A look at the Castle Stuart Golf Links Golf Course – Part 1
Castle Stuart Golf Links is the next stop on the European Tour, where the top guns of golf will gather to compete for the 140th edition of the Barclay Scottish Open. The par-72 layout is one of the most majestic golfing facilities in England. Here is a quick look at the course.
Hole#1
The opening hole of the front nine is a par-4 setup, which gives one an idea of the difficulties coming ahead. With the slope on the left side and water on the right, the layout requires a careful club selection. The path from the tee to the green is straight, with two bunkers sitting on the left side of the landing area of the tee shot. The green is wide and welcoming with the pin placed in the centre. Keep the ball in the centre from the tee to the green and catching a birdie for starters won’t be an issue.
Hole#2
The second hole is the first par-5, which stretches to 550 yards. This hole allows two strategies to be adopted. The first one is to take the left side of the fairway as a route to the green in two shots, while the second one allows the player to play close to the cliff on a lower level and approach the green in three shots.
However, for the long hitters, it is generally advised to target the centre of the green or the foot of the fairway, as these two spots are the safest to earn a point from. The pin is placed on the right side of the green, which means, one will have his back towards the waves, something that might distract a player while he lines-up a putt.
Hole#3
This par-3 setup stretches to 305 yards. The area from the tee to the green is slightly elevated, which means that along with an appropriate club selection, there is also a need of accurate trajectory. Aim the tee shot onto the right side of the green, as the wind will automatically carry it onto the left side. From a wedge to a short iron, any club can be used for teeing as long as it helps one in hitting the Green in Regulation or else par will slip out of hands. Putting will be a crucial task here, as wind will attack the ball from all the three sides.
Hole#4
This is the second of the four par-3s on the front nine. The green is huge and wide, hence it will catch all the errand shots. There are two ways to approach the green, which has Castle Stuart posing at the back. The player’s would want to attack the left side of the green, but should be careful the ball does not roll into the bunker sitting on the same side.
Article continued in Part 2…
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