A Pictorial: Carnoustie's Championship Course!!! (18th Hole Posted)

[Kyle Henderson]

A shortish par 4 (380 yards), the 11th is a straightforward test. Bunkers loom in the landing zone on the left and right sides of the fairway.



A decent drive will leave a short iron to a deep green angled from back to front with flanking bunkers at the front and middle pin  depths.

[Kyle Henderson]

The 12th can be played as a par 4 or 5 (depending on the tees) of up to 504 yards. The fairway tightens the farther one drives the ball, with bunkers on the right and rough encircling the fairway.


The green is more open to long approaches from the left side.


Too far left, and one might find themselves on the rocks (boo…).


Unlike the vast majority of greens seen so far, the 12th putting surface is wider than it is deep. However, bunker-laden mounds obscure the view of the left and right (scroll over) extremes of the green, forcing aerial approaches to attack side pin locations.

[Kyle Henderson]

The 13th is a tricky par 3 of 171 yards, with a raised hour glass green of over 40 yards in depth that is almost absurdly narrow at its waist. Bunkers are found at the front and sides, while shaved slopes gather non-beached misses toward the periphery.

[Kyle Henderson]

At 510 yards from the tips, the 14th hole is an eminently reachable par 5.


If one can avoid the bunkers guarding the landing zone, they must choose between laying up and attempting to carry the spectacle bunkers in the distance (~65 yards short of the green)


Of course, hitting a fairway wood blindly over the spectacles to a green shared with the 4th hole is inherently dangerous. I trust the Scottish people are less litigious than we Americans.

[Kyle Henderson]

Starting a brutal stretch of holes to close the round, the 15th is a par 4 playing as long as 471 yards.


The fairway bends slightly to the left from tee to green. The visible pair of bunkers on the right sits 30-40 yards short of the green, making the left side of the landing strip the ideal target, especially given the slight left-to-right tilt of the fairway


Another pair of bunkers guard the front left and right corners of the green, which is 35 yards deep and generally feeds to the right.

[Kyle Henderson]

At 250 yards, the 16th hole is a monster of a par 3 that loves nothing more than tormenting Sergio Garcia.

Bunkers are stationed to intercept any running shot that does not track directly down the center.


The green is raised so as to shrug away imperfect approach shots. This view shows the  shaved bank that runs along the left side, while a rough-covered slope defines the right and rear of the green (scroll right to see bunker and flag).

[James Boon]

Kyle,

I'm sure that the 16th will have tormented a lot more people than just Sergio  It looks as if it would be tricky to hit with a mid iron, never mind a fairway wood or driver!

Thanks again for posting these pics,

Cheers,

James

[Ben Stephens]

I have fond memories of playing this hole 16 - using a driver into the wind - yes Boony a driver!! I thought it was a cracker and that the ball was on the green but to my horror it just went down the left bank. I had the option of using a putter, 7, 9 or wedge - but opted for the sand wedge off a tight lie to jump over the bank. I chipped in for a birdie on one of the hardest par 3's in the world!!!

Paddy hit the flag here in the playoff for the 2007 Open!

[Stan Dodd]

When I took the Pacific Grove Golf team to Scotland, one of our players  hit it to a foot with well struck 3 wood.  The tees were at about 220.
She made the putt, thats right SHE.

[Rich Goodale]

Calling Doug Siebert!

His Carnoustie 16th experiences top all others.

[Andrew Mitchell]

I have fond memories of playing this hole 16 - using a driver into the wind - yes Boony a driver!! I thought it was a cracker and that the ball was on the green but to my horror it just went down the left bank. I had the option of using a putter, 7, 9 or wedge - but opted for the sand wedge off a tight lie to jump over the bank. I chipped in for a birdie on one of the hardest par 3's in the world!!!

Paddy hit the flag here in the playoff for the 2007 Open!

Ben

I know my memory is failing me through years of alcohol abuse but wasn't it Sergio who hit the flag & saw his ball kick off the green?

[Kyle Henderson]

Continuing the extremely challenging closing stretch, the 17th is a 454-yard par 4 that crosses the Barry Burn twice. While the terrain here has little character aside from the burn, this waterway is perfectly placed to provide compelling 2-dimensional golf. The longer club one plays off of the tee, the more they must steer to the right as the burn narrows the fairway from the left. However, the truly long bombers (or solid hitters with favorable wind conditions) may be able to fly the second burn crossing if they stick to the left and flirt with the fairway bunker on the distant “shore.”


Undulations start to appear as the green is approached, with bunkers placed short of the green on the left and right to snare wayward shots. The green is somewhat elevated and yields few easy putts for a hole of such great length and general difficulty from tee to green

[Kyle Henderson]

I have fond memories of playing this hole 16 - using a driver into the wind - yes Boony a driver!! I thought it was a cracker and that the ball was on the green but to my horror it just went down the left bank. I had the option of using a putter, 7, 9 or wedge - but opted for the sand wedge off a tight lie to jump over the bank. I chipped in for a birdie on one of the hardest par 3's in the world!!!

Paddy hit the flag here in the playoff for the 2007 Open!

Ben

I know my memory is failing me through years of alcohol abuse but wasn't it Sergio who hit the flag & saw his ball kick off the green?

It was Sergio, hence my comment regarding his torment.

[Ben Stephens]

Andrew/Kyle,

It was Sergio that hit the flag - apologies also Paddy nearly ended up in the hole - 2 very exciting Opens at Carnoustie in a row!!

Cheers
Ben

[Anthony Gray]

  Kyle,

  Again thank you. Great review.

  Anthony

[Steve Salmen]

Kyle,

Your photo tours are phenomenal.  What a trip you must have had.  We just missed each other.  Do you plan to return to Scotland next summer? 

Anyway,  the 17th at Carnoustie may be my least favorite hole.  Not only do you have to carry two burns, the second one runs at a really funny angle.  It's one of the few holes where I step on the tee with absolutely no idea what to hit or where to hit it, anything from driver to 6 iron.  Maybe that's architectural genious to most.  Once safe in the fairway, the hole is fine.

Best Wishes,

Steve

[Kyle Henderson]

Kyle,

Your photo tours are phenomenal.  What a trip you must have had.  We just missed each other.  Do you plan to return to Scotland next summer? 

Anyway,  the 17th at Carnoustie may be my least favorite hole.  Not only do you have to carry two burns, the second one runs at a really funny angle.  It's one of the few holes where I step on the tee with absolutely no idea what to hit or where to hit it, anything from driver to 6 iron.  Maybe that's architectural genious to most.  Once safe in the fairway, the hole is fine.

Best Wishes,

Steve

Indeed, I was in Dornoch about a week before you. Some day our paths will cross, amigo. Thanks for the praise.

[Kyle Henderson]

  Kyle,

  Again thank you. Great review.

  Anthony

Much obliged, Mr. Gray. And thank for sharing from your Scottish adventures.

[Kyle Henderson]

Now played as a long par 4, the 18th hole is 500 yards of pure peril, with a boundary line looming left, the Barry Burn beckoning balls that bail right, and the potential for a hotel gallery heckling as you reach the final green. Alliterative annoyances aside, this closer has caused cognitive dissonance for a plethora of championship players from Padraig to Van de Velde.

Driving over and staying between the elegant curves of the Burn is job #1.


Bunkers define the right side of the landing zone (scroll over to view), with rough covered mounds bordering both sides of the fairway.


If your drive is straight and true, you will face a long approach that must clear the Barry Burn once again to reach the green. Bunkers protect the front corners of the green. If you’re forced to lay up short of the burn, try not to skull one onto the patio.


Looking back from behind the green (scroll right to see pin), one can see the relatively tame contours of the putting surface.. The green is deep (45 yards) and narrow, much like those found earlier in the journey.


On a sunny, calm day, Carnoustie's Championship course provides a friendly challenge. With a bit of wind, this course must be a brute.

[Brent Carlson]

Kyle,

How did you enjoy the last few holes at Carnoustie?  I did not play due to 50+ mph winds but the last few holes looked intriguing. 

If you played 10 rounds at Dornoch / Carnoustie - how would you divy them up?

Thanks again for the great photo tours.

[Kyle Henderson]

Kyle,

How did you enjoy the last few holes at Carnoustie?  I did not play due to 50+ mph winds but the last few holes looked intriguing. 

If you played 10 rounds at Dornoch / Carnoustie - how would you divy them up?

Thanks again for the great photo tours.

I'd probably split my rounds 7-3 in favor of Dornoch, which is not a knock on Carnoustie. Dornoch is very special.

The last few holes at Carnoustie are great theater for closing out championships, but most amateur golfers will suffer mightily. I prefer the stretches from 2-6 and 13-15.

[David Stamm]

Kyle, knowing what you know now, would you recommend Carnoustie to a first time visitor? What would be the courses that you suggest to that person ahead of Carnoustie? If one was coming down from the highlands and could only stop on the way to SA at either Cruden Bay or Carnoustie, whcih would you suggest? Thanks, and another great job on the tour!

[Sean_A]

Kyle

I always peek into threads concerning Carnoustie in the hope I will become enlightened.  I also went back and read Finegan's blurb in Where Golf is Great just to get me in a proper mood to look carefully at the pix.  Despite enjoying your fine effort (and the rest!), I fail to really appreciate Carnoustie in any other way except as a championship test.  Not that the course is bad, that is most certainly far from the case.  I just don't get any sense of urgency or desire to head up there for a game.  Could you offer a few (or more) reasons/insights as to why I should be visiting Carnoustie over some other high quality venue.  In other words, other than the stiff test, what else makes Carnoustie stand apart from the other tourista stops within a reasonable proximity?

Ciao

[Kyle Henderson]

Kyle, knowing what you know now, would you recommend Carnoustie to a first time visitor? What would be the courses that you suggest to that person ahead of Carnoustie? If one was coming down from the highlands and could only stop on the way to SA at either Cruden Bay or Carnoustie, whcih would you suggest? Thanks, and another great job on the tour!

I'm glad I played Carnoustie in the sense that it is an Open Championship venue and I very well may never venture back to that region. I also happened to hook up with a member from Muirfield, which paid unexpected dividends.

But I would probably skip Carnoustie next time. Between the Highlands and St. Andrews, I would recommend Castle Stuart or Cruden Bay. I'd probably put Nairn in the same relative class as Carnoustie, yet the latter is 50% more expensive for guests...

[Kyle Henderson]

Kyle

I always peek into threads concerning Carnoustie in the hope I will become enlightened.  I also went back and read Finegan's blurb in Where Golf is Great just to get me in a proper mood to look carefully at the pix.  Despite enjoying your fine effort (and the rest!), I fail to really appreciate Carnoustie in any other way except as a championship test.  Not that the course is bad, that is most certainly far from the case.  I just don't get any sense of urgency or desire to head up there for a game.  Could you offer a few (or more) reasons/insights as to why I should be visiting Carnoustie over some other high quality venue.  In other words, other than the stiff test, what else makes Carnoustie stand apart from the other tourista stops within a reasonable proximity?

Ciao

Richard Goodale is a big proponent of Carnoustie's merits. He would probably sell the course more than I.

My take on the course mirrors your impression. It is a solid test, featuring a number of soundly designed holes on a decent parcel. Yet, somehow it is lacking in charm and quirk. Several of the holes are memorable, but not in a way that fills me with an urgent desire to play them again as soon as possible.

I'd probably rate the course as a 7 on the Doak scale. I think Doak gave it an 8.

At 135 pounds per round, the value just isn't quite there IMHO, but it is a course that certainly deserves a spot on The Open Rota.