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Richard Pennell

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Carnoustie in July
« on: March 21, 2007, 01:01:04 PM »
I'm delighted to have got a place on the team supporting the greenstaff at the Open this year. Essentially raking bunkers, although they sometimes get the odd hose out as well I understand. Its something I've wanted to do for a few years, mainly because its such a good way to see the golf course, set up at its best (hopefully!), from inside the ropes. I did it once at the PGA event at Wentworth a while back and you get the same view the pros do.

Of all the courses on the rota, Carnoustie is the one I know least about, having never been, and I can remember little of the '99 Open beyond Jean Van de Velde's efforts. It seems to have a mixed press at best on here, and part of that will no doubt be due to how hard it played last time round. But if a course can be judged on the standard of champion it produces, 'Car-nasty' hasn't a bad pedigree: Armour, Cotton, Hogan, Player, Watson...

It would be of great interest to me to hear some opinions of Carnoustie and some suggestions of what I should be looking out for architecturally, especially in terms of changes to the course that have taken place, etc.

Very excited

Richard

"The rules committee of the Royal and Ancient are yesterday's men, Jeeves. They simply have to face up to the modern world" Bertie Wooster

Tony_Muldoon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Carnoustie in July
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2007, 01:15:45 PM »
Great news Richard, it will be fantastic. Presumably you get given a rake and a group to follow, and then you just stride down the fairways to admiring and envious glances from all?

Just hope the weather behaves itself.  I don't know if the camera's showed it but about an hour before the start of the final days play in last years Ryder Cup the Heavens really opened up, after just being steady rain for 5 days.  The green staff were then sent out on the course with hand fulls of Mr Smurfits luxury towels and were trying to bale the bunkers out, they didn't feel like they had the best job in Ireland then.


"Farnsworth how's the tome coming on?"
Let's make GCA grate again!

Rich Goodale

Re:Carnoustie in July
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2007, 01:30:18 PM »
Tony (and Richard)

"Experience Carnoustie Links" should be availabe for sale by the end of this month.  As with the other courses in the series it will give you a good overview of the architecture of the course, both today and historically.

Richard

G Jones

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Carnoustie in July
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2007, 01:49:43 PM »
congrats! Being at that time a member of the Carnoustie G.C., I worked as one of the guys who carried the scoreboards behind the players in the 1999 open at Carnoustie (was in high school at the time!). I think I got paid 200 pounds for 8 hours work - carrying a board in the 1st and 3rd rounds, which is something I would have paid to do! First round I got the leftie guy Bob Charles (oldschool) and 3rd round I got monty who shouted at me for getting in his line of sight after hitting a bad shot on the 2nd hole... which was nonsense as I was 40 yards back, to the side, and standing still. I think he just wanted to blame someone and I looked like a good target with my big sail of a scoreboard. Still, my feet were on tv when they covered him shouting at me!

Also I remember being very scared crossing the small concrete bridges as the sail-like qualities of the scoreboards on a windy day could easily blow you into the water if your balance wasn't spot on...

Great memories!
« Last Edit: March 21, 2007, 01:51:16 PM by G Jones »

bbarkley

Re:Carnoustie in July
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2007, 01:51:23 PM »
Sounds like you are going to have a wonderful time Richard.  I was on the support team for the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond a few years back and had a blast.  Was able to walk the course (and rake countless bunkers of course) before anyone was out there.  Then we were able to watch the tournament, and finally we spent the late evenings filling divots on the course.  We would wake up at 5 am and do it all over.  One year my goal it to get back over the pond, and the Scottish Open, then the Open in back to back weeks.  

I was able to play Carnoustie twice, once in horrible weather and then the second time the weather was perfect.  No wind or rain.  Course seems to play a bit easier with out the punishing elements... guess you could say that about all courses.  Take note on how narrow Hogan's Alley is.  Also the finishing 3 holes are some of the toughest I have played.  

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Carnoustie in July
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2007, 01:56:45 PM »

"Experience Carnoustie Links" should be availabe for sale by the end of this month.  



"Sell Mortimer, Sell ..."
"... and I liked the guy ..."

Andrew Mitchell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Carnoustie in July
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2007, 02:32:59 PM »
Tony (and Richard)

"Experience Carnoustie Links" should be availabe for sale by the end of this month.  As with the other courses in the series it will give you a good overview of the architecture of the course, both today and historically.

Richard

No chance of autographed copies being available in East Lothian next week then Rich?
2014 to date: not actually played anywhere yet!
Still to come: Hollins Hall; Ripon City; Shipley; Perranporth; St Enodoc

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