Castle Stuart

Mark Parsinen, the American Businessman who, with Kyle Phillips (the American golf architect) was behind the Kingsbarns course near St Andrews, has now partnered another American architect, Gil Hanse, to create a unique, fast-running course in a stunningly picturesque location conveniently near Inverness Airport in the Scottish Highlands.

Parsinen I am told, wants, through Castle Stuart, to prove that an American can design a true links course and wants people to feel it is an improvement on Kingsbarns. In the latter there is no problem, the scenic audacity is unsurpassable and the draining, pure sand-based ground supports lovely fine fescue grasses, that are the basis for fine golf.

Open to any visitor with deep pockets and with no local club membership, this development with its planned building of lodges and a hotel seems to be pitching for the luxury short-stay visitor market, with other upscale resorts as its competition. The attraction of The Scottish Open in July 2011 for at least three years, will be a major boost to its and the highlands profile as a golf destination.

Evening view from the showers!

From the time you arrive, there are many delightful members of staff, determined to ensure you genuinely have a good time while, thank goodness, the “have a nice day” surface comment was not in evidence! There is exquisite attention to detail, from the mouldings and bumps around the greens to windows at eye height allowing those taking a shower to watch their friends on the 9th hole or using the extensive practice facilities.

Before playing I had a proper coffee in the dark, wood-panelled bar, sank back in a deep leather armchair and studied Parsinen’s welcome in the course planner.

His concept of the game is about error and recovery, rather than perfection, and it drives his wish to minimise time spent looking for lost balls and to create greens that inspire confidence, an ethos that he calls “more about redemption than punishment”. The philosophical heart of this course is in the right place.

The 12th green

He is aware that many of the golfers he wishes to attract are influenced in their golf tastes by television’s promotion of ‘dart-board, target-style’ golf on courses with over-watered greens, lush criss-cross mown fairways, penal hazards and an emphasis on driving and putting. He is saying there is a more enjoyable type of golf and is appealing to them to try his form of ‘fine’ golf.

The course is in two loops, linked at the central art-deco style clubhouse that has 180 degree views from three levels, perched on the high escarpment overlooking the Moray Firth and across to the disturbingly beautiful Black Isle with its hills and mountains behind.

Chanonry lighthouse behind 16th

Parsinen is known as a designer who incorporates the creation of vistas behind his greens. At Kingsbarns mounds were moved purely to enhance the seascape vistas and here he has pointed his ‘infinity’ greens, perched on the horizon with only the grand sense of a distant vista behind, at the local landmarks of Kessock bridge and the white lighthouse at the end of the Chanonry peninsular that is home to the century-old, exquisite  James Braid links course of Fortrose & Rosemarkie.

The excellent  Club website has a page on Parsinen’s design philosophy and ‘course goals’. He is confident in his explanations of his objectives which are akin to those of FineGolf. For example he wants everybody to enjoy his courses and there are no penal shots that a high handicapper cannot negotiate.

The split fairway 2nd

Fine fescue grasses have been used throughout and will allow this course to be enjoyed for all twelve months of the year. The dry fairways have the potential to be hard and fast running with maturity. The tees and green surrounds are all cut at 12mm, with the greens at 5mm, which already run well.

The very knowledgeable R&A agronomist Alistair Beggs is understandably most complimentary in his article on the STRI website, and while contoversial in his suggestion that Castle Stuart may replace in time Royal Dornoch as the finest course in the Highlands,  he assues me that should be read as a compliment rather than a criticism!

The quality of the course is astounding, managed by the renowned Chris Haspell, who was employed in Denmark when all pesticides were banned there, following EU directives. No longer, therefore, was the often disease-ridden poa annua (meadow grass) a feasible platform for Danish golf courses.

Chris was influential in helping develop the gingerbread movement among the Danish greenkeepers to use traditional Jim Arthur methods of encouraging the fine grasses (fescues and bents) that are disease-resistant and require less pesticides.

Kessock bridge behind 13th green

The designs of Castle Stuart’s interesting greens are defended primarily by swales and dramatic movement in the ground with only a few revetted bunkers. I found myself putting from some way off the greens rather than using the bump and run. This is a compliment to the quality of the young, immaculate grass, though one would need to play a number of times to see if there is a real depth to the design around the greens.

The concept of using a lob wedge (that instrument of ‘target’ golf) did come to mind quite a few times but lets hope it will be found that, as the sward hardens and tightens, recovery play will require that deftness of soft hands to bump and run the ball, an important element in the glory of ‘fine’ links golf.

Art Deco clubhouse and 9th green

Parsinen wanted to build an art deco 1930s-style clubhouse at Kingsbarns but felt it did not fit there. At Castle Stuart, however, his all white building with a turquoise roof, with some vague similarities to Royal Birkdale’s clubhouse, perhaps fits with his wish to create a course from the era of design from 1890 to 1935 that he calls the ‘transitional period’.

Nevertheless  the mixture of image messages, of a development in Scotland designed around a castle  that has adopted the name and cupola of the castle as its identifying logo, with a 1930s style club house, are a little confusing to me.

Castle Stuart behind the 4th green

The Scottish stone built castle that is the original Castle Stuart is brilliantly framed behind the 4th hole.

Certainly much of the bunkering is wild and historic, as though the sheep sheltering from the wind were their creators and this enhances the ‘earlier’ design feel.

Those who prefer the traditional arrangement of revetted links pot bunkering and hazards forcing a precision from tee shots, as found on the classic links like Muirfield or Hoylake etc, may be uneasy here with the openness off the tee to fairways as wide as 80 yards. It certainly allows you the luxury of a confident drive and perhaps is one of the reasons that there is scope for 7,400 yards off the back tees to still stretch the big hitters.

With at least two par fours being driveable and a number of others within wedgeable length for Professionals, when the wind does not blow, as during the Scottish Open, it is not surprising that  scoring is low. I don’t suppose this worries Parsinen in the slightest, though something will need to be done about stopping avalanches when it rains on the 12th hole.

Unlike another recently built ‘fine’ course Dundonald Links, near Troon in Ayrshire, where there is a bunker at which to aim on most tees, here there is a lack of definition. This gives some similarity to many holes at the 1864 founded Royal North Devon GC.

Animals, though, are not found roaming and eating the beautiful wispy fescue rough here on this immaculate course, unlike RND, but it is a pity that even well-behaved dogs, who would fit with the 1930s theme, are not welcome.

Both loops of nine holes start with three holes along the beach and under an escarpment of gorse. Indeed, the most daunting drive of the round is at the first, before the fairways, without any long carries, become generous. They have banked the left side of the 1st fairway thereby creating an optical sense from the tees along the beach, of less fairway than there actually is.

The short par four 3rd

The driveable par four 3rd and par three 130 yard 11th both have ‘infinity’ greens hanging over the edge of the beach, and are sublime in both their setting and the questions they pose.

The two revetted ‘eyelids’ on the side of the bank to the left of the 3rd green are an interesting use of a links hazard without the penalty of a bunker but do they take away options rather than adding them which is more a factor of ‘target’ than ‘fine running’  golf?.

The other twelve holes are along the top of the cliff and though not every hole is pointed at the sea, inland views are few and each hole is a separate enjoyment. The routing flowed well except for the heart attach climb from 12 to 13, while most holes are predominantly at the same angle to the wind, up and down the coast.

As one of the criteria of ‘fine golf’ is that you should be able to remember each hole for some time afterwards, and one just about can here, nevertheless there is an open ‘sameyness’ to some of the driving and the approach shots to table greens with deep swales on one side, or ‘edge contours’, as he calls them.

An emphasis on slogging length off the tee, might replace the need for precision in the drive and though this does not help me focus and concentrate and thereby raise my personal game, it may well be in tune with aspects of the modern approach of how long your drive is, as being vital to enjoyment. Another positive factor is that balls are less likely to be lost and therefore play can be quicker.

It certainly helps  with approaches to greens if your drive is on the correct side of the wide fairways and each hole  is worthy of tactical consideration on the tee. The design without using ‘modern’ penal hazards provides an enjoyable challenge to high handicappers as well as those off scratch who will be stretched on some holes from the back tees.

The 6th castle staurt

To quote Parsinen, “Castle Stuart is not a ‘kick it through the uprights’ type of golf course”, and I take him to mean it is not like so many traditional links courses that play between sand dunes and hazards but rather has an open style with minimal bunkering.

Here we have a couple of Americans with imagination creating a great seaside product with visually a high ‘joy to be alive’ factor. Some traditionalists may be disappointed that, in comparison to some of the classic links experiences, it is so forgiving from the tee.

This course will help golf tourism in the Highlands particularly from overseas and will be complimentary to Royal Dornoch and Nairn. It will be, when fully developed, an impressive addition to the choices available to the wealthy who may otherwise wish to visit Turnberry or Gleneagles and there is a reasonable choice of elegant individualistic  accomodation in the area.

Review updated by Lorne Smith 2011

This a superb test of golf using the natural contours extremely well.Course offers a spectacular setting combined with fast running fairways and slick/tricky greens.
Great hospitality in the Clubhouse and overall a memorable experience.

Look forward to returning

Second visit to Castle Stuart last week, a real treat again and a worthy addition to any highland golf rota along with the jewels that are royal dornoch and nairn. Superb facilities and clubhouse staff extremely friendly and attentive including the owner’s daughter from san diego.

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