"
Some sniff that the design puts aesthetics first. That’s preposterous, this is one of the world’s most strategic courses and the golfing quality matches the aesthetics step-for-step."
Yep, I was one of those. They moved heaven and earth to create the aesthetics while the course is a long, long way short of being the strategic masterpiece that Ran suggests. A very nice course and a pleasure to play for sure, particularly how well Chris and his team keeps it but one of the world's most strategic ? I don't think so.
It's an old argument about this course but acres of width doesn't automatically produce strategy, at least not in the meaningful sense. It just encourages the ignorant blooter. Why ? Because often it makes very little difference as to which side you come in from for your next shot. The obvious exceptions to that are the 3rd and the 6th which basically present the same problem. A narrow green (both of which have the same alignment) and a bunker 50-70 yards short of the green in the spot you'd want to place your ball to make the approach. A nice idea, so good in fact they did it twice.
Another narrow green is the 14th that Ran suggests you need to be down the left for the favoured angle for approach. Can I suggest that is correct if you hit the ball well over 300 yards as to be able to play down that green with any kind of run you need to be 20-30 yards short of it. For the rest of us ordinary mortals who will likely be hitting a full iron in, it's an aerial shot. A very challenging shot and good fun for sure but maybe an example where the built reality didn't quite match the design intent.
Another example of that is the 17th. I spent a week marshalling at that hole at the Scottish Open, watching some of the best golfers on the planet trying to make sense of it. I spent equal time at the green as I did standing on the tee, and frankly after a week, none of us, the other marshalls included, had no idea whether a shot was going to be good while it was in the air. Some took the left to right bounce others didn't and eventually we came to the conclusion it was a hit and hope.
As for the 18th, well if you didn't know to aim for the flagpole off the tee there's no way you'd intuitively know where the fairway was from the tee set up (maybe that's a cunning plan to get players to use caddies
). Then unless you're a big hitter and you've hit a very long drive where you've got a choice of going for the green then it's a punt down to the left followed by a short iron in. Nice enough hole with, yes I'm going to say it, very nice aesthetics but one of the great finishing holes ? eh, actually no.
Now you might think from the foregoing that I'm not a fan of Castle Stuart or indeed Mark Parsinen. In fact I like the course well enough and from the one time I met Mark he was a very gracious, intelligent and interesting host. I'd definitely go and play any new courses of his in a hurry and I certainly wish more power to his elbow. However the praise for this course is IMO not only over the top but misplaced in terms of its supposed strategic properties but then who am I to judge
.
Niall