(pictured - #9, a fantastic par 5)
Kingsbarns. When you utter this word to most golfers, they swoon. If they have ever been lucky enough to have visited, it conjures great memories of the seaside links just minutes south of St Andrews, one of the great experiences in golf. Myself, for whatever reason, I just think of the 18th hole.
On July 14, 2011 I wrote a review of Kingsbarns Golf Links which can be found here. Let me state for the record that this is a magnificent golf course. It is truly one of the best in the world. The point of the article was that I simply don't care for the location of the clubhouse and the 18th hole. I have played and/or discussed Kingsbarns with all levels of players, from higher handicaps players to professional golfers who have competed in the Dunhill Links. And all agree that the 18th is one of the weaker holes on the course.
Moving on...
A few years ago, my father and some friends started a website called Golf Traditions. They were in need of some content for their site, so I allowed them to use whatever articles they wished from my blog. I suppose they liked the somewhat controversial nature of the Kingsbarns article in hoping to get a little more social comments and interaction with their site. For me, since essentially no one reads my blog, having someone pay attention or care about what I had written was unlikely, but very welcome! So who came across my article on Golf Traditions? None other than Art Dunkley, co-founder of Kingsbarns. No joke. I couldn't believe it.
I was soon after asked by a gentleman at Golf Traditions to touch base with his friend Art to discuss the article. Of course I was willing! What a great opportunity to discuss my point of view and maybe learn a few things about Kingsbarns. I do have to admit that I had a bit of the "being called to the principal's office" type of feeling, but hey, first amendment and all, I picked up the phone.
I reached Art at his office in San Francisco back in November, and after some initial pleasantries, he basically asked who I was and why I was bashing the 18th at Kingsbarns. (Side note - coincidentally, a family friend of mine went to high school with Mark Parsinen, co-developer of Kingsbarns with Art. Such a small world - even smaller in golf.) I explained my background, my involvement with Golf Traditions, opinions on courses, where I have played, my involvement with the game of golf, etc. I explained that I truly loved the course, the variety, the magnificent location on the north sea, but I just simply did not care for the 18th hole. Art obviously agreed that I had every right to voice my opinion but wanted to explain to me why the 18th hole is the way it is. This was when the conversation got interesting - and to be honest, the exact reason why I made the call.
Art took me back to when they were unearthing the Scottish farmland and literally finding the course. I could already sense the passion and sentimentality that Art had for Kingsbarns in his tone of voice. He explained that the creek - or if you speak Scottish, a "cundy" - that winds it's way from the back of the 10th tee, all the way down around the clubhouse, and down around what is now the 18th green was not always so visible and prominent. They dug it out. Wow. And while they were excavating this cundy in the efforts of using it as a strategic hazard for the course, they found an old stone bridge. Double Wow. When this bridge was found, it became a catalyst for the location of the clubhouse and the finishing hole - and rightly so. They wanted to end with the dramatic cundy and bridge. I get it. Now it makes sense.
Art also addressed my additional concerns with the 18th in that it is a bit of a unfair, difficult hole, especially for the higher handicappers. He said there are changes being made to the 18th over the winter months, including widening and deepening the green, as well as raising the cundy a few feet or so to make the rise to 18 green less severe. He said that they are continually tweaking and improving upon the course, from making the back shelf of #9 green less severe, to making the too-often-muddy front right swale on #11 green into a sand bunker which, as Art says, "helps take away some of the randomness." When I heard those words, I knew Art knew golf. (I knew it already but I loved hearing this comment) Randomness is the beauty of links golf, but not when it comes to conditioning. That front right swale was always wet and muddy, which when chipping on a firm and fast links course is never fair - or fun. So rest assured that they're not resting on their laurels at Kingsbarns. Art said he and the Kingsbarns staff "are tirelessly looking to improve the experience." What more can you ask for out of a golf course?
As a youngster, whenever I came home from school, or from anything for that matter, my father always asked, "what did you learn?" Habits being hard to kick, I asked myself the same question after I hung up the phone with Art. I already knew it was one of the best courses in the world, but I did learn that Kingsbarns is going to continually remain one of the finest experiences in links golf, due to the passion and pride that Art and the Kingsbarns staff has in their golf course.
But I still don't love the 18th.
Hit 'em well
- MG
P.S. I want to sincerely thank Art Dunkley for his time in teaching me a few things about Kingsbarns. It was invigorating to learn of the pride Art and his crew have for this truly great links.
