Castle Stuart Golf Links near Inverness, Scotland: A championship track accessible to all skill levels
INVERNESS, Scotland -- Castle Stuart Golf Links, just north of Inverness, opened in 2009 but is already gaining international renown as the site the 2011 and 2012 Scottish Opens.
For wandering golfers taking a tour of Scotland's great courses, Castle Stuart would be an excellent introduction to links golf.
The fairways are wider than most links, the rough is not quite as penal, and the undulations in the fairways and greens are not overwrought, as on some modern links layouts.
Yet the routing takes full advantage of the wonderful vistas out over Moray Firth, and the prevailing wind can turn a leisurely round into a real battle.
Players will be presented with a varied collection of holes requiring approaches from all possible angles and heights, along with a number of "infinity greens" that appear to drop off straight into the sea.
After your round, enjoy a hearty meal and a cold pint in the impressive Art Deco clubhouse while taking in even more spectacular views of the firth.