Castle Stuart was the victim of an unwanted facelift last summer, when a freak storm left the course scarred by landslides.
Yesterday, ahead of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open returning to the Highlands venue in July, officials unveiled some slightly more considered cosmetic alterations.
In the wake of the biblical downpours which forced the 2011 contest to be reduced to 54 holes, some £70,000 has been invested in an extensive storm-drainage system to combat the threat of further assaults from the heavens.
On the playing side of things, Luke Donald will defend his title over a course that will be 150 yards longer, with new championship tees having been constructed at the ninth, 12th and 15th. A total of four new bunkers have also been added, to the fifth and 14th.
Despite the amount of water that hurtled down on Gil Hanse and Mark Parsinen's new creation a year ago, Castle Stuart was still showered with praise. With its wide, inviting fairways, the layout certainly encourages attacking golf, yet there is still plenty of menace and the potential for calamity. Amid the birdie blitz, Spain's Ignacio Garrido was bitten during round one of the 2011 championship when he racked up a 10 at the 12th.
"A number of our fairways are considerably wider than what the players usually encounter on tour, but they require precise positioning off the tee to improve the odds of making birdies to certain hole locations and to reduce the risk of making bogeys or worse," said Stuart McColm, the general manager. "The changes certainly weren't knee-jerk, it was always our intention to consider making changes after last year's tournament.
"With the Open being played the following week, we see this as a links golf opportunity where the players can both compete on a course where they feel they can score well if they play well, and adequately prepare themselves for the following week's test."
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