Scottish Open Update

[Chris Haspell]

Thought this may be of Interest to several of you, as ever we like to be as pro active as possible, so for those who do not know here are some of the changes completed this year in a press realease, hopefully for those of you who know us , you will appreciate what we have done and why we have done it.  By the way someone said there was a fescue thread , can anyone point me in the right direction? its a while since i have been on.

I will try and take some Pics and post them too..



For Immediate Release
Friday May 16, 2012
New-look Castle Stuart set to test the best
World number two Luke Donald of England will defend his Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open title over a new-look Castle Stuart Golf Links when the £2.5 million event returns to Inverness from July 12-15.
Using their experience of hosting the event for the first time in 2011, together with conversations with a number of players and European Tour officials, staff at Castle Stuart Golf Links undertook several changes to the course to ensure that the world-class field will face a more interesting and demanding test this year.
A total of four new bunkers have been added to the fifth and 14th Holes, while new tees have been constructed on the ninth, 12th and 15th holes, meaning that the course now measures 7,193 yards- approximately 150 yards longer than last year.
Stuart McColm, the General Manager at Castle Stuart Golf Links, believes the changes will challenge the players without removing the enjoyment and feel-good factor which were integral to the original vision of how the course, and indeed the game of golf, should be approached even for professionals.
He said: “We’re confident the changes will make the course more challenging without losing any of its original character or charm. The changes certainly weren’t knee-jerk – it was always our intention to consider making changes after last year’s tournament to see what might improve the experience for players and spectators alike.
“A number of our fairways are considerably wider than what the players usually encounter on tour; but, they require precise positioning off the tee to improve the odds of making birdies to certain hole locations and to reduce the risk of making bogeys or worse. We gathered data on last year’s tournament-tee-shots and scoring on several holes to show that indeed this is true. Our changes have been made to make positioning and choice even more important and demanding on several holes. If we get a stiff prevailing wind and greens less receptive than was the case during last year’s wet conditions, the players will be very grateful for the wider fairways.
“We want the players to enjoy coming here and the spectators to enjoy the drama of the best golfers in the world making birdies and eagles. With The Open Championship being played the following week, we see this as a links golf opportunity where the players can both compete on a course where they feel they can score well if they play well, and adequately prepare themselves for the following week’s test. The new changes, should guarantee a challenging yet fair test of the players’ full set of skills, both with regard to ball-striking and decision-making.”
In addition to the course changes, greenkeeping staff at Castle Stuart Golf Links have implemented an investment of more than £70,000 in an extensive and mostly underground storm-drainage system to ensure that the course is supremely well-equipped to withstand the severest of weather.
Chris Haspell, Course Manager at Castle Stuart Golf Links, said: “Our added storm drainage will also help low spots drain faster, and along with tying new bunker drains into the system, it will help keep play moving at all times. In any normal weather year, this wouldn’t be necessary, but we were very keen to work with The European Tour and the players to help make Castle Stuart a great venue for tournament golf under the severest of conditions. Normally, our micro-climate is one of the driest and brightest in Britain”.
To facilitate easier movement, better viewing for the public, and an improved spectator experience, club staff have also added new paths and walkways, levelled the ground in several places and removed and cut back a number of gorse bushes.
Mike Stewart, Tournament Director of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, said: “The staff at Castle Stuart have carried out a magnificent job of making improvements in a number of areas, and we should applaud them for taking the initiative in making the tournament better for players, spectators and tournament organisers after thorough scrutiny of last year’s event. Everyone who competed at last year’s tournament was hugely impressed with the course layout. The changes – together with new drainage facilities – have improved what was already a world-class venue.
“We look forward to welcoming the players and spectators to Castle Stuart in July for what promises to be another superb edition of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open”.
For further information, please contact:-
The European Tour Communications Department
Tel: +44 1344 840400 Fax: +44 1344 840500
Email: Media@europeantour.com

[Kris Shreiner]

Chris,

Kudos to you and the entire Castle Stuart team for your efforts to elevate the 2012 presentation up there this year. Mother nature dealt a cruel hand last year; one would hope this year should find the weather a bit better.

Is the new drainage system all natural, gravity-based, or do you have some motorized pumps as part of the system as well?

Cheers,
Kris

[Brian_Ewen]

Is this not pandering to all that complained that Castle Stuart was too easy last year ?

[Niall C]

Brian

Possibly, Chris and his colleagues would need to answer that, but as one of the (very) average golfers who have played it several times over the last couple of years I think some more fairway bunkers, be they centre line or not, can only be a good thing. Far too many nothing shots, even for a hacker like me.

With regards to conditioning they have already set themselves a very high standard indeed and if it wasn't for the landslides last year I suspect they could have finished the four rounds readily enough. Anyway, I hope this year goes really well for them.

Niall

[Chris Haspell]

Kris, We have both gravity fed ditches on 9,17 and 18 , to stop water reaching the edge of the gorse, Bad luck last year when the previous custodian of the land had only seen 2 landslips in 75 years , (should i feel blessed or jinxed you decide) and we have also added pumps On the range etc to deal with bigger rain events,
And thanks for the Kind comments , based on last year I hope you are right! and we get and easier ride, though I would love a little more links wind....


Brian , we have taken a balanced view on things based on many things , first and foremost our everyday customer like Niall, who would like more of a challenge off the tee on certain holes , 5 and 14 have always been on the radar for this, and whilst we have added some bunkers now, this was always In Mark and Gils philosophy from day one,  add now when we better understand fully the dynamics of a hole , instead of having 20 bunkers that are not in play and cost money  to maintain from the start, which personally for me as a Course Super has to be the way forward, far too often I have been left with dozens of Bunkers to maintain which are not in play.

But for the Pros, Whom mainly had very positive comments about the course ,the team  here have done plenty of homework , last year we had a shot link  type stats system in place for certain holes , this has given us some valuble Information to judge placement of bunkers, hazards and different cuts of grass. 
We had all kinds of comments last year, some very valuble and some you can take with a pinch of salt , if the wind blows even a little this year as apposed to the calm conditions last year , they will need all the width we have.
To give you an example one of the higher profile pros commented on the friday that the fairways were far too wide to challenge him , and with no wind he succeded in hooking the ball 80yds away from the center of hole 9 (Niall you know how wide that fairway is) straight into the gorse on the left , you cannot take comments like this seriously, and you have to sort the wheat from the chaff so to speak, however  working with the tour several of the straightest hitters on the tour commented that they felt it was too easy off the tee with no fairway bunkers on certain holes and they were not being rewarded for thinking and excecuting where to hit it, in essence this was Mark and Gils philosiphy from day one so we have tried to place the bunkers accordingly on 2 holes which may make them think a little more off the tee.


Brian/Kris I hope this goes some way to answering your questions

I for one am looking forward to welcoming the tour back to see what they think!


Regards



Chris

[Kris Shreiner]

Thanks Chris. Let's hope the event sees a couple of gusty days. Certainly the lads would have plenty to deal with, especially with that site.

Cheers,
Kris
 

[Brad Tufts]

Sounds great Chris...my group had a great two days at CS last summer a couple weeks before the event.

I look forward to seeing pics of where the new bunkers are located!