Castle Stuart Golf Links

Hugging the shoreline of the Moray Firth, the rugged and natural landscape at Castle Stuart Golf Links is comprised of vast expanses of gorse, broom, heather, and marram. Tightly framed vistas combine the immediacy of natural surrounds with far-stretching views, creating at once a sense of grounding and grandeur. Manicured playing surfaces and natural rugged vegetation come together in a design reminiscent of golf’s transitional period from 1890 to 1935. Designed by Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse, Castle Stuart is an 18-hole course that offers an experience that is truly “of the place” and yet of a different era. Picture wayward shots finding thin wispy fescue or pockets of bare sand where balls are easily found and recoveries manageable.The opening three holes on each nine run away from the clubhouse along the edge of a raised beach by the side of the Moray Firth, offering spectacular views across the water to the Black Isle. To reach shore level from the escarpment above, a thrilling drive must be struck from tees cut into the cliff side down to the fairways below on holes 1 and 10—a heart-pumping way to start both the outward and inward half.

As with so many modern designs, clever mounding ensures most holes are played in isolation from the others, with the next hole only revealed after the current one has been played. Another eye-catching feature throughout the entire layout is the use of expansive, wild-looking waste bunker areas to fringe the sand-capped fairways and green sites, adding a wonderfully natural feel to the course.