Trump int'l / Carnoustie, April/May 2016

[bluewolf]

when are you joining cruden then Bri. Get it done

carnoustie had no club atmosphere at all, just felt like a load of golf courses, very similar to Woburn with zero club feeling.

It should be pointed out that Carnoustie itself isn't a Club as such. It is just a selection of courses. The Clubs are all separate entities and are situated across the road. We went into the Caledonia Club on the Thursday and it was very friendly, and did have that "Club" feel...

It should also be stated that the membership fees for Carnoustie (2 courses - then 3 when a spot opens up) and one of the Clubs opposite are a grand total of £510 - £360 for Carnoustie & £150 for the Club fees.. Not too shabby I thought

 

[Smiffy]

Carnoustie had no club atmosphere at all, just felt like a load of golf courses, very similar to Woburn with zero club feeling.

When we used to go and play it in the 90's there was nothing there at all. The hotel hadn't been built and the ticket office was just like a public convenience.
Nowhere to get anything to eat, we used to have to nip into the town between rounds and find a bakers to get a pie and a "sticky wullie"....
Still didn't detract from the experience though.
A day spent there, 18 on the Burnside followed by 18 on the Championship was the highlight of our week without quetion.
And we played some lovely courses whilst we were up there.

 

[Hobbit]

And we played some lovely courses whilst we were up there.

Monifeith is just up the road. It's a cracking course, think it's been an Open qualifier. And a night out in Dundee is an education!

 

[Smiffy]

Monifeith is just up the road. It's a cracking course, think it's been an Open qualifier. And a night out in Dundee is an education!

Played Panmure, Scotscraig, Lundin, Leven, Montrose, Downfield, Ladybank, Alyth, Blairgowrie and Pitlochry to name just a few Brian.
Obviously we were staying "below" Carnoustie (just shy of Perth).

 

[Hobbit]

Played Panmure, Scotscraig, Lundin, Leven, Montrose, Downfield, Ladybank, Alyth, Blairgowrie and Pitlochry to name just a few Brian.
Obviously we were staying "below" Carnoustie (just shy of Perth).

sounds like you were on the same trip. Kirriemuir and Crief too.

 

[Smiffy]

sounds like you were on the same trip. Kirriemuir and Crief too.

Kirriemuir has a Seniors Open the day after Murcar!
Worth playing Brian??
I can sense a road trip......

 

[Hobbit]

Kirriemuir has a Seniors Open the day after Murcar!
Worth playing Brian??
I can sense a road trip......

Kirriemuir is a James Braid designed course. It's the one I remember most from that trip. I'd happily play there any day and twice on Sunday's.

 

[Smiffy]

Kirriemuir is a James Braid designed course. It's the one I remember most from that trip. I'd happily play there any day and twice on Sunday's.

You're not helping Brian!

 

[bernix]

i preferred Panmure to Monifieth or Scottscraig. All very similar inland links courses and really liked all 3

 

[Smiffy]

i preferred Panmure to Monifieth or Scottscraig.

Panmure was okay, tough as old boots.
But the 1st 2 holes, and the last 2 were a bit of a letdown.
I never played Monifieth but thought Scotscraig was fantastic.
If I do return, I wouldn't mind giving Alyth another bash.
Off the radar for most people, but well worth a visit.

 

[stevek1969]

Panmure was okay, tough as old boots.
But the 1st 2 holes, and the last 2 were a bit of a letdown.
I never played Monifieth but thought Scotscraig was fantastic.
If I do return, I wouldn't mind giving Alyth another bash.
Off the radar for most people, but well worth a visit.

Scotscraig is a great course and some really good changes going, maybe I'm biased as I'm a member there but its a tough course.

 

[Region3]

A few more thoughts now I've had time to reflect.

Cruden Bay.

A beautiful place to play golf. Everyone I spoke to at home before we played had said how good it was and that I would love it. Maybe I'm just a grumpy so-and-so but it didn't live up to the hype for me as a golf course.
The best place by far we played at for general scenery, but plonk those 18 holes in the middle of Leicestershire and it wouldn't be a course I went out of my way for.

Below is my favourite pic of those I took there. Gorgeous.

As an aside - but relevant to some others comments in the thread - the green you see bottom left is hidden from view for your approach. What nobody knew was that it was out of play and there was a temporary green on top of the hill (further right in the pic). Laser guys were ok, but a few GPS'ers had a wedge back to the green! :rofl:

Oh, and bearing in mind the mix up with the food, I wouldn't be in the least surprised if the whisky shouldn't have been ours.




Murcar

I was looking forward to playing all of the courses on the trip, but this was the least anticipated for me. I knew it had hosted the ET matchplay last year but other than that I'd not heard anything about it, so it was (in my head anyway) a filler round between the other courses.

It was probably overall the worst weather conditions we had over the 5 days (even excluding the hailstorm that some had to put up with before the whole shebang was declared a false start) so not easy to appreciate your surroundings, but the views were just nice but nothing special.
The golf course on the other hand is an absolute belter, with lots of variety in the hole designs and plenty to make you think - even if those thoughts are "I've just smashed a drive on this par 4 and I've got no chance of reaching the green with my second in this wind"

I'm probably alone in this, but I thought it was the second best "golf course" of the trip.


Trump International

The whole place leaves you with a sense of grandeur, right from the word go with the slow drive through the grounds just to get to the car park.

The range is free. There are bays marked on the ground, each with its own pyramid of balls. If you run out just grab some more from the barrels full to the brim of TaylorMade range balls.
I didn't use the short game area, but it looked like a couple of well contoured greens with a choice of flags to aim at. Again, just grab a load of balls from the barrel and hit away, you don't even have to collect them - they have someone do that.

We each got a little tartan bag with course planner, scorecard, pencil and a few tees which was a nice touch. The bag will come in handy for keeping odds bits and bobs in.

The service is very 5-star, but there's just something about being called 'sir' all the time that makes me uneasy. I'd feel much more at ease if I was spoken to like I was an old friend than a knight of the realm. Maybe the target audience for the course like it that way, but I felt more at home on the first two days.

Onto the course, and pretty much every hole is visually stunning. I've already covered that I'm a grumpy git, but I couldn't help get the feeling that the holes were designed more as a statement than a test of golf. Sure, there were some great holes but a lot of them I thought were ordinary if you take the scenery away.
Take the 14th as an example. Most people have commented about it being breathtaking from the tee and I agree, visually it might be the best I've seen, but take the dunes away and you have a slight dog leg left with a raised tee. I don't remember if there were any hazards on the hole, or even how long it was (I hit 3w - wedge the first day), but apart from needing to hit a 30yd wide fairway there wasn't really a challenge to it.

Talking of the fairways, I thought they were too wide and aside from the odd fairway bunker (or 5 in the case of the 18th!) not too much to think about - not that I hit them all mind. There's maybe 10'-15' of semi rough, then we come to the dunes. I don't know if it's just the way that type of grass grows or if you can manage it, but it's pretty pointless IMO on a golf course.
Make the rough bad enough that I have to hack out with a wedge, or even take a penalty drop, but more balls must be lost in that stuff than found so you might as well line the edge of it with white stakes and knock half an hour off the 5.5hr round we had.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the place and thought it was a very good golf course, but it didn't live up to the hype as potentially the best in the world.


Carnoustie

What a contrast Carnoustie is to Trump. Very understated and not shouting 'look at me' in any way, but what a golf course!

My game had gotten steadily worse all trip culminating in me not having a clue what I was doing on the last day, but even though I didn't finish many holes I was more than happy just walking round and taking the course in. No big elevation changes like the first 3 we played, but to make a score, each shot needs to be thought about and the course 'navigated' rather more than most of us are used to.

I was expecting an unplayable beast, but what I found was a very challenging (but scoreable with good play and decisions), subtle and charming golf course that I would love to go back to.
Definitely the best of the 4 for me.

It was also the only course of the 4 to have a halfway hut (albeit Trump had a cart come round with pop, sweets and hot drinks, but it's not the same).
Nothing cooked to order but pies etc in a heated display unit. I tried a 'bridie' and it was lovely. A pastie but without the veg, what's not to like :thup:




And once again to the organisers.... :cheers:

 

[FairwayDodger]

Good write up Gary and I'm glad to hear someone shares my view of that 14th hole at trump!

My first impression of trump was fantastic but it dropped a bit on a second playing. Still a great, albeit showy, course but I rate a few I've played, including Carnoustie, higher.

 

[Paperboy]

If you hit 3W then a wedge into 14 then you hit it forum distances. I hit my best 3W then my best 3H just to get pin high!!

Did you mean 13 was 3W, wedge?

 

[rickg]

If you hit 3W then a wedge into 14 then you hit it forum distances. I hit my best 3W then my best 3H just to get pin high!!

Did you mean 13 was 3W, wedge?

I was with Gary when he hit his 3W, wedge into 14.
It's definitely not a long hole....I hit driver wedge on both days. Definitely got a lot of run on the drive. I suppose it could play long if the drive is hit high and stops when it lands.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I agree with most of these comments. On the surface, Trump is spectacular but when you actually analyse the holes, individually they are all very playable with sensible course management and not overly difficult. I can't remember if I hit driver or 3w on 14th (think it was driver) but I only had a wedge into the green as well.

Carnoustie is a far more demanding test of golf.

 

[Region3]

If you hit 3W then a wedge into 14 then you hit it forum distances. I hit my best 3W then my best 3H just to get pin high!!

Did you mean 13 was 3W, wedge?

13 was the par 3? I hit 4 iron there first day.

I could be remembering 14 wrong I guess but I don't think so. I've just looked at the planner again and it's only 370 and was with the wind from an elevated tee so a good hit with a 3W but not ridiculous. I suppose it's less believable if I said I only had half a gap wedge in as well?

 

[FairwayDodger]

I was with Gary when he hit his 3W, wedge into 14.
It's definitely not a long hole....I hit driver wedge on both days. Definitely got a lot of run on the drive. I suppose it could play long if the drive is hit high and stops when it lands.

Driver 6i for me on day 1. Needed 5h on day 2 but I duffed the drive.

 

[Region3]

I agree with most of these comments. On the surface, Trump is spectacular but when you actually analyse the holes, individually they are all very playable with sensible course management and not overly difficult. I can't remember if I hit driver or 3w on 14th (think it was driver) but I only had a wedge into the green as well.

Carnoustie is a far more demanding test of golf.

Is the grass on those dunes common to a lot of links courses, or have they made it like that on purpose?

Thinking about it, Burnham's rough rough is like that too.

 

[Jimaroid]

If you hit 3W then a wedge into 14 then you hit it forum distances. I hit my best 3W then my best 3H just to get pin high!!

Did you mean 13 was 3W, wedge?

Nah, definitely the 14th. He hit a very nice 3W there.