Carnoustie - Wow !!

[John_Findlay]

Just played the Championship at Carnoustie on Friday with some friends and am soooooo..... looking forward to watching the Open coverage now. What a course!

As you would expect, the greens are superb and the bunkering perfect. Have a photo of a pal playing out of one of the Spectacle bunkers. He's 6'2" and the top lip is that again above the club on his backswing. There's about 60 yards to the green from there with more bunkers in the way. Could anyone get on from there? I think it's probably a physical impossibility.

They are trying to preserve the course a bit for Open year so we played off mats from the fairway which none of us were looking forward to... but no-one complained. We were all massively impressed. Only £52.50 for the round and you get a free goodybag with logo'd marker, pitchmark repairer, ball bag and the best course guide I've ever seen. The price doubles on 1st May.

Most of us play off single figures and our best score was 82 so it's a test. The par 3 16th was at 250 yards against the prevailing wind which I beleive they're gonna extend to 280 for the pro's. The rough was nothing to trouble you either so it'll be interesting to see how they change that for the Open.

Can recommend this amazing course to anyone who gets the chance to play it.

And the most amazing thing... the membership fee (which includes the Burnside Course and the Buddon Links) is.....£ £300 a year........if you live in Angus. It's almost worth chipping in with some pals and buying a house there!! Golfing heaven.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Glad you liked it. I play it 3 times a week, as I'm lucky enough to live in Angus. How did you do at 18? Did you do enough to "Win the Open"? (6 or less). Did you have ANY idea where the "safe" part of the fairway is on 17? Did you go for the carry on the 3rd? I eagled the specs on Wednesday night (1st time ever), but I had a serious wind helping me out.(Driver, 7iron). You should go onto the website and leave your comments. They are very much appreciated by the members.....http://www.carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk/index.php/?page_id=148

 

[John_Findlay]

You're a lucky man. I think I would play it every day if I lived nearby but I'm guessing that you won't get round in 3 hours with all the tourists.

By the time we got to the 18th it was cold and blowing a hooly against us but I did manage a safe 5. I've discovered that the safe line down 17 is to top a 4 iron 150 yards off the tee then crack a 5 wood onto the green to 10 feet. Easy par 4 !!

Didn't go for the carry on the 3rd. I reckoned it must be 310 yards to carry the burn and I was using a 2 iron off most tees so I wisely layed up!

Got a safe par at the Spectacles but managed an 8 down Hogan's Alley (4 putts!) after a perfect drive to well within reach of the green in two. My playing partner got his birdie after cracking his 2nd on in two. That drive was my highlight of the day.

I'm afraid I had an 87 with 3 triple bogies (at the first 2 par 3's, would you beleive!) but it was such fun. All 8 of us decided it was well worth travelling up from Edinburgh and we'd love to play again.

What score do you reckon will win the Open?. Even par?

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Bit of a cop-out this reply, but it really does depend on the weather. Wet & windy? level. Dry and still? -8. Obviously the rough will be nowhere near as bad as '99 as I don't think the committee wouldn't want to take that amount of criticism again.(CarNasty etc..)

Although it is long (longest Open venue?) I don't necessarily think it will be a long hitter that will win. The fairway bunkering is such that you will have to place you ball on certain fairways. I think Donald might have a chance this summer.


P.s. Never thought of that way of playing 17. Must give it a go.

PPS. Were you playing the specs as a Par 4 or 5?

 

[John_Findlay]

I agree that they shouldn't grow the rough up substantially for the Open. There's ample trouble (wind, bunkers and burn) without making it nasty again. Many of the pins can be tucked behind bunkers (e.g. 12) to preserve par anyway.

We were lucky enough to play from the white tees which we reckoned made it 6941 yards but it didn't feel long with the run you got from the fairways (my 2 iron was up with my partners drives mostly) so the Specs was a short 5 against the wind.

I (foolishly?) suggested to my partners that it suits an accurate fader of the ball from most tees and that Monty would do well given how low he hits the ball. Am I just being daft or would you agree?

 

[Atticus_Finch]

You have a point there actually. He usually plays the course well at the Dunhill Links and he is the course record holder after all. A wee each way bet maybe?

 

[John_Findlay]

I've just checked...and you can get him at 80/1 with Ladbrokes. That is certainly worth a tenner of anyone's money. You're on commission, Atticus!

 

[birdieman]

C'mon fellas, wind and Monty do not make good bedfellows! Save your tenners! St Andrews 05 was a one off due to great settled weather. I thought Monty hit it high rather than low?
Better having Monty for the US Open, his record there is pretty good.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Incidentally, They are starting to put up the Grandstands on Tuesday, so if you come up for a game next month you could be playing into imaginary galleries. Waving going up the 18th, making imaginary crowd noises, You know, stuff like that.

 

[John_Findlay]

That would be fun! I've played in Sun City when the stands were up for "the Nedbank" and it was brilliant for the imagination.

I've already laid my bet on Monty (and Olly). I'm a great believer in horses for courses and you might be surpised to find how well he did at Carnoustie in that wind in '99. Could you guess? It was his 3rd best finish in an Open. Anyone who draws the ball will definitely be standing on every tee with brown trousers with all those OB's on the left.

And I've watched him live many times. Surprisingly, he's an old school low ball hitter off the tee. The only other pro I've seen who hits it lower is Andres Romero and I won a packet on him at last year's Open for top ten at 40 to 1 after seeing him at the Scottish Open. I think Monty will approach Carnoustie with confidence knowing he's course record holder and plays it every year.

I know...I'm an old romantic...but I'm convinced he'll do well this year for a change.

By the way, according to the website, Tiger was tied 7th in '99 with nothing worse than a 74. I had always thought he had a holocaust that year. I'm probably getting mixed up with Sergio. Which year was it that Tiger had a score in the 80's?

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Muirfield '02 (81)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/the_open/2141322.stm

The funny thing is, Montgomerie hit an 84 on the same day, and at the practise green the following moring, Tiger said to Monty "I whipped your ass yesterday"
Tiger went out and hit a 65 on the Sunday...Monty hit 75.

Are you coming up for the Open? I got my ticket this week. £120 for the week. Not bad.

 

[John_Findlay]

Ah. Now I remember.

Will definitely be up for either the Thursday or Friday. Maybe both. Was wondering as I went round the course which would be the best holes to watch from a stand. Which would you recommend if I want to rest up for an hour or so?

 

[Atticus_Finch]

The stand behind the 6th tee is quite good as you can see the drive up the alley, 3rd tee and the 5th green.
Also there will probably be a stand behind the 16th green so you'll see the shots into the green, 17th tee shot and the approach to the 18th.
To avoid the crowds a bit though, we went to the 9th green last time and it was really quiet.

 

[PaulOHagan]

Can't wait for the Open this year- I think Carnoustie consistently provides the toughest of tests on the Open Rota- this will be my first visit, hoping for plenty of drama!

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Roughs getting up!