Course Review - Castle Stuart Golf Course & TPC Deere Run

The final curtain-raiser to next week's 141st playing of the Open Championship brings us the glorious, picturesque and majestic setting along the Moray Firth that is Castle Stuart. Though not a true links course according to the definition stipulating a location on land linking the shore to the mainland, Castle Stuart golf course possesses all the attributes normally associated with the best links layouts. Starting off with a spectacular location for a golf course, celebrated architect Gil Hanse and hands-on owner/developer Mark Parsinen – who incidentally was also responsible for Kingsbarns – created a wonderfully natural-looking design that is as challenging as it is beautiful.

Castle Stuart fully embraces the links concepts of rumpled uneven fairways that can disturb the direction of the ball, bunkers that are reminiscent of the original open sandy areas, and the rich tapestry of gorse, broom and heather that bring character, definition and a rugged unspoiled beauty to this style of golf. The first three holes of both the front and back nines run in opposite directions away from the clubhouse offering spectacular views out over the sea directions, and with the mesmeric vistas from the elevated 1st and 10th tees it's easy to see why Castle Stuart was selected by Golf Magazine as the Best New Course of 2009.

There are a number of storylines in play as the John Deere Classic gets under way in the Quad Cities area of Silvis, Illinois. Firstly, there is the course itself - TPC Deere Run, designed by PGA Tour veteran and Illinois native DA Weibring who himself won this event three times – ranked in the Top 50 Public Courses in the United States.

The 6650m par 71 layout was built in 2000 on a former Arabian horse breeding farm and embodies the classic beauty of America's heartland, blending naturally with the rolling landscape that stretches along the picturesque wooded ravines of the area's famous Rock River. Then there is Steve Stricker going for unprecedented four wins in a row. Also, this is the tournament that gave sponsor's exemptions to Michelle Wie in 2005 and 2006 when she was trying to become the first woman to seriously compete in a modern-day men's event. Additionally, journeyman Paul Guido's shot 59 here in the first round in 2010, only the fourth sub-60 round in PGA Tour history. In only 12 years, TPC Deere Run has blended into the area so well that it appears to have been part of the landscape since Native Americans called this place home.

A Golf Weather
Editorial