St Andrews (Dukes)
Upon arrival I was chatting with Alan, the Head of Events, and he happened to let me know that the course was host to 111 bunkers! He assured me many of them were for "aesthetic" purposes and pointed out that if I stayed down the middle I would be fine! Easier said than done I thought! I was playing this round with Stephen_P_OH who is starting to become a regular member of the ST100 crew - we had a brief chat and decided that playing off the greens was the best solution (6130 yards). The first is a daunting opener - a long par 5 with some of the Duke's customary bunker complexes causing issues not only from the tee but also on approach to the green. The second is a gentler hole with much less sand and what feels like a wider fairway. There is a large greenside bunker on the right but the green is deep giving a large target area.
The third is very pretty and is perhaps the Duke's signature hole. A 146 yard par 3 the first thing that greets you is an expanse of golden sand! The green is elevated so you will have a difficult second shot if you do not hit the putting surface and stick. After the difficulty of the third, the fourth is a welcome relief. A sub 350 yard par 4 is fairly straight-forward aslong as you stay on the fairway from the tee. The front right of the green is protected with a large bunker but it is better to be in there than in the left hand bunker short of the green - a much more difficult proposition from which to escape. Your tee shot from the fifth is blind as you will be playing over the large bunker in front of you. It makes the fairway look tight but it opens out and should leave a fairly short approach to the green which is fairly deep.
The sixth is another of the Duke's long par 5s. The fairway slopes right to left so landing on the right hand side is important. A fairway bunker on the right will be in most golfers range so don't be too far right! A huge bunker complex lies in wait on the left in front of the green - you do not want to end up in there as trying to blast out and reach the green could prove very dangerous. The seventh is a dog leg right a large bunker on the right hand side is the big issue from the tee - the green isn't as well protected with sand as some but it is still challenging to hit. The eighth is a pretty little par 3, being short isn't too bad as being long leaves a very tricky putt as I found out to my cost! The ninth is a cracking hole and gives you a spectacular view of the clubhouse with sand and heather completing the picture. The fairway bunkers are sufficiently far enough from the fairway to only trouble the most errant of tee shots but the green is just a green oasis in a sea of sand! Hitting and sticking here is tough.
The ninth finishes at the back of the clubhouse but the tenth tee is back towards the starters box. The tenth was my favourite hole on the course, although choosing just one was difficult. It's a dog leg left but you have a decision on the tee as to whether to hit driver or not. The second shot is over a burn to an elevated green with a large greenside trap to the left. The green is deep but very undulating and even reaching the green doesn't leave an easy putt. The eleventh is just ridiculous! The black tees are so far back from the green tees that I’m pretty sure it is the equivalent of a par 3! How anyone can play the full 640 yards is beyond me! I played the mere mortal 501 yards and still struggled! Bunkers are once again the order of the day and are the biggest issues from both the tee and the fairway – an added issue is the small burn running in front of the green. This really makes you consider to take it on or play short; the true meaning of risk and reward.
After such a huge par 5 I was relived to see a par 3 on the scorecard only to read that it was 178 yard par 3! We fortunately played much further forward as the green tees were playing to the left of the water so it was reasonably straightforward as the central bunker is pretty much out of play from this position too. A deep and wide green take plenty of club as there is plenty of green with which to play. The thirteenth has one of the most spectacular views on the course. You come out of the trees and are greeted with beautiful views across St Andrews and out to the sea. It is truly well named “Braw View” – take the time here to savour the view and get your camera out it will be worth it. Your tee shot will be helped down the hill by the slope but make sure your approach isn’t short or it will be a large dip in front of the green and depending on pin position could be difficult to get close. The fourteenth has a wide fairway but don’t be too far left as the road and gorse will make it impossible to escape. Not as much bunkering around the green on this hole but don’t be long as the green slopes off and it will make for a tricky chip.
The fifteenth is another beautiful hole with an gnarled old tree on the right a real feature. The view from the tee isn’t too daunting but once you reach your tee shot and see the green the approach shot certainly is! 6 bunkers in total protect this elevated round green; there is no easy way to approach this green, except to hit it stiff. The sixteenth is the final par 3 and is testing due to the heavy bunkering, swirling winds and the reasonably distance. However the green is generous so don’t be afraid to go for it – aim for the middle and you should be fine. The strong tee shot at the penultimate hole aimed towards the first tee should leave you with a straightforward approach to the long narrow green. The Duke’s closes strongly with a challenging uphill par 4. The hole dog legs left and the approach is made difficult due to the heavy bunkering on the left hand side and the large old tree in the fairway. Your best solution is to come in from the right but the green slopes away sharply and will leave a tricky chip to get close.
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