[Mark_Rowlinson]

How well do you know your British bunkers?  These are all from courses in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  None has so far appeared in my British Courses series.  Fourteen are from ancient and modern high-profile courses, one is a reasonably well-known links and one is from a well-known club whose course you very probably don't know.  In the usual spirit of these things don't give it away if you know the answer until tomorrow.  By all means E-mail me if you want to claim to have recognised them all first.  

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[TEPaul]

I don't know any of them but I will say I surely do enjoy the wide spectrum of bunker looks, styles and types on the other side. The only thing we seem to have over here that's really different is our Raynor style. Many of his bunker faces are so vertical they look like they should be revetted but of course almost none of them are. The last two photos look a little Raynoresque but of course Raynor was never in Europe.

[Tyler Kearns]

Mark,

I have yet to make a pilgrimage across the pond to the birthplace of golf, so I fail this quiz miserably. My only guess I feel somewhat confident with is #14 - Royal County Down.

Tyler Kearns

[Tommy Williamsen]

#4 is the fourth at Royal North Devon (Westward Ho!) and #14 is three at the incomparable Royal County Down.

[Tommy Williamsen]

#7 seems like Royal Birkdle while #15 Royal Portrush.

[TEPaul]

Tyler:

I think you're right---#14 probably is RCD. One just does not see that type of "Don King" looking grassing on the tops of bunker surrounds very often and RCD sure is one of them. There's a bunker fairway right at RCD, on hole #3 or #4, I think, I swear to God I could get under it's front lip and I wouldn't get a drop on me in a really strong rain storm!  

[Michael Dugger]

#13 looks to be Carnoustie?

#11 Lytham and St. Annes?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I realise that I have told a lie!  One of these courses has featured in the British Courses series, but not this photograph.

[Don Dinkmeyer]

#14 is RCDown, one of the early holes.

Wish i could help more - Ballyliffin #4??

 

[Mark_Rowlinson]

A few clues.

4 courses have hosted the Open Championship,

4 courses have hosted the Walker Cup.

4 courses are in Scotland.

10 courses are in England.

1 course is in N.Ireland.

1 course is in Wales.

[Brian_Gracely]

#15 looks like the sixth hole at Royal Troon.

[Bill Gayne]

#16 Prestwick?

[Keith Durrant]

#5 Littlestone

#11 Hoylake 8th?
#7 Wallasey 17th?

#1 is deep enough to be Carnoustie !

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I'm off (to China) for a couple of days.  Back on Thursday.  I'll post the answers then.  Some of the above suggestions are right, some wrong.  

A few more clues:

One of the clubs started in a coffee house.

One of the holes has been (on and off) the longest in Open Championship golf.

One of the courses was (we think) designed by the club secretary.

The oldest and second oldest links clubs in England are both there.

One of the courses is attached to a hotel which was formerly the local maternity hospital.

Where golfers now tread the fairways of one of the courses formerly potatoes were cultivated.

Parts of one of the courses are below sea level.

Tony Jacklin won his last European tour event on one of these courses.

One of the courses was formerly a royal hunting ground.

One of the courses had a 70 year gap between American winners of the Open Championship over its links.

One of the courses is one of only three to have hosted the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup.

One of the courses was the first to charge an entrance fee to watch a professional match.

One of the courses was particularly influential in early American golf design.

Two of the courses used to have a railway running alongside, three still do have.

One of the courses is in a Cathedral town, another has the name of a Cathedral city and a third has a ruined cathedral.

[Marc Haring]

Here goes.
1 Birkdale
2 Celtic Manor, about #12
3 Sunnigdale. (Need more of a view, maybe #9)
4 RND
5 Littlestone. #1?
6. Knole Park but a a wild ass guess.
7 Hillside.
8 Ganton.
9. Belfry. Little short hole, about #6
10. Lindrick.
11 Lytham
12 Could be so many nowadays. Dornoch?
13 North Berwick
14 RCD
15 Troon. #6
16 Prestwick.

[ForkaB]

12 is the 2nd at Dornoch.

[lesueur]

6 is the 18th at Royal Blackheath.

I played there this year and couldn't find any info on the designer so this may be the one which Mark refers to as designed by the Secretary. The club has a long history and the course was originally on The Blackheath itself (from about 1608) but moved to its current location in 1923 due to lack of room for expansion to 18 holes. An interesting feature which you can just see from Marks photo is the hedge running accross the front of the first tee and 18th green.
If you get the chance to play here make sure you ask to see the museum on the top floor of the clubhouse - it has some of the oldest and most interesting memorabilia in existence.

[Paul_Turner]

#3 is Berkshire, maybe the Blue.

8 is that Mack course near Stockport.  Been changed recently.

[John Goodman]

#1 Carnoustie
#4 Brancaster (Royal West Norfolk)
 #7 Kingsbarns?
#12 I guess it does look like the second at Dornoch, but I'm wondering if it isn't the first at Royal Portrush
 

[Bill Gayne]

John.

On seeing the picture #12, my immediate reaction was also Portrush in particular the green side bunker at the 16th hole. However, I took a look at royalportrush.com and I don't think it can be Portrush. I think the bushes around the green which look very similar to Portrush in type, cut, and size led me to the immediate thought of Portrush. Also the slopes of the green looks like it could be Portrush.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Many right answers and many inspired guesses:

1. Royal Lytham 10th
2. Celtic Manor Wentwood Hills 11th.
3. Berkshire Blue 16th.
4. Royal North Devon 4th.
5. Littlestone 1st.
6. Royal Blackheath 18th.
7. Hillside 13th.
8. Alwoodley 5th.
9. The Belfry Brabazon Course 7th.
10. Ganton 16th.
11. Royal Liverpool 8th.
12. Royal Dornoch 2nd.
13. Nairn 17th.
14. Royal County Down 3rd.
15. Royal Troon 6th.
16. St Andrews Old Course 7th.

Nairn was the 'lie' - it has just been featured in British Courses.  As usual, The Old Course defeated us!

Thanks for taking part.

[TEPaul]

How was Chiner?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Tom - no golf, of course, but an OT to follow.

[TEPaul]

See that #14? That's the only one I knew. I got in that bunker one time and I guarantee you I'll never forget that one---I'd know it anywhere. Matter of fact, if I murdered someone and had to become a fugitive I'd hide in that shadow you can see in that photo and I doubt anyone would find me for a year!

But, honestly, that bunker (those bunkers), and the look of it (them) is about as good as it can get in type and look in the environment that's Royal County Down!

[Marc Haring]

Well 8 out of 16 aint too bad. Should have got the Berkshire one though, played it a month ago but your clue about the sectretary designing the course put me on the Sunningdale line of thought. Stupid, I new it wasn't the New course at Sunningdale as well.

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