[Matthew Schulte]

Recently taken photographs from Hoylake.  I would not classify Hoylake as an ugly duckling by any means.  The course is in fantastic condition however, in most areas the rough is still quite thin.


Approaching the 2nd Hole (Open Championship Routing).  New Donald Steele bunkering.


A well known European Ryder Cup team member was out practicing for the Open.


Grandstands are up around the dangerous par 4 3rd hole with OB running the length of the right side of the hole.


The well defended short par 4 4th hole.


The outside of the dogleg right par 5 5th hole.


Approaching the 5th green


453 yard Par 4 7th


Your first look at the 8th fairway after a blind tee shot


Front left bunker guarding the 8th green


Collection area left of the par 3 9th hole


Gaping bunker front and right of the par 5 10th.  It may see some action in the Open as the rough left of the green is unbelievably thick.


The "punchbowl" 11th green.


Outside of the dogleg left 12th to a plateau green.


12th green


The par 3 13th.


13th hole


Dogleg left 14th tee


Outside of the dogleg par 4 14th


The tricky 14th green


The heavily bunkered par 3 15th hole


15th green


The left side of the 16th


Approaching the 17th green



I was beginning to think I was a bit underdressed!

[TEPaul]

Another example of just highly different GB bunkering.

One could say so many things about those Hoylake bunkers such as their ultra clean and sharp lines (very man-made looking), the fascinating man-made looking reveted faces etc.

I love that dark shadowy look they present to the golfer---eg basically the opposite of the sand faced look of bunkering.

I also love how short all the grass is surrounding them all making them about five times more functional than most all "rough surrounded" American bunkering.

And lastly, although the sand surfaces in those Hoylake bunkers is consistent and predictable the same most certainly cannot be said for the architecture of those bunkers from a playability point of few. Bunkers like those ones I call "architecturally iffy" from a playability standpoint due to their sharp vertical outgoing faces and of course that's a very good thing as it gets any player's attention in a decision making vein so much more than if they weren't that way.

[Jack_Marr]

From the pictures, it looks like the course is completely defined by its bunkering.

What do you think the pros will think of it?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Jack, great pictures.  We're about a month behind usual up here in terms of grass growth etc.  Sometimes the rough is beginning to die back at Open time. It certainly won't this year and should be savage come late July.

[John Kirk]

Matt,

Great pictures!  Thanks for the slide show.

The course looks pretty flat.  It looks like they routed the holes inbetween the dunes when possible.  Not the most dramatic looking course, is it?

[Michael Dugger]

How long is hoylake going to play for the Open?

Isn't it kinda early to have the bleachers erected?

[John Kirk]

Sean,

The holes themselves are quite simple and straightforward looking from the photos.  Otherwise, I see great beauty there.  The big flat field allows the golfer the pleasure of seeing the other players enjoying the game.  The pretty houses bordering the course.  Although I haven't played Chicago Golf Club, I sense a similar charm.

Also, the course appears to have a certain simple consistency.  I'm sure one would grow to love it as their home course.  On the other hand, it does not appear to test the player's ability to play uneven lies regularly.

I wish more courses were fashioned from big uneven fields like this.

[Jonathan McCord]

Amazing Pictures!!!

As TEPaul has mentioned, the bunkering is spectacular!!! Certainly worthy of being mentioned in a category of "Great Bunkered Courses"

Is bunkered a word??

[Matthew Schulte]

I think Royal Liverpool most closely compares to Royal Lytham & St. Annes.  Some obvious similarities: both are surrounded by suburbia, both have brief dune sequences, both are extremely well bunkered with the same sharp edges and similar bunker depth, both have moderate fairway and green contouring.  Royal Liverpool changes directions quite a bit more than Lytham does.  For example all four par 3s play in exact opposite directions while 3 of the 4 par 5s play in different directions.

The yardage for the Open Championship will be as follows:
#1:    452   Par 4
#2:    434   Par 4
#3:    427   Par 4
#4:    370   Par 4
#5:    526   Par 5
#6:    200   Par 3
#7:    451   Par 4
#8:    421   Par 4
#9:    196   Par 3
OUT: 3477  Par 35

#10:   532  Par 5
#11:   391  Par 4
#12:   446  Par 4
#13:   196  Par 3
#14:   454  Par 4
#15:   159  Par 3
#16:   552  Par 5
#17:   457  Par 4
#18:   558  Par 5
IN:    3745 Par 37

[Joe Andriole]

I think that the bunkering at Lytham is more severe and at Lytham suburbia is MUCH more apparent; not to mention the sea is in view at Hoylake.  The most obtrusive aspect of R Liverpool are the new D Steel greens.  While these are not unappealing by themselves they are so obviously different than those he did not touch.

[Jim Sweeney]

TP expresses well my impression of the bunkers based on the shadowing- they look downright evil. Although they posses a man made look up close, they seem to fit flawlessly into the landscape when viewed over a distance. Their depth and theor riveted faces will cause some anxiety as players anticipate just what kind of a lie they drew.

[Philip Gawith]

Nice pictures Mathew! I had heard the stands were already going up - it does seem a long time ahead. Also, I believe people are playing of matts to preserve the fairways.

I think I agree with Sean that while the course is heavily bunkered, and they do exact a real penalty, they are not especially punitive and hence do not dominate your associations in the way that they do at, say, Woodhall Spa.

All of England is suffering a drought so the state of the rough there just echoes what is being experienced elsewhere. It will be a shame if the rough is so light as not be a factor. On the other hand, in that case the course will probably be fast-running and I think the combination of that and the wind will be enough test.

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