Castle Stuart reveals name and first pics of second course

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls – feast your eyes upon the simply spectacular new golf course at Cabot Highlands.

Formerly Castle Stuart, the four-time Scottish Open host venue has taken to social media to unveil the name and artist renderings of its second course.

To be called Old Petty, the 18-hole championship golf course has been designed by Tom Doak – the brains behind The Renaissance in East Lothian – and it will complement the existing Mark Parsinen/Gil Hanse-designed track that opened in 2009.

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It is being described as “an authentic celebration” of the “rich history of Inverness, the self-styled capital of the Highlands which is a short drive from the gates of Cabot Highlands.

Doak has threaded the course around tidal estuary and will bring golfers even closer to the 400-year-old castle. It plays alongside Old Petty Church, which was built in 1839, with the logo of the course honouring the region’s iconic highland cow (“coo”) and its rich colours.

The course is scheduled to open for play in 2025.

A second course at the resort has been a long time in the pipeline.

Originally, it was to be designed by Arnold Palmer’s design firm and, taking its name from the man himself, it was set to be the golf icon’s first-ever Scottish course.

Plans for the course were approved in June 2016 but hit the buffers following the seven-time major champion’s death months later.

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The project remained on the back-burner until internationally renowned golf course operator and developer Cabot purchased the property for an undisclosed sum in 2022, adding what was then known as Castle Stuart to an illustrious group of courses including the award-winning Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Cabot Cirtus Farms in Florida, and Cabot Cliffs in Canada.

At the time, general manager Stuart McColm said: “I’ve been involved with this special property since 2006 and I too can’t think of a better partner than Cabot to lead our next chapter.

“The work they’ve done at Cabot Cape Breton on the courses and within the community speaks for itself. The cultures of Cabot and Castle Stuart are a perfect fit.

“Together, we are committed to providing golfers with fun and enjoyable courses in stunning locations as well as providing top-class customer service.

“The future is hugely exciting and we can’t wait to deliver on the many great plans for Cabot Highlands that will bring a significant boost to the region’s economy while at the same time delivering a very special, world class golfing experience.”

Course designer Doak added: “Our goal is to create a distinctly Scottish golf experience that appeals to players at all levels with an authentic links-style course that puts the golf holes front and centre.”

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor