| If it's o.k., I'll comment on some places I played in the British
Isles, although I have never played in England (nor on the Continent).
Saint Andrews - Like all newcomers, I wasn't real impressed, but
the "Eden" and "Road" holes were super. Double greens are
disconcerting, and I played on a calm day. Then again, if St. Andrews
is better in the wind, how good would Winged Foot be?
Carnoustie - "A long slog", as the Scots say, with three of the
most brutal finishing holes (maybe the most brutal) I've ever seen.
Not picturesque, and adjacent to an Army firing range. Hazard signs
tell you not to pick anything up-"It may explode and kill you".
If not, Carnoustie will...
Turnberry (Ailsa course) - Perhaps my favorite in Scotland, especially
#9 hole (Bruce's Castle). When I played, the rough was murder, and
the par fours were a nightmare - but I LOVE Turnberry!
Rosemount - Parkland course well inland that was supposed to be
gorgeous, but there are a ton of courses here that are prettier.
Nice place, but not worth a special trip.
Prestwick - Great(!!) golf course, and one of the most historic
in all of golf. It has a string of 6 holes in a row at 400yds+ that
just kill you. lots of blind shots and scary bunkers, but a serious
test of golf.
Gleneagles (King's Course) - Very pretty, and a 5 star Hotel to
boot. I liked #14, a 465 yd. par 4 called "Braid's Brawest" and
thought the course had lots of good driving holes. Again, not one
of Scotland's very best.
Western Gailes - Very private all male club near Glasgow. Built
on a real narrow strip of land and short, but the wind just HOWLS(!!)
on this baby. Lots of local knowledge required. I rate this one
a real "sleeper" - play it if you can.
Muirfield - Absolutely great course, but until you are 'vetted out
when you try to get permission to play it is not a very warm
experience. Truthfully, lots of our premiere clubs are even worse,
and it may be better now with the departure of club secretary "Paddy"
Hanmer. I liked the eigth hole "Archery Wood", I think, but almost
all of the holes are super, and the rough and pot bunkers are intense.
If you hit it into a pot bunker on a long par 4 or 5, forget trying
a fairway wood or long iron.
Royal Troon - This one is a MUST! Starting with #11 ("Railway")
on the back 9, it is just one prolonged mugging, but WHAT a golf
course. Beautiful club house and great turf. Not far from Turnberry,
and I recommend both of them unequivocally.
Lahinch - Probably the course that requires more local knowledge
than any I have played. Off the fairway on many holes is "curtains".
Lots of strange second shots, especially after the first 3 or 4
holes. If you go to sleep here, you'll make a very big number.
Sligo (Rosses Point) - A real gem - the views of Ben Bulben are
spectacular, as is the first view of the links spread out below
the second tee. Some tough long blind shots, but, as with all the
Irish courses I played, the finishing holes are a little bit suspect.
Still, this is a course anyone would like and could play and enjoy.
Royal Portrush (Dunluce Course) - If this place changed one of its
finishing holes it might be impossible. Long, tight and windy with
absolutely no relief for errant shots. A very frustrating, penalizing
and GREAT golf course.
Royal County Down - If I had one round of golf to play in my life,
I'd play it at Royal County Down. The Mountains of Mourne make this
a spectacular place, with no weak holes, again, lots of wind and
you have to bump and run it! The 8th and 9th holes are as good as
any I have ever seen. I WILL be back!
Waterville Links - The front 9 is like an American publinx - wide
open and nondescript. Then you get into the sandhills on the back
and you play one of the best 9 hole layouts you'll ever see. I
absolutely loved the back 9, especially the "Mass" hole - a long
par three over the surface of the moon.
Portmarnock - When the wind blows there is nothing stronger on this
planet!! I know I am given to superlatives, but this course is so
strong it is almost unthinkable to play it from the tips. The wind
always blows about a million mph, the par 4's are all "forever",
and if you miss the fairway, you're in waist deep wheat. I watched
Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer go nuts trying to play
Portmarnock. If you think American courses are tough, try this one
on for size...
Ballybunion (New Course) - R.T. Jones destroyed one of the best
pieces of land I've ever seen here. Not many good holes, but it
could have been super.
Ballybunion (Old Course) - Deservedly one of the true great courses
in the world, albeit with 2 strange finishing holes. You need every
club in your bag, and most of the shots as well. This course is
a "must", if you're going to Ireland.
Hope this is amusing. As you might suspect, England is next on
my list of foreign places to play.
--Jack (the Skoal Bandit) Varley.
|
| I had a two week golfing vacation in July 1985 to Scotland and Ireland.
Played 5 rounds in each country and would rank them as follows:
Ballybunion, Ireland (old course)- I'm in complete agreement with
527.1 and rate it as my favorite anywhere.
Ailsa, Turnberry, Scotland - The Open was there the following year
and I was surprised to see the caddy I had being interviewed on
TV coverage.
Lahinch, Ireland (old course) - outstanding course
Old Course, St Andrews - historic awe probably helps in keeping
the rating up.
Prestwick, Scotland - played in fairly heavy to moderate rain but
still liked the course very much. (only one day out of 10 where
we needed rain gear)
Waterville, Ireland- rate this above Carnoustie as Carnoustie was
under a lot of repair work for irrigation.
Carnoustie, Scotland - see above. My caddy was 83 years old, and
kept pushing for us to move faster.
Killeen Course, Killarney, Ireland -
Mahoney's Point, " " - both very pretty inland "parks"
courses.
Ladybank, Kinross, Scotland - nice, probably underatted Old Tom
Morris course from the 1890's.
Would like to go back and head for the Highlands of Scotland. Royal
Dornoch, Inverness, etc.
|
|
Taking a few days holiday, I headed off into the Alps to try a few of
my local courses.
I considered playing in Chamonix, at the foot of the Mount Blanc
massif, but the crowds put me right off. Back in the car.
Avoriaz is a ski village in the winter months, and still attracts the
crowds in summer. It's located just over an hour from Geneva.
The golf course is new, and consists of nine holes. Two par fives, two
par threes, and the rest are par fours. The difficulty in playing the
course comes with the terrain and the altitude. It's hilly and you're
playing at 1800 metres (6000 feet). The course is well looked after,
and the views are excellent. The cost was 120FF for nine holes, or
200FF for 18 holes.
The other high altitude course I visited, was at Flaine. Geneva is
about an hour and a half away, and again it is a ski station during the
winter months.
The course really is build on a mountain top, at just under 2000 metres
(6400 feet). The views are stunning, and if your golf isn't up to
scratch, the views will certainly make up for it. The course isn't
long, with a par 62, but it's in great condition. Accuracy plays a
large part, as there are no par fives, and the par fours are not too
long. The first nine is made up of seven par fours, two par threes, on
open mountain fairways. The back nine is seven par threes, and two par
fours. The course weaves its way through forest on this half. I was
told to only take half a set around with me, and it's true. Be
prepared to walk up steep banks, up stairs to T-off, and to hit across
rocky ravines.
The 16th is amazing. It's a 180 metre par three, to a kidney shaped
green, with numerous bunkers around it. The difference is that the
green is about 50 metres vertically below you. Just watch that ball
fly!
If you get the chance, play this course. It's great! The cost was
140FF for 18.
Russell
|