Castle Stuart Golf Links

Grant Sword Joins Castle Stuart Golf LLP

Mark Parsinen, Managing Partner of Castle Stuart Golf LLP, has announced the addition of Grant Sword, former Managing Director of Morton Hotels, to Castle Stuart’s partnership. Parsinen said that Grant Sword, whose family hotel company owned and operated four hotels (The Golf View and Newton in Nairn, the Royal Golf Hotel in Dornoch, and Westerwood in Glasgow), will be involved in all aspects of Castle Stuart’s business with a particular focus on the hotel, spa, and resort-ownership elements, all of which are in their early phases of development planning.
Castle Stuart Golf has completed a recent limited ‘preview golf’ programme. The programme has introduced the links course (scheduled to open next July) to local Highland golf clubs, golf tour operators, golf journalists, course managers, and friends of the project.
November marks a return to a singular focus of preparing for next July’s opening. Grant Sword will be involved in that preparation as well as the planning for future hotel, spa and resort-ownership development.
"Grant Sword is well known and highly regarded in the golf and hotel sector of Scottish tourism," said Parsinen. "I have known Grant for six years and am privileged to have him join me in the management of Castle Stuart. We are excited about our future but intend to take it one step at a time. Grant will help us make these steps sure and steady."
Parsinen emphasised that Sword and he are committed to working closely with all Highland golf-related businesses to help make the region an increasingly attractive destination in the world of international golf tourism. "The Highlands are already one of the most sought out destinations in Scotland," Parsinen said. "And we’d like to be an additional asset for the region."

To book a golf break which includes Castle Stuart Golf Links, please contact Donald at Golf Around Scotland.

Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club

Established in 1887, Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club is situated just on the outskirts of Troon on Ayrshires world famous golfing coastline.
The course will once again be used as an Open Championship Final Qualifying venue when the Open returns to Turnberry in 2009 and has a reputation for some of the best maintained greens in Scotland.

Following considerable investment over the past few years the club now has twenty seven holes with which to test the golfer and also much improved facilities in the clubhouse and professional's shop.
The additional nine holes are part of the championship course and have added a different dimension to Barassie with a Par of 72 and a Standard Scratch of 74. The course measures just under 7000 yards and the new holes provide some wonderful challenges perhaps no more so than the par 3 fourth hole or the quirky dog leg par 5 eighth.
Kilmarnock Barassie is a challenging, but typically Scottish Links course with large undulating greens, deep bunkers and doglegs.

The quality of the course and the facilities offered have been rewarded in recent years by playing host to the British Amateur Championships in June 2001 along with Prestwick Golf Club and hosting the European Youths Championships the previous year.

The Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2004 saw Kilmarnock Barassie play host to the Junior Open Championship.
For more information on this great links course please visit the Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club web site.