By Will Pearson, europeantour.com
at Castle Stuart
Ahead of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, europeantour.com explores returning host venue Castle Stuart with the help of a former winner at the modern links masterpiece, India’s Jeev Milkha Singh.
Situated on the outskirts of Inverness on the north-eastern coast of Scotland, overlooking the Moray Firth, the Castle Stuart Golf Links championship course opened in 2009 and was designed by the man responsible for sculpting this year’s Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, Gil Hanse.
With incredible panoramas from almost every hole on the course, including views towards local landmarks such as the Black Isle, Kessock Bridge, the Chanonry Lighthouse and Fort George – home of the Black Watch – Castle Stuart is nothing less than a visual feast.
Built with a 1930s style Art Deco style in mind, Castle Stuart’s clubhouse is yet another distinctive element.
In addition to its visual prowess, the course is something of a naturalist’s paradise too. Several species of wildlife can be found both on the course and in the surrounding area including dolphins, badgers, osprey, white-tailed sea eagles and more. Sand Martin even nest in an area left of the par four 13th tee.
Playing to a par of 72 at 7,193 yards, the course is expansive, receptive and potentially penal; a beautiful beast in every sense of the word.
Four years ago,Singh overcame Italy’s Francesco Molinari in a play-off to win the Scottish Openafter starting the final day five shots back, so there are few better than the Chandigarh native to give us the inside track on this Scottish Highlands gem.
Overview
“This is a course where you can really go low if you’ve got good distance control and you’ve got your feel on,” said Singh. “It's a fantastic test of golf. It's scenic, it requires a lot of placement on a lot of holes and there's a lot of risk and reward - you can go for some and you have to be safe on some holes. Imagination is key, short game is key. It's going to get windy out here so you know it's better to keep the ball low. The fairways are wide and the second shots are crucial."
Conditions
“You can get everything within the span of two hours; it can be freezing cold, rain coming sideways and then after 45 minutes it’s nice and sunny. So this is where you learn to adapt to become a better player – you have to take the weather in your stride.”
I love links golf because I’m a feel player, I love imagination on the golf course.
Jeev Milkha Singh
Embracing links golf
“I was 14 years old when I came for the Amateur Championship at Royal Porthcawl, and I couldn’t believe that guys could play golf in this weather. From sunny and easy to freezing and very difficult between the practice day and the tournament day. I said ‘What is going on here?’
“But after years on the European Tour and playing links courses, I have adapted well and I love links golf because I’m a feel player, I love imagination on the golf course, the different kind of slopes to be used so I think it suits my game. I wish we had more tournaments on links courses, and this is a great links course here!”
Greens
"The greens are the strength of this golf course. You've got to have good distance control and you have to miss it in the right spots. You have to work on your chips and work on your putter too, from 15 to 20 yards because you have to have the right speed to get your ball over the humps and hollows to the hole, from off the fairway on to the green."
Key Holes
The 464-yard par four seventh
"A fantastic, tough par four. Into the wind it's a driver and a three iron into a huge green. You have to hit it in the right spot and use the slopes to your advantage. A very strong hole."
The 599-yard par five 12th
"It's a good test of driving and your second shot. It's a tight driving hole - even if you put yourself in a good spot a good second shot is required. With water all the way down the left-hand side, you've got to place yourself well and study the greens in advance to know exactly where you are aiming to."
The 458-yard par four 15th
"This is a good driving hole, and the second shot needs to be precise otherwise you have a long putt or one of those long chips coming your way."
Great practice round this morning @AAMScottishOpen with these two @Oliver_Wilson and @olifisher1 pic.twitter.com/KCMblKDkkJ
— Jeev Milkha Singh (@JeevMilkhaSingh) July 5, 2016
How it played last time out
In winning back in 2012, Singh was long, accurate and putted well. The man he overcame in the play-off, Francesco Molinari, hit a remarkable 88.9 per cent of greens (ie he missed just nine greens in four rounds!) en route to claiming his place in the sudden-death decider, so a multi-faceted skill-set is evidently crucial.
This was again exemplified when Phil Mickelson won here back in 2013, as the American was ranked inside the top 15 in Driving Distance, Greens in Regulation and the putting statistics.
Clearly, then, a well-rounded game is key to conquering Castle Stuart.
When the Scottish Open was last played here three years ago, the short 17th ranked the hardest hole at an average of 3.24, with almost four times as many bogeys or worse made on the 226-yard par three compared to birdies.
Conversely, the par fives are scoreable, with the 554-yard second hole ranking the easiest in 2013 at an average of 4.57.
Staggeringly, there were 64 eagles made in total three years ago so, if the weather Gods are kind, there are certainly low numbers out there at Castle Stuart.
Play the course
With TheEuropean Tour Travel Clubyou can enjoy a unique playing experience at Castle Stuart and a Highland swing that takes in the historic links of Nairn, Nairn Dunbar and Royal Dornoch.
Visitwww.europeantourtravelclub.comfor more details and to see more exclusive golf travel and European Tour tournament experiences, including Pro-Am places and ‘Monday-round-with-Sunday-pins’ packages.
