My most recent quest brought me to the seventh installment at the St.Andrews Links Trust, which is David Kidd’s Castle Course, an effort that brings some of the prominent aspects of modern golf design to the outskirts of golf’s home. While it is not perfect, in many spots it is quite beautiful, and it certainly garners strong responses from those who have visited. It no doubt adds to the variety of the Trust’s offering. The course has some aggressive contouring around the greens (which I love) and some nasty and unplayable rough spots (which I don’t). The adjacent coastline is one of the best in the world for vistas, and many holes take excellent advantage of the scenic terrain. Unfortunately, the treatment plant and maintenance compound on site draw the eye on occasion as well, and any competition for supremacy with the Old Course et al is bound to be a futile match. In the face of these headwinds, the Castle is still worth a visit when you come to town, so long as expectations are tempered and an open mind is employed when opining on the greens contouring.
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