Castle Stuart: A reminder that golf is supposed to be fun!

[James Boon]

We have had quite a few pictures and discussions related to Castle Stuart, but hopefully you will indulge me posting my own set of pictures? Especially as I’ve now played Askernish, and they make for an interesting duo of recently opened / reopened Scottish courses…

I had been up to Nairn for a client’s golf day, and as my flight the next day wasn’t till the evening I had time to spare. I was really tempted to hire a car and head for Royal Dornoch as its been a while since I have managed to get that far north, however, Castle Stuart’s proximity to Inverness Airport (less than 5 minutes drive) made the decision fairly easy for me. As I was getting taxis around, the club even offered to drop me off at the airport after my round.

Having spoken to several locals while staying in Nairn, they all seemed to be under the impression that the course was aimed at the American tourist market, so the club obviously needs to advertise its £50 green fee for locals, a lot better! But I was stumping up the full amount so I had certain expectations. However, the access driveway obviously hasn’t been a priority so far, as it was still a rough gravel track. However, upon arrival at the clubhouse, the level of service was very attentive. I was greeted and then shown around the clubhouse, and from within the rather well appointed changing rooms, the view was enough to really get me excited…

Looking right to the 18th


Looking left to the 9th


A view of the practice area from just outside the pro shop,


Looking across to the 9th from just outside the pro shop, with the view beyond, and a hint of the timber detailing I’d read so much about on here…


I was down to play as a single, but the starter set me up with a wonderful American chap who has a holiday home in Nairn and was very familiar with the course, and a friend of his over here fishing. If I had been on my own I would probably have taken an awful lot more photos, but perhaps not had such a good afternoon, as they were both very good company.

This is the starters hut, designed to fit in with the style of the clubhouse, and also to blend into the landscape. There is also a large and undulating putting green here, but I didn’t get a photo.

From the starters hut you can’t actually see the first tee, as its over a ridge down by the Moray Firth. So the starter welcomes you and then walks you down to the first tee. I should point out that the starters hut also doubles as a half way house.

Hole 1
360 yards
Par 4
Even though there is a gorse covered bank to the left and the Moray Firth to the right, this is a pretty wide fairway. The large bunker short right isn’t really in play from this tee.


The approach seen from the left side of the fairway. You can just see one of the small bunkers up this side of the fairway, but you have to be really wide to be in there. The green looks to be right on the edge of the water…


However, as you can see here, the green isn’t right next to the water.


Hole 2
530 yards
Par 5
Another wide fairway here, but you really need to choose between the upper left or lower right tier. The right brings the water into play but leaves a shorter shot for anyone wanting to go for the green in two. The left brings the gorse bank into play but gives a better angle for approaching the green if you fancy having a go in two?


Here’s a view from the centre of the fairway showing the slope and one of the rough areas on the centre line


This is a great green, whether you are approaching it with a 3 wood or a wedge. Bunkers right and left, a lower front tier, and a large closely mown run off area to the rear.


Hole 3
290 yards
Par 4
A cracking short par 4! Check out Anthony Gray’s thread for some more pictures (but have your sunglasses ready for the his trousers…) http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,42000.0/
The green is quite narrow and angled from front right to back left ever so slightly, so the best play is to lay up short of the right hand bunkers, unless of course you fancy having a go at it! But there is plenty of danger in the form of water and bunkers, and anything to the left leaves a tricky approach to the green. Here is the view from the tee


A layup with a long iron leaves this view from just short of the right hand bunkers


And hopefully you will miss this bunker which is the first one you come to in the fairway.


Here is the green seen from short right. You can see that anything missing this side will leave a tricky recovery. Yes, a putter is probably best, but the revetted eyebrows will make that tricky. Also, the water isn’t far over the back, as while many of the greens at CS look like they are right next to the water, this one actually is.


Hole 4
176 yards
Par 3
A clever piece of landscape design on this hole. The green appears to be just in front of the castle in the distance, the eponymous Castle Stuart and its distinctive open spire, which also forms the clubs logo. However, when you get up to the green you will see that’s its actually some way in the distance on the other side of a tidal inlet.
This is the view from the tee.

There is plenty of room to run any approach in from short left.

Hole 5
430 yards
Par 4
The drive is over a ridge with the lower fairway to either the right or beyond 250 yards out, giving a good line to the green.


Here’s the view from the upper fairway. You can see a bunker to the left which is shared with the next hole coming back the other way.


Looking back at the green from the next tee. The approach is from the right in this photo and you can see the humps and hollows to the left and the bunker through the back, as well as a graveyard in the distance


Hole 6
522 yards
Par 5
You can open your shoulders on the drive here


But you have to be very careful with your lay up as a bunker sits in the middle of the fairway, in the perfect position


Here’s the view from just short left of this very narrow green. A great green site!

You will notice the skyline green that looks as though the green is right by the water, but the water is actually some way away. The round starts by the Moray Firth and after a few holes heads inland, but you don’t really realise that you have climbed up on to an upper plateau, so between this green and the water there is some elevation change and also the 3rd hole.

Hole 7
451 yards
Par 4
A long par 4 that hugs the top of the ridge, with the 2nd hole down below. It dog legs to the left slightly also, so the best place off the tee is if you can get your ball up the left, near the fairway bunker and the drop off.


I noticed some of the timber sleeper detailing just off the fairway. As this was the first time I’d really noticed it anywhere, I’d say these features are not as obtrusive out on the course as I thought they were going to be. However, I think some, like this one, feel a little contrived? But some of the others are just fine.


Here’s the view from just short of the dog leg, with the drop off and bunker down to the left.

You have plenty of room to run an approach in from the right, and there is a hidden greenside bunker down to the left, so you can pull your approach and think you will be in real trouble, only to find that you have a not too difficult bunker shot.

Hole 8
208 yards
Par 3
The green on this par 3 is ‘L’ shaped and nestles into the hillside, so in some places your ball will feed in to the centre of the green. However, there is a mound just short that could kick your ball off line.


Here’s the view from the right of the green


Hole 9
350 yards
Par 4
On the tee your eyes are drawn to the right side of the fairway, however there is plenty of room to the left, even if it’s not so noticeable.


Here’s the view from the right side of the fairway. A ridge kicks your ball down to a lower area, so the approach is to a raised green.

Looking back from the green, you can see the upper left side of the fairway, which actually leaves a much better approach shot with the green visible and the contours more receptive.


So that’s the front nine and its played 3,317 yards from the white tees to a par of 36. A quick stop at the half way house, and a nice warming soup, then its off to the tenth, which will follow shortly…

Cheers,

James

[James Boon]

Hole 10
360 yards
Par 4
As with the first, its back down to the lower area by the Moray Firth to get to the 10th tee, though there is a back tee that shares some of the edge of the putting green high up above. There is lots of room to the right, though the left side leaves a better approach. If you aim at the fairway bunker with enough club to lay up just short, that works pretty well…


Here’s the view from just short of the fairway bunker


This view from the dunes to the right shows the upper right and lower left tiers, as well as the proximity of the water


Hole 11
130 yards
Par 3
A stunning little par 3! Check out Anthony Gray’s thread for a few more photos… especially those from the upper plateau looking down
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41900.0/
Before this thread, I hadn’t actually noticed the blow out style bunkers on the left dune to stop balls running over onto the water. This is the view looking towards the 11th green, from the walk over the dunes by the 10th


And here’s the view from the tee. Anything long and left is in the water. Short right, isn’t too bad if you have a good short game, but best bet is to hit the green! Anything slightly left should kick off the bank and run nicely into the centre of the putting surface


The markers for the tees are simple painted wooden posts while the tee markers themselves are painted stones.


And timber edging and steps up to the tee


Here’s a view of the green, looking down the Moray Firth towards the Kessock Bridge near Inverness.


Hole 12
518 yards
Par 5
Another wide open fairway so you can open your shoulders


Unless you have ripped one 270 odd yards the second will be blind, but you may just see the top of the flag


This is the bunker short left which also shows the drop off down to the water on this side. Anything right is a much better angle for an approach, but you need to shape the ball right to left to run it in off the contours that side.


From the 12th green to the next tee is quite a way and its uphill to the upper tier as well. But this is the only real occasion where there is such a walk, and they are good enough when you tee off to give you a token for the timber clad drinks machine half way up the hill. Here’s the view back down the hill


Hole 13
416 yards
Par 4
Plenty of room to the left with your tee shot, but that will leave a longer approach, so you have to bite off as much of the corner as you dare


Walking from the tee to the fairway and there is a large exposed sand bank, complete with holes that sand martin have dug for their nests


Here’s the view from just short of the green. A great view beyond of the Moray and the Kessock Bridge, though again we are some way up above and away from the water here. The mounds short and right are supposed to be a mirror of the mounds short and left of the 2nd at TOC.


Hole 14
360 yards
Par 4
The drive is downhill between some dunes


A long run of almost chocolate drop mounds runs all the way down the right side from the landing area, up to the green


A closer look at the green shows that the best approach is from the left of the fairway. Anything short and right leaves a tricky chip. The bunker back left are actually beyond a hollow and not immediately in play.


Hole 15
409 yards
Par 4
Another dog leg to the left, similar to the 7th.


Avoid the bunker on the inside corner as its quite deep.


Bunker left and hollows right protect this green


Hole 16
325 yards
Par 4
A short, perhaps driveable, par 4. There is very little trouble off the tee, though the right side leaves the best angle for your approach. This is the view from the left with bunkers beyond and hollow short.


Hole 17
210 yards
Par 3
After a hole that many will birdie, comes this long par 3, back into the prevailing wind, that many will bogey. There is plenty of room and some contours to the left, that will help feed your ball in towards the green. Short right is trouble.


Hole 18
508 yards
Par 5
A drive out to the left, aimed at the Scottish Saltire flag left of the clubhouse, is your best bet. From this tee you will look down on the holes below that are by the Firth. Unfortunately I was having camera trouble so I don’t have so many pictures of this last 3 holes or the view down). Here’s the drive


After your drive, a layup will need to be well to the left. Anything too far to the right will find the large sand dune unless it carries to just short of the green


Looking from the top of the dune to the right of the lay up area.


From just short of the green you can see that anything short will be in this grass pot bunker, an interesting and challenging concept?


The 18th is a finishing hole where an eagle is just as likely as a bogey, proving how much fun this course really is.

The back nine has played at 3,236 yards with a par of 36, which gives a total of 6,553 yards from the white tees to a par of 72. There are also black back tees which play to 7,009 yards and a green set of tees that play to 6,153 yards.

Lastly, here the view of the art deco inspired clubhouse as you walk off the 18th green,


And after your well deserved pint and some cracking food, looking out at the views of the course you will find they are very proud of the views as they even give you a view from the urinals!


Hope you have enjoyed the photos and thank you for allowing me to indulge in posting them even though we have seen quite a bit of the course already!

There has been lots of talk about the course, both good and bad, but the key thing for me is that Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse have created a course which is great fun to play! What more could you ask for?

Cheers,

James

[David_Tepper]

James -

Thanks for posting your pics. There can never be too many pics here of such a fine course.

Judging by the flagsticks, it looks like you had a very breezy day. Was that the case? If so, did you feel the course had enough width to be playable in such conditions?

DT

[Ulrich Mayring]

The club house looks a bit cheesy to me from the outside, what's with that turquoise roof and faux pueblo-style architecture? I'm sorry to report that the starter's hut looks like it jumped out of a 1950s Italian Riviera movie

But the course looks absolutely stunning. And I don't just mean the way it was integrated into the great natural surroundings or the superb views. I mean the design of the course, it looks like a true master was at work here. This is just so superior to anything I've seen lately that I can only tip my hat. Every tee shot looks different, all the features are interesting and, it seems, totally relevant to the various strategies.

Hopefully I can play it next August, I will make a concerted effort to. And I will compare it to Royal Dornoch.

Ulrich

[Mark_F]

Great post James.

Looks like there are a lot of really neat little features about the course, and bags of variety.

[Ash Towe]

Great set of pics.
I dont get tired of seeing this course.
Thanks for sharing.

[Anthony Gray]

  Easily Top 100.

  Anthony

[Tony_Muldoon]

The club house looks a bit cheesy to me from the outside, what's with that turquoise roof and faux pueblo-style architecture?

Ulrich

Ulrich I think the colour you are referring to is Verdigris and in a previous serendipitous thread I’ve suggested it as the kind of Architectural treatment that they have chosen to use here.

[David_Tepper]

Anthony -

"Easily Top 100"?

How about Top 20?

DT

[Ulrich Mayring]

It probably hasn't the championship qualities of Royal Dornoch and misses the quirk of Cruden Bay. Top 20 (world) is a stretch for any new course, it took Pacific Dunes and Sand Hills quite a while to get up there. Castle Stuart certainly looks the part, but looks can be deceiving ;-)

Ulrich

[David_Tepper]

Ulrich -

I was referencing Top 20 in GB&I, not the world.
For some reason, I assumed Anthony G. was doing the same.
I could be totally wrong about that. My apologies if I am mistaken in that regard.

Re: the Castle Stuart clubhouse, the developers were going for an art-deco look, something similar to Royal Birkdale.

DT

[Ulrich Mayring]

I'll give 'em that their clubhouse is a bit nicer than Royal Birkdale's, which I happen to dislike as well ;-)

Hey, no harm done, just a matter of taste. You can't please 'em all. I'd still go there.

But what business Art Déco has in the Scottish Highlands is anyone's guess. I am probably approaching the outer edges of my Weltbild here, does this have something to do with Charles Rennie Mackintosh? Or is this just a question of eclecticism: "Hey, everybody loves a waterfall, let's put one on the golf course" ;-)

Ulrich

[David_Tepper]

Ulrich -

The design of the Castle Stuart golf course was intended to evoke the period of the 1920's-30's. This was a period when bunker design was moving from a rough-hewn look (ragged edges and the use of timber & railway sleepers) to a cleaner, more modern style (revetted & sod-faced). That is why there are a mixture of bunker styles on the course.

The design of the clubhouse is intended to reflect the style of the same era.

DT

[Alex Miller]

Looks like a great course, hope I get out there someday.

Anyone else curious what it would be like if they reversed the routing? Finishing by the water instead of up on top of the bluffs. As it is now, the golfer is certainly shocked from the get go with the water on the right, but isn't there potential for some great finishers. It's a tough question:

Tease the golfer throughout the round, then finally let them near the shore for a great finish, or

Put them in awe early and continue the solid golf and scenic views.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

What great pictures. I cannot believe that curse has escaped me. I always think of Mountain Lake as fun golf.

[Brian Phillips]

It is definitely a Top 100 of the World golf course.  Technically it way past Dornoch (as in better) but it does not have one of the most important points when raters seemed to define what is a great course....history.

It is better than Sunningdale and Royal Birkdale and they are both in the top 50 of Golf Magazine's list.  This course will have no problem getting into the Top 40 within the next few year. I do not think it will ever break the Top 20 though.

[Bryan Izatt]

James -

Thanks for posting your pics. There can never be too many pics here of such a fine course.

Judging by the flagsticks, it looks like you had a very breezy day. Was that the case? If so, did you feel the course had enough width to be playable in such conditions?

DT

David,

I'd guess from the pictures that James didn't have a windy day.  The flags don't seem to be bending, there are no waves or whitecaps on the firth, and James brief descriptions of clubs he used on the upwind holes are inconsistent with facing a stiff breeze.  With the wind up, as it was when I was there in June, the course plays very difficult.  It certainly has the width for the wind, but you'd better have your driver under control and be able to knock shots down.  Given the elevation of much of the course and the prevailing winds being down the firth, it can be a very windy site.

As for where the course will rate in the GB&I or world lists, that'll probably depend on who and how it's rated.  It struck me as a bit of an American course.  The land is not particularly linksy.  So I'm not sure how it will stack up on the GB&I list. Is it better than TOC or Royal Dornoch?  I'm not convinced, but then I prefer linksy courses.  Not to say that it isn't a very good modern design.  It could well be rated up with Pacific Dunes and Chambers Bay if that is the kind of course that gets rated highly.  But it is hard for me to compare those kind of courses to historical links courses.  Perhaps they're all good and whether it's top 20 or top 100 in somebody's book is irrelevant.

One additional comment on the 16th, which is a very driveable par 4 downwind, it is defended by a wicked Redan type green.  It may look like a birdie hole, but it is tough to get any kind of pitch or chip shot close to a front or right pin position.  A nicely designed short 4.

[James Boon]

Glad everyone likes the photos.

Bryan,

You are right in guessing that I didn't have a windy day, well not as far as wind on a links course is concerned! The previous day at Nairn, it was windy enough to turn a couple of the downwind short par 5s into a drive and a mid iron for me, but there was no such help (or hinderance) on my day at CS.

David,

I think CS has more than enough room to cope with windy weather, even cross winds, on the tee shots. As I'm sure you are aware, the course was designed to give strategic options off the tee, so there is plenty of width, but I suppose you could end up on the wrong side for a good angle at the green. As some of the greens are very narrow, I would imagine that on said windy day, from the wrong side of the fairway you may need to lay up just short of the green to give a chip up its length, rather than having the room to shape a shot with the wind? So though some will no doubt complain, others will see an opportunity for good course management?

Cheers,

James

[Ulrich Mayring]

What do you mean not linksy? It certainly looks like linksland, does it not play firm and fast?

Will try to play it next year, perhaps the clubhouse will grow on me as well then

Ulrich

[Bryan Izatt]

I mean the land is not linksland - it is basically a narrow strip of land, originally covered in gorse along the stone beach of the firth, for the first three holes of each nine.  The rest of the course is more or less on top of a cliff above the firth on what was farmland.  All the links-like look was manufactured.  There are no natural dunes.  The sand face on 13 was apparently a sand deposit that was mined to provide sand to create the features on the rest of the course.  I've only played it once, and it was windy and firm and fast that day.  Not sure how it will play in other conditions or how they will maintain it.  I'd call it a faux links.  Not that that makes it a bad course, just difficult to compare to the traditional links courses of Scotland for me. 

[Ulrich Mayring]

Ok, I get your drift, so it's faux like Kingsbarns.

Ulrich

[Mark Pearce]

Ok, I get your drift, so it's faux like Kingsbarns.

Ulrich

But with added faux antiquity!

[Eric Smith]

Thank you JB!  These are some of the finest photos I've seen thus far and I appreciate the tour.

Also glad to hear that you enjoyed it so much.

[michael damico]

thanks alot James. great documentation; looks like a real fun course.

[Niall C]

Anthony -

"Easily Top 100"?

How about Top 20?

DT

What of ?

Apologies should have read the rest of the comments !

James

Great photos taken from the golfers perspective. It certainly looks quite wide. Another thought that struck me looking at your photos is that while the site has a lot of elevational changes, when you look at a lot of the fairways there isn't a huge amount of elevational change side to side and at places it looks a bit contained. Similiar to Kingsbarns maybe.

Niall