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.

Hartlepool Golf Club, England

www.hartlepoolgolfclub.co.uk

White tees par 70, SSS 71, 6298 yards

Red tees par 72, SSS 72, 5562 yards

Hartlepool golf course lies just north of the town of the same name on the north-east coast of England.  Built in 1906 this is a part links course with some of the holes through the sand dunes reputedly reworked by James Braid.  On the seaward side the course is protected by sand dunes and on the landward side the town is hidden from the course by a large railway embankment.

There is danger short, left and long on the 5th

We had a friendly welcome at Hartlepool where we played on a very windy day.  The first four holes are more parkland than true links holes. The par 3 fifth is played over a ravine to the left and requires accurate clubbing to avoid disaster - short, long or left is a lost ball.  The 6th enters duneland proper and is a totally blind drive.  Unfortunately the marker post is for the men's and not the ladies' tees.  The fairway slopes left to right and it is likely that your second shot will have a difficult stance.  There is a narrow entrance to the elevated sloping green.  The drive at the 8th is angled across the fairway making it difficult to hold on a windy day unless with a very controlled fade.  This is a long par four which was previously a par 5.

The tenth green is set in a bowl

The tenth hole was redesigned by James Braid and is a driveable par 4 in a favourable wind.  The green is in a deep hollow with thick rough behind to punish an over zealous shot.  The 11th is a lovely par 3 with an uphill carry over marram grass to a green sloping from back to front.  This is followed by another par 3 which is sharply downhill from an elevated tee with views over the coastline to the North and a green which slopes from front to back.  The 14th is an excellent hole which doglegs right to left around the dunes.  A longer drive is rewarded by a view of the green tucked into the far point of the course.  A sloping right to left fairway and left to right dogleg at the fifteenth ensures a testing hole.  The final three holes return to the less 'linksy' style of the opening holes.

There is a long carry to the par 3 11th

Hartlepool is an inconsistent course in terms of the quality and true links nature of the holes but the friendly welcome made it an enjoyable experience.

Worth playing?  Don't make a special trip to play it but you will get a welcome if you are in the area.

Cleveland Golf Club, Redcar, Yorkshire, England

https://cleveland-golf-club.com/

White tees par 72, SSS 73, 6704 yards
Red tees par 72, SSS 74, 5545 yards  

On stepping on to the first tee at Cleveland the first impression is of the vista of caravan parks, steel works, wind farms, noisy fun fair and further down the course a scrap yard but if you are put off by this you will miss a classic and top quality true links course.  In a curious way the steel works are a dramatic background to a links course which would be rated much more highly if it were on the east coast of Scotland or the west coast of Ireland.

The par 3 6th with the Redcar steel works as a backdrop

Established in 1887, Cleveland was designed by a number of architects including Harry Colt and most recently Donald Steel who designed three new holes in 2000.  It is the oldest and the only true links course in the county of Yorkshire.  We played it on a beautiful sunny summer day with light winds, the perfect conditions for links golf!  Unusually the course starts with a par three which requires an accurate shot – if not there is a deep gully awaiting on the right and bunkers guarding both sides.  The next three holes head into the prevailing wind with out of bounds down the left side of each.  There are two more par 3s in the first nine, both of which are strong typical links course holes. 

The 12th is a right to left dogleg with a view reminiscent of St Andrews

Most of the second nine heads back towards the town of Redcar, with a backdrop reminiscent of the spires of St Andrews.  The par 4 12^th is a right to left dogleg which is very well bunkered at the angle of the dogleg and round the green.  The well bunkered theme continues on the 13^th_, a natural looking hole where the task in hand is clear from the elevated tee.  The course finishes with three well designed tricky holes from 15 to 17 and then the relatively short par 5 18^th with its sloping green.

The 18th green.  The 1st hole can be seen on the right.

Worth playing?  Yes if you can block out the surroundings.

Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, England

www.seatoncarewgolfclub.co.uk

White tees: Old Course par 71, SSS 72, 6603 yards
                   Brabazon par 73, SSS 73, 6920 yards
                   Micklem par 71, no SSS, 6594 yards
                   Bishop par 73, SSS 73, 6857 yards           

Red tees: Old Course par 73, SSS 74, 5526 yards
                Brabazon par 74, SSS 76, 5853 yards
                Micklem par 72, no SSS, 5513 yards
                Bishop par 74, no SSS, 5788 yards

The best known of the true links courses in this area, Seaton Carew's unusual name derives from the name of a Norman family who settled in the area (Carou) while 'seaton' means a farmstead or settlement by the sea.  Originally the Durham and Yorkshire golf club, it was founded as a 14 hole course in 1874 and converted to 18 holes in 1891.  Seaton Carew is unusual in that it has 22 holes and 23 greens, played as five different layouts.  Eighteen of the holes were designed by Alister Mackenzie who created Augusta National and the newer four by Frank Pennink.

The narrow entrance to the 7th green

After a friendly welcome we played the Old Course format which is the original Alister Mackenzie layout on a windy but bright day.  Compared to many links courses it is flat and has no views of the sea because of the massive buckthorn wind barrier.  Named 'Doctor' after Mackenzie, the 3rd hole is a memorable par 3 with a wall of huge bunkers awaiting a short shot and a right to left sloping green punishing anything less than a perfect shot.  Perfection is also required for the approach shot to the 7th with its narrow entrance.  At the turn the newer four holes can be seen. These have more dunes  than the original course and are closer to the beach so do have sea views. 

The second nine heads back towards the clubhouse with 'Lagoon', the 10th hole, again requirng accurate shots to avoid the fairway bunkers and the lateral water hazard on the right and to remain on the sloping plateau green.  The 12th is not for the faint hearted - a par 3 with a fearsome carry over suicidal rough.  The theme of difficult approaches and greens continues at the 17th, an excellent par four with a narrow tilted green complex.  With lots of out of bounds areas the 18th completes a testing course.

The par 3 12th

Worth playing?  Yes. An interesting course.  Try to play the layout with the newer holes which look good.

Newbiggin Golf Course, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, England

http://www.newbiggingolfclub.co.uk/

White tees par 72, SSS 72, 6536 yards
Red tees par 73, SSS 74, 5673 yards

Newbiggin golf course lies on the North East coast of England just north of the city of Newcastle in the town of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. Golf was introduced to Newbiggin by a Scot, Mr Laing, who created the first 9 holes. Permission to play golf on the moor was granted in 1884 by the Freeholders for an annual payment of £2 after which the current layout was designed by Willie Park. The club has the dubious distinction of having had its clubhouse destroyed by fire on two separate occasions in 1921 and 1977.  On the former occasion the historical records of the club were destroyed. An ancient tradition of dunting new freeholders of the town is still carried out on the dunting stone on the eighth fairway.

Looking back to the town from behind the 3rd green

On first sight Newbiggin is unprepossessing.  It is situated on flat moorland but is a true seaside links course and is rather spoiled by Lynemouth power station which dominates its furthest point.  Being on the North Sea coast it suffers at times from the haar or sea mist.  We were told that if the marker post on the first cannot be seen the course is deemed unplayable!  Fortunately we had no visibility problems when we played it with Rosie and Martin Dennis on a warm and windy day.  The first four holes follow the coast with out of bounds awaiting the sliced shot.  The fifth is a memorable drive across cliffs and then a semi-blind second shot to a sloping green.  The green at the lovely par 4 sixth is in a bowl which reminded us of the thirteenth hole at Strandhill (18 September 2015).  The seventh is a par 4 where the challenge is in putting on the severely sloping green. The following holes are less memorable with a few having softer more parkland type turf although we were told that there are plans to replace them.  There are only two par 3s, the thirteenth and the seventeenth, both of which are well thought out and good tests of golf.  Overall we enjoyed the course although the greens were slower than we would expect on a links course.  At £14 per round (twilight) it is great value. 

The drive at the 5th is across a rocky inlet

Worth playing?  At that price and for holiday golf - yes

Panmure Golf Club, Barry, by Carnoustie, Scotland

www.panmuregolfclub.co.uk
White tees Par 70, SSS 71, 6360 yards
Red tees Par 74, SSS 74, 5684 yards

The clubhouse is modelled on Royal Calcutta Golf Club reflecting

the jute industry links between the two areas.

Panmure lies inland from the Carnoustie courses, north of the railway line but still in the links land at the mouth of the River Tay estuary.  Initially nine holes laid out in 1845 and extended to 18 holes in 1880 it was moved to the present site in 1899.  After suggestions by James Braid in 1922 it underwent a partial redesign and lengthening resulting in the current course.  Before the Open at Carnousite in 1953 Ben Hogan made rigorous preparation by familiarising himself with the local conditions and even reputedly cutting the 17th green himself and cleaning the mower afterwards!  He went on to win the tournament.

The approach to the 6th green with trouble all round.  This was

Ben Hogan's favourite hole.

At first glance from the clubhouse the course looks easy but it is anything but.  The first three holes are a gentle opening and then it hots up!  The fourth leads to a tricky two tiered green where a two putt is not guaranteed.  This is followed by a fine par 3 well guarded by bunkers at the front of the green.  The par 4 sixth was Hogan's favourite hole and deservedly so.  A draw is an advantage for the drive to a narrow fairway.  Any slight imperfection in the approach shot means deep trouble either right or left forcing many players to lay up.  Pressure remains on the player on the sloping green with many subtle borrows.

The prevailing wind at the par 3 9th is left to right

The par 3 9th and 11th are strong holes.  At the 9th the prevailing wind blows left to right making an accurate line in crucial to avoid the bunkers on either side of the green.  The 11th is usually downwind requiring a shot which will carry the front bunker but also hold the green.  The par 4 12th green is guarded by the S shaped Buddon burn about 100 yards out, by deep rough to the right and by mounds on either side of the green.  The weakest hole on the course is probably the rather featureless but long par 3 15th. 

The Buddon burn winds in front of the 12th green

Panmure rewards the ability to plot your way around the course rather than long hitting.  It is challenging for the best players which explains its use as an Open qualifying venue but is not impossibly difficult for the average player.

Worth playing?  Yes as an excellent links course and a test of strategy.

Sheringham, Norfolk, England

www.sheringhamgolfclub.co.uk

Men's white tees par 70, SSS 71, 6251 yards
Ladies' yellow tees par 73, SSS 74, 5838 yards

The view from the 5th tee

Sheringham golf club is situated on the North Norfolk coast, Norfolk’s ‘Golf Coast’ which boasts three other true links courses, Royal West Norfolk ( which we visited yesterday), Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth and Caister and lies between the North Norfolk Railway and the North Sea. It was opened as a nine hole course in 1891 and extended to eighteen in 1898.  The original course was designed by Tom Dunn, a prolific golf course architect of the time.  Sheringham has been the venue for a number of major amateur championships including the English Women’s championship on three occasions.  In 1920 it was won by the then 18 year old Joyce Wethered whose obituary recalls that having been six down in the final to Cecil Leitch (see Silloth on Solway 11^th April 2014) she responded with a succession of threes before winning on the 17^th.  As she stood over her final putt a train rattled past on the North Norfolk railway.  Asked afterwards whether it disturbed her concentration she replied ‘What train?’.

The 17th green. 

 Sheringham is more of a clifftop and heathland course than a true links although some of the holes have a links feel.  Although the soil did not appear to be sandy some of the holes had the typical undulations and fast running fairways of a links course.  Having said that it is a very enjoyable and high quality although fairly hilly course.

The railway runs in close proximity to the 18th green

The first is a testing par four, uphill and with a tilted green set into the hillside.  A true golf brain is required for the second hole as each shot requires careful placement to avoid the fairway bunkers. The fifth is a spectacular hole with a high tee and a green which demands a perfect shot otherwise the ball falls off on the left and at the back or ends in the rough on the mound to the right.  This is followed by a long par 3 with equally good views from the tee.  The 11^th is a lovely par 3 which requires a carry all the way to the green to avoid the five greenside bunkers.  The 17^th has a particularly attractive green complex close to the railway and backed by a small wood.

Worth playing?  Yes but I wouldn’t class it as a true links course.

Royal West Norfolk, Brancaster, England

www.rwngc.org

White tees par 71, SSS 71, 6457 yards
Red tees par 75, SSS 75, 5882 yards

The entrance to the course

Royal West Norfolk, often referred to as ‘Brancaster’, was founded with royal patronage in 1892 and I doubt that it has changed much since then.  Situated on the North Norfolk coast it is squeezed between salt marshes and the magnificent Brancaster beach.  There may not be another golf course where you are warned to consult the tide times before playing as the access road is under water at high tide.  The first tee is across the sandy approach to the beach through a wrought iron gate and feels like stepping back in time.

The 4th is guarded by a wall of sleepers and pot bunkers

 We played the course with our son William and our cairn terrier Maisie on a sunny day in June.  It is memorable for its long carries, intimidating sleeper walled bunkers and fast greens.  We were fortunate to have a dispensation from the secretary to play a three ball as like Muirfield this is usually a two ball course.  It is a traditional ‘nine out, nine back’ course with the prevailing wind assisting in the first nine and hindering in the second. 

 

The challenging 9th green

The first hole shares a fairway with the 18^th with an ideal drive having a slight draw but beware overdoing it as there is long grass and out of bounds on the beach to the left.  The first par 3, the 4^th hole, has a raised green protected by a wall of wooden sleepers and three pot bunkers – be short at your peril!  The course’s most memorable holes are the 8^th and the 9^th, on both of which you have to negotiate large areas of tidal marsh land which at high tide make islands of parts of the holes.  The par 5 8^th requires creative thinking and has been likened to ‘a man crossing a stream by somewhat imperfect stepping stones, so that he has to make a perilous leap from one to the other’.  The ninth hole is a par 5 for ladies and a par 4 for men.  There is a long carry from the tee to the narrowest part of the fairway and then either a lay-up or a perilous shot over tidal marshes to a green set at a right angle to the fairway. 

Beach huts by the 16th tee

The golfer then turns for home but into the prevailing wind.  Many of the holes on the inward nine follow the dunes on the right and there are some excellent par 4s.  The par 3 1th is guarded by a huge bunker at the front but there is at least a landing area over it.  The 16^th tee has a line of quintessentially British beach huts to the right of the tee.  The 18^th is a straightforward hole until you encounter the large semicircular bunker at the front of the green which must have ruined a number of medal cards!

The clubhouse is almost on Brancaster beach

A seat and lunch (must be pre-ordered) in the wood panelled Smoke Room is a welcome respite in a clubhouse from the Edwardian era.  Royal West Norfolk is a hugely enjoyable experience in a magical place.

Worth playing?  Without doubt