Thank you, gentlemen. The last few posts, especially Rich's are getting to the point of what I was trying to say.
Although I didn't get down into the middle on foot, I did get a decent look at a lot of the area from the disused railway and I stand by what I said initially. It doesn't look like the great links courses I've been on. I said what Rich said, a fairly liberal use of heavy equipment would (could?) produce a great course.
But here's what's funny. I was prepared to come on here this morning and mostly retract my comments... because I played Brora yesterday. I've long said it's my favorite course in Scotland and standing on the first tee I remembered why.
To be honest, Coul does look a little bit like the links at Brora. It hasn't got the large flat-ish areas for fairways that Dornoch, St. Andrews, the Ayrshire coast, East Lothian, etc. have. The second of Scott's photos is what I was talking about.
Even Prestwick isn't one hump or bump after another.
Jon W. HAS walked the links and says he sees a golf course in the mold of Machrihanish Dunes (IIRC) but is that the "world class" course that everyone is talking about? And would that be what the guys in Tour buses coming from Castle Stuart, RDC, Nairn, Royal Troon, Turnberry, Muirfield and TOC be looking for"
I LOVE, LOVE, Brora. But it's got a lot of blind shots, despite what they've done to it to make it a lar 71, it's still a really good par 69. And you know they felt the "had" to do that to attract more tourist money.
Proof of it was the couple that played behind us yesterday who are Canadian members of Troon Golf Club in Arizona. They've played Royal Troon, Prestwick (which she didn't like), Western Gailes and Royal Dornoch. Played Brora on someone's (a caddy maybe) recommendation. Playing Castle Stuart today.
To be fair, though, they like "real" links golf and are headed south to play Crail and Lundin.
K