News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


Ben Stephens

  • Karma: +0/-0
Hardest par 69 links course in UK?
« on: May 29, 2008, 03:27:46 AM »
My old man is off on a 5 day golf tour in North Wales playing Northop, Royal St Davids, Nefyn, Conwy and Llandundno.

I reminded him that Royal St. Davids could be the hardest par 69 course he will play on even though we have already played St. Enodoc.

I know the following courses are tough par 69's:

St. Enodoc
Royal St. Davids
Brora
Southerness 

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: Hardest par 69 links course in UK?
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2008, 07:34:05 AM »
Rye is par 68 and way tougher than any of the above.

Mike_Clayton

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hardest par 69 links course in UK?
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2008, 08:21:23 AM »
Ben,

I'm not sure if the par - 72 I think - of Conwy but the last three holes there are the scariest finishing holes in golf if there is any wind about.

Wayne Wiggins, Jr.

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hardest par 69 links course in UK?
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2008, 02:17:33 PM »
That's funny... I'm off on a golf tour of Wales as well.  Heard that Royal St. David's is very tough at par 69. 

Andrew Mitchell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hardest par 69 links course in UK?
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2008, 07:54:53 AM »
Ben,

I'm not sure if the par - 72 I think - of Conwy but the last three holes there are the scariest finishing holes in golf if there is any wind about.
Mike
Some friends of mine are just back from a three day trip to Wales.  They could not believe how difficult 18 was in a strong wind.
2014 to date: not actually played anywhere yet!
Still to come: Hollins Hall; Ripon City; Shipley; Perranporth; St Enodoc

Adam_Messix

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hardest par 69 links course in UK?
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2008, 08:46:29 AM »
Totally agree with Tom Doak on Rye...it's a couple of hands full.  Perhaps the best set of par threes anywhere and the 4th Hole is downright scary despite the lack of water and O. B. stakes.

Mike_Clayton

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hardest par 69 links course in UK?
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2008, 08:49:09 AM »
Andrew,

And 18 is by far the easiest of the three finishers.

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hardest par 69 links course in UK?
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2008, 05:15:52 PM »
I think Rye is tough 68, but if one steps back at Harlech with the length, it is imo without question more difficult as a 69 than Rye's 68 - even with two easy par 5s.  Additionally, I think the wind at Harlech is day in and day out more difficult than the south coast wind of Rye.  However, to be fair, I haven't seen Rye in proper more winter-like golfing conditions.  I have only seen it dry and very short.  After saying all that, I think Rye is the better course, still Harlech is much better than that scant credit it gets.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hardest par 69 links course in UK?
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2008, 02:50:09 PM »
Conwy is a par 72. It is undoubtedly a tough course - brutal in a strong wind - but it's not the sort of architecture you would write home about. The holding of R&A and Senior Professional tournaments there have enabled the conditioning to be enhanced (it needed it) and the bunkers are far better than they were a year or two ago, but the architecture has simply evolved over the years. The tumbling dunes seen in those old Douglas Adams prints were worn down in both World Wars when the course housed large military camps - in the Second World War much of the Mulberry Harbour D-Day landing floating harbour was built behind what is now the 2nd green and 3rd tee. Today's layout, then, is largely what remains of what the members put together after the War. Frank Pennink made alterations to the holes farthest from the clubhouse (alongside the sea), but it was the building of the A55 tunnel under the Conwy Estuary that caused some holes on the back nine to be lost and replacement holes constructed - holes 13-17. Brian Huggett and Neil Coles made further alterations.

Many of the original greens were dug up when water was layed on to the greens. There were a number of punchbowl greens, so designed to hold dew in dry weather. Today's greens are largely simple, apart from the reecent second, put in by David Williams, a real cracker.

I'll do a 'my Home Course' feature one of these days, but put in the postcode of LL32 8ER if you want to find it on Google or Virtual Earth :

Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back