Sean - pleased you had a good weekend, cracking weather.
Princes - I played one of my best ever competitive rounds at Princes but we are in agreement the weakness is the similarity of so many of the drives between the low dunes.
Deal - Noel is right about the 3rd, the tee is going back left to make the hole 515/570yds, the new right bunker will be a tough target to get past to set up a second shot from the nice flat area. The tees are being moved for two reasons; Safety - from the back right tees it's just too dangerous for dog walkers below the seawall. Speed - the hole causes delays as it's 460 from the member tees and too many people can hit the green (or think they can!) in two causing delays on the tee.
There has been some concern from fellow GCAers/members concerning fairway narrowing ruining lines. The chair of greens assures me the fairways haven't changed at all the semi rough has been reduced to one 5yd cut then the thick stuff which apart from a few patches is pretty tame - zero rain for a month - this is part of 2011 qualifying work as another dry year would give no fairway/rough definition. So the only difference from 2009 is the width of the semi.
RStG - 4th spoilt by the par 5 set up for the last Open lets pray they make it back into a good par 4.
Chappers
The right bunker on #3 shouldn't be trifled with now as there is precious little room there. With the hole being very reachable in two and in a moderate downwind breeze reachable with something like 7 wood short of the bunker and hybrid to the green and with the second blind either way - why bother taking that bunker on? I went left off the tee with a hybrid and hit a choked 5 iron to hollow right of the green. Mind, I knew it was there as a collectiion point from previous plays and it was a piece of piss birdie. Personally, I think that forward bunker slops up the look of the hole. I fear Deal is on the we are a championship course kick and therefore need to be a long course - a pity that if its true.
To my way of thinking it is the approach which needs sand - likely 25 yards short of the green. This is a strategy used very well at Princes that could work well at Deal too. In general, I thought the bunker placement at Princes was superior to Deal's especially in keen conditions.
I don't know if the fairways have been narrowed, but there is no question in my mind that rough is a problem at Deal. It isn't a huge deal, but it needs attention.
Finally - Deal makes my 25 best courses, but not my 25 favourite courses. BUt like Yeamans Hall it is the sort of course I think over time one couild learn to love.
Tuco
Deal as the last game? Not a chance. North Berwick would get that honour 7 days a week over Deal.
Scott
I like the 9th as is - it may be my favourite hole on the course. There is nothing wrong with the odd red herring bunker.
Didn't we have some sort of bet concerning Deal? I can't recall what it was.
JNC
There is no chance of me joining Deal. I am cutting back on golf, not quitting. Where Deal is located essentially means I would rarely get down there because I need to spend the night.
Ciao