Castle Stuart weekend....many, many thanks!

Got to echo all the praise on GM for organisisng the event and to the Castle Stuart crew who are running a terrific golfing experience up there.
Was joined by Level 5's, Mike fae Goswick and Donald (Clarks Bar) for a really enjoyable game. We were all blown away with the layout and views. Hit a nice 3 wood up the first and it went rapidly downhill from there until about the 8th where my game settled down. 17 pts on the back 9 was better than 11 on the front :o.
Bagged 2 birdies (9 and 18).
We're using the excuse that we were told it was number 2 for pin positions but were re-informed at the turn that it was actually position 1 - I'm sure we would have all scored 35+ pts if we'd known that! It did account for a couple of points - honest! :D
Agree there are big similarities with Kingsbarns and would also agree that CS is a bit better (still love KB though).

Nairn - really enjoyed the banter with Vig, Smiffy and Grumpyjock, although the crafty devils all took buggies cos they were on the lash the night before! Never mind I enjoyed the walk. Anyone else see the dolphins putting on a show beside holes 1-6?
Shame about the rain, steady drizzle until the 14th when it stopped. The greens were awful, having played there last August I was sorry to see what the winter has done, last summer they were absolute perfection. The sodden turf did make for a few 'fats' but played better than Saturday, at least getting past the 30pt mark. My short game needs some serious attention! Bagged 2 birdies again so a couple of high points at least.
Smiffy cruised to 35 pts with 2 blobs - sombrero needed there perhaps! ;)
Sorry I couldn't make the Boat today gents.
 
Typical. After yesterday's rain here's Nairn this morning. Still, it's pretty breezy so it would have been tougher.

Hearing through the grapevine of some good scores yesterday.

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Like to echo all the sentiments expressed, really enjoyed the 3 days, organisation was superb, courses were great to play, company was eclectic to say the least, along with some of the handicaps (you know who you are ;)) and the weather was........
Even though Nairn was not in great nick I was mightily impressed that they laid on the Killer whales flipping seals routine just off from the 5th tee, that is apparently very rare behaviour, must have been caused by Mike and myself getting birdie twos on the fourth :D
 
33 for me, 13 out and 20 in, reasonably happy with that as I managed to forget all of Scotland was up the left on the 1st hole and might have injured a dolphin (If you are reading Flipper, I am truly sorry),
Ali and I lifted the money too after being punished in the front nine by Atticus Finch and Sammebee for every mistake made, but then in my typical usual style played better in the back nine and we managed to squeeze them out.
I enjoyed Nairn despite conditions and all three lads made great company and competition. Roll on next year.
 
In complete reverse of Brendy...out in 21 back in 14....in spite of the rain and unfortunate condition of the course from Scotland's recent 3rd ice age, it was a great day out - Brendy and I would have made great four ball partners!! Even 9 hours in the car yesterday afternoon didn't seem to bad after that!!

Castle Stuart was just awesome - setting, golf course, service, style, even weather - another game of 2 halfs 11 out (and still enjoying myself!!) and 20 back!

For those of you who didn't go (sorry Colin T I know you really tried) you really did miss a real treat....

Thanks GM - same time, same place next year?!
 
What a great weekend.

Thanks to MikeH and the GM team for organising the Castle Stuart golf and John Finlay for the Nairn, and Spey Valley golf (although I didn't play Spey).

Castle Stuart has gone straight to the top of my list of best courses played. From being welcomed and shown around on arrival, complimentary range and chipping balls, and the goody bag with course planner, tees and bagtag from the starter, it all added to the experience. The course itself, was just awesome and I didn't feel it had a week hole. The greens were a bit sandy, but for this time of year, and considering they were probably under snow last month were pretty good. They were fairly big targets, but if you did miss, it wasn't easy to get up and down. The fairways were generous and lush, (not that I managed to hit many) but even if you did find the middle it didn't guarantee a good stance. Great views over the Moray Firth, Kessock Bridge, and Chanonry Lighthouse. It's a pity my golf wasn't up to the spectacular course, surroundings and clubhouse, but even after playing poorly I very much enjoyed the experience and one day will play it again.

Nairn was a different experience and a cracking course. Unfortunately the greens were very poor, due to the recent weather. My golf was a little better even though we played 18 holes in the rain. As mentioned before it was nice to see the dolphins putting on a show for us.

Was good to put faces to names, and have a few beers in the evenings. Not sure how GM are going to top this trip next year, but I'm sure you'll come up with something special.
 
Well what can I say that has not been said already

All the courses were excellent and Castle Stuart and Nairn will be visted at some point in the future

Abig thank you to all the GM guys for organising the Castle Stuart event . Thanks to Paul OH for drawing out my card to win the balls that JezzE kindly returned after his team won the event. Most of them can now be found in the sea or gorse bushes that guard the right side of many of the holes at Nairn. :o :o

A big thank you also to JF for organising the Spey Valley and Nairn days. JF has done more than his fair share of organising these forum events and always does a great job (apart form the weather :rolleyes: :rolleyes:) I drove past Aviemore yesterday afternoon and the sun was out. Spey Valley would have been stunning surrounded with views of the snow covered mountains

It was great to put some new faces to names and meet up with some old faces from the Goswick.

Same time next year?
 
What can I say that hasn't been said already?

Castle Stuart was just magnificent - I fully intend to go back and will happily pay the Scottish Residents green fee of £90 - still great value at that price! Good company on the day too, with DCB, Sam and Scott.

Nairn was a good course, but the weather obviously put a 'dampener' on proceedings and the greens weren't great either. Will just have to go back up there in the summer and have another go! Thoroughly enjoyed my round with Twire and the boys though.

Same time next year?? ;)
 
Re Nairn, it's a great course, wee bit early for it this year. Was perusing Golf World (sorry no swearing! :o) and they have their World's best 100 courses supplement with Nairn coming in at a lofty 66th (in the world, not UK). It goes on to say if the courses were judged on greens alone Nairn would be top 10 in the world! Having played there before I'm not surprised they say that, alas they suffered badly in the drawn out winter we've just had.

I think we will need to come back and play it again as an outing.

Big thanks to John Findlay too for organising our visit there.

"John Findlay, Event Co-Ordinator" has a kind of corporate ring to it, doesn't it? ;) - new business venture there?
 
All,

Big thanks from all at GM for your company at Castle Stuart. It was great to catch up and put some names to the forum aliases. Loved every minute of CS. Cheers to Brendy and his bro Simon for their company - some cracking ball-striking from you both. Brendy's Sandy Lyle style bunker shot on the 13th and birdie putt was perhaps the pick of the day, although Simon and his front-nine par fest was pretty special too.

We played Kingsbarns yesterday but by then I had forgotten how to play golf. An amazing place, as was Castle Stuart as you all agree.

Roll on the next one,
Thanks again for all your support.

PS - Hope the curry went down well on Sat night and Sunday morning...

Alex
 
I enjoyed it very much; good company, special scenery and true greens (if not alot of grass yet). I did enjoy putting on greens where if you get a good roll going you are rewarded.

Pity I couldnt hang around for the evening, hopefully next time.

Will a full scoreboard be released?
 
All,

Big thanks from all at GM for your company at Castle Stuart. It was great to catch up and put some names to the forum aliases. Loved every minute of CS. Cheers to Brendy and his bro Simon for their company - some cracking ball-striking from you both. Brendy's Sandy Lyle style bunker shot on the 13th and birdie putt was perhaps the pick of the day, although Simon and his front-nine par fest was pretty special too.

We played Kingsbarns yesterday but by then I had forgotten how to play golf. An amazing place, as was Castle Stuart as you all agree.

Roll on the next one,
Thanks again for all your support.

PS - Hope the curry went down well on Sat night and Sunday morning...

Alex
Click to expand...
Fantastic day as I said, Alex I have a few photos from the iphone to stick up tonight (was too tired last night).
That shot you speak of, 110 yards with the 50 degree, If I hadnt caught it just as clean I was looking at a hell of a lot more than the three I scored! haha.
Still raging you out drove me down the 18th :D
 
Could'nt be bothered to post last nite as was too knackered after the 4 hour drive back from nairn...would echo all the posts about Castle Stuart...a wonderful course to play and i feel privileged to have had the opportunity to have played it. A big thanks to Stuart (birdieman i think), Alex and Donald for their company for the round...was great fun and i'd be more than happy to do it again...
A big thank you to Mike and the GM team for the day...it was good to meet you all and i hope that you enjoyed the experience that is known as Macallan 10... and thanks...also to John for organising Nairn...a pity about the rain and the greens but it is still a hell of a golf course..
 
Managed to put together a very basic video of the day at Castle Stuart, just in the order I took it on my camera without any frills. So here it is;-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J4WwjZqKr4

And some photos. Great company with Whereditgo (Phil Medley), who bagged the high handicap prize, SimonS (Simon Smith) and Fergus Bisset from GM. What a day. So thanks to all at GM for everything. Top notch. My golf was nervous to say the least but the highlight was playing all the par 3's in regulation. My first 4 was on the 14th! Ended up with 28 points but I wouldn't have cared if I'd scored 10.

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