Piece
Tour Winner
Day three of the tour and the main event: The Open course.
It's a sunny day and thank God after the deluge the day before at St Anne's. Driving into the car park is a special feel as just a few months previously all the worlds best were here. The clubhouse is super old school with a porter to help and advise on the correct attire. The practice range is a delight hitting off grass with acres of space to play with. From the clubhouse the course looks flattish and is surrounded by houses (driving to he course there is no indication that a full blown course is in there somewhere!). Made use of the practice putting green in front of the lodge that we saw on TV so many times. The pro shop is small and quaint with branded gear and memorabilia from the Opens. Unfortunately the welcome in the shop could have been better; too cold for my liking with no attempt to add to the experience.
Strangely, the course was not busy. We had two tee times but went off earlier as there was no queue. Further, there was no marshals on the course ferreting us round as fast as a human can go (hurrah). The first is a gentle par three that we've all seen on the TV. The next two are par fours running parallel to the train track - keep left! It's obvious at this stage that you plan you tee shots to not hit one of the many bunkers on this track! The fourth is another par 4 that goes back the other way. After, there's a nice par three, followed by two super holes that can be birdie-birdie as they are par fives. However, if you find the bunker or rough, then forget par. Eight and ninth are two further great holes. The eight requires a tight long iron shot but the no-no is right (OoB); the second needs to be judged right as anything short will run back down 20 yards as the green is raised high. The ninth is a simplistic par three but surrounded by bunkers and rough long.
The turn for home is greeted with blind shot. Direction and club selection is key here to leave a simple approach but don't go long. The 11th is a great par 5 up the hill that needs shaping right to left. The 12th is a good par 3 with a two tiered green, followed by a simple par 4. Then after this the course gets hard. It is said you make your score early and then defend it and its true. The 14th is a very long par 4 into the wind with bunkers all down the right. If you get par you've done well but don't relax as the 15th is longer still and uphill (but its a beautiful hole). 16th is a respite but still requires a decent straight hit. 17th is a big dogleg left that can confuse for the second shot if you don't know the course. The final holes is well framed - clubhouse behind the green, gorse and sail mast right and light rough left.
In all, a great course that is very scoreable of the right tees (we played the greens, off 6400). The rough was cut back, the fairways good and greens ok as a few were hollow tined. The big BUT for this course is its most noteable feature - its bunkers. Remembering the actual Open, many were flooded. Today, they were all flooded and up to the brim. The local rule in play was a free drop as they were GUR, however I've no clue how the members put up with this during the winter as all bunkers can't be in play? I know it rained the night before by the fairways were totally fine. There's no point having all these bunkers if they aren't used. Perhaps they have plans to sort this out in the future; I do hope so.
We also had a meal after which was really good. My summary, is that it is always special to play an Open course. On this occasion, the course was nearly up to it, but very much let down by the bunkers and the lukewarm welcome and service in the pro shop.
It's a sunny day and thank God after the deluge the day before at St Anne's. Driving into the car park is a special feel as just a few months previously all the worlds best were here. The clubhouse is super old school with a porter to help and advise on the correct attire. The practice range is a delight hitting off grass with acres of space to play with. From the clubhouse the course looks flattish and is surrounded by houses (driving to he course there is no indication that a full blown course is in there somewhere!). Made use of the practice putting green in front of the lodge that we saw on TV so many times. The pro shop is small and quaint with branded gear and memorabilia from the Opens. Unfortunately the welcome in the shop could have been better; too cold for my liking with no attempt to add to the experience.
Strangely, the course was not busy. We had two tee times but went off earlier as there was no queue. Further, there was no marshals on the course ferreting us round as fast as a human can go (hurrah). The first is a gentle par three that we've all seen on the TV. The next two are par fours running parallel to the train track - keep left! It's obvious at this stage that you plan you tee shots to not hit one of the many bunkers on this track! The fourth is another par 4 that goes back the other way. After, there's a nice par three, followed by two super holes that can be birdie-birdie as they are par fives. However, if you find the bunker or rough, then forget par. Eight and ninth are two further great holes. The eight requires a tight long iron shot but the no-no is right (OoB); the second needs to be judged right as anything short will run back down 20 yards as the green is raised high. The ninth is a simplistic par three but surrounded by bunkers and rough long.
The turn for home is greeted with blind shot. Direction and club selection is key here to leave a simple approach but don't go long. The 11th is a great par 5 up the hill that needs shaping right to left. The 12th is a good par 3 with a two tiered green, followed by a simple par 4. Then after this the course gets hard. It is said you make your score early and then defend it and its true. The 14th is a very long par 4 into the wind with bunkers all down the right. If you get par you've done well but don't relax as the 15th is longer still and uphill (but its a beautiful hole). 16th is a respite but still requires a decent straight hit. 17th is a big dogleg left that can confuse for the second shot if you don't know the course. The final holes is well framed - clubhouse behind the green, gorse and sail mast right and light rough left.
In all, a great course that is very scoreable of the right tees (we played the greens, off 6400). The rough was cut back, the fairways good and greens ok as a few were hollow tined. The big BUT for this course is its most noteable feature - its bunkers. Remembering the actual Open, many were flooded. Today, they were all flooded and up to the brim. The local rule in play was a free drop as they were GUR, however I've no clue how the members put up with this during the winter as all bunkers can't be in play? I know it rained the night before by the fairways were totally fine. There's no point having all these bunkers if they aren't used. Perhaps they have plans to sort this out in the future; I do hope so.
We also had a meal after which was really good. My summary, is that it is always special to play an Open course. On this occasion, the course was nearly up to it, but very much let down by the bunkers and the lukewarm welcome and service in the pro shop.
