Moray Firth Swallows Up The Open
A storm brewed good and proper over Castle Stuart on Friday, With rolls of thunder and the threat of lightening, the thought of BBQ on the green was too much to handle.
A loud horn blew, prompting officials to bundle Monty and his golfing compatriates into White Ford Transit vans that had been discreetly placed over the course in case of such an event. Streams of spectators made their way to the bar and to their cars, whilst being were promoted to kindly stay off the greens, the evacuation had begun.
Workers at Castle Stewart fought against the tide overnight as water poured down, landslides smothered fairways and sand bunkers resembled bathing pools, if this were T In The Park they would be filled with celebrating revellers, instead the bunkers lay there waiting for weary workers to sook them dry and vacate the contents into the Moray Firth.
Roll on Saturday morning, local radio stations were broadcasting a clear message "Don't come yet, await further instructions", with two spectators having broken their legs, a championship golf course filled with water and landslides ahoy, it wasn't time to Tee time yet.
3PM, 5PM but the rain kept coming down, not only was there any time to vacate the water from the course, but it was coming down faster than it could be vacated. Finally, after battering rain, the announcement came into the media centre that play would at last begin at 7:30PM.
The practice greens were open, though nobody played the bunker, since that was filled with water. The green in front of the clubhouse was packed with players, obviously bored waiting around, banter was upbeat. The driving range was in parts lake-like but the balls were being battered up past the markers at a hefty rate, laughter and great practice were the order of the day.
Revellers were in lower numbers than before, players at times seemed to outnumber them. The sun over the Black Isle, radiating through fog over the hillsides and isolated rain created a magic atmosphere to play an evening game, it was warm too!
It wasn't to be, the word went around via officials that play could not go ahead, the course was not ready. I spoke to a couple from Columbia who had travelled via London to see their idols at work carving their way through the challenging links course, I could only feel optimism. Everyone seems optimistic yet somewhat doubtful that play will resume tomorrow. After the previous 24 hours or so the situation at Castle Stuart doesn't seem funny any more.
Text and images: Aaron Sneddon