Top 100 Golf Courses in Scotland
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<strong>Top</strong> <strong>100</strong> scoTland 2015<br />
LYLE’S DREAM OPEN<br />
<strong>Scotland</strong>’s two-time Major champion selects his perfect composite course from<br />
Sandy Lyle made his debut <strong>in</strong><br />
the 1974 Open as a 16-year-old<br />
amateur and has played <strong>in</strong> every<br />
championship s<strong>in</strong>ce 1977.<br />
Start<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 1979 he began a<br />
run of n<strong>in</strong>e top-20 f<strong>in</strong>ishes <strong>in</strong> 12<br />
Opens – a remarkable run that<br />
also brought him victory at<br />
Sandwich <strong>in</strong> 1985. Dur<strong>in</strong>g his<br />
four decades <strong>in</strong> The Open he has<br />
played the Scottish courses on<br />
the rota several times, start<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with the legendary Turnberry<br />
championship of ’77.<br />
Thus, few are as well placed<br />
to assess the f<strong>in</strong>est composite<br />
course from these venues than<br />
the Scotsman. And what a<br />
course the two-time Major<br />
champion would form. It is one<br />
of two halves, with three short<br />
holes on the front n<strong>in</strong>e balanced<br />
by what would be the Open’s<br />
most str<strong>in</strong>gent clos<strong>in</strong>g stretch.<br />
1sT old coURsE<br />
376 yards, par 4<br />
The burn makes the hole genius.<br />
Totally diferent depend<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
w<strong>in</strong>d direction (usually either<br />
<strong>in</strong>to or down). Add <strong>in</strong> the drama<br />
of the location and its history<br />
and this is one of the greatest<br />
experiences <strong>in</strong> golf. And<br />
deceptively dangerous!<br />
Honourable mentions:<br />
prestwick, Muirfield.<br />
2 caRnoUsTIE<br />
435 yards, par 4<br />
Known as ‘Gulley’, a straight<br />
drive is required to avoid the<br />
bunkers of the tee – especially<br />
one almost central – and then a<br />
long but narrow green awaits.<br />
The green <strong>in</strong> fact measures 60<br />
yards <strong>in</strong> length so long putts are<br />
common – but so are nasty little<br />
chips from the banks to the side.<br />
Honourable mentions: M uir fi e ld ,<br />
Royal Troon, Old Course.<br />
3 pREsTWIcK<br />
533 yards, par 5<br />
‘Card<strong>in</strong>al’ oozes character. The<br />
4th on the orig<strong>in</strong>al 12-hole<br />
course, obstacles <strong>in</strong>clude the<br />
fearsome eponymous bunker,<br />
the pow Burn/out of bounds<br />
right and plenty of awkward<br />
mound<strong>in</strong>g litter<strong>in</strong>g the lay up<br />
area. probably as dramatic a<br />
hole as there has been <strong>in</strong> Open<br />
Championship golf. It is visually<br />
made by the bunkers which you<br />
should lay up short of from the<br />
tee. A great strategic par 5.<br />
Honourable mentions:<br />
Turnberry, Royal Troon.<br />
4 old coURsE<br />
480 yards, par 4<br />
Wide fairway ofers loads of<br />
space at certa<strong>in</strong> distances and<br />
the ideal l<strong>in</strong>e is at the flag of the<br />
tee, but it then narrows to give<br />
partial sight of the shared green.<br />
Huge bunker awaits at left of the<br />
green. Much longer <strong>in</strong> The Open<br />
than its 419 yards for daily play.<br />
Honourable mentions:<br />
Musselburgh Old, prestwick.<br />
5 RoYal TRoon<br />
210 yards, par 3<br />
Takes its name of ‘Greenan’ from<br />
the old Kennedy Castle ru<strong>in</strong><br />
south of Ayr, the prevail<strong>in</strong>g w<strong>in</strong>d<br />
is right to left so the best route <strong>in</strong><br />
is often over the front right<br />
bunker. Views of Arran and Ailsa<br />
Craig are superb.<br />
Honourable mentions:<br />
Turnberry, Muirfield, prestwick.<br />
6 caRnoUsTIE<br />
512 yards, par 5<br />
‘Hogan’s Alley’ is a classic riskreward<br />
par 5 and great example<br />
of how bunkers <strong>in</strong> the centre of<br />
the fairway can add to a hole’s<br />
strategic value. Ben Hogan’s<br />
famous route between the<br />
bunkers and the out of bounds<br />
ofers the best l<strong>in</strong>e although<br />
right of the bunkers is the safer<br />
track. normally played <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
prevail<strong>in</strong>g w<strong>in</strong>d, the second shot<br />
is as hard with the out of bounds<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g down the left and a<br />
burn sneak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> along the right.<br />
Then it’s a pitch to the<br />
undulat<strong>in</strong>g green.<br />
Honourable mentions:<br />
Turnberry, Muirfield.<br />
7 MUIRFIEld<br />
187 yards, par 3<br />
This uphill hole plays <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
prevail<strong>in</strong>g w<strong>in</strong>d so often requires<br />
a wood to reach the exposed<br />
green. A s<strong>in</strong>gle bunker lurks right<br />
with three left. The green slopes<br />
back-to-front and right-to-left.<br />
Honourable mentions: Royal<br />
Troon, prestwick.<br />
8 RoYal TRoon<br />
123 yards, par 3<br />
Shortest hole <strong>in</strong> Open golf, but<br />
often back <strong>in</strong>to the w<strong>in</strong>d. Still,<br />
looks easy, but miss the narrow<br />
green right or left and it presents<br />
a real tackle to be putt<strong>in</strong>g for par.<br />
The ‘postage Stamp’ has a great<br />
view of Ailsa Craig from the tee<br />
but there’s no safe way to play it.<br />
Honourable mentions:<br />
Carnoustie, Turnberry.<br />
9 MUIRFIEld<br />
558 yards, par 5<br />
This also plays <strong>in</strong>to the prevail<strong>in</strong>g<br />
w<strong>in</strong>d like the 7th. The breeze and<br />
a land<strong>in</strong>g area narrowed by a<br />
deep bunker to the left and thick<br />
rough to the right, adds length<br />
to this relatively short par 5 and<br />
often means even the best<br />
26 <strong>Golf</strong> World TOp <strong>100</strong> SCOTLAnD 2015