#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