Staff WriterCabot Highlands will officially open Old Petty to the public on May 15, and in a part of the world where golf courses tend to emerge from the earth like old myths, that feels about right. This one has already enjoyed a teasing soft launch, a whisper before the full symphony, and now the wait is nearly over for golfers keen to see what Tom Doak and the Highlands have cooked up together.
There was a preview period last August and September, limited in access but not in impression. Golfers got their first look at Old Petty while the course was still finding its full voice, and the verdict was emphatically upbeat. The routing, the setting and the way the holes appear to belong to the land rather than bully it all earned early approval.
That is not a bad start for any new course in Scotland, where the competition is not merely stiff but practically wearing tweed and glaring at you over half-moon spectacles.
A course shaped by the land, not imposed on it
Old Petty was designed by Tom Doak alongside associate Clyde Johnson, and it sits beside the historic Old Petty Church with the Moray Firth spread out nearby like a cold, handsome stage set. From 13 of the 18 holes, players can look out towards the 400-year-old Castle Stuart, which is the sort of detail architects cannot manufacture and brochure writers usually overcook. Here, it simply exists.
The attraction of Old Petty appears to be its restraint as much as its drama. The course leans into the site’s natural movement rather than wrestling it into submission. There are coastline views on the 10th, a short par-3 17th that promises equal measures of delight and panic, and a return to the Moray Firth on the 14th that sounds built to linger in the mind long after the card has been signed.
The opening and closing holes criss-cross near the clubhouse, giving the finish a touch of theatre without slipping into gimmickry. That matters. Great golf architecture does not need to shout. It just needs to keep tapping you on the shoulder.
Why Cabot Highlands feels different
What makes Cabot Highlands compelling is not simply that it now offers another high-end course in a country already spoiled for them. It is the combination of scale, setting and atmosphere. The Highlands have a particular quality of light, a sense of space and weather forever changing its mind. One moment the place looks stern and ancient; the next it feels cinematic.
That shifting mood is part of the charm. Old Petty seems designed to let the landscape do the heavy lifting. The sea, the sky and the old landmarks do not sit politely in the background. They are part of the round.
In that sense, Cabot Highlands stands apart from more crowded golfing pilgrimages. Where some famous destinations trade on history alone, this one offers the old Scottish magic with a fresher pulse. It has the pedigree golfers want, but also the feeling of somewhere still writing its story.
Early acclaim suggests serious substance
Before its official opening, Old Petty had already done something rather unusual. Despite still being in preview play, it arrived at No. 34 in Golf World’s Scotland Top 100 rankings.
That is not polite applause. That is a raised eyebrow from a hard room.
The publication also noted that the course has the potential to climb into Scotland’s top 20, which gives a fair indication of the regard in which the layout is already being held. For a course not yet fully opened to the public, that is the golfing equivalent of turning up to a black-tie dinner in muddy shoes and still being voted best dressed.
A stay-and-play destination with real depth
This opening is significant not only because of Old Petty itself, but because it deepens the appeal of Cabot Highlands as a full-scale golf destination. Visitors can now book tee times from May 15 onward and choose stay-and-play packages that include accommodation in one of the resort’s cottages as well as rounds on both Old Petty and Castle Stuart.
That matters in modern golf travel. The best destinations are not just about 18 holes and a handshake. They are about the full rhythm of a trip: waking up on site, watching the weather roll in over breakfast, playing golf that stays with you, and ending the day with the sort of conversation only a proper round can produce.
Cabot Highlands seems increasingly built for that sort of experience. There is golf, certainly, but also a sense of occasion. That is what separates a very good venue from a place golfers begin recommending with evangelical zeal.
What the opening means for Scottish golf travel
Scotland has never lacked for bucket-list golf, but Cabot Highlands is strengthening its claim to be one of the country’s premier modern destinations. Old Petty does not replace what is already there. It adds dimension, variety and another reason for travelling golfers to head north with clubs in tow and optimism in the boot.
For international visitors, that combination is powerful: a Tom Doak design, Highland scenery, historic visual landmarks and the chance to pair the new course with Castle Stuart in one trip. For domestic golfers, it is another reminder that some of the game’s most exciting experiences still live where the wind has a personality and the land refuses to be ordinary.
“The response during preview play exceeded our expectations,” said Ben Cowan-Dewar, CEO and co-founder of Cabot. “Old Petty was designed to work in harmony with this extraordinary landscape, and seeing golfers embrace it so enthusiastically is deeply rewarding. We look forward to welcoming players from around the world for its grand opening this May.”
A new chapter with old-world soul
There is always a temptation with new golf openings to reach for inflated language and declare the thing a masterpiece before half the turf has settled. Better to be a little more careful. But in the case of Old Petty, the early signs suggest Cabot Highlands has added something serious to its offering.
Not merely another course. Another reason to go.
And that is the real test of a destination course. Does it make golfers rearrange their summer, text their usual fourball and start checking flights before common sense has a chance to intervene? Old Petty looks likely to do exactly that.
At Cabot Highlands, the scenery was never in doubt. Now the golf may be catching up in style.
