# Carnoustie



## patricks148 (Jul 4, 2012)

A long one but worth is as it  an open course.

I was lucky enough to be recently invited to play the Carnoustie Championship course.

We played the day after the Ladies amateur championship final and the course was, as we were told by the starter set up tough.

As you would expect in summer on a course of this stature to be very busy and it was.

As we took the first tee we were presented with a gift bag of; tees, pitch mark repairer, pencil, sharpie marker, yardage book and a bag tag. Which is pretty standard on high end courses I believe? But I nice touch none the less. 

The starter informed us that the first is the widest fairway on the course and to expect a challenge.  We had a small wager on the outcome myself and my mate who had invited me against an American work colleague and is bandit 13 handicap brother in law. Â£5 for each 9 and Â£10 for the match overall.

They teed off first and the higher handicapper sent his drive 270 straight down the middle into a slight breeze. I managed to get passed the right hand and bunker and 8 iron to 10 feet. And sank the put to go one up.

The 2nd hole gulley is a real treat with braids bunker not in play off the yellow but the other 4 were. This time I was the only one to find the fairway which if Iâ€™m honest was a bit of a putt but ended up prime position. Again hit a good shot to the middle of the green and sank a good 15 footer for birdie. The Greens were excellent and though not that fast were a good pace and very true.

Jockies Burn is next up and the marshall had stopped to advise us on the hole, to lay up short of the bunkers and the burn, we all found the fairway and again I found the middle of the green and two putted for par. A super hole which you could take on with a bit of a fade just short of the burn.

At this point I made possible the only real mistake of the round. I commented that â€œ donâ€™t know what all the fuss is about I think its quit easyâ€ 

Que a hooked drive into the very long rough, which had to be wedged out but still made a 5 and my partner halfed the hole.

Brea, a short par 4 dogleg right with jockies burn running across it which is just a 3 wood or hybrid and wedge onto a two tierd green , which was again a two putt par.

Hogans Alley is next a sghort par 5 off the yellow, but tight drive due to the oob all the way up the left. A pulled drive again that just stayed in boundes but cound only chip back onto the fairway otherwise could have made it in two. Par was again good enough from my partner but bogey for me  meant I was back to level par.

Plantation  again a shortish par 4 with the spectical bunker righr at 240 ish the left hand side was the line but out of bounds all down the left. A good drive and a putt that never looked anything but in for another birdie.

On to 8 a short par 3 aptly named Short.

A bogey here from the front right bunkers as the par putt lipped out.

9, 10 and 11 I felt were a bit disapointing and felt more like parkland/heathland holes more than links and 10 & 11 both saw a couple of shots dropped.

12 Southward Ho is a nice one with the only hazard being the spectical bunkers  at 250 and gorse and a water hazard on the left. The green runs side to side and everyone ended up on the left. Bogey all round here as the flag was cut on the ridge running across the green saw as all 3 putt.

13 whins is a lovely wee hole at only 140 but now into a breeze saw parrs all round.

14  Spectcles was the toughest hole on the day as the breeze had got up by now and with oob left and bunker everywhere, though I didnâ€™t find any bogey was enough to win the hole

15 Luck Slap is a nice, slightly dogley left with lots of gorse and a few bunker protecting the green but manage to sink a monster putt for par . getting very windy now.

The Barry burn 16th was a toughy 236 into the wind I took driver and still ended up short so another dropped shot.


17 Island, playing down wind crosses the barry bun twice and needs a carry of at least 245 and there is also a bunker just the other side if you take on the short side.
Managed my best drive of the day and onlt had a sw for mt 2nd shot which ended up 2 feet away for a birdie.

The the 18th which the last two open here would suggest the toughest of the lot as Mr Van de velde would tell you. The barry burn crosses the fairway twice with bunkers right and oob left and into the wind too boot by now. We all hit crap drives my self being luckiest as mine was saved by it weakness. Didnâ€™t make the water just short of the oob left so wedged out to the middle of the fairway just short of jonny Millers bunker and hit my 2 iron onto the green 2 puts was enough for bogey and the match and the money and a gross 77. My mate has a new nickname he is now known as Jean. But you can work out why for yourself.

A great course, the greens were excellent. Not a tough as I was expecting and took about 50 spares with me and ended up using the same ball all the way around.

Only down side was the noisy americans and 9,10 and 11 a bit underwelming.


I would deffinly go back espeally if it were free again


----------



## thecraw (Jul 4, 2012)

I'll need to play Carnoustie again as I played it about 17 years ago and I was very underwhelmed by the experience. 

Need to go back and see what I missed out on as I was very disappointed in it but I guess I did turn up as a single and got paired with a couple of Japs that could only say "yessss"!

I did birdie 16 again I was short with a driver like you Patrick but I holed a 30 yard putt!!!! Very unlikely 2!

Need to go back this year.


----------



## Liverbirdie (Jul 4, 2012)

Thats some balls to drive both the burns on 17, I bottled it and laid up both times I played it. I think I had rescue woods in both times.

The way to play 18 is put it in the burn right, take your drop, hit a 220 yard rescue wood onto the green single putt for par. That's what I did anyway!!!

Spectacles is a great hole, isn't it, and so long. Hogans alley I played into A1 position on the drive each time and ballsed up my approach /2nd both times.

Still my favourite course, so far, even above Turnberry, Lytham,St.Andrews old and Royal Liverpool for links.

Good review,BTW, brought back some good memories.


----------



## Dodger (Jul 5, 2012)

Cracking review for a cracking golf course.

Last time I was there I am sure 32pts won on a playable day and the man who had it was off 2 and was aided by a hole in one at 13!

Sure I had 30 after 15 and ended with a bogey 1 pointer at last for 31!

Still waiting for the drink mind.


----------



## patricks148 (Jul 5, 2012)

Dodger said:



			Cracking review for a cracking golf course.

Last time I was there I am sure 32pts won on a playable day and the man who had it was off 2 and was aided by a hole in one at 13!

Sure I had 30 after 15 and ended with a bogey 1 pointer at last for 31!

Still waiting for the drink mind.
		
Click to expand...

I know the course has a fearsome reputation, but I didnâ€™t find it that hard. Admittedly we only played from the yellow with only a slight breeze until the last few holes.
A few mates all said take plenty of spare balls. The rough was tough in places but if you took you medicine you were fine. Greens were really nice, though not fast, but once you had the pace they rolled so well.

At no point though did I think â€œno way I can make par hereâ€. It helped I only went in one bunker on short, so I donâ€™t know how many shots they would cost if you found a few fairway bunkers.

I could imagine that if you were very wayward off the tee you might struggle

Some cracking holes just didnâ€™t get 9,10and 11 at all!


----------



## stevek1969 (Jul 5, 2012)

Great review Patrick,i've not played it for a few years but it brings back so many memories of when i was a boy getting dragged round there every weekend by my  dad who was a memeber there.

My lasting memory of it was that concrete block that was the Mercantile clubhouse come starter box,all changed down there now tho haha.


----------



## patricks148 (Jul 5, 2012)

stevek1969 said:



			Great review Patrick,i've not played it for a few years but it brings back so many memories of when i was a boy getting dragged round there every weekend by my  dad who was a memeber there.

My lasting memory of it was that concrete block that was the Mercantile clubhouse come starter box,all changed down there now tho haha.
		
Click to expand...

Hi steve, they have built a sort of big dry stone building to the right of the first tee that has a shop with rather expensive clobber and nice changing area / reception and starter desk. Also the caddies are here as well.

Though the wooded starters hut is still there the guy said it was being taken away.

The hotel is a bit grubby if i'm honest.


----------

