A new course at the Castle Stuart Golf Links in the Scottish Highlands is being developed by Arnold Palmer Design Company, the firm’s first in Scotland. Palmer, ASGCA Fellow, has tabbed Thad Layton, ASGCA Associate, to help head the project. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2016.
Golf Business News reports Layton saying, “We are always looking for great sites to work on and sophisticated clients to work with. That is what this opportunity provides.”
The article continues:
“Layton and Brandon Johnson will actually set up home near Inverness to work on site with the local team as the new course takes shape. The project is expected to bring a huge economic boost to the region, but the designers stress a priority will be to protect and enhance the spectacular environment.
“Palmer and his team have worked on numerous course design projects around the world but say Castle Stuart is one of the most fascinating in which APDC has been involved over the last 40 years.
“’From the day I first travelled to Scotland in 1960 to play in the Open Championship, I have been enamoured with the country and its people,”’ said Arnold. ‘The landscape and the history of the game all combine to make it such a special place in golf. To have an opportunity to design and build a great golf course in Scotland is an honour.’
“’This is why we go to study golf courses all over the world, to have opportunities like this,’ said Johnson. ‘To be able to create something that is fun and creative on such a naturally beautiful piece of property is every golf course architect’s dream. We hope people walk off the 18th green and immediately want to go back to the 1st tee to play again.’
“If the proposed timetable goes to plan, the first nine holes of the new course will be completed in 2016 and the second nine in 2017, with the course ready to play a year later, ahead of its official opening.
“Routing is almost finalised with at least seven holes having the 17th century Castle Stuart in sight, while ten holes will have sea views and others will have a local burn as a feature.
“’We are playing up the relationship between the castle and the golf course.’ said Layton. ‘We want the castle to be a prominent part of the visual experience. The burn will also be a strategic element of the course. The topography, the castle, the burn and the sea views, all intertwined and in different combinations, will anchor the course’s architecture.’
“The new course will be called the Palmer Tribute as homage to Scotland and to recognise the legendary golfer’s love of links golf.”
The compelte article can be found here.