Poll 2 Which is the best modern Scottish/Welsh/Irish course to host a tour event

[JezzE]

Here's the second part of this month's poll.

And before I get accused of Anglophilia by enranged Celts, we only have room for two polls, and a separate one for Wales wouldn't have worked too well (i.e. Which is the best modern Welsh course to have hosted a tour event? 1) Celtic Manor TwentyTen, 2) err...

(St Pierre Old is a child of the 60s before anyone brings that up, and yes, I know the Wales Open was played on the Roman Road course once or twice at Celtic Manor, but you know what I mean!)

 

[Dodger]

Unsurprisingly I did not vote for Kingsbarns.

 

[CMAC]

any reason the PGA at Gleneagles and Turnberry isn't there?

 

[JezzE]

any reason the PGA at Gleneagles and Turnberry isn't there?

PGA at Gleneagles - only had room for 8 and previous postings on this forum have led me to believe that not many like it

Turnberry - not a modern course so didn't qualify

 

[CMAC]

PGA at Gleneagles - only had room for 8 and previous postings on this forum have led me to believe that not many like it

Turnberry - not a modern course so didn't qualify

ahh yes forgot about modern before I jumped in

 

[stevek1969]

Haven't played Castle Stuart so couldn't comment,went for Loch Lomond as i've played it twice and think its a fantastic layout, i personally like Kingsbarns, although some on here don't,

 

[Ethan]

I have gone with Loch Lomond. Despite being a parkland course and restricted to the super-elite, it seems like the best design here. Castle Stuart could have been the one, but it has American tourist friendly greens. I quite like Kingsbarns and would happily play there. The Irish courses are OK, better than Celtic Manor or The Belfry but none of them among the top 30 courses in Ireland. Carton House might be the best modern Irish parkland course which has held a Tour event.

 

[Toad]

I have gone for Castle Stuart, personally for me it is ahead of Kingsbarns both visually and in the way it plays.
Loch lomond does nothing for me I'm afraid too much hype about nothing.
I belive that if it was not so exclusive and almost impossible for joe public to get on then people would not be clamouring to try and get a game there.

 

[brendy]

Castle Stuart for me. If I was asked which of those I would want to play 5 rounds on, it would have to be CS, whether the tour would, I dunno, I loved the place when we got to play it.

 

[Dodger]

I have gone with Loch Lomond. Despite being a parkland course and restricted to the super-elite, it seems like the best design here. Castle Stuart could have been the one, but it has American tourist friendly greens. I quite like Kingsbarns and would happily play there. The Irish courses are OK, better than Celtic Manor or The Belfry but none of them among the top 30 courses in Ireland. Carton House might be the best modern Irish parkland course which has held a Tour event.

American tourist friendly greens??

I really don't see that at all Ethan.In what way do you think they are American tourist friendly?

I thought the greens were more toward a typical links with a few added undulations but nothing too crazy a la Castle Course and not at all how you describe them as.

 

[patricks148]

I too went for Castle Stuart, when i first played it i wasn't a fan, too easy i thought too wide open.

Since then i've played it a number of time and the more i play it the more i like it, admittedly the pro's shot low scores last year, but it can be a real test if you get the west wind and dry fast greens it was designed for.
LL not played it a never likly too. I think joe public should be able to play the top courses without it costing and arm and a leg.

 

[JezzE]

American tourist friendly greens??

I really don't see that at all Ethan.In what way do you think they are American tourist friendly?

I thought the greens were more toward a typical links with a few added undulations but nothing too crazy a la Castle Course and not at all how you describe them as.

I agree with that Allan. If anything, the 'tourist friendly' element would be in the generosity off the tee (which is why the pros ripped it up this year, I suspect). The greens, or certainly the approach shots, were the tough part for average golfers, demanding a fair degree of precision, though I can't remember how tricky or otherwise they were to actually putt on?

 

[Junior]

I've never played any on the list, but if I had the chance to choose an order to play them Loch Lomond would be top of the list. Always enjoyed watching the Scottish Open there and the club-house looks spectacular.

 

[Ethan]

American tourist friendly greens??

I really don't see that at all Ethan.In what way do you think they are American tourist friendly?

I thought the greens were more toward a typical links with a few added undulations but nothing too crazy a la Castle Course and not at all how you describe them as.

CS was designed (and priced) for the visiting American and affluent visitor market, with pretty broad fairways and pretty flat greens, so as not to scare the middle handicapper away. It is a great seaside location, but considered by a number of golf architects to be a faux-links. That doesn't mean it isn't a good or great course, but it is a rather different proposition from Royal Dornoch.

The Castle Course may not be the correct benchmark either!

 

[Dodger]

CS was designed (and priced) for the visiting American and affluent visitor market, with pretty broad fairways and pretty flat greens, so as not to scare the middle handicapper away. It is a great seaside location, but considered by a number of golf architects to be a faux-links. That doesn't mean it isn't a good or great course, but it is a rather different proposition from Royal Dornoch.

The Castle Course may not be the correct benchmark either!

The greens are hardly flat though.American Tourist friendly greens they are not,tourist friendly fairways yes but not the greens Ethan.

It may not be a real McCoy links but what new boy links are?

Not Kingsbarns certainly, not Dundonald,not The Castle and definitely not many or any of the ones that have appeared in the States recently...you are right that it is a different proposition to Dornoch but it deserves all the praise it has had and will get and even more so than Dornoch in my opinion.

 

[patricks148]

The greens are hardly flat though.American Tourist friendly greens they are not,tourist friendly fairways yes but not the greens Ethan.

It may not be a real McCoy links but what new boy links are?

Not Kingsbarns certainly, not Dundonald,not The Castle and definitely not many or any of the ones that have appeared in the States recently...you are right that it is a different proposition to Dornoch but it deserves all the praise it has had and will get and even more so than Dornoch in my opinion.

I've played CS a few times now and the first time yes, i agreed its was gen off the tee, but flat the greens aint.

Unfort when they had the Scottish open there it was off the back of a few weeks of wet weather, and unlike Nairn CS gets more than its fair share due to its location. if you had a good month of dry weather and they got the chance to really dry out and you had a decent westerly it is a real test.

I played it the last time mid Nov and we had, had some dry weather and it was windy. the greens were like lightning with all sorts od subtle breaks.

I've played t prob about a dozen times now and every time it gets better imo. I shot 36 points at the forum meet and have not come close to that the last few times.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I went with the K Club. Granted not the hardest to play but now lives in RC folklore with Clarke's performance.

 

[Ethan]

The greens are hardly flat though.American Tourist friendly greens they are not,tourist friendly fairways yes but not the greens Ethan.

Opinions vary, but I am just telling you what the General Manager of Castle Stuart has said. Like I said, can still be a good or great course, and many people think so.

Doonbeg, Portmarnock Links, Enniscrone and Ballyliffin (Glashedy) are all pretty authentic and modern links in these islands and there are even a few similar recent examples in the US.

 

[thecraw]

Loch Lomond all the way, a simply stunning masterpiece. From the first tee shot to the last putt it grabs you and keeps your interest and concentration , add in the vista and its a day in heaven!

Who voted 2010, geez a break!

 

[Dodger]

Opinions vary, but I am just telling you what the General Manager of Castle Stuart has said. Like I said, can still be a good or great course, and many people think so.

Doonbeg, Portmarnock Links, Enniscrone and Ballyliffin (Glashedy) are all pretty authentic and modern links in these islands and there are even a few similar recent examples in the US.

Then the GM is talking out his arse.

Pretty authentic but not 'authentic' but neither they can be really.I know not a massive amount of earth has been shifted at Wiggy's place at Menie (in comparison to other modern day links) so it will be interesting how authentic it really is when it opens.