Today’s play was at ‘Castle Stuart’ just outside of Inverness. The course is a relatively new links style, but already a classic. The fairways afford panoramic views of the Moray Firth, Black Isle & the distant Cairngorm mountains.
No rain, but fierce winds pretty steady at 20-3o mph with gusts at 50+ making for a 3-club adjustment depending on whether we were hitting into the wind or if it was at our backs. Again, we were blessed with a fine forecaddie – Stuart, a local Inverness chap. Just a fantastic course & experience. Incredible Scottish golf.
After a few pints & soup at the Art-Deco clubhouse our new driver Iain takes us to our lodging for the next four nights in Dornoch. It’s a small village mostly centered around the ‘Royal Dornoch’ golf course. We aren’t playing there until Sunday due to an amateur tournament. We’re staying at the Royal Golf Hotel, some 20 paces to the 1st tee. A very cool place.
>Winner of today’s ‘Stableford Team Match’ is the team of Bill & Dick – each awarded a ‘Champ Mòr’ point.
> Bill took daily honors with a net score of ‘75’, amazing given the conditions
> Best shot of the day is a tie: Ron’s tee shot on 11 to within a foot of the pin & Bill’s 3-wood to the green into a fierce wind on 12
> Today: lost balls – 8; bunkers – 12; beach shots – 2
> Group totals for trip: lost balls – 24; bunkers – 36