The captain of one of Britain's smallest golf courses took on the general manager of Peter de Savary's exclusive Carnegie Club at Dornoch yesterday - claiming it cost as much for one game there as it did for annual membership of neighbouring clubs.

Mr Francis Keith, one of the founders of the Durness course in north-west Sutherland, happens also to be chairman of Highland Council's planning committee, which recently gave the Carnegie Club permission to erect 49 holiday lodges in the grounds of Skibo Castle, near Dornoch.

''I have nothing but admiration for 99% of what you do - it has been a great asset to the area,'' he told Mr Robert Van Erde of Skibo Ltd, during a session of Sutherland county committee in Dornoch. ''But I am seriously concerned about the management of the golf course.

''I was involved in setting up what we thought was an agreement that there would be places available for local golfers and visitors at affordable prices, comparable to either Royal Dornoch and Tain, and that there would be 14 tee times per day set aside.

''But I have been told that your green fees this year will be #130 a round, which is three times what Royal Dornoch or Tain would charge. It is more than an annual subscription for nearly all the North golf courses.

''I feel that there is an asset there that has been provided largely by public money and it is being grossly under used. Surely you can find a mechanism whereby you can provide time on that golf course for locals and visitors at an affordable price and still not spoil the experience for your own members.''

But Mr Van Erde replied that Mr Keith had been misinformed, because they charged only #40 per round from golfers resident anywhere in the Highland area.