John
Thanks for responding.
Imagine if you will, the dip in front of the 18th at Brora filled up with water such that it was a pond, or maybe even scrub, would that make it more conventional and less quirky ? Perhaps what is quirky for you here is the use of a run off as a "hazard" where perhaps with more fast and firm conditions over here that type of idea isn't as novel. Granted you perhaps don't get as many big swales or depressions as the one fronting the 18th Brora but the idea isn't unique, its basically a plateau green like many you see at Dornoch (various), Silloth (13th and 16th), Muirfield (13th ?), Renaissance (par 4 uphill 12th ?) etc.
Now the 1st at NB has perhaps two qualities that you touch upon that might be worth discussing as being quirky. The first is the width of the fairway, or to be more exact the width of the 1st and 18th fairways together. While not common this is not unique with TOC being the obvious example and if you ignore the bit of scruffy rough between the the two fairways you effectively have a double fairway at the 1st/18th at NB's other course, The Glen.
The second point you make is the truncated nature of the drive, which as you say is similar to Prestwick. I've never played with you but I saw you play a few shots at Dornoch and you've clearly got a very good swing, a very nice striker of the ball and someone no doubt used to playing from the middle of the fairway. Personally I prefer, or rather am required, to guddle my way round the course and am not adverse to playing from the rough which sometimes is the better option not only for the line in but because the ball sometimes sits up better in the rough. Having played NB about half a dozen times I've come to the conclusion I'm better off hitting long at that hole and playing my second from the gulley or side of the bank (or even the beach) rather than 50 yards further back down the fairway. In that sense, I simply don't see the hole the way you do. I'd be interested to hear from Simon as to how the members commonly play this hole. I suspect the better players probably play it the way you do while us mere mortals go the other way.
Niall
Hi Niall and John, and happy NY to everyone.
Into the wind we will always lay up of the path which is around a 180 shot from the medal tee. Downwind I would now probably always have a pop with the driver. 95% of locals would still always lay up- in something serious like the club championship or the like I would never hit driver.
Growing up absolutely no one went for the green as the area beyond the path was poorly maintained, very sandy and you never caught a good lie. Now that area is really nice to hit off so as long as you are not in the rock outcrop on the hill or on the beach it is not too tough a pitch onto the green, just very hard to judge.
What I will say is that the number of birdies on 1 is far less than you would imagine for a 314 yarder. I reckon I have played easily over 1000 rounds and probably birdied it less than Redan. No one thinks of it as a weak hole.
The green is only just behind Redan as the most difficult to putt on at the upper section. Everyone talks about 16 but it is getting on that green that is the trouble, not putting once on it.
I would probably class the environment as quirky rather than the hole but I know where John is coming from.....and he did have a nice bird.
S