Playing North Berwick recently, I was reminded once again how similar the 18th's were at NB and TOC. Both are relatively short par 4's with acres of room up the left, Oscar Bravo down the right and with a large swale guarding the right half of the green. Given that TOC and NB, along with perhaps Musselburgh, were the pre-eminent course back in the late 1800's, its hard to believe that the design of one wasn't influenced by the other.
That being the case, which came first ? I recall that the 18th hole at TOC effectively came into existance as we know it when Old Tom built the new green with the old green having been located just over Granny Clarks Wynd. That would have been about the 1870's (?). Question - did the 18th at NB, as we know it now, already exist before then ?
Supplementary question. Was this the first template hole and has their been any more holes built to this template ?
Niall