Where would your ideal Scottish Open venue be?
- Thread starter MarkT
- Start date
Jacko_G
Blackballed
Dunbarnie. No thanks.
Royal Aberdeen is a great venue. I also think Southerness would be a test.
St Andrews Eden and New are also both tremendous courses in their own right.
davidy233
Tour Rookie
Sure you don't mean the Jubilee? - the Eden is nice but at 6250 yards and forgiving it's not the sort of course they'd stage a tour event at?
Jacko_G
Blackballed
davidy233
Tour Rookie
Toughest course on St Andrews Links
SatchFan
Q-School Graduate
The Algarve.
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
Ever heard of irony?
Ethan
Money List Winner
It must be a top tier links course. Dornoch is certainly that, as is Trump Aberdeen, but the sight of the small handed vulgarian lapping it up might be too emetogenic to take.
chrisd
Major Champion
I've posted before about Lydd, and yes it was a real goat track. However, I played it at the end of last year and they had made changes to the layout which vastly improved it and they also took in loads, and I mean loads, of soil which was used to define the sides of fairways and gave the course more definition. The bunkers were still awful but the tee boxes were fine and the course is quite long on loads of space. The back 9 particularly was quite playable and to be fair, if someone of money bought the course it could be turned into a course to match Royal Cinque Ports or Littlestone imo.
Grant85
Head Pro
Personally thought Royal Aberdeen is the best venue they have used.
I went to the Gullane version in 2018 and although we had a great day, I didn't come away thinking the course was anything spectacular. In all honesty, Gleneagles for the Johnny Walker and Ryder Cup left me with a greater appetite to want to return with my clubs.
Ultimately they need to find a way to get people attending and that means spectator village, good access and close to population base. As long as it's a links and ticks these boxes, I don't mind.
Edit to add I think we are very likely to see Dumbarnie on the Scottish Open rota soon, or perhaps getting incorporated into the Dunhill Links. It seems they have ambition for a tour level event at the course. Perhaps if there are enough venues who are happy to put up a bit of cash, the European Tour will put on another tournament in Scotland.
I went to the Gullane version in 2018 and although we had a great day, I didn't come away thinking the course was anything spectacular. In all honesty, Gleneagles for the Johnny Walker and Ryder Cup left me with a greater appetite to want to return with my clubs.
Ultimately they need to find a way to get people attending and that means spectator village, good access and close to population base. As long as it's a links and ticks these boxes, I don't mind.
Edit to add I think we are very likely to see Dumbarnie on the Scottish Open rota soon, or perhaps getting incorporated into the Dunhill Links. It seems they have ambition for a tour level event at the course. Perhaps if there are enough venues who are happy to put up a bit of cash, the European Tour will put on another tournament in Scotland.
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 3432
Guest
I'm sure Dumbarnie do want a tour event. Perfect opportunity to put up the green fees for our American friends........
Grant85
Head Pro
Yes - that seems to be the business model that the likes of Castle Stuart, Dundonald, Gullane and Rennaisance have followed. It seems like the course put up a chunk of the prize fund in order to be 'showcased' for a Tour event.
Apparently the East Lothian events get a decent crowd up from the NE of England - so that makes the courses outside of that area much less appealing to the Tour. Seemed to take them quite a while to work that out though.
I'd imagine a St Andrews or Carnoustie Open would make Dumbarnie more appealing in those years.
bernix
Challenge Tour Pro
The Jubilee Course at St. Andrews
Robster59
Tour Rookie
Irony - A bit like Iron (© I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
)
Captainron
Big Hitting, South African Sweary Person
Couldn't be on an Open Rota course and one that has hosted before. Also assuming that spectators weren't a consideration due to COVID
I would put a few into the mix.
Western Gailes
Machrahanish
Trump Aberdeen
Murcar
I would put a few into the mix.
Western Gailes
Machrahanish
Trump Aberdeen
Murcar
Jacko_G
Blackballed
I know its all hypothetical however from what I see Dumbarnie wouldn't work for infrastructure alone. Access is a nightmare, single track/carriageway/congested villages as it is. Miles less accessible than even Kingsbarns.
Would cause huge disruption.
Grant85
Head Pro
I've not been, but my guess is that will have been thought out and perhaps they have a plan to play the holes in a different order and use one end of the site as the access point / spectator village and use the clubhouse as a players only area.
Generally at these events you park in a field and there is a one way system in operation in the streets around the course. If they can do it at Carnoustie, Gullane, Turnberry etc. I'm sure it won't be all that difficult to put something in place, if there is willing.
A lot went into the Gullane layout, from the 1st hole being used as a spectator village, the 17th also being missed out to create a longer finishing hole and 2 holes from another course brought into the tournament layout.
Jacko_G
Blackballed
All very well but the roads won't cope round Dumbarnie.
KenL
Tour Rookie
I think they'd be fine for a Scottish Open.
ExRabbit
Club Champion
http://www.musselburgholdlinks.co.uk/
Enjoyed playing there a few years ago - my Ram Zebra was hot that day!
Enjoyed playing there a few years ago - my Ram Zebra was hot that day!
