|
 |
Carnoustie's Barry Burn, which winds through its
closing holes, creates havoc with errant shots.
 |
|
The world's best players are at Carnoustie Golf Links this week for the British Open, but none of them will mistake it for a Scotland golf vacation, at least not from Thursday through Sunday.
That's because, as you've undoubtedly heard, Carnoustie is a stern test, made particularly difficult by its abundance of wind and water. Plus, not a hole at Carnoustie is weak or indifferent, and eight holes are undeniably great.
Among them, the final five, which will assuredly provide high drama if you follow the action on television (Saturday, 9am-2:30pm ET and Sunday 8am-1:30pm ET on ABC; see PGATour.com for full listings) or if you someday experience it for yourself on a Scotland golf vacation.
The 14th is a 456-yard, par four that requires a drive over gorse to a blind fairway, then a shot over the mighty Spectacles Bunkers to a blind green.
The next hole is nearly as long, a 425-yard par four that bends left along a hog's back fairway on the drive, but only the flag, not the green, is visible on the long second shot.
The 16th is a 245-yard par three that plays about 265 into the prevailing wind. Shots that come up short can easily find the bunkers short of and flanking the green.
Seventeen is called "Island" for good reason: the serpentine Barry Burn (a narrow stream) must be crossed three times before reaching the green.
On the 444-yard 18th hole, the same hazard must be crossed twice, the second time when it is only a dozen paces short of the green. Or, you could take the Jean Van de Velde route. He crossed it four times, once in the wrong direction, during his 1999 meltdown at Carnoustie's last British Open. He failed to qualify for the event this year.
Not already a subscriber to Golf Vacation Insider? Click here to receive our free newsletter filled with insider travel tips on the world's finest golf courses and resorts. As a bonus, we will send you a free copy of Planning the Ultimate Golf Vacation, a 40-page book filled with insider tips from the editors of Golf Odyssey.
