Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Kyle Henderson on October 16, 2009, 11:24:58 PM
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Not terribly scenic but no ugly stepchild, a stern test of golf while playable for the novice (until the last 3 holes!!!), a bit short on charm yet not lacking for personality - this is Carnoustie’s Championship Course. Originally laid out by Robert Chambers (who?), Allen Robertson was largely responsible for the course’s early evolution over the first decade. The course has since been substantially renovated on multiple occasions by the likes of Old Tom Morris, George Morris (OTM’s brother), Bob and Archie Simpson, James Braid, Willie Parker, Jr. and James Wright (who?). That’s some list…
FYI: My other pictorial threads from this trip can be viewed at the following links:
Royal Dornoch http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40107.0/
Brora http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40120.0/
Golspie http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40126.0/
The Castle Course http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40204.0/
Murcar http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40281.0/
Crail: Craigshead & Balcombie http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40325.0/
Lundin Links http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40387.0/
Muirfield http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40439.0/
Cruden Bay http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40565.0/
Gleneagles - Kings Course http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40675.0/
St. Andrews - Old Course http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40696.0/
Gullane #1 & #2 http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41085.0/
Panmure http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41122.0/
Gleneagles - Queens Course http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41152.0/
Kingsbarns http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41184.0/
Royal Aberdeen - Balgownie Links http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41498.0/
Carnoustie – Championship Course http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41834.0/
North Berwick - West Links http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,42104.0/
*not featured: Nairn, Eden, New, Castle Stuart (tour)
The first hole isn’t overly taxing, but trouble looms with a burn left, a bunker right, and nerves possibly at work in the gut of a first-time visitor.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2657/4018504252_d4d61fa7ee_b.jpg)
The first green sits down in a hollow, hence the white directional pole behind the green. Missing a bit left off the tee didn’t lead to any trouble on the day I played the course, but when the hay is high one simply must find the fairway. This task is made more difficult by a small ridge running through the left center of the fairway that can feed one’s tee ball into one of the bilateral perils.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2645/4018504312_82db486af8_b.jpg)
The green is angled from left-to-right and protected by a single bunker at the right/front (scroll over). Once on the surface, the green contours are subtle. If you get the speed right, you should have a good chance to make a putt from moderate distances.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2672/4018504350_64b20acf23_b.jpg)
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Kyle,
At last you have played the mighty Carnoustie, I played there a couple of times while at university in Dundee, and was fortunate to be inside the ropes at the 1999 Open working on the 12th hole scoreboard.
The 1st hole fairway bunkers prior to the 1999 Open was a lot closer to the tee and the 16th green, they changed it to tighten up the hole. This hole is difficult to get a birdie on because the green angles from front left to back right bringing in the greenside bunker into play. The best line off the tee is to hit the left side of the fairway. I can remember the pros trying to avoid that route taking an iron off the tee short of the bunkers meaning a harder line to the green they would have been happy with a 4.
Adi Stiff has designed a hole on the new Stranahan course at the Players Club based on the approach to this green.
I look forward to see more of this beast of a golf course!
Cheers
Ben
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Willie Parker Jnr (who ?) :)
Once again Kyle, thanks for sharing your pics. I've got a feeling they will be referred to over the years as courses get tweaked and your pics will provide a useful reference tool.
Niall
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Thanks Kyle, looking forward to the next 17 holes! I only walked Carnoustie once, in the 2007 Open but I was really impressed with this links...
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The 2nd hole, aptly named “Gulley,” is a brutish par 4 stretching up to 459 yards. Braid’s bunker sits in the dead center of the fairway at a bit over 200 yards from the pro tees (30-40 less for visotors), adding tremendous difficulty to the drive when winds are unfavorable.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/4017812999_d1f7792258_b.jpg)
The right side is peppered with nasty bunker at regular intervals from tee to green, requiring accuracy no matter how the hole is played (into or with the wind, punching out of the hay, laying up to and ideal approach yardage or pin seeking).
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2742/4018574106_8b69a85595_b.jpg)
The green is nearly 60 paces deep but not very wide – this must be a great test for the pro’s that thrive on pinpoint distance above directional perfection, especially in a crosswind. Three bunkers protect the green’s entrance and mid-section, but there is room to run a long shot onto the putter pad.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2631/4017813093_8ed740d1cc_b.jpg)
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The landing zone for the 3rd hole is peppered with hillocks and bunkers – indecisiveness providing the largest hazard. Short hitters should aim left over the scrubby hillock between bunkers while long bombers should shoot for the trailing twosome a bit more to starboard.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4017817041_e23f52b683_b.jpg)
A drive which carries 230-250 yards (depending on the teeing grounds selected) will clear these bunkers, allowing one to steer away from Jockie’s Burn along the left side of the fairway.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2735/4018578162_1ecd6ef9d4_b.jpg)
Jockie’s Burn crosses just in front of the green. The putting surface is 40 yards deep and wider at the rear than in front. Bunkers protect the middle of the green on the left and right (only the left bunker is visible from this vantage point.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2708/4017817119_be1d1d257a_b.jpg)
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Jockie's Burn was dry when I was there as well... Is this a seasonal thing?
Its amazing how much influence that green-side bunker has on putts. Not something you see frequently here in the states.
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kyle, you should really be thinking about making a career switch as your course reviews are so well thought out and presented i think you would have a great future doing this to pay your mortgage ! Cheers Alister
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kyle, you should really be thinking about making a career switch as your course reviews are so well thought out and presented i think you would have a great future doing this to pay your mortgage ! Cheers Alister
Thanks, Alister. Your praise is highly gratifying. However, my hunch is that if neither Mr. Goodale nor "golf's most beloved" manage to pay their bills in this line of work, I'm probably not going to fare well.
Mind you, I am currently working on my first book, but the topic is much more risqué than GCA. I’ll probably try to publish it under a pseudonym and wear a mask on Oprah.
By the way, than you for making an effort to say “hello” during my day at Cruden Bay. That drive you saw me pull on #7 managed to carry all of the junk, but I missed the birdie putt.
Cheers.
-K
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The 4th is a 375-yard par 4 that shares its green with the 14th. In calm winds, the right bunker is easily carried (~190 yards) from the tee but another awaits further down (~280 yards) that line. The left is protected by Jockie’s Burn and another bunker (~230 yards).
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2512/4021816674_8f1578d522_b.jpg)
A well struck drive in favorable weather conditions will leave a short approach, allowing the player to carry past the four bunkers which guard the front of the green.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2706/4021056135_b6d9945ffe_b.jpg)
This view is of the approach to the 14th flag (red) and the 4th flag beyond (white), with the 4th hole stretching away to the far left. The combined green surface is over 70 yards deep.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2487/4021816730_a0bbcbdd26_b.jpg)
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The tee shot for the 5th hole (408 yards) is played to an ample fairway between bunkers left and right.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2751/4022719577_326549c6d4_b.jpg)
The second shot is played over Jockie’s Burn to a green that is almost 60 paces deep and sloping from back to front. The rear portion of the green is raised and protected by bunkers on the left, making for a very difficult hole location.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2488/4023478250_5609cb32ce_b.jpg)
Looking back to the tee (scroll right to see the pin).
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2684/4023478454_9bc0273db0_b.jpg)
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The 6th hole, a par 5 that now measures 585 yards in total length, is the famed Hogan’s Alley. With modern technology, proficient ball striker’s can simply blast over the two fairway central bunkers from the visitors tees, but in Hogan’s day (or from the new back tees) one had to drive left of the bunkers (as Hogan did in all four round of the Open Championship, hence the hole’s name) and risk going O.B. to gain the best angle for attacking the green in two.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3497/4022720071_43fbef8331_b.jpg)
The fairway gradually narrows as the green grows nearer, adding difficulty to long approaches and lay-up shots.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/4022720215_9e3340dfb0_b.jpg)
Jockie’s burn is mercifully piped under the fairway after defining its starboard border for almost 80 yards, but it can still pose a hazard for the wayward.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2649/4023478814_68a5a620f4_b.jpg)
This bunker gathers any shot that drifts long and left of the green, while a trio of pot bunkers guard the far (right) side. The green is angled from short left to long right (again, favoring those that find Hogan’s alley from the tee) and 50 yards deep. Players will definitely face some very long lag putts at Carnoustie if they lack distance control with their irons (scroll right to see the flag and the Spectacle Bunkers of the 14th hole in the distance).
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/4022720537_e7c94e44b9_b.jpg)
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The 409 yard 7th hole plays along the same boundary as the 6th, but is much shorter and more forgiving.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2791/4023486998_9f966c3067_b.jpg)
As at the previous hole, an advantage can be gained by driving left of a bunker couplet and risking a stroke and distance penalty, but here playing short of the sand will not render the green unreachable.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/4022728505_bf481d2965_b.jpg)
Two bunkers and a false front protect the green’s entrance, advocating an aerial approach and rewarding those that produce a long and accurate drive to yield a short wedge for their second shot.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3530/4023487204_b276667799_b.jpg)
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The 8th hole is the first par 3, 181 yards in length, and defined by O.B. left with bunkers at the left rear and right front of the green.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2568/4023487330_813b64d642_b.jpg)
The green is tilted from back to front (there is a bit of false front just left of frame) and raised slightly from the surrounds.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2477/4023487496_224b35f3b5_b.jpg)
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Kyle,
Once again THANKS.
Anthony
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I can't think of another course where the first par 3 comes so deep into the round. That's a good thread in fact! ;)
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While the par 5 9th plays as long as 480 yards, most will try their hand at this hole from something like 410-420 yards.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/4023487574_fd20e62559_b.jpg)
The fairway is narrow and guarded by bunkers right and left in the landing zone. In the distance, a bunker which appears to guard the left side of the green is actually set back a bit and fairly deep. Steer clear or face the toughest shot in golf.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/4022729093_5d3b3115fb_b.jpg)
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Kyle,
I have never heard of the 9th being a par 5 - as far as I can remember it has always been played as a long par 4 - Nicklaus bunker is on the 2nd one up the right hand side of the fairway.
Cheers
Ben
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Kyle,
I have never heard of the 9th being a par 5 - as far as I can remember it has always been played as a long par 4 - Nicklaus bunker is on the 2nd one up the right hand side of the fairway.
Cheers
Ben
It's called a par 5 in the yardage guide I have (and a book produced by the same outfit), but it is definetly a 4 for visitors unless the winds a blowing hard.
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The 6th hole, a par 5 that now measures 585 yards in total length, is the famed Hogan’s Alley. With modern technology, proficient ball striker’s can simply blast over the two fairway central bunkers from the visitors tees, but in Hogan’s day (or from the new back tees) one had to drive left of the bunkers (as Hogan did in all four round of the Open Championship, hence the hole’s name) and risk going O.B. to gain the best angle for attacking the green in two.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3497/4022720071_43fbef8331_b.jpg)
Kyle,
Thanks for these pictures! I walked the course at the Scottish Open some years ago, but its good to see a course from the players eye view. The thing that really jumped out at me was the drive on 6. The left hand side of those central bunkers looks reasonably welcoming in the photo, as even though the right hand bunkers are in the distance, they make the right hand side look dangerous? How does it feel in the flesh?
And talking of Hogan, didn't he play with a fade in his later years? And if so does that mean he sent his tee shots out over the out of bounds? WOW! Its been a while since I read his biography so I dont recall the details?
Cheers,
James
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Kyle,
I have never heard of the 9th being a par 5 - as far as I can remember it has always been played as a long par 4 - Nicklaus bunker is on the 2nd one up the right hand side of the fairway.
Cheers
Ben
It's called a par 5 in the yardage guide I have (and a book produced by the same outfit), but it is definetly a 4 for visitors unless the winds a blowing hard.
Kyle
I have a copy of that book too, and I think if you look closely you will see that it says (rightly) that 9 is a par 5 for ladies only.
Slainte
Rich
PS--great photos/great series. thanks.
rfg
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Kyle,
I have never heard of the 9th being a par 5 - as far as I can remember it has always been played as a long par 4 - Nicklaus bunker is on the 2nd one up the right hand side of the fairway.
Cheers
Ben
It's called a par 5 in the yardage guide I have (and a book produced by the same outfit), but it is definetly a 4 for visitors unless the winds a blowing hard.
Kyle
I have a copy of that book too, and I think if you look closely you will see that it says (rightly) that 9 is a par 5 for ladies only.
Slainte
Rich
PS--great photos/great series. thanks.
rfg
I'm looking at the book at this very moment, and this particular detail is presented in a confusing manner. But, otherwise, the review of the 9th hole is a spectacular compendium, far surpassing my whimsical presentation in both depth and clarity. :-*
I’ll stick to the scorecard printed in the back of the book for determining what preconceived notions of “par” have been ascribed to each hole. T
Thanks for the clarification, Sir Richard.
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Boony,
Talking about the 6th, Hogan's Alley on Kyle's pic looks wide but actually it is narrow and it takes a brave drive to hit there, I have been OOB before attempting to get there as well as hitting it right for safety - if it plays downwind those central bunkers are easy to carry over for the big hitter! I have used a 8 or 9 iron to the green for my second shot.
Here is a comment from CGL website
Hogans Alley
Named after the immortal Ben Hogan who won the Open Championship in 1953, this hole is where Carnoustie starts to turn up the heat.
Normally played into the prevailing wind this hole can be a severe par 5. Bunkers and out of bounds await the miss-cued drive and although the best line is up Hogan’s Alley between the bunkers and the out of bounds fence, it requires a brave player to drive to that narrow piece of fairway. The 2nd shot is no less perilous with a ditch angling across the fairway and the out of bounds continuing to be a threat.
The approach is reasonably straightforward to an undulating green, particular care must be taken if the pin is located on the back right portion of the green.
A player should always be content with a five on this hole as it can be the ruin of many a scorecard.
Caddie’s Tip
“Hogan’s alley for the brave, but not for the faint hearted, who should favour the right of the centre bunkers on this very difficult par five. Care must also be taken with your second shot as once again Jockey’s burn bites deeply into the right side of the fairway.”
Cheers
Ben
PS I thought Hogan had a problem with the hooks
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Mr. Boon,
In addition to what Mr. Stephens posted, you can see that the tee markers can also be placed aways from the OB line, forcing the angle of the drive more towards OB for those trying to find Hogan's Alley. That gap is probably ~20 yards wide or so (??? can anyone confirm?).
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The 10th hole, famously dubbed “South America,” is another stiff challenge at 465 yards from the tips (425 for most visitors). Three bunkers guard the right side for short hitters.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2428/4022741497_e8e32f37e4_b.jpg)
Farther down, another bunker on the left acts as a sentry for long bombers.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/4023500228_c22b9a6e3c_b.jpg)
The Barry Burn crosses ~45 yards short of the green, but the masonry is tiered to allow safe entry for those seeking a Van de Velde foot bath. This green is 40 yards deep, with bunkers at the left front and right middle and trees on the right to boot (scroll to view).
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4022741811_de2be1cdbf_b.jpg)
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A shortish par 4 (380 yards), the 11th is a straightforward test. Bunkers loom in the landing zone on the left and right sides of the fairway.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3490/4023500582_ff90b106ac_b.jpg)
A decent drive will leave a short iron to a deep green angled from back to front with flanking bunkers at the front and middle pin depths.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4023500800_384d37b1df_b.jpg)
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The 12th can be played as a par 4 or 5 (depending on the tees) of up to 504 yards. The fairway tightens the farther one drives the ball, with bunkers on the right and rough encircling the fairway.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2491/4022742413_6e7499ee62_b.jpg)
The green is more open to long approaches from the left side.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2692/4023501138_dc5f4fac6b_b.jpg)
Too far left, and one might find themselves on the rocks (boo…).
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4023501252_38f30135fc_b.jpg)
Unlike the vast majority of greens seen so far, the 12th putting surface is wider than it is deep. However, bunker-laden mounds obscure the view of the left and right (scroll over) extremes of the green, forcing aerial approaches to attack side pin locations.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3514/4022742909_966982f53b_b.jpg)
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The 13th is a tricky par 3 of 171 yards, with a raised hour glass green of over 40 yards in depth that is almost absurdly narrow at its waist. Bunkers are found at the front and sides, while shaved slopes gather non-beached misses toward the periphery.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2701/4023501490_7c8f5968c5_b.jpg)
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At 510 yards from the tips, the 14th hole is an eminently reachable par 5.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/4051574273_c7c0972d85_b.jpg)
If one can avoid the bunkers guarding the landing zone, they must choose between laying up and attempting to carry the spectacle bunkers in the distance (~65 yards short of the green)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/4051574301_dcacc6b884_b.jpg)
Of course, hitting a fairway wood blindly over the spectacles to a green shared with the 4th hole is inherently dangerous. I trust the Scottish people are less litigious than we Americans.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2487/4021816730_a0bbcbdd26_b.jpg)
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Starting a brutal stretch of holes to close the round, the 15th is a par 4 playing as long as 471 yards.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/4052318888_a3511345a2_b.jpg)
The fairway bends slightly to the left from tee to green. The visible pair of bunkers on the right sits 30-40 yards short of the green, making the left side of the landing strip the ideal target, especially given the slight left-to-right tilt of the fairway
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2773/4052318936_fc42472158_b.jpg)
Another pair of bunkers guard the front left and right corners of the green, which is 35 yards deep and generally feeds to the right.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/4052318974_a1105e84fd_b.jpg)
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At 250 yards, the 16th hole is a monster of a par 3 that loves nothing more than tormenting Sergio Garcia. (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2488/4051574453_1a917f8bd9_b.jpg)
Bunkers are stationed to intercept any running shot that does not track directly down the center.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4052319116_634000f352_b.jpg)
The green is raised so as to shrug away imperfect approach shots. This view shows the shaved bank that runs along the left side, while a rough-covered slope defines the right and rear of the green (scroll right to see bunker and flag).
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2580/4052319266_f5353730d2_b.jpg)
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Kyle,
I'm sure that the 16th will have tormented a lot more people than just Sergio ;D It looks as if it would be tricky to hit with a mid iron, never mind a fairway wood or driver!
Thanks again for posting these pics,
Cheers,
James
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I have fond memories of playing this hole 16 - using a driver into the wind - yes Boony a driver!! I thought it was a cracker and that the ball was on the green but to my horror it just went down the left bank. I had the option of using a putter, 7, 9 or wedge - but opted for the sand wedge off a tight lie to jump over the bank. I chipped in for a birdie on one of the hardest par 3's in the world!!!
Paddy hit the flag here in the playoff for the 2007 Open!
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When I took the Pacific Grove Golf team to Scotland, one of our players hit it to a foot with well struck 3 wood. The tees were at about 220.
She made the putt, thats right SHE.
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Calling Doug Siebert!
His Carnoustie 16th experiences top all others.
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I have fond memories of playing this hole 16 - using a driver into the wind - yes Boony a driver!! I thought it was a cracker and that the ball was on the green but to my horror it just went down the left bank. I had the option of using a putter, 7, 9 or wedge - but opted for the sand wedge off a tight lie to jump over the bank. I chipped in for a birdie on one of the hardest par 3's in the world!!!
Paddy hit the flag here in the playoff for the 2007 Open!
Ben
I know my memory is failing me through years of alcohol abuse but wasn't it Sergio who hit the flag & saw his ball kick off the green?
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Continuing the extremely challenging closing stretch, the 17th is a 454-yard par 4 that crosses the Barry Burn twice. While the terrain here has little character aside from the burn, this waterway is perfectly placed to provide compelling 2-dimensional golf. The longer club one plays off of the tee, the more they must steer to the right as the burn narrows the fairway from the left. However, the truly long bombers (or solid hitters with favorable wind conditions) may be able to fly the second burn crossing if they stick to the left and flirt with the fairway bunker on the distant “shore.”
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2504/4052319344_4438a6f695_b.jpg)
Undulations start to appear as the green is approached, with bunkers placed short of the green on the left and right to snare wayward shots. The green is somewhat elevated and yields few easy putts for a hole of such great length and general difficulty from tee to green
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2638/4052319424_1b3b04086d_b.jpg)
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I have fond memories of playing this hole 16 - using a driver into the wind - yes Boony a driver!! I thought it was a cracker and that the ball was on the green but to my horror it just went down the left bank. I had the option of using a putter, 7, 9 or wedge - but opted for the sand wedge off a tight lie to jump over the bank. I chipped in for a birdie on one of the hardest par 3's in the world!!!
Paddy hit the flag here in the playoff for the 2007 Open!
Ben
I know my memory is failing me through years of alcohol abuse but wasn't it Sergio who hit the flag & saw his ball kick off the green?
It was Sergio, hence my comment regarding his torment.
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Andrew/Kyle,
It was Sergio that hit the flag - apologies also Paddy nearly ended up in the hole - 2 very exciting Opens at Carnoustie in a row!!
Cheers
Ben
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Kyle,
Again thank you. Great review.
Anthony
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Kyle,
Your photo tours are phenomenal. What a trip you must have had. We just missed each other. Do you plan to return to Scotland next summer?
Anyway, the 17th at Carnoustie may be my least favorite hole. Not only do you have to carry two burns, the second one runs at a really funny angle. It's one of the few holes where I step on the tee with absolutely no idea what to hit or where to hit it, anything from driver to 6 iron. Maybe that's architectural genious to most. Once safe in the fairway, the hole is fine.
Best Wishes,
Steve
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Kyle,
Your photo tours are phenomenal. What a trip you must have had. We just missed each other. Do you plan to return to Scotland next summer?
Anyway, the 17th at Carnoustie may be my least favorite hole. Not only do you have to carry two burns, the second one runs at a really funny angle. It's one of the few holes where I step on the tee with absolutely no idea what to hit or where to hit it, anything from driver to 6 iron. Maybe that's architectural genious to most. Once safe in the fairway, the hole is fine.
Best Wishes,
Steve
Indeed, I was in Dornoch about a week before you. Some day our paths will cross, amigo. Thanks for the praise.
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Kyle,
Again thank you. Great review.
Anthony
Much obliged, Mr. Gray. And thank for sharing from your Scottish adventures.
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Now played as a long par 4, the 18th hole is 500 yards of pure peril, with a boundary line looming left, the Barry Burn beckoning balls that bail right, and the potential for a hotel gallery heckling as you reach the final green. Alliterative annoyances aside, this closer has caused cognitive dissonance for a plethora of championship players from Padraig to Van de Velde.
Driving over and staying between the elegant curves of the Burn is job #1.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3489/4052319518_41227d8b3d_b.jpg)
Bunkers define the right side of the landing zone (scroll over to view), with rough covered mounds bordering both sides of the fairway.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2802/4051575085_b157f95c0b_b.jpg)
If your drive is straight and true, you will face a long approach that must clear the Barry Burn once again to reach the green. Bunkers protect the front corners of the green. If you’re forced to lay up short of the burn, try not to skull one onto the patio.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2436/4052319692_e708c246e0_b.jpg)
Looking back from behind the green (scroll right to see pin), one can see the relatively tame contours of the putting surface.. The green is deep (45 yards) and narrow, much like those found earlier in the journey.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/4051575315_16b702aeeb_b.jpg)
On a sunny, calm day, Carnoustie's Championship course provides a friendly challenge. With a bit of wind, this course must be a brute.
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Kyle,
How did you enjoy the last few holes at Carnoustie? I did not play due to 50+ mph winds but the last few holes looked intriguing.
If you played 10 rounds at Dornoch / Carnoustie - how would you divy them up?
Thanks again for the great photo tours.
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Kyle,
How did you enjoy the last few holes at Carnoustie? I did not play due to 50+ mph winds but the last few holes looked intriguing.
If you played 10 rounds at Dornoch / Carnoustie - how would you divy them up?
Thanks again for the great photo tours.
I'd probably split my rounds 7-3 in favor of Dornoch, which is not a knock on Carnoustie. Dornoch is very special.
The last few holes at Carnoustie are great theater for closing out championships, but most amateur golfers will suffer mightily. I prefer the stretches from 2-6 and 13-15.
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Kyle, knowing what you know now, would you recommend Carnoustie to a first time visitor? What would be the courses that you suggest to that person ahead of Carnoustie? If one was coming down from the highlands and could only stop on the way to SA at either Cruden Bay or Carnoustie, whcih would you suggest? Thanks, and another great job on the tour!
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Kyle
I always peek into threads concerning Carnoustie in the hope I will become enlightened. I also went back and read Finegan's blurb in Where Golf is Great just to get me in a proper mood to look carefully at the pix. Despite enjoying your fine effort (and the rest!), I fail to really appreciate Carnoustie in any other way except as a championship test. Not that the course is bad, that is most certainly far from the case. I just don't get any sense of urgency or desire to head up there for a game. Could you offer a few (or more) reasons/insights as to why I should be visiting Carnoustie over some other high quality venue. In other words, other than the stiff test, what else makes Carnoustie stand apart from the other tourista stops within a reasonable proximity?
Ciao
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Kyle, knowing what you know now, would you recommend Carnoustie to a first time visitor? What would be the courses that you suggest to that person ahead of Carnoustie? If one was coming down from the highlands and could only stop on the way to SA at either Cruden Bay or Carnoustie, whcih would you suggest? Thanks, and another great job on the tour!
I'm glad I played Carnoustie in the sense that it is an Open Championship venue and I very well may never venture back to that region. I also happened to hook up with a member from Muirfield, which paid unexpected dividends. ;D
But I would probably skip Carnoustie next time. Between the Highlands and St. Andrews, I would recommend Castle Stuart or Cruden Bay. I'd probably put Nairn in the same relative class as Carnoustie, yet the latter is 50% more expensive for guests...
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Kyle
I always peek into threads concerning Carnoustie in the hope I will become enlightened. I also went back and read Finegan's blurb in Where Golf is Great just to get me in a proper mood to look carefully at the pix. Despite enjoying your fine effort (and the rest!), I fail to really appreciate Carnoustie in any other way except as a championship test. Not that the course is bad, that is most certainly far from the case. I just don't get any sense of urgency or desire to head up there for a game. Could you offer a few (or more) reasons/insights as to why I should be visiting Carnoustie over some other high quality venue. In other words, other than the stiff test, what else makes Carnoustie stand apart from the other tourista stops within a reasonable proximity?
Ciao
Richard Goodale is a big proponent of Carnoustie's merits. He would probably sell the course more than I.
My take on the course mirrors your impression. It is a solid test, featuring a number of soundly designed holes on a decent parcel. Yet, somehow it is lacking in charm and quirk. Several of the holes are memorable, but not in a way that fills me with an urgent desire to play them again as soon as possible.
I'd probably rate the course as a 7 on the Doak scale. I think Doak gave it an 8.
At 135 pounds per round, the value just isn't quite there IMHO, but it is a course that certainly deserves a spot on The Open Rota.
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Kyle
I always peek into threads concerning Carnoustie in the hope I will become enlightened. I also went back and read Finegan's blurb in Where Golf is Great just to get me in a proper mood to look carefully at the pix. Despite enjoying your fine effort (and the rest!), I fail to really appreciate Carnoustie in any other way except as a championship test. Not that the course is bad, that is most certainly far from the case. I just don't get any sense of urgency or desire to head up there for a game. Could you offer a few (or more) reasons/insights as to why I should be visiting Carnoustie over some other high quality venue. In other words, other than the stiff test, what else makes Carnoustie stand apart from the other tourista stops within a reasonable proximity?
Ciao
Richard Goodale is a big proponent of Carnoustie's merits. He would probably sell the course more than I.
My take on the course mirrors your impression. It is a solid test, featuring a number of soundly designed holes on a decent parcel. Yet, somehow it is lacking in charm and quirk. Several of the holes are memorable, but not in a way that fills me with an urgent desire to play them again as soon as possible.
I'd probably rate the course as a 7 on the Doak scale. I think Doak gave it an 8.
At 135 pounds per round, the value just isn't quite there IMHO, but it is a course that certainly deserves a spot on The Open Rota.
Kyle
Cheers. I thought you might make a stand for the tough ole bird! Maybe I will make it back one day as an add-on for somewhere else, but it wouldn't be me organizing it! That said, for my money I really liked the Burnside and I could definitely see myself turning up on the 1st again.
Which coruse will you profile next?
Ciao
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A bump to help interested parties orient themselves during the Senior Open this week.
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Kyle,
You cannot imagine the thrill that looking at these photographs of Carnoustie gave me as I sit here in Australia sipping my red wine. I have caddied on this course probably 100 times as a youth and to see and have a photograph or two of each hole is just wonderful.
Two wee stories.
The first happened on the 6th on Hogan’s Alley. The chap I was caddying for, Uncle Ivor, hit his second with a fairway wood and nobody saw the ball flight at all. Consternation all round. As the foursome tried to make some sense of this the wee caddy, my good self, picked up the divot, returned to the scar and stamped it down with my foot. I felt what seemed like a round pebble beneath my foot as I did this and in a moment of inspiration realised that it could well be the ball; which indeed it was! Top marks to the caddy and an extra Mars bar at the tea house (after the 10th. hole?).
More interesting by far, for me, is if you look in your first photo of the 18th. hole on the tee described as
“Driving over and staying between the elegant curves of the Burn is job #1.”
on the extreme left, about half-way up your frame and scrolled to the left, you can make out a small two-storey white house with a bay window in the upper storey. The house was called “Lismore” and we lived there as a family for 2-3 years. In that bay-window in 1953 I sat as a three year old on my Mum’s knee and witnessed “The Wee Ice Mon”, Ben Hogan, putt out on the eighteenth green for his one and only Open.
So many memories of countless evenings “roaming in the gloaming” were evoked of by your masterful presentation.
Once again a thousand thanks for this delightful sequence of photographs.
Cheers Colin
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Great stories, Colin, and thanks for the kind words. I'm glad I could evoke such pleasant memories.
I'll see you at the Boomerang!
Kyle,
You cannot imagine the thrill that looking at these photographs of Carnoustie gave me as I sit here in Australia sipping my red wine. I have caddied on this course probably 100 times as a youth and to see and have a photograph or two of each hole is just wonderful.
Two wee stories.
The first happened on the 6th on Hogan’s Alley. The chap I was caddying for, Uncle Ivor, hit his second with a fairway wood and nobody saw the ball flight at all. Consternation all round. As the foursome tried to make some sense of this the wee caddy, my good self, picked up the divot, returned to the scar and stamped it down with my foot. I felt what seemed like a round pebble beneath my foot as I did this and in a moment of inspiration realised that it could well be the ball; which indeed it was! Top marks to the caddy and an extra Mars bar at the tea house (after the 10th. hole?).
More interesting by far, for me, is if you look in your first photo of the 18th. hole on the tee described as
“Driving over and staying between the elegant curves of the Burn is job #1.”
on the extreme left, about half-way up your frame and scrolled to the left, you can make out a small two-storey white house with a bay window in the upper storey. The house was called “Lismore” and we lived there as a family for 2-3 years. In that bay-window in 1953 I sat as a three year old on my Mum’s knee and witnessed “The Wee Ice Mon”, Ben Hogan, putt out on the eighteenth green for his one and only Open.
So many memories of countless evenings “roaming in the gloaming” were evoked of by your masterful presentation.
Once again a thousand thanks for this delightful sequence of photographs.
Cheers Colin
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With The Open being played at Carnoustie next week it seems an appropriate time to bump this photo-Tour thread.
Atb