ADB
Journeyman Pro
Warning – long post alert!
The highlight of a 4 day golfing trip was a game on the Old Course at Royal Troon which we had all been looking forward to with a mixture of excitement and a little trepidation. One of our group was a member, so we enjoyed the rate of £30 per man which had gone up in recent years much to the annoyance of our host – I wasn't complaining as it saved £100 on the normal tariff!
As soon as you walk into the superb clubhouse, there is a fantastic relaxed feel coupled with a sense of history and understated class. If you get a chance to visit, set aside 30 minutes just to walk around the clubhouse and look in all the glass display cases for a feeling of the history of the place, it is extremely well done.
Just as a note, my friend needed to hire some clubs so asked in the pro-shop (again – extremely well stocked and reasonably priced), 'no problem sir'. The young lad returned with a branded carry bag and a full set of TaylorMade RBZ clubs – Driver, 3 Wood, Hybrid, 9 Irons and white TM putter.....that will be £20 sir! No deposit, no name taken, away you go!
We managed to sneak out in front of a group of 8 Americans who had a caddy each (£60 a man plus tip if you are interested)! Whenever we looked behind there was a small entourage walking up the fairway. We played on the Monday after the British Amateur so there were still a few marquees up and there was definitely a feeling that the course had been prepared tough, although I suspect that if the greens had not been trimmed from the weekend as although they were fantastic quality, they were certainly playable.
Playing off the whites (6,641) the length of the course was not a problem, but rather accuracy off the tee was at a premium. Troon starts pretty gently with three straight forward Par 4's where if you are relatively straight you can avoid the deep fairway bunkers and leave yourself a mid-iron in. A Bogey, Birdie, Par start settled any nerves.
Things start hotting up on the 5th – a 194 Par 3 which is heavily bunkered at the front and requires a faded long iron or 'Tiger' 9 Iron to stay on the green. A thrill is playing the 8th 'Postage Stamp' only 123 yards but with trouble lurking everywhere – a lucky wedge and two putts saw me home.
View from the tee at the Postage Stamp
The back 9 really shows it's teeth on the 11th 'Railway Line' where gorse awaits a pulled tee shot and, not surprisingly, the railway runs parallel on the right. The run for home begins at the 13th and where the wind really picked up making each tee shot a challenge. The 14th is a very tricky Par 3 with danger all around and needed at full 3 iron from 175 to make the front edge. The Par 5 16th requires a carry of over 275yds to make it over a water hazard that dissects the hole – needless to say we all laid up! Finally the 18th is a short Par 4 where the tee shot is crucial to stay out of trouble and your second will be scrutinised from the imposing Clubhouse....don't thin it!
My overall feeling was the course was in excellent condition and if you were not driving the ball well you would be punished. The rough was fair in the first and second cut, but penal (quite rightly so) after that. Maybe I expected the course to be harder and a couple of the holes on the front 9 were a bit samey as I struggled to recount my score, but overall I was very pleased with an 81 and played the same ball all the way round amazingly for me.
The locker room facilities are 5*, in fact if I were a member I might just pop in for a quick shower when I was passing! Finally, enjoy a haggis roll and pint of Belhaven Best overlooking the 18th green and imagine who might walk away with the claret jug in 2016. A wonderful experience.
The highlight of a 4 day golfing trip was a game on the Old Course at Royal Troon which we had all been looking forward to with a mixture of excitement and a little trepidation. One of our group was a member, so we enjoyed the rate of £30 per man which had gone up in recent years much to the annoyance of our host – I wasn't complaining as it saved £100 on the normal tariff!
As soon as you walk into the superb clubhouse, there is a fantastic relaxed feel coupled with a sense of history and understated class. If you get a chance to visit, set aside 30 minutes just to walk around the clubhouse and look in all the glass display cases for a feeling of the history of the place, it is extremely well done.
Just as a note, my friend needed to hire some clubs so asked in the pro-shop (again – extremely well stocked and reasonably priced), 'no problem sir'. The young lad returned with a branded carry bag and a full set of TaylorMade RBZ clubs – Driver, 3 Wood, Hybrid, 9 Irons and white TM putter.....that will be £20 sir! No deposit, no name taken, away you go!
We managed to sneak out in front of a group of 8 Americans who had a caddy each (£60 a man plus tip if you are interested)! Whenever we looked behind there was a small entourage walking up the fairway. We played on the Monday after the British Amateur so there were still a few marquees up and there was definitely a feeling that the course had been prepared tough, although I suspect that if the greens had not been trimmed from the weekend as although they were fantastic quality, they were certainly playable.
Playing off the whites (6,641) the length of the course was not a problem, but rather accuracy off the tee was at a premium. Troon starts pretty gently with three straight forward Par 4's where if you are relatively straight you can avoid the deep fairway bunkers and leave yourself a mid-iron in. A Bogey, Birdie, Par start settled any nerves.
Things start hotting up on the 5th – a 194 Par 3 which is heavily bunkered at the front and requires a faded long iron or 'Tiger' 9 Iron to stay on the green. A thrill is playing the 8th 'Postage Stamp' only 123 yards but with trouble lurking everywhere – a lucky wedge and two putts saw me home.
View from the tee at the Postage Stamp
The back 9 really shows it's teeth on the 11th 'Railway Line' where gorse awaits a pulled tee shot and, not surprisingly, the railway runs parallel on the right. The run for home begins at the 13th and where the wind really picked up making each tee shot a challenge. The 14th is a very tricky Par 3 with danger all around and needed at full 3 iron from 175 to make the front edge. The Par 5 16th requires a carry of over 275yds to make it over a water hazard that dissects the hole – needless to say we all laid up! Finally the 18th is a short Par 4 where the tee shot is crucial to stay out of trouble and your second will be scrutinised from the imposing Clubhouse....don't thin it!
My overall feeling was the course was in excellent condition and if you were not driving the ball well you would be punished. The rough was fair in the first and second cut, but penal (quite rightly so) after that. Maybe I expected the course to be harder and a couple of the holes on the front 9 were a bit samey as I struggled to recount my score, but overall I was very pleased with an 81 and played the same ball all the way round amazingly for me.
The locker room facilities are 5*, in fact if I were a member I might just pop in for a quick shower when I was passing! Finally, enjoy a haggis roll and pint of Belhaven Best overlooking the 18th green and imagine who might walk away with the claret jug in 2016. A wonderful experience.
