Castle Stuart begins Scottish Open preparation in earnest

Published on Tuesday 25 January 2011 15:07

PLANNING for the first Barclays Scottish Open at Castle Stuart will begin in earnest next Monday after a site visit by the European Tour but, according to the man who runs the Inverness venue, it has ready-made infrastructure to host the £3 million event.

While Tour officials have already given the event's new home the thumbs up along with the long-time sponsors, detailed planning will get underway following the visit next week by tournament director Mike Stewart, who, by sheer coincidence, is an Inverness man.

"This will be the initial venue visit by the European Tour before the tournament," said Stuart McColm, the Castle Stuart general manager. "Mike was here at Christmas, but he couldn't see or do anything as the course was covered in snow."

Despite the fact it has been open for less than two years, it is envisaged that Stewart and his team will not have too many potential worries as Castle Stuart gets set for the European Tour's ground-breaking trip to the Highlands.

"He will be looking through the course designer's eyes and will want to talk about a lot of things, but I don't think he wants to change too much," added McColm.

"All the necessary infrastructure for a major tournament is here. There are two huge fields close to the course which will be used for public car parking and there is plenty of space for the tented village and TV compound. It will all be very compact."

The course measures just over 7,000 yards off the championship tees. It has been visited by several Tour players in the past couple of years, including Stephen Gallacher, who has mixed feelings about the event leaving Loch Lomond after 15 years.

"I've played Castle Stuart quite a bit, which is good. However, I'm a bit sad that it is moving away from Loch Lomond as I had started to play a bit better there. I've had top top 6s in three years, including fourth last year," said the former Dunhill Links champion.

"But I've raved about Castle Stuart since I first played it. It is a bit young but a fantastic golf course. It is not a links. They will say it is because it is by the sea. But, for me, it's a Kingsbarns-type course, the main difference being the views are a bit better at Castle Stuart.

"If the wind blows, it will certainly be a good test. And, if you are looking to take positives from the move away from Loch Lomond, then I think taking the Scottish Open to different parts of the country is a good thing. It is the Scottish Open, after all."The price for an adult season-ticket, which takes in the four championship days as well as the pro-am and practice days, is 55 if bought before 31 March and Scottish golf fans are being encouraged to keep supporting the event as strongly as they did at Loch Lomond and, before that, Gleneagles and Carnoustie.

Paul Bush OBE, chief operating officer for EventScotland, said: "We have worked closely with the European Tour throughout the venue decision for the Barclays Scottish Open next year and we are pleased that a first-class venue has been identified."

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, added: "It is great news for people in the Highlands and Islands that they will play host to the Barclays Scottish Open next July. The event is expected to invigorate Castle Stuart as a tourist spot and the jobs created will leave a lasting legacy for local residents."