Castle Stuart Golf Links

Q: Which hole is hardest at Castle Stuart Golf Links?

Hole 6 has stroke index 1 — the hardest hole on the scorecard.

Inverness, Scotland

Par

Holes

Yards

7,009

Par 3 / 4 / 5

4 · 10 · 4

Course Layout

226 features mapped — fairways, greens, bunkers, tees, water. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Fairway Green Bunker Tee Water

Hole-by-Hole Strategy

Dogleg and layup calls derived from hole centerline geometry. 8 doglegs · 5 layup holes.

#	Par	Yards	Plays Like	Shape	Call
1	4	547	541 -6y · -20ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
2	5	551	550 -1y · -3ft	Slight dogleg right (25.0°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 551y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
3	4	300	295 -5y · -16ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
4	3	197	204 +7y · +23ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
5	4	451	456 +5y · +16ft	Slight dogleg left (20.1°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
6	4	567	551 -16y · -52ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
7	4	502	511 +9y · +30ft	Moderate dogleg left (35.1°)	LAYUP 502y par 4 with a moderate dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
8	3	206	204 -2y · -7ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
9	4	403	396 -7y · -23ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
10	4	393	393 +0y · +0ft	Slight dogleg left (19.5°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
11	3	173	169 -4y · -13ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
12	5	585	582 -3y · -10ft	Straight	LAYUP Par 5 at 585y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
13	4	440	445 +5y · +16ft	Sharp dogleg right (53.1°)	LAYUP Sharp right-hand dogleg (53.1°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
14	4	383	373 -10y · -33ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
15	4	468	467 -1y · -3ft	Slight dogleg left (23.4°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
16	4	331	316 -15y · -49ft	Slight dogleg left (16.1°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
17	3	245	245 +0y · +0ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
18	5	586	576 -10y · -33ft	Slight dogleg right (21.7°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 586y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
Total	71	7,328	Distances from OSM centerlines; elevation from SRTM (Open-Meteo).

Course by the Numbers

Calculated from 226 mapped features. Areas are measured directly from the polygon geometry.

87 bunkers

4,601 sq yd of sand — 4.8 bunkers per hole on average.

347 sq yd

Largest bunker on the course — bigger than most tees.

852 sq yd avg green

Classification: Large greens (~6,500 sq ft avg) — tough 3-putt territory. Huge surfaces — a 40-ft putt is a common outcome even from a good shot.

2502 sq yd

Largest green on the course — a three-club difference front-to-back is possible.

15.49 ha of fairway

Total groomed playing surface across 22 fairway zones.

8 doglegs

1 sharp, 7 moderate. Plotting a line off the tee matters more here than pure distance.

5 layup holes

Best played as three-shot holes for anyone outside single figures — chasing them turns pars into doubles.

Hole 18: 586y

The longest hole on the card — par 5. Know your layup number before you tee off.

87 bunkers · 21 greens · 22 fairway zones · 51 tee boxes · 0 water hazards.

What Should You Expect to Shoot?

These expected scores use the World Handicap System formula: your handicap index × slope ÷ 113, plus course rating. Use them to set a realistic target before you tee off.

Championship

Rating 74.0 · Slope 138 · Par 72 · 7,009 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	8	82	+10
10	14	88	+16
15	20	94	+22
20	26	100	+28
25	33	107	+35
30	39	113	+41

Medal

Rating 72.0 · Slope 134 · Par 72 · 6,553 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	6	78	+6
10	12	84	+12
15	18	90	+18
20	24	96	+24
25	30	102	+30
30	36	108	+36

Club

Rating 70.8 · Slope 132 · Par 72 · 6,183 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	5	75	+3
10	10	81	+9
15	16	87	+15
20	22	93	+21
25	28	99	+27
30	34	105	+33

Ladies

Rating 73.0 · Slope 130 · Par 72 · 5,400 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	7	80	+8
10	13	86	+14
15	18	91	+19
20	24	97	+25
25	30	103	+31
30	36	109	+37

Forward

Rating 72.0 · Slope 128 · Par 72 · 5,148 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	6	78	+6
10	11	83	+11
15	17	89	+17
20	23	95	+23
25	28	100	+28
30	34	106	+34

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Par	4	5	4	3	4	5	4	3	4	36	4	3	5	4	4	4	4	3	5	36	72
Yards	434	550	305	191	447	560	461	218	364	3,530	405	144	528	441	386	421	335	224	595	3,479	7,009
Stroke Index	7	3	13	11	17	1	9	15	5		8	4	16	2	10	6	18	12	14

Holes That Decide Your Round

Hardest Hole · SI 1

Hole 6

Par 5 · 560 yards

Play for the fat of the green and take bogey off the table. Build your pre-round plan →

Longest Hole

Hole 18

Par 5 · 595 yards

Three good shots beats two heroic ones. Bogey here is a solid result for anyone above 10 handicap.

Scoring Opportunity

Hole 11

Par 3 · 144 yards

Attack the pin — if your wedge game is on, this is where strokes get gained back.

Easiest Hole · SI 18

Hole 16

Par 4 · 335 yards

Expected par or better. If you drop a stroke here, it's usually a mental mistake — which is trackable.

Pre-Round Checklist for Castle Stuart Golf Links

Know your average distance off the tee — budget for 10 par-4 tee shots. Check 4 par-3 yardages — pick your go-to clubs now, not on the tee. Plan hole 6 (hardest) for bogey — don't chase birdie there. Hole 18 is long — know your layup number. Arrive 45 min early — 15 range, 10 short game, 10 putting, 10 to the tee.

Your Game Plan for Castle Stuart Golf Links

The scorecard tells you the course. The Grand Plan assessment tells you you — which part of your game is actually bleeding strokes. Pair both, and you have a pre-round strategy tailored to this course AND your weaknesses.

Take the 2-min Assessment Try the App Free for 30 Days

Tee Sets

Championship

Yards:: 7,009
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 74.0
Slope:: 138

Medal

Yards:: 6,553
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 72.0
Slope:: 134

Club

Yards:: 6,183
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 70.8
Slope:: 132

Ladies

Yards:: 5,400
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 73.0
Slope:: 130

Forward

Yards:: 5,148
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 72.0
Slope:: 128

Other Notable Courses near Inverness

Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Dornoch, Scotland

Par 71 ·18 holes ·6,681 yd

Mapped Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the par at Castle Stuart Golf Links?

Castle Stuart Golf Links is a par 72 course with 18 holes measuring 7,009 total yards. Front nine par 36 (3,530 yards), back nine par 36 (3,479 yards).

What is the longest hole at Castle Stuart Golf Links?

The longest hole is hole 18, a par 5 playing 595 yards.

Which hole is hardest at Castle Stuart Golf Links?

Hole 6 has the lowest stroke index (1). It's a par 5 playing 560 yards.

What should I shoot at Castle Stuart Golf Links?

Use the expected-score table above — it's calculated from your handicap and this course's official WHS rating and slope. A 15 handicap typically shoots mid-80s to low-90s depending on the tee set; a 25 handicap mid-90s to low-100s. Track your actual scores against these targets to see how your game travels.