Recent from being concerned within the creation of the acclaimed Kingsbarns close to St Andrews which opened in 2000, American designer, the late Mark Parsinen, turned his consideration north.
He settled on a web site overlooking the Moray Firth and enlisted the assistance of fellow American and golf architect Gil Hanse.
Planning for a brand new golf course at Fortress Stuart started within the early 2000s and took round eight years to finish.
In 2005, Highland Council granted planning permission for 2 golf programs and related lodging.
The brand new course opened in 2009 with the intention of Fortress Stuart Golf Hyperlinks being to the Highlands what Turnberry is to Ayrshire and Gleneagles is to Perthshire.
The championship course was seen because the ‘starting and cornerstone’ for a vacation spot golf resort. The imaginative and prescient included a second 18-hole course, bespoke resort and lodges and flats.
Parsinen additionally instilled the ethos of creating golf enjoyable and fulfilling for all talents somewhat than a grinding problem.
He wished gamers to have the ability to recuperate from errors somewhat than racking up a excessive rating or with “ball-in-pocket and disengaged”.
Fortress Stuart rapidly gained a world fame as a contemporary hyperlinks traditional.
It was named Finest New Worldwide Course 2009 by Golf Digest and the next 12 months was No 56 in Golf Journal’s High 100.
In 2011, inside 18 months of opening, it hosted the Scottish Open.
It was the venue for the distinguished occasion on three different events, in 2012, 2013 and 2016.
In 2015 Fortress Stuart attracted the eye of golf legend Arnold Palmer who wished to construct his first Scottish course there.
Mr Palmer died the next 12 months and the challenge didn’t proceed.
However the space earmarked for a second course is now a part of the key improvement plans for Cabot which has acquired Fortress Stuart and goals to construct on the Parsinen legacy.
