Tom Doak's CG rating of Lundin Golf Club, Lundin Links, "Scoot-lin"

[Tommy_Naccarato]

This just puzzles me. It always has.

A DOAK 3

I bought the confidential guide two days after I got back from a close to four week trip to Scoot-lin and Leeds and Loon-din. I was enamored with the book but completely perplexed with his score of the ultra-cool Lundin Golf Club, which yesterday in a post Tom didn't respond to his own topic. Granted, the upper holes fail to inspire some, I did't mind them and thought it was cool to see how in history, two rival clubs split hairs and a golf course.

What was it Tom didn't see? (and does he see now!?!?!) Mind you I was still like I am today, young in my golfing architectural knowledge, but wanting and finding the need to always learn, which I think Tom did on his most recent trip to Scoot-lin...

Panhandle Bill, Go get'em!

[Bill_McBride]

Lundin Links a Doak 3?  That's surprising.

I can see how the upper holes (#12 par 3, #13 double dogleg par 5 on flat if elevated land, and #14 drop shot par 3) might cause some reduction in ranking, but in the "McBride enjoyment scale" I thought it was maybe more of a 6 type experience.  Not as good as North Berwick, equal or maybe better than Crail Balcomie.

These things are so subjective.  In terms of "linksiness," Lundin (and I'll bet Leven too) is on very good turf, very exposed to the elements as it's right on the north side of the Firth of Forth, with a very good mix of holes.  There are long par 4s, short par 4s, and a very tough finisher.  The first reminded me of both Wallasey and Porthcawl.  The 4th where the two courses meet and both go inland with short 3s is very good, long with a valley and burn right in front.  I loved the railroad line with its dastardly internal OB, and the view from that elevated 14th tee from which you can see the entire golf course - and most of Leven as well!

I'd rather play Lundin Links than 90% of the courses I've played over the years in the USA.  Not sure how that equates to the Doak scale.  I know Ran speaks very highly of Lundin in his profile, I need to go back and look at that again.

Here's the link.  The profile reinforces some of the thoughts I list above.  http://www.golfclubatlas.com/lundin1.html

[SPDB]

I have to admit to being a bit underwhelmed by Lundin. It
has a couple of nice holes, but collectively I found some of
them quite repetitive. The first 3 holes employ much of the
same template, although each are good (particularly the 2d and 3d). While the Braid Holes are also underwhelming, the 10th that Tommy notes in the other thread was easily my favorite hole at LGC (although I can't see the influence for 17th at NGLA at all).

It has a lot going on strategically.  The tee options are terrific, where the more daring player who takes the dangerous line close to the left rough is rewarded with a (relatively) unobscured view of the green (pictured below).  The more timid can blow it wide right into the shared 11th fairway, but will have a blocked view of the green by the center of the donut bunker.

[SPDB]

Aerial of Lundin Golf Club can be found HERE

Local.live has some great aerials in Scotland, btw.

Might be time to get AOTD going again.

[Ken Moum]

Amazing...  

After all, where else do you get to see a real, live bunker, sans OEM machine guns next to the Pro Shop?



I'd upload a shot of the inside of said bunker, but you really don't want to deal with it.

Ken

[Philip Gawith]

Forgive me for recording but yours-truly got a 2 on the par 5 13th ten days ago.

Apparently it is the hole the members are most keen to tinker with, but I thought it was just fine!

My own view is that it is a good second division links course - not the same quality as, say, North Berwick or Brora, but fun all the same. The view from up top of the course reminds you a bit of being up top at Dornoch which allows you to see most of the rest of the course.

I like the 1st/18th complex - both are good holes in their own right (the 1st is similar to the 1st at Portsalon with the cambered fairway and the elevated green) and the combination, when you look back from the clubhouse is a bit like 1/18 at the Old Course. Agree also that the 10th is a fine hole.  It is also a fun feature when you get up to the wall that separates the course from Leven to have the two courses cheek by jowl.

[Tom_Doak]

Tommy:

You are right, I underrated it, but I had spent most of the two months around the time I saw it caddying on The Old Course, with a week's side trip to Royal Dornoch.  I probably underrated Elie and Crail and every other course around St. Andrews as well.  

Still, as it stands today, I could only give the course a 5 at maximum, because the inland holes are such a letdown.  The original 18 holes along the beach would have been a different story.

[Bill_McBride]

The first 3 holes employ much of the
same template, although each are good (particularly the 2d and 3d).

Unless you recall that #1 plays uphill to a skyline green and #2 and #3 are downhill, the 2nd quite a bit longer than the third.  Otherwise they are quite similar!

I can't disagree with Tom Doak's 5 too much, but 3 was definitely underrating a very solid course.

There has been talk of changing #13 to make it more appealing - what do those who have played it think should be done?

[Ken Moum]

There has been talk of changing #13 to make it more appealing - what do those who have played it think should be done?

IIRC, when I played it last July, there was an alternate green in the trees that had either been abandoned, or newly built.

I any case, I thought it looked like an improvment on the existing greensite.

The question I had is, What does anyone know about the obvious teeing ground for #11 that's in the trees immediately behind the 10 green?  Our two young caddies said they'd never seen it used.

Here it is:

[Mickey Boland]

My 2 cents.

Lundin was the second course we played, after Carnoustie, on my first ever trip to Scotland last summer.  The first thing that made an impression on us was during the drive down from St. Andrews.  As we were winding our way down there on that 2-lane road, there came a point where we rounded a little bend and crested a hill, and the land just dropped away from us down to the Firth of Forth.  It was like a curtain being raised, and we all gave a "Wow" shout.  It was a neat moment.  

But while Carnoustie was not the classic "links" I typically associate with Scotland, Lundin did give that to us.  It was easy to stand there behind the first tee and literally see the "linksland" and the course within it laid out before you.  That is what made Lundin a special place to me for my trip.  Wasn't the best or worst course I played on the trip, but it was the first course I've ever played that really defined "links" to me.  

As others have noted, the first 3 holes do have a very similar feel, but was still fun for us, and the course got nicely varied as the round progressed.  The wind was blowing into us on the first 4 holes, so they were tougher, especially #4, than the last 3 or 4 holes coming in.  

A few pics:

Behind #1 tee


#2


My buddy in fairway bunker #10


Me teeing off on #14


Sign near #6 tee


Me teeing off on #5 with Leven Links behind

[Marty Bonnar]

Some fellow GCAers are aware of my new job. I'm now in charge of maintenance on the Coastal Path around Fife. One of my tasks is to improve existing access routes to the path. In this capacity, I've occasionally been in Leven these past few weeks, surveying the path mentioned in this very sign with a view to making it multi-user and disabled-user accessible. Lundie are making it pretty clear that they don't want undesirables on their course, aren't they!!!



Leven Links, being a publicly owned course, of course, can't possibly be quite so 'territorial'! Funny how an old stane dyke can be quite the iron curtain...

FBD.

[paul westland]

Mickey.  Thanks so much for your photos. Lundin-Leven, like Royal Aberdeen-Murcar are wonderful stretches of seaside golf.  First seaside links experience in Scotland was Montrose.  These second tier links ain't too shabby.....

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