Cabot Highlands

[Brian_Ewen]

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/inverness/5538916/cabot-castle-stuart-golf-course-2024-open/


New Castle Stuart golf course will be playable by next year
The project will create 30 jobs during construction and nearly double the number of staff on site by 2025.
by John Ross
March 24 2023



Work to build a new championship golf course at Cabot Highlands will start in a matter of days, with the first players expected to tee off next year.

The multi-million-pound project is forecast to be ready for preview play in late 2024, with a grand opening in spring 2025.

It is being created next to the renowned Castle Stuart Golf Links which opened in 2009.

New Castle Stuart golf course will create more jobs

The development will create 30 jobs for mainly local firms during construction.

On completion, the number of full-time and seasonal posts will rise from 50 to around 90, just to service both golf courses at the resort.

Other plans, including building on-site lodges, will see that number rise further, while the pool of 100 caddies is also expected to increase by 50%.

The business was bought over last year by Cabot, the Canadian developer of residential and golf communities.

It is Cabot’s first venture in Europe and the acquisition was hailed as the start of a proposed major development on the Moray Firth.

The aim is to create a gateway destination for the Highlands with more  accommodation, bringing thousands more visitors to the area and hundreds of new jobs.

News that work will start on the second course on April 3 comes as Cabot Highlands opens for the season today.

The venue enjoyed its best ever season in 2022 with 24,000 rounds played.

The new course, as yet unnamed, is designed by acclaimed golf architect Tom Doak.

He is behind the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, venue for the 2019–2022 Scottish Opens and 2019-2020 Ladies Scottish Opens.

It will start and finish in an area currently occupied by the site’s driving range which is being moved to ground nearby.

It will be created around the 400-year-old Castle Stuart, with many holes featuring the landmark.

Lonnie Burn will also feature on three of the holes and many shots will be towards Ben Wyvis and Munlochy Bay.

Cabot Highlands general manager Stuart McColm said the firm’s founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar is continuing the vision of Castle Stuart founder, the late Mark Parsinen, who began the project in 2004.

“It’s a phenomenally exciting period in the evolution of Cabot Highlands.

“Mark had the vision a long time ago to see a bespoke golf resort in the Highlands as Turnberry is to Ayrshire and Gleneagles is to Perthshire.

“To see the next positive step, a second world-class golf course, to complement the other world-class championship course, is dream come true stuff.

“To keep the spotlight on the Highlands in the way that Ben and Cabot are doing, and the way that Mark envisaged, is phenomenal for golf in this area.

“Cabot promised investment and in a very short time is significantly delivering on that.”




He added: “When it comes to the future of tourism and golf in the Highlands, we are determined to remain at the front of the story, playing our part in bringing high-paying visitors to the region.

“With Cabot Highlands open for golf from today, this is a momentous time in our history and an appropriate time to make the announcement.”

Mr Cowan-Dewar previously told the Press and Journal the site’s location next to Inverness Airport,  makes it an ideal visitor hub.

He said he also hopes to bring major tournaments to the area, including the Scottish Open, held four times at Castle Stuart, most recently in 2016.

Investment is a ‘positive bright light’

Yvonne Crook, chair of Highland Tourism CIC, said work starting on the second course is great news for the Highlands as it continues to recover from the pandemic.

“The difference that such an investment and development can make to tourism in the Highlands is very significant at this time.

“We are determined to work in collaboration with Cabot Highlands as well as the private and public sectors to deliver a world-class vision for a premium environmental brand which golf is such an important element of.

“Coming on the back of the pandemic and difficult challenges through Brexit, rising energy costs and challenging business times as well as staffing issues, this is a really positive bright light.”

She said it is an opportunity to work strategically and collaboratively for the benefit of the Highlands.

“It’s a time for private and public sector partners to work together and we are proud to be in a position to be doing that and considering the bigger picture of what can be achieved by working together on the back of significant investments like this for the region.”

Cabot’s first property, near the town of Inverness in Cape Breton, opened in 2012.

The company also has resorts in Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, Central West Florida, opening this year, and in British Columbia, due to open in 2024.

[David_Tepper]

Another article on Cabot Highlands and the area:

https://linksmagazine.com/could-the-scottish-highlands-become-a-golf-destination-on-par-with-st-andrews?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=insider3.20.23

[Ally Mcintosh]

This is just a personal, small-minded thing but I have an extreme dislike for company names for golf courses.


Name the course after the area. Castle Stuart Old & New, Black and White, Thistle and Heather will do just fine.


With all these Cabot courses sprouting up, I can’t help associating similarities to Trump from the naming alone.


That quibble aside (which has nothing to do with GCA), I’m looking forward to this one. I’ll be planning a trip back up to the area in 2025 to see the course and a couple of others I haven’t visited in years.

[Sean_A]

I have to admit I no longer have a clue which Cabot course is being discussed these days...which is annoying enough that I often don't pay attention. The names are too similar and very bland. Sure, that's sign of grumpiness 😎.

Ciao

[Niall C]

This is just a personal, small-minded thing but I have an extreme dislike for company names for golf courses.

I'm glad you were first to post that. I wasn't brave enough and no doubt there will be a bit of a backlash from the supporters of Ben and all things Cabot, but I just think it actually detracts from the course(s). Sure it enhances the Cabot brand but at the same time CS becomes just another Cabot course.


Anyway, looking forward to seeing the result of the new development.


Niall

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

I really dislike these company names, but I also have an issue with names such as The European, Renaissance, St. Patrick's Links, and other kind-of meaningless names. They don't have any connection to the area they are located in. I also don't like the use of "links" in a name; it's very American  .

[David Wuthrich]

I think that it is refreshing to see an area WANT a golf course!!

[Tom_Doak]

I really dislike these company names, but I also have an issue with names such as The European, Renaissance, St. Patrick's Links, and other kind-of meaningless names. They don't have any connection to the area they are located in. I also don't like the use of "links" in a name; it's very American  .

We inherited the name and my only advice was to keep it, but do you really think the name St. Patrick's has nothing to do with Ireland?

[Tom_Doak]

As to our new project in Inverness, I actually like the name Cabot Highlands -- because it's in the Highlands, and I don't think that name has been used for another project up there.  I think they should just call the new course that and leave the Castle Stuart name on the old course, since it is already established . . . much like Mr. Keiser didn't name the second course in Oregon "Bandon Pacific Dunes".

[Niall C]

Tom


On the new project, how much will the new course reflect the architecture of the old ? Was there anything in the brief that said you had to try and mimic elements of the existing course or indeed do something different ? Or perhaps you were given a free hand ?


What I'm basically asking is will there be any contrived use of railway sleepers ? 


Niall

[Tom_Doak]

Niall:


We’ve been given a free hand as to what to build.


We discussed the idea of building no bunkers at all, however that generally works better on compact sites with rugged features, and this site is much bigger than that.  So I think we will have some bunkers, but Clyde is keen to make the contouring of the approaches the star attraction.


We have also discussed the possibility of using some sleepers as the railway line is actually almost adjacent to the course.  We have not yet set on a bunker style though.  Ask me again this summer!

[Marty Bonnar]

Golf magazine article - oh, and the back of Doak’s head! :
https://apple.news/ASyXnmGSbS8654d9uTop1pA

[Tom_Doak]

Golf magazine article - oh, and the back of Doak’s head! :
https://apple.news/ASyXnmGSbS8654d9uTop1pA

That’s my good side! 

[Sean_A]

Niall:

We’ve been given a free hand as to what to build.

We discussed the idea of building no bunkers at all, however that generally works better on compact sites with rugged features, and this site is much bigger than that.  So I think we will have some bunkers, but Clyde is keen to make the contouring of the approaches the star attraction.

We have also discussed the possibility of using some sleepers as the railway line is actually almost adjacent to the course.  We have not yet set on a bunker style though.  Ask me again this summer!

Is the work of Simpson going to be channelled for the approaches? He was a clever dude in that regard.

Ciao

[Tom_Doak]

Sean:


If we get compared to Tom Simpson when we are finished, we would happily take the compliment.  I’m not sure I am that good, but perhaps Clyde is.

[Sean_A]

Sean:


If we get compared to Tom Simpson when we are finished, we would happily take the compliment.  I’m not sure I am that good, but perhaps Clyde is.

I have faith 😎.

Ciao

[Ben Sims]

How much sand is on the site at Cabot Highlands? From the aerial it looks like the area north of the rail line and southwest of the castle bordering the water is all hay fields and a bit of estuary.

[David_Tepper]

"How much sand is on the site at Cabot Highlands?"

Ben S. -

If I remember correctly, there was not all that much sand on the land where the Castle Stuart course was built  A large deposit of sand was found at the east end of the property and the sand from that deposit was spread about for the base of that course.

I would be surprised if there was much sand to be found in the soil where the new course is being built. Given that Tom D. has mentioned the possibility of building a bunkerless course there, that would tend to indicate there is not much sand in the soil. Tom D. would, of course have the definitive answer.

DT
 

[Ally Mcintosh]

Good article.Clearly the Castle Stuart site has been farmed for the last xxx years. What I couldn’t tell is whether there is sand underneath the organic stuff on top. And if so, how far under.

Hi Ally:Well, we have just paid archaeologists a lot of money to find stuff to pay them more to catalogue, but as part of that they dug trenches all over the site, so we got to see how much topsoil we will have to remove in order to get to the sand.  It varies across the site -- and the work by the castle wasn't done when we were there -- but there is sand pretty much throughout the lower part of the site, generally within a foot of the surface.

From an earlier thread on the topic.

[Wayne_Kozun]

I have to admit I no longer have a clue which Cabot course is being discussed these days...which is annoying enough that I often don't pay attention. The names are too similar and very bland. Sure, that's sign of grumpiness 😎.

As a Canadian I am rather proud that this is a Canadian brand that is being exported to other high quality golf destinations.  Long live the Cabot name!
Despite the fact that Cabot is an Anglicization of an Italian name.

[Tom_Doak]

All those history classes, and I swear no one ever told me that Cabot was Italian!  I thought he was the one true English explorer.  (I guess they had to wait for Captain Cook.)


Please don’t tell me Cabot never went to The Highlands (or a city’s farm), I can only take so much disappointment in one day.

[Tim Gallant]

An article about the course, with a view of the routing:


https://www.golfdigest.com/story/cabot-highlands-scotland-tom-doak-course


You can see the criss-cross opener/starter, as well as a few other really neat ideas. Appreciate this is all subject to change, but excited to see its progression.

[Greg Tallman]

Some may not like the branding but it’s a necessary evil these days and Ben hasn’t made many missteps in creating the now global brand. Kudos, look forward to Cabot Baja ??

[Ally Mcintosh]

An article about the course, with a view of the routing:


https://www.golfdigest.com/story/cabot-highlands-scotland-tom-doak-course


You can see the criss-cross opener/starter, as well as a few other really neat ideas. Appreciate this is all subject to change, but excited to see its progression.

What a great illustration from Don Placek.

[Jeff Schley]

I was there in June and construction was in full swing.  Was approval granted for the waterfront field to utilize in the routing?  Not sure by this rendering.