These are exciting times for the home of golf. Six courses, all by notable architects, will be vying for golfers' attention in Scotland. American Tom Doak did his first work on Scottish soil at the Renaissance Club, which opened next to Muirfield in April. Bandon Dunes designer David McLay Kidd opens his highly anticipated Castle Course (the seventh at St. Andrews) in June and Machrihanish Dunes in September. After local resistance, Askernish, a nine-hole course designed by Old Tom Morris in 1891 in the remote Outer Hebrides, is being expanded to 18 holes and will open in August. Colin Montgomerie's first course in his home country, Rowallan Castle, should be ready for play in late summer. Kingsbarns developer Mark Parsinen teamed with fellow Yankee Gil Hanse to create Castle Stuart near Inverness, which will open in spring 2009.
SCOTLAND'S NEWCOMERS
1. CASTLE COURSE AT ST. ANDREWS (pictured) standrews.org.uk
2. RENAISSANCE CLUB trcaa.com
3. ROWALLAN CASTLE rowallancastle.com
4. MACHRIHANISH DUNES machrihanishdunes.com
5. ASKERNISH askernishgolfclub.com
6. CASTLE STUART castlestuartgolf.com
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