A Pictorial: North Berwick West Links!!! (18th Hole Posted)

[Kyle Henderson]

What a great hole!  If you hit the green, two putt and walk on, or miss right, pitch on, putt out and walk on, you don't get a chance to see the disaster that awaits the player who pulls his approach shot.  Into the dune or down onto the beach, it's just a bad place to miss!

The golf course is just beginning to get exciting!

Now I want to go back just to try that recovery shot. Stupid time, distance and $ constraints...

[Anthony Gray]

  This is on my list of the best 18. Love it. Is it a one and only?

  Anthony

[Kevin Pallier]

This is on my list of the best 18. Love it. Is it a one and only?

Anthony

I've seen a poor imitation of a "wall" green at a course in Sandhurst - Australia. It doesn't play the same as NB's but it's certainly way over contrived.

[Tony_Muldoon]

What no love for the 12th? I don't recall four bunkers, have they added some?

It's deceptively great the way the land swings around them and they way they influence your drive.  The effect is rather similar to the 10th at Deal.

[James Boon]

What no love for the 12th? I don't recall four bunkers, have they added some?

It's deceptively great the way the land swings around them and they way they influence your drive.  The effect is rather similar to the 10th at Deal.

Tony,

I recall reading in Tom Doak's Confidential Guide that he loved the simplicity of the design of the 12th when there was just a single bunker on the left and no bunker short of the green from that side. Something along the lines of you drive out right at first but then after a few rounds you get closer and closer to the left bunker to give you the ideal line, then you suddenly drive into that bunker and next time you are back out right. Tom mentioned on my NB picture thread that he doesn't feel the new bunkers have changed the startegy much, but he questioned if they had actually added anything? I didn't play the old version, but I would agree with Tom, why have 3 bunkers when 1 does the trick?

Cheers,

James

[James Boon]

Kyle,

I just love the 13th!

When I played, I pulled my drive up on the left bank near the bunkers. From up there I could see straight up the green which was good, but I could also see how close the trouble on the left was, and with it being so close to the beach, how many people were wandering along the beach very close to the green. Not sure that is so clear from the fairway and I expect most people only realise when they look back from the next tee.

Cheers,

James

[Chris DeNigris]

In my one and only attempt I "argued" with the wall twice and as typically with my wife came out on the short end both times .

First encounter was a "simple" wedge that I fatted...the ball bouncing high off the top of the wall hard right across the fairway into the wispy rough. My next ill-advised hero shot wasn't struck well and nestled up within a foot of the lovely stone barrier, leaving me with no option but to richochet one back into the fairway. Finally a chip and putt completed one of the most entertaining doubles I've had.

After all the hype the hole definitely didn't dissapoint 

NB for me also was the final round of an amazing tour around the kingdom. I'm glad I saved it for last...a great cherry on a terrific sundae.

[Kyle Henderson]

“Perfection” might be a bit too strong of a moniker for this hole, depending on one’s tastes, but the 376-yard 14th is another hole made memorable both by its originality and the lovely setting of its green site. The white pole in the distance hints at this hidden objective. Tee shots are separated from the coastline by a large dune to port, while the 4th green to starboard adds a pucker factor for chronic (right-handed) slicers.



The landing zone for tee shots is short of this diagonal ridge with two deep bunkers gouged into its face. From here, first-time players must simply flick a short iron at the pole and hope for the best.



Once reaching the top of the ridge, a golfer might be immensely satisfied to find their approach nestled tightly with the pin. More constructively, he (in this case) will notice that the land short of the green feeds forward to the front of the putting surface – this is a most useful feature considering how close the rear edge of the green is to the beach. The left side of this slope will also feed a bit right, helping a slight pull back to the proper line.



This view from the left shows just how small the margin of error is when attacking rear pin locations (should one take a peek at the 14th green earlier in the round). I imagine few of the North Berwick West Links members would ever play such a bold approach. Wisdom and experience dictate otherwise…


A last look back at the hole depicts the ridge short of the green, a dominant feature that would probably not be used in the same manner by most modern architects (scroll right to see pin).

[Bill_McBride]

That fairway is so narrow I think most approach shots are played from awkward lies in the thick rough!

[Kyle Henderson]

That fairway is so narrow I think most approach shots are played from awkward lies in the thick rough!

It widens a bit past the 4th green, but you're probably emminently correct.

[Greg Ohlendorf]

This section of the course is simply amazing. You just won't see these types of holes elsewhere. The first time playing 13 and 14 are so memorable. The Pit may be one of my favorites ever, and then you step to the tee on 14 and see that fairway! And then you realize that the Redan is yet to come. Truly something special.

[Bill_McBride]

That fairway is so narrow I think most approach shots are played from awkward lies in the thick rough!

It widens a bit past the 4th green, but you're probably emminently correct.

You can hit it farther than I can, I've only been in that wider area after chopping out of one of those gnarly lies down in the direction of the fourth green.   

[Scott Warren]

Great pics of 14, Kyle. It may have been my favourite hole on the course, and 14-16 is probably my favourite three-hole stretch in golf.

[TEPaul]

I've only played North Berwick once, in the summer of 2003 on the way to the Walker Cup at Ganton. I played it with a friend of mine from Philadelphia and since we were out there alone I must say that the 14th---Perfection---for the first timer at NB, was head and shoulders over any other hole I had ever seen in my life for being totally confusing and from tee to green.

I remember at first we thought we'd made some mistake even though we could see we were on a tee after leaving the 13th. We didn't have much idea where to hit the ball or even what kind of club to use. I forget what we hit out to that seemingly ultra narrow fairway (from the tee we were on) and then I sort of remember we had to walk forward to get a look at the green because even with a directional pole we had no idea what was up there or what to hit.

The both of us just loved NB, thinking it to be one of the coolest and most unusual course we'd ever seen but I'll never forget how confusing throughout the 14th was to us at first. I love holes like that but for a first timer it would be better named not Perfection but Confusion! 

[Bill_McBride]

I've only played North Berwick once, in the summer of 2003 on the way to the Walker Cup at Ganton. I played it with a friend of mine from Philadelphia and since we were out there alone I must say that the 14th---Perfection---for the first timer at NB, was head and shoulders over any other hole I had ever seen in my life for being totally confusing and from tee to green.

I remember at first we thought we'd made some mistake even though we could see we were on a tee after leaving the 13th. We didn't have much idea where to hit the ball or even what kind of club to use. I forget what we hit out to that seemingly ultra narrow fairway (from the tee we were on) and then I sort of remember we had to walk forward to get a look at the green because even with a directional pole we had no idea what was up there or what to hit.

The both of us just loved NB, thinking it to be one of the coolest and most unusual course we'd ever seen but I'll never forget how confusing throughout the 14th was to us at first. I love holes like that but for a first timer it would be better named not Perfection but Confusion! 

That's pretty cool you would play North Berwick on your way to Ganton!  I guess that's the way I'd do it too if I thought about it carefully!

Reading this thread and seeing Kyle's excellent photos has me hankering for another visit to North Berwick.

[Kyle Henderson]

The 15th is, of course, the famous Redan, a hole that has been described, analyzed, copied (to some degree), “improved upon (?)," and photographed on countless occasions. Here is my take.

A par 3 of 190 yards in total, the 15th is not your typical one-shot hole. For starters, a large ridge sits 50 yards short of the green and conceals the putting surface’s right side from anyone less than 30 feet tall. However, this visual obstacle is secondary to the challenge presented by the principal slope of the green, tilting away and to the left. Fortunately, on this day the flag was visible above the left foreground bunker to provide some sense of direction.


Zooming in, it is possible to discern the left leading edge of the green but still difficult to figure the exact pin position on a green that measures 45 yards from front/right to back/left.


Bunkers cut into foreground ridge are quite formidable but thankfully inconsequential to all but the worst of tee shots.


Beyond the ridge, looking at the front/right corner of the green, one observes the swale leading up to Putter Land next to the deeply-sunken bunker at the left front corner.


For those hoping to play long and avoid trouble, punishment awaits in the form of a sandy triumvirate set beyond the right side of the green. A properly-clubbed shot drawing to the left will run with the predominant slope of the green and bring birdies into play, while a high cut will stop at the entrance to the green and leave a testing downhill chip or putt.  

[Kevin Pallier]

Kyle

How did you try and tackle it the day you played 15 ?

[Kyle Henderson]

Kyle

How did you try and tackle it the day you played 15 ?

You can see where my tee shot came to rest in the last two photos. I hit a high fade instead of the controlled draw I envisioned as I took the club back, so my ball only ended up about a foot past the mark it left in the turf. From there, I chipped 8 feet past the pin and had to sweat over my par putt -- it barely dropped in on the low side. Given how poorly I played overall that day, I was very happy to make par.

I'm sure others have better stories to share. Let's hear it, treehouse!

[Scott Warren]

Oh alright then

I was playing with an American father and son who had heard of Redan, but didn't know anything much about it. I'd been swotting up like an uber nerd ahead of my trip, so walking up from 14 and waiting on the tee (two members had jumped across from the 3rd in front of us) I had time to tell them about the copies, the military reference, the advised way to play the hole etc.

Anyway, I had the honour and as the green cleared, the father says "go on, Redan Man (and I do know that name is subject to copyright!) show us how it's done..."

I hit the draw I was planning with my 5i, landed it front right and wandered up to find my ball 15ft below the back/centre pin. Just missed the birdie.

[Bill_McBride]

Kyle

How did you try and tackle it the day you played 15 ?

You can see where my tee shot came to rest in the last two photos. I hit a high fade instead of the controlled draw I envisioned as I took the club back, so my ball only ended up about a foot past the mark it left in the turf. From there, I chipped 8 feet past the pin and had to sweat over my par putt -- it barely dropped in on the low side. Given how poorly I played overall that day, I was very happy to make par.

I'm sure others have better stories to share. Let's hear it, treehouse!

I played there with my petite short hitting wife in 2005, along with another couple.  They all loved the course, by the way, none of them are architecture geeks but North Berwick just rubbed them the right way!

Kathleen hit a 3-wood off the tee that somehow threaded its way through all those bunkers and scuttled onto the green, winding up about 15 feet away.  She two putted for a comfortable par.  I would love to see her try that again!

I hit a solid high 6-iron just onto the front right of the green and it checked and trickled on down to ..........15' from the hole.  Two putt par.

The other pair made dog's porridge of the hole, chopping into and out of bunkers.

It's amazing that two completely different shots such as the ones we hit wound up in just about the same spot and resulted in pars.

That's what I call FUN. 

[mike_malone]

 None of the imitators I have played have come close to the original redan in either looks or playability. BTW, I hit it long left,on purpose, and two putted for par

[Greg Ohlendorf]

Am I the only one who has played it twice, made two 4s, and am still happy?? How did all of the rest of you walk off with easy pars!! It is still the best on the redans I have seen.

Greg

[Bill_McBride]

Am I the only one who has played it twice, made two 4s, and am still happy?? How did all of the rest of you walk off with easy pars!! It is still the best on the redans I have seen.

Greg

Not to worry.  Last time there I pulled that 6 iron into the cavernous front left bunker and eventually made a double.   

[mike_malone]

 I think N.Berwick is high on my memorability scale. I can easily replay each hole.

    I recall now the two gents I played with. One was a Japanese computer guy who had been at TOC at 3 o'clock to be #1 in line the day I went there at 6 to be #18. He did not properly respect the Pit and it cost him about thirty yards.The other was an Italian doctor who always spent a month at Greywalls each August. Golf is great.

[Kyle Henderson]

I'm shocked that no one has an ace story from the 15th!!!