Castle Stuart

Home of the Scottish open for the last few years, this certainly falls into the category of great modern courses. Only open for the last 4 years or so, Mark Parsinen and Co have in my view done a fantastic job in making the course appear that it has been there for many a year. The views over the Moray Firth are stunning, especially at the end of a long summers day and it's a course that is simply fun to play.

Above, the par 5 second highlights the very generous fairway with the option of the high or low road, leading to one of many infinity style greens looking out onto the firth. 

The third is probably the best hole on the course, tiny at only 250 yards or so but is one of the ultimate risk, reward holes and judging by the scores at the scottish open that ranged from 2 to 6 show that almost anything is possible. The use of the sleepers as oppose to bunkering was a very nice addition and adds difficulty to the greenside approach if you are long and left ( below)

 Quite a bit of photography done here doing last years Scottish open, before being roused by the stewards!

The 4th, as with many of the holes at Castle stuart is framed towards one of the local sites of in the distance. In this case it is Castle stuart itself that sits proudly behind the green. Though in my view the hole itself is probably the weakest of a good bunch of par 3s.

Castle Stuart is certainly in the same mould as Kingsbarns and with the themes of width and strategy apparent on both. Likewise the greens in my view are excellent at both tracks and offer a great variety of contours, certainly punishing if you end up on the wrong side.

Looking down the fairway on the 9th, one of my favourite par 4s here with a fantastic waste area if you leave your approach short.

The back 9 begins with a couple of cracking holes. 10 is a wonderful par 4 next to the water with a well placed bunker to be avoided from the tee. 11 is their signature par 3 and a hole I would put on my dream 18 holes. Only a short iron but with water long, sand short and a tricky run off for those who bail out to the right.

The 18th below is a fitting end to the round.  Along par 5 but plays downhill and offers a great risky second over a simply enormous waste area and another rivetted face close to the green.

So Castle Stuart certainly fits the mould of many a modern day architect but how does it rate compared to Parsinen's other work in Fife.. There might be some debate on this, I'm not too sure but I would still go for Kingsbarns which purely as a golf course I think just offers a little more. The rankings would seem to agree with that view but in the end who really cares!

 I suppose the weakness of both of these courses is the lack of trouble from the tees. A couple of well placed bunkers on the par 4s and 5s would add a great deal to both. Obviously they are not designed to be overly penal and to offer enjoyment for golfers of all standards. In that regard these courses are a resounding success.