Ailsa Course, Turnberry, Scotland

www.turnberry.co.uk/ailsa-golf-course-scotland

White tees par 71, SSS 72, 6511 yards
Red tees par 74, SSS 75, 5406 yards

What a difference a day makes!  Compared to yesterday, this is the cream of the crop, a magnificent true links course which was the setting for the famous 'Duel in the Sun' between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus at the 1977 Open Championship.  Turnberry lies on the Ayrshire coast on the west coast of Scotland south of a string of links courses such as Royal Troon and Prestwick.

The Ailsa course is named after the Marquess of Ailsa who commissioned Willie Fernie, the then professional at nearby Royal Troon, to design a course in 1902.  The course was then taken over by the Royal Airforce in World War 2 when three concrete airstrips were constructed over the course, flattening many of the natural features.  One can still be seen today.  After the end of the war, Philip Mackenzie Ross, a Scottish golf architect, restored many of the dunes and slopes.  The new course hosted the first of four Open Championships in 1977.  It has recently been acquired by Donald Trump and a redesign of the course carried out by Mackenzie Ebert golf architects.

The walk from the 5th to the 6th tee

We played the Ailsa on a breezy, sunny day as guests of David Sledmere of Elegant Golf Resorts.  Lengthening of the first hole has resulted in a lovely starter, with strategically placed bunkers at the corner of a dogleg from left to right and guarding the front of the green.  There are no weak holes in the course but some stand-out ones, notably the 4th to 7th holes, the 9th to 11th, 14th to 16th.  Starting with the 4th, there is a run of eight holes along the coast with beautiful views of Arran, Kintyre and the Ailsa Craig, a volcanic plug in the Firth of Clyde which is now a bird sanctuary. 

The 7th green with the Ailsa Craig in the background

The par three 4th is a testing hole with a huge bunker to carry to reach the green. The 5th is a cleverly bunkered par 5 which curves from right to left with a green set in an amphitheatre in the sand dunes.  The short climb over the dunes to the 6th tee reveals a breathtaking view of Turnberry beach with the scattered islands out to sea.  The golfer could be excused for being distracted at this stage but the par 3 6th needs your full attention with its front to back sloping green with trouble lurking for the short shot - hence its name 'Tappie Toorie' or 'Hit to the top'.  This is followed by the par 5 7th again with lovely views from the green.  The 9th is a stunning hole over a rocky inlet towards the iconic

The green at the par 3 9th is overlooked by the iconic lighthouse

lighthouse.  Take the opportunity to stand on the championship tee which perches on the cliff and is 248 yards from the centre of the green.  The lighthouse is now the half way house and must be one of the most beautiful locations in which to catch one's breath.




The 10th and 11th still follow the coast.  The high tees at the 10th allow a view of the whole hole which is another right to left par 5 with the 'doughnut' bunker awaiting a misjudged attempt to reach the infinity green in two. This is followed by another par 3 which requires a long carry over rocky outcrops.  Trouble lies short and left with thick rough through the green.  The 14th has been extended to finish at the top of the hill to make the most of the views.  With a double dogleg it climbs up to an

undulating green with the lighthouse as a backdrop.  Another testing par 3 follows which is exposed to the wind.  There is a steep bank short and right and bunkers on the left from which there is a difficult shot onto a downhill green.  The 16th is a par 4 which is all about the approach to the green, guarded by Wilson's burn.  Even if the ball lands on the front of the green it is likely to run back into the burn.

The hotel overlooks the 18th green

Worth playing?  Yes.  This is a spectacular course and one of our top choices.

Darley Golf Course, Troon, Scotland

www.ayrshiregolfscotland.com

White tees par 71, SSS 72, 6321 yards
Red tees par 72, SSS 73, 5681 yards

Darley golf course is part of the group of municipal courses in Troon, close to Royal Troon but without the quality and true links nature of its more famous neighbour.  The designer is not documented but the course dates from around 1910 with the present course opening in 1951.  We played it on a cool breezy day.

The first hole is a flat and featureless par 5 after which there is a trek over the road to the second hole. The second is a fairly nondescript par 4 followed by another short par 4 with a ditch running across the fairway which is a difficult carry for the average golfer and must usually result in a lay up with a short club from the tee.  The 5th is a better hole with a feasible carry from the

The 9th is a blind hole

men's tee and a slight right to left dogleg.  The next few holes are not really memorable until the ninth which is a blind par 3.  In the back nine the burn comes into play again on the 13th and 14th.  On the 13th the burn is positioned poorly for ladies - only the longest hitters will carry it with their second shot whilst a lay up results in the player not being able to reach the green in regulation.  The 15th, a par 4, and 16th, a par 3, are better holes with the plateau green at the former and the more links-like green with tricky slopes at the latter.  The finish is as disappointing as the start with the 17th and 18th in similar terrain to the first two holes.


This is not a typical true links course.  The fairways were not hard and fast running and the greens were slow.  There are quite a lot of trees and the course is some distance from the sea.  Although there were some sandy patches most of the soil seemed more farmland in nature.  The bunkers were in poor condition without any rakes.  We did not like the numbers of dog walkers, cyclists(!) and schoolchildren wandering across the course oblivious to any danger from golf balls.

The par 3 16th.  Numerous trees line the course.

Worth playing?  Not if you want a true links experience.

Pacific Dunes, Bandon Dunes Resort, Oregon, USA

www.bandondunesgolf.com

Black tees par 71, rating 73, slope 142, 6633 yards
Orange tees par 71, rating 69.8, slope 128, 5088 yards



Pacific Dunes was the second of the courses at Bandon Dunes resort.  Designed by Tom Doak, it opened on 2001 and lies on the Pacific coast just north of the Bandon Dunes course.  Once again the setting is magnificent with fantastic views along the Oregon coastline.  Pacific Dunes reputedly required little movement of earth, making use of natural bunkers and features.  Our caddie told us that some of the bunkers were formed using TNT which gave them a ragged natural look.  The course certainly appears to follow the natural contours of the land.

Looking back down the 4th

We played the course on a sunny day with a 20mph prevailing northerly wind.  Pacific Dunes lies almost exactly north-south so the wind either helps or hinders.  The first three holes, two par 4s and a par 5 take the golfer out to the ocean and it is not until the fourth hole that this course really fires the imagination.  It runs along the ocean high above the pounding Pacific surf and the instructions are to hit your ball to the left but enjoy the views to the right.  The fairway narrows to a green perched above and running towards the sea.  Slice at your peril! The sixth hole is cleverly bunkered with a plateau green guarded by a huge bunker on the left.  The green is narrow requiring an approach shot from the right to get near the hole.  The ninth is a unique hole with two greens - a high and a low.  The best views on the course are from the ladies' tee. 

The 11th is the signature hole

The second nine starts with two lovely par 3s, the first of which is downhill into the prevailing wind.  The 11th is the signature hole of this course. plays uphill into the wind and is guarded by natural bunkers at the front and on both sides.  The thirteenth is a mirror image of the 4th with danger lurking

The Pacific Ocean is the lateral water hazard on the left of the 13th hole

on the bluffs and beach to the left.  A downwind par 3 is followed by a well bunkered par 5 with gorse on the left and a green at a 45 degree angle to the fairway.  The 17th is a par 3 which is Redan like where the safe line is to the right but a successful shot just right of the pin will reap rewards.  The round finishes with a par 5 which winds through the dunes and bunkers to a front to back sloping green.

The 17th green with a Blacktail deer in the foreground

This is a true links course but the fairways have some lusher patches and the green surrounds have some longer grass which holds the ball and prevents it from rolling off, unlike typical links turf.  It is the most scenic of the courses here with some memorable holes.

Worth playing?  Yes especially for the views

Bandon Dunes, Oregon, USA

www.bandondunesgolf.com

Black tees par 72, rating 74.1, slope 143, 6732 yards
Orange tees par 72, rating72.4, slope 128, 5072 yards

This is the eponymous and original course of the four at this resort.  Designed by David McLay Kidd it was opened in 1999 to rave reviews and immediately entered the list of the top 100 golf courses in the world.  It currently lies 70th.

The infinity green at the par 4 fourth hole

Today was a cool day with little wind and a lurking sea mist.  Bandon Dunes lies on undulating sand dunes and makes clever use of the landscape.  The turf is softer than Old Macdonald as it is a combination of fescue and bent grass but the fairways are still fast running.  The 2nd hole is a testing par 3 with a carry over marram grass to an elevated green guarded by a small front bunker.  The 4th affords the first sight of the ocean and is a par 4 dogleg to the right with an infinity green overlooking the Pacific.  Reminiscent of the Castle course at St Andrews, also designed by David Kidd, the 5th hole follows the ocean and has mounds of marram grass which must be negotiated to reach a corridor between the dunes leading to the green.  The 6th is a tricky par 3 where an accurate shot is required to hold the green.  We were distracted here by a sighting of dolphins surfing the waves and soaring Turkey Vultures.  The ninth is a straightforward par 5 which returns the player to the clubhouse.

Theere is a distracting backdrop to the 6th green

The 16th is the signature hole

The second nine is the more spectacular of the two.  The first five holes are inland but typical links holes.  The 15th is a simple but testing hole with a deep bunker set into the elevated green on the right and a large dune on the left.  A stroll to the back of the green reveals wonderful views of the coastline only surpassed by the views from the course's signature hole, the par 4 16th.  The drive is over a ravine to a fairway crossed by a diagonal ridge of marram grass.  The second is to another infinity green with the best views on the course over the Oregon coastline and massive
sandy beaches.  The 17th is a dogleg to the right with a deep gully on the right which will swallow a wayward shot.  During the gold rush the creek at the bottom of the gully was mined by around one thousand men.  The final hole is a par 5 with the green nestled in front of the clubhouse.

The 18th green.  The clubhouse blends well with its surroundings

at this understated resort

Worth playing?  Yes - in a beautiful setting at a resort dedicated to golf.  Quite special.

Old Macdonald, Bandon Dunes, Oregon, USA

www.bandondunesgolf.com

Black tees rating 74.4, slope 131, 6944 yards
Orange tees rating 70.1, slope 117, 4985 yards




A flight to Portland, Oregon and a four and a half hour drive south brings you to Bandon Dunes resort and golfer's heaven.  Three of the four true links courses in the United States are here, set in typical links land overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  The resort was the brainchild of Mike Keiser, a multimillionaire businessman with a passion for golf who wanted to create the same true links experience that he had enjoyed in the UK.  In 1991 he found and purchased 1200 acres of land on the Oregon coastline and the Bandon Dunes resort was born.

Today we played our first true links course here with Marc and Beth Swiontkowski on a beautiful blue Oregon day.  Old Macdonald was designed by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina and is a homage to Charles Blair Macdonald, a Canadian with a Scottish father who was a central figure in the evolution of golf and golf course architecture in the USA.  He was instrumental in the formation of the USGA, won the US Amateur golf championship in 1895 and designed many courses, the best known of which is probably the National Golf Links of America in Long Island, New York.  The holes at Old Macdonald use Macdonald's favourite design concepts based on great links holes in the UK and US and in particular those of the Old Course at St Andrews where Macdonald spent time as a student.

The iconic tree on the dune

ridge at the 3rd

'Hell' bunker

The first impression at Old Macdonald is of space. The first fairway is wide and inviting leading to plateau green and is followed by a par 3, 'Eden', based on the 11th at St Andrews, with a deep revetted bunker defending the green (the Strath bunker).  Then it is up and over a large dune ridge at the top of which the course, backed by the Pacific Ocean, is spread out in all its glory.  On the ridge is the spiky skeleton of a huge dead white cedar tree which can be seen from most of the course.  The course then settles into a succession of high quality links holes each of which pose their own strategic dilemmas. The sixth hole is modelled on the fourteenth at the Old Course and has its own version of 'Hell' bunker.  The seventh climbs up to a plateau green situated on a dune ridge overlooking the Pacific with stunning views along the coastline.  The 8th is a par three called 'Biarritz'.  It has a large swale running across the green and was inspired by a similar hole designed by Willie Dunn in Biarritz, France. 

Looking back at the Pacific Ocean over the 7th green

The elevated 14th green

The second nine is longer and tougher than the first.  The 11th hole, 'Road', has echoes of the famous 17th at the Old Course with its narrow angled green defended by a deep pot bunker.  Redan, the fifteenth hole at North Berwick, is said to be the most copied in the world and it appears as the 12th at Old Macdonald.  The 15th climbs back up for a view of the Pacific and like many other holes is exceptionally well bunkered.  The 16th, 'Alps',  has a large dune hiding the green which lies in a hollow.  The 17th, a lovely par 5 and the 18th with its punchbowl green complete a memorable round.

The strategic bunkering illustrated on the 17th fairway

This is a great true links course, with proper fast running fairways, ragged edged bunkers and huge sloping greens which are said to be the largest acreage of green on any 18 hole golf course in the world.

Worth playing?  Not to be missed.