Highlands
When Mark Parsinen decided to build a follow-up to his first Scottish creation, Kingsbarns, he left nothing to chance. Located six miles east of Inverness and banking onto the Moray Firth, Castle Stuart Golf Links is blessed with fantastic outlooks to the Kessock Bridge and the Black Isle, both of which are skilfully weaved into the golfing experience. Such is the quality of the design that this relatively new track has hosted the Scottish Open for two years on the trot.
It shares the Moray coast with Nairn Golf Club – a challenging championship course that can boast sea views from almost every hole. It is certainly special. After all how many courses have been shaped by four of the giants of the game? Remarkably, Nairn has that claim to fame with its undulating greens and rippling fairways being the upshot of the combined talents of Archie Simpson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid and Ben Sayers. Set against a stunning natural backdrop, the old-style links holes provided the perfect setting for the 37th Curtis Cup held there last month.
Further along the coastline is Moray Golf Club which is located on the northerly-most point of the Speyside Valley where whisky distilleries mix freely with fabulous golf courses. Moray is a wonderful exponent of this genre, not simply due to its fast-running fairways and smooth greens, but because it has one of the finest closing holes in golf. Without doubt, Moray is a must-play course.
The Moray Firth is a remarkable destination. It has quiet, sandy beaches where you can watch dolphins or dive into a variety of water sports such as windsurfing and surfing. On land, fishing, walking and mountain biking are the order of the day. To relax, the Speyside Valley provides whisky lovers with a kaleidoscope of choices and numerous castles, museums and Pictish stones to explore.
Contacts
Castle Stuart Golf Links www.castlestuartgolf.com
Nairn Golf Club www.nairngolfclub.co.uk
Moray Golf Club www.moraygolf.co.uk
