#4 - Old Course (St Andrews, Scotland)

(view of #1 and #18 from #2 / #17 fairway)

If you haven't been fortunate enough to play a round at "the Old," you simply have to go. As my father so eloquently stated at one point during my childhood, in reference to Carmel, CA, "Go early. That way you can go often."

Truer words have never been spoken when applied to St Andrews and the Old Course. It is an amazing place. Nowhere in golf is a town so synonymous with golf. You can feel the history and tradition surrounding you. I can't remember the last time I was nervous for a non-tournament round of golf, but on the first tee of the Old, you can't help but feel a little overwhelmed. The aura of the place simply overtakes you. If it doesn't, you're not appreciating where you are.

Upon first glance, the Old Course is one of the weirdest looking places in golf. For the first time visitor, the 1st and 18th holes are quite simply, very odd. But the more you experience it, the better it gets. The experience of being in St Andrews. The experience of "out" and "in." The experience of the weather - especially the wind. The experience of putting from everywhere because a flop shot is worthless. Links golf is in part, about handling the elements, and simply put, the Old is links golf at it's finest.

My first time in St Andrews was with my Dad. We went for my 16th birthday. Most kids get their license, I got a trip to Scotland. (Yes, I know how lucky I am.) Anyways, I remember my initial frustration with the links style game. The first time around the hallowed links is just simply confusing. Lob shot? No chance. The ball bouncing every which direction? Standard. Drives going 350 downwind and 150 into the wind? The norm. It was madness. Blind shots, criss-crossing holes, drivable par 4's, humps and bumps abound (see picture below). Take all "stock shots" you think you have and throw them in the garbage. Creativity is the name of the game in links golf, and that is why it is so great. You're not forced to play one style of shot.

Some golfers say the Old is outdated, quirky and confusing. These people either a) played it once, or b) are not intelligent. The course was built by nature and maintained by rabbits for many years! What do you expect? A traditional golf course? True, it is worth playing at least two rounds at the Old so you can become comfortable with the lines and where you are going. Only then can you begin to understand the nuances and strategy of this great course. Playing it once does not do it justice. (Full disclosure, I lived in St Andrews for the past year as a post grad student at the University of St Andrews. So I am a bit biased regarding the Old. I played it roughly 40 times and it only got better every time.)

(The walk up to #11 green, one of the greatest par 3's anywhere. Dr. Alister MacKenzie's favourite par 3 on the planet.)

One final note is how the game is viewed in St Andrews. It is completely class-less. Everyone plays golf. It is one's birthright as a St Andrean. The town owns the links and one of the perks of being a resident in St Andrews is remarkable access to the seven courses of the St Andrews Links Trust. Here is the skinny of the deal. As a resident - yes, this includes students - you pay £170 pounds for an annual "links ticket." I paid more for one month dues back home. Oh, and up to the age of 18, St Andreans play all seven courses in town for FREE. Yes, you read that correctly, FREE. This is a true testament not only to what golf means in this town, but how golf should be. Community oriented, open to all, and most of all, affordable.

David Feherty was once quoted as saying that the Old is his favourite Open venue and that "...it is so incredibly beautiful when the shadows hit the swales and hollows." It is so true. My brother-in-law commented on the picture below that he thought it was the pearly gates. This coming from a guy who isn't even a "golfer." Remember, go early, that way you can go often.

Hit 'em well

-MG

(view down #1 and #18)

#37 - Carnoustie (Carnoustie, Scotland)

(above: the fantastic par 3 13th)

A friend of mine (10ish handicap, a self-confessed lover of "scenery" in golf) recently played Carnoustie and said it was possibly the most boring course he had ever played. To quote him, "...only the incessant staccato pops from the nearby gun range kept me from full-on REM sleep." After I stopped laughing from his very humourous comment, I almost punched him in the face.

Personally, I believe Carnoustie to be the finest test of championship links golf on the planet. In defense of my friend, there is absolutely no scenery at Carnoustie. There are no views of the sea, no beautiful vistas of an ancient town like St Andrews or North Berwick, nothing to distract you from a great test of golf. Which is exactly why it is so good, the "scenery" is the course!

To get a sense of what a round at Carnoustie entails, look no further than the par 4 opening hole. The first is a 450 or so yard par 4 with a burn and OB on the left, then a semi blind mid-long iron approach to a tucked green. Welcome to Carnoustie.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, courses that possess a variety of short and long holes provides not only enjoyment, but a good test of one's game. Carnoustie has a wonderful blend of strategic short holes (#2, #7, #13) and just plain difficult ones (#1, #2, #5, #9...etc etc). What I believe truly sets this course apart from other links is that it has a unique mix of links, parkland and heathland holes. This is something so rarely seen in golf, and gives the golfer a fantastic overall experience.

The course got a bit of a bad reputation after the 1999 Open when the rough was several feet high - and thick. You may remember then amateur golf sensation Sergio Garcia crying in his mother's arms after shooting 89, 83. (But this shouldn't be shocking, he cried in 2009 when he lost the Open to Harrington in a playoff in 2007 too!) The course was dubbed "Carnasty" during that Open, yet it is a very fair test of golf. Every hole - and every shot - is very fair. Do not, I repeat do not, skip this course when visiting Scotland, it is one of the best links experiences anywhere.

Carnoustie is unrivaled in terms of shot value and is the finest championship links on the Open rotation. I'll argue this to my grave.

Hit 'em well.
- MG

Panmure Golf Club (Carnoustie, Scotland)

I hadn't heard much of Panmure, outside of the fact that my old boss thought it was the best course in Scotland. I always rolled my eyes at his glowing recollection of Panmure as I had essentially never heard of it. Well, shame on me.

Panmure was founded in 1845, a classic old golf course. It has a wonderful blend of links, parkland and heathland holes similar to its neighbour up the road - Carnoustie. It also has a fantastic variety of short holes oozing with strategy and long holes demanding only your very best. I believe courses that challenge both the mental and physical are the most satisfying and this is very apparent at Panmure.

(below: blind tee shot on the short 8th - over a wall of gorse)












It is no wonder Hogan used Panmure as his practice area for the 1953 Open. It's 5 minutes down the road and enjoys the same type of feel of Carnoustie, just on a slightly smaller scale (it's not nearly as long.) The 6th hole, one of the best, is aptly dubbed "Hogan" as my caddy John informed me that Hogan believed that the hole would be improved by the addition of a greenside right pot bunker. (They put it in soon after he recommended it.)

Panmure is a must play if you are ever in the area. If you are planning to play Carnoustie, make sure to add Panmure and make it a 36 hole day. Panmure deserves many more accolades than it receives. As much as it pains me to say it, my old boss was right. Shite.

Also, if you ever make it to Panmure and wish to take a caddy, ask for John Gilbert. Best caddy on the planet.

Hit 'em well,
MG

#54 - Kingsbarns (Kingsbarns, Scotland)

(above: 175 yard par 3 second hole)


This is how I describe Kingsbarns - "It's a great course...but 18 bugs me."  Some people agree, some disagree, but that's a reason why golf is so great.

Designed and developed by Kyle Phillips and Mark Parsinen, Kingsbarns opened to rave reviews in 2000 and has matured quite nicely over the years. It is situated along the north sea, just 20 minutes southeast of St Andrews - a dramatic piece of land for golf. Along with the Old and Carnoustie, it plays host to the Dunhill Links every fall, a marquee event on the European Tour.

The front nine is solid, good routing, good flow. Great variety of holes as well, long and short holes of all kinds. The short par 3 8th, followed up by the behemoth par 5 9th is a great finish to the front nine. #10 and #11 are pretty bland, but along the long walk from 11 to 12 you can't help but get the feeling something special is about to happen. #12 is the start of a great stretch of golf. From the 575 yard par 5 dogleg left along the coastline a la Pebble Beach at #12, to the strategic 450 yard par 4 17th, the holes are great. They are scenic, challenging, and most importantly - fun.

So here's the "but." One of the most crucial elements of any good course is the location of the clubhouse. If the clubhouse is situated in a poor location that can't help but force a poor finish. The clubhouse at Kingsbarns is set well back from the north sea, thus, with the two nines finishing at the clubhouse, it's hard to make the closing holes dramatic. This invariably leaves the golfer a bit deflated after such great golfing scenery. After putting out on 17 (one of the best holes on the course) you turn and walk away from the sea, never a good sign for the finishing hole. It must be noted that you definitely don't need the sea, or scenery of any kind, to have a strong finishing hole. Many links courses don't end with the best hole on the course, but a course of this caliber 1 through 17 deserves a better finish.

The 18th hole is just...well...a bit odd.  It doesn't make sense with the rest of the course. The majority of the tee shots around this course you can see everything. Not at #18. Off the tee, you cannot see the green tucked down and to the left, so you just aim at the clock on the clubhouse.

(tee shot)














(approach shot)















If you don't hit a great tee shot, it's likely in layupville. If you do, and are even able to see the green, the green is so severely sloped back to front you need a phenomenal approach to even hold the green. Oh, and if it's strong downwind, like it has been the 4/5 times I've played there, there's no chance. Simply put, #18 just doesn't "fit." The rest of the course is so solid, it is just leaves a terrible taste in your mouth about the experience.

In my opinion, as an architect and developer, the 18th hole is the most important. You cannot leave golfers with a bad taste in their mouth as they finish their round. It doesn't have to be the best hole on the course (although it doesn't hurt) but it cannot be one the weakest. At Kingsbarns, the 18th hole is without a doubt the weakest on the course. And it's a shame because the rest of the course is so great.

One of my biggest pet peeves is bitching without a solution. So here's mine. Flip the nines. Finish with the strong par 5 at #9.  Or relocate the clubhouse to behind #17 green on the water. Something.

#54 on the Links world rankings is a bit lofty in my opinion for Kingsbarns.  Regardless, it is a spectacular course with stunning scenery and absolutely worth playing.

Hit 'em well.
-MG

#86 - Royal Aberdeen (Aberdeen, Scotland)

Before we begin, some quick facts I learned about Royal Aberdeen:
- Sixth Oldest Golf Club in the World
- Origin of the "Five Minute Rule" (which makes sense with all the dunes)
- Many regard the front nine as the best opening nine holes in links golf

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect at Royal Aberdeen. I had heard great things about the course, but never had the opportunity to visit. The course was laid out by Archie/Robert/Tom Simpson with cosmetic changes later carried out by James Braid. Braid is responsible in large part for Carnoustie - one of my favourite courses on the planet - so I had high expectations for this seaside course.

The front nine is spectacular. From the opening tee shot just yards in front of the bay windows of the clubhouse heading out to the sea, I knew this was going to be a special course. The course winds its way through massive seaside dunes reminiscent of Royal County Down. Highlights were the winding par 5 second, the heavily bunkered par 3 eighth, and the outstanding "Tom Watson Favourite" par 4 ninth. The course was in great condition, had great bunkering and a strong variety of holes.

The back nine is full of great holes. However, I believe Royal Aberdeen suffers from the same condition of Royal County Down. The front nine is so good that after working your way through the seaside dunes of the front nine, one can't help but feel somewhat deflated on the back nine. However, Royal Aberdeen does redeem itself with a strong finish. 17 is a fine par 3 with views back towards the sea, and the tough 18th with the clubhouse in the background is a great way to finish.

Overall, a fantastic golf course and worthy of Top 100 in the world status. A must play in Scotland. Make sure to tune in September 10-11, 2011 when Royal Aberdeen is host to the Walker Cup.

Hit 'em well.
- MG

(Below is a view across the course from the back nine. Dunes, blooming gorse, blue sky and blue sea. Always a great combination for good golf.)

#50 - St George's G&CC (Toronto, Canada)

(ABOVE: approach to #14, 480 yard par 4)


"Why the hell have they been hiding this place?" - CBS Commentator David Feherty during final round coverage of the 2010 RBC Canadian Open. Said in reference to the last Canadian Open being held at St. George's in 1968.

"Some of the finest parkland terrain I have seen." - Tom Doak


St. George's Golf & Country Club is a classic parkland layout located in Etobicoke, Ontario, just minutes west of downtown Toronto. It is a Stanley Thompson design, one of the most celebrated golf course architects in Canada. (For full disclosure, I am a longtime member of St Georges, having grown up playing this course. And yes, "spoiled" would be an accurate adjective for my golf course upbringing)

In 2009, St. George's ranked #89 on Golf Magazine's Top 100 Courses in the World. While it is always an honour to be a part of the Top 100, in in my opinion, it deserves a much better ranking. It is classic, parkland style golf with great variety, flow and feel. The course is built on a fantastic piece of land, extremely rolling and undulating, making for a great walk in the park. It's undulations make for endless variety of lies - in my opinion an important characteristic of any course. The best courses in the world, e.g. Old Course, Augusta, etc, have extremely undulating fairways. This results in a shotmaker's delight - variety and challenge at every approach.

St. George's is a fine test not just for professionals, but all levels of play. It is a great "members" golf course. Wide but undulating fairways, strategic bunkering, a variety of tees and large, sloping greens. Some of the green complexes have gotten a bit extreme in recent years, for example the front of #15 green was rebuilt to avoid balls rolling 100 yards down the hill off the front. The stewards of the course are making sure the greens remain a fair and allow for a variety of pin positions, the way Thompson intended.

St. George's has one of the best "flows" to any course. The first is a warm up hole of 370 yards, but not a easy green so you had better pay attention. The first 11 holes are a great mix of tough holes and birdie holes, allowing you to get a feel for the course and your round. The member's have a saying - "the course starts at the halfway house." The funny part about that saying is that the halfway house is by the 12th tee. More like a "2/3rd's house," but anyway...

#12-#14 are played in a "loop" and are the start of what is one of the best finishes in golf. #14 is the signature par 4, Jack Nicklaus' favourite hole in Canada and the Kodak Challenge hole for the Canadian Open. It is a slightly downhill 480 yard par 4 with the approach across a small creek to a very "12 at Augusta" style green. #15 is a 570 yard par 5, #16 an uphill 214 yard par 3, #17 a 485 yard par 4, and #18 rivals #14 as the best on the course. With the classic Tudor style clubhouse behind the green, it is a great setting for the finishing hole. It plays 467 yards from the championship tees, and plays deceptively uphill to one of the best green complexes on the course. #18 is a great crescendo to a wonderful course.

The 2010 Canadian Open was the first time St. George's had hosted our National open since 1968 when Bob Charles took home the title. In preparation for 2010, under the consultation of the RCGA/Golf Canada, the PGA Tour, and Doug Carrick as an advisor, St. George's underwent some minor tree removal, back tee overhaul, and general "clean up." As it was happening, the membership was understandably a little apprehensive (myself included), but it has done wonders for the course. Tree and scrub bush removal has provided plenty of sun and air flow to greens that were previously suffocated and waterlogged. It's remarkable what sun and wind can do to improve turf quality. Furthermore, the championship tees now look like they belong - whereas before they looked like I had gone out there one night with a weed eater and a set of black markers. Overall, the return of the Canadian Open to St. George's was well received by all. The players, sponsors, fans and members at large were happy with the tournament and I would expect it to return in the next 5-7 years. In my opinion, it was unfortunate the course got so much rain that week, as it is a much better test when it's firm and breezy. Hopefully next time.

St. George's is a big, strong, championship golf course worthy of many more Canadian Opens and who knows, maybe even a future President's Cup.

Hit 'em well.
- MG

(BELOW: Approach to #18, 467 yard par 4)

#68 - Castle Stuart (Inverness, Scotland)

(photo: 11th tee, 144 yard par 3)


Simply put, what a golf course. Mark Parsinen and his team certainly deserve their accolades for this piece of golfing heaven. Where Loch Ness hits Inverness and spills out into the Moray Firth you have a golf course built into the cliffside with views abound. It is another gem in the Inverness area, adding to other world class courses such as nearby Royal Dornoch and Nairn.

At Castle Stuart you will find generous fairways and complex but fair greens. Parsinen and co took a page out of the Old Course when building this one. The fairways are generous to avoid the annoyance of looking for wayward tee shots. However, at the same time you must drive carefully in order to get the best angle of approach into these fantastic green complexes. The greens are sized and contoured in relation to your approach. For example, the par 5 6th has a small, narrow green with severe slopes on both sides. This makes sense since we should be hitting wedges or running the ball up to the green after two decent shots. Conversely, the par 3 17th is a generous sized green possessing little contours. This also makes sense since the hole is well over 200 yards and will be receiving long irons, hybrids or more. You also don't need driver on every hole around Castle Stuart, which forces you to think. In my opinion, there's nothing more mundane than just grabbing your driver on every hole. The bunkering is also superb, with that torn, rugged look that complements the landscape. Everything about Castle Stuart's layout makes sense.

In terms of routing, they did a great job. The front nine plays out towards Inverness, then winds its way back to the clubhouse. The driveable par 4 3rd, and the signature par 3 4th with Castle Stuart in the background set the tone for a fantastic round. The back nine has some great holes - the short par 3 11th pictured above, the long uphill par 5 12th, and the fantastic finish. Golf courses are like great books or films in that they need a great finish. #16 is a driveable par four, #17 a demanding par 3 of well over 200 yards and a dramatic par 5 to finish at #18. What a great match play golf course.

Someone recently asked me why I liked Castle Stuart so much and I thought for a second and simply replied, "it's a fun course." Heck, isn't that why we all play golf anyway?

(Castle Stuart is the new venue for the Barclay's Scottish Open, July 7-10. The pros wanted it moved to a links course as preparation for the following week's British Open)
Hit 'em well.
- MG

Castle Course (St Andrews, Scotland)

(Photo: (9th tee at Castle Course, with town in the distance)

You may have heard of the Castle Course. Opened in 2008, it is the newest course in the home of golf. Designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd, it is situated 5 minutes east of town, with jaw-dropping views of the North Sea and St Andrews.

The Castle opened to - and still receives - very mixed reviews. Many visitors love the course, many locals despise it. The former likely for the amazing vistas and the latter likely for the forced carries and difficult greens. As a student and "pseudo-local," I partially agree with the locals. I concede that there are some extreme, and sometimes unfair, mounds in the fairways which I believe were intended to be 'natural' but are anything from it. The locals call these mounds "Don Kings," as they are mounds with fescue growing out the top. (Picture Don King's haircut and you'll get it...) These DK's seem to interrupt the natural flow of the hole and most importantly limit the variety of shots one can play into the green. Since this is links golf, one should have the option to hit a lofted spinning shot, or a low running shot. Options are what makes links golf fun. Secondly, some of the greens are a bit extreme. The 4th and 17th are a bit unfair and take away from otherwise great golf holes. I am, and will never be, a fan of having to land the ball off a green in order to keep it on the green - unless it is a bump and run shot up the front of the green.

However, it must be noted that the Castle is much more difficult than any other course in St Andrews. I believe the locals sometimes seem to equate difficult with unfair. However, I believe 'different' is a more accurate adjective versus 'unfair.' Courses with forced carries and severely undulating greens exist all over the world. It is just that all the other courses in St Andrews are much more traditional links style with very few forced carries, but not at the Castle.

After playing there recently, it appears they are softening up the greens and are also planning to remove many of the DK's. So thankfully work is being done to improve the course, I just hope that they use a fine scalpel and not dynamite to do the work. Because if they get too carried away it will surely take some of the charm out of it.

As Alistair Mackenzie once said, any course that generates opinions and discussion is good for the game. And my opinion is that while it's nowhere near the best course in St Andrews, it is well worth the visit. And hey, if you don't agree with some of the greens, just turn your head to the left or right - it is some of the best golfing scenery anywhere.

Hit 'em well.

- MG

Kingarrock (Near Cupar, Scotland)

(Photo: 3rd tee, par 4, 230 yards)

Kingarrock? You're probably "googling" it right now. It is a 9 hole course outside Cupar which is about a 15 minute drive from St Andrews.

Kingarrock is set up exactly as it was when the Sharp family entertained their friends years ago. It's how golf used to be played, down to every last detail. Hickory shafted clubs, 1898 golf balls, authentic "Reddy" tees, stymies, and even a nip of whiskey to start your round. By the way, I think whiskey is how people got loose before their rounds back in the day - I may start inebriating myself more often prior to the first tee...

A couple of friends and I went over a couple weeks ago and played the 9 hole course twice. The first nine was definitely not our best effort. It took some time to get used to the flex of the shafts and the softness of impact. As we headed into the back nine, we were definitely getting the hang of it. I learned that you can really work the ball with those clubs/balls and makes the game quite a lot of fun as there is a much wider variety of shotmaking. I managed a birdie-birdie finish on the back nine and unknowingly setting the course record of 34 (3 under) in the process! Ha. It must be a result of not many people playing the course yet, not my skill level. Although Geoff Ogilvy gave it a go last summer during the Open!

Kingarrock is a real treat and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting St Andrews. It only takes an hour or two to play it and if the weather is nice, its even more enjoyable. Lastly, make sure to dress in true style to the times, as evidenced by myself in the attached picture. It makes the experience that much more entertaining and memorable.

Check it out by clicking here to watch a video or here for the website.

Hit 'em well.
- MG

#16 - Ballybunion (Ballybunion, Ireland)

(Photo: 11th tee, 495 yard par 4)

Simply put, Ballybunion is certainly one of the wildest pieces of golfing terrain I have ever seen. With its humps and bumps through the dunes off of Ballybunion beach, it demands imaginative shotmaking and creativity, the sign of a great links course.

As described to me prior, the first 4-5 holes are quite plain - a good warm up. Note: Avoid the graveyard off to the right of the first tee. One of my playing partners plopped one in there off the first tee, surely a bad omen to any round. However, once one hits the 6th green, the adventure begins. The 7th is along the water, with the 8th being a fantastic short par 3. The 9th is a very difficult par 4 with 10 being a shortish par 4 to start the backside. And then you stand on the 11th tee. Wow. One of the greatest holes in golf. 470ish yards from the new "Tom Watson" tee, with the beach all along the right side. One of Tom Watson's favourite holes in the world, and justifiably so. The back nine continues through the dunes, and continues to amaze with views of the Irish sea and a course demanding all kinds of creative shotmaking - especially with a wind as we had that day.

One drawback is that the 18th is a strange hole. It is a rare hole that plays away from the ocean and lacks any real dramatics, other than being the final hole. 3 of us almost drove the green that day downwind. Then a strangely cramped green that demands a lofted approach when spin was completely negated by the wind. An awkward finish to an otherwise first class golf course.

As someone once said, "Man made parkland courses, and the golf gods made links courses." This statement rings very true after playing Ballybunion. If you are ever in SW Ireland, it is a must play.

Hit 'em well.
- MG