more about what you actually want than you do. Then he'll make it happen.