Lundin Golf Club, SCOTLAND

4^th hole, 450 yards; A mighty hole, played along the top of a dune. A burn cuts 30 yards in front of the green with the surrounding land sloping back into it, so the golfer needs to be well up with his approach shot. This hole is more wisely played as a three shotter when the wind is against.

While the golfer may initially carry the burn on the fly, that isn't to say that
his ball won't eventually roll back into it!

8^th hole, 365 yards; Braid cleverly angled the green to best accept shots from the right side of the fairway. But guess what? The railway embankment and out of bounds run the right hand length of this hole.

10^th hole, 350 yards; An interesting hole played to the shared fairway of the 11^th, the 10th green is in its own natural amphitheater surrounded by gorse, grass hollows and five bunkers. The front right bunker is an island bunker and a superb one at that. Such bunkers are difficult to build because the island can often look silly if it is too symmetrical or lacks vegetation. Gil Hanse is an admirer of this style bunker and features several at his new course at Crail.

14^th hole, 175 yards; A unique hole - rarely do golfers encounter such a downhill shot on a links course. Interestingly enough, every green on the entire course can be seen from this vantage point and leads some observers of the game to consider this amongst the finest views in all of golf. With numerous bunkers, gorse and the perimeter wall on the right, the green seems smaller than it really is. From the elevated tee on a windy day, the golfer will understand why this hole is called Perfection.

18^th hole, 440 yards; A superb finishing hole, especially in match play. The entrance road (which is out of bounds) to the clubhouse closely parallels the last ninety yards of the fairway, making the final approach shot one of the most nerve-wracking anywhere. The slender long green is steeply pitched and offers no respite. In true Scottish fashion, it finishes underneath the clubhouse windows.

The out of bounds in the form of the road, the clubhouse, and the pro shop
make a perfect amphi-theater for the 18th green

Word has to be made mention of the clubhouse, putting green and professional shop: their location is cumulatively ideal. The clubhouse is elevated and provides views over much of the course and Largo Bay. The putting green and the stand alone small professional shop are directly on the Bay's edge and 80 feet down is the shore. Sweeping views across the Largo Bay and the course will inspire any golfer as he marches to the first tee. The idyllic setting is straight from a Wodehouse novel.

As good as this all sounds, the course has its flaws. The east-west strip of land that the course resides on means that only the short 5^th and 14^th holes run in another direction. Still, only four holes ever play in the same direction at a time, so it never becomes monotonous. More importantly, some holes have lost a bit of their challenge through the years. An irrigation system was installed in 1974, which invariably hurt the keenness of turf. Also, several bunkers like those found around the tabletop 6^th green are no longer well integrated into the green side slopes. They gather far fewer balls than they have in the past.

Still, the course is an historic treasure and the Royal and Ancient uses it as a qualifying site for the Open. The fact that the well traveled Malcolm Campbell is a member here also speaks of its enduring charm.

Old Tom Morris designed a number of fine courses within an hour car drive today of the town of St. Andrews. The list includes Leven, Ladybank, Montrose, Crail, Elie, Panmure, and The New and Jubilee Courses. Of these courses, the authors' favorite work of Old Tom's is to be found at those holes he designed at Lundin Links. They are among the finest in Scotland and possess many of the attributes that Old Tom held in highest regard. James Braid admirable additions expand on those themes and any student of architecture will appreciate such a course.

© Copyright GCA 1999 - 2000. All rights reserved.