Watching the Open Championship has me recalling Deal and Sandwich more vividly than ever. Sandwich looked handsome in the sun today, but, of course, I can only imagine what it would be like to be playing Deal in these conditions.
Therefore, I wanted to stage a debate about the two golf courses. Most folks will say that Sandwich is the better golf course. That may be true, but I happen to prefer Deal. Of course, in typical GCA fashion, I'd like to do a hole-by-hole comparison of the two golf courses, with people debating the merits of each before I decide a winner. At the end of 18 holes, we can crown a champion.
Let's get started:
HOLE NUMBER ONE:
SANDWICH--Par 4, 442 Yards
Pat Ward-Thomas picked this hole as the best starting hole in the world. After playing it twice, I would not give it that designation, but it is certainly a hole of considerable merit. The tee shot is wide open during everyday play, with the golfer simply needed to avoid the cow pasture well to the right. The interesting part is the approach, which plays over three bunkers cut into a ridge directly in front of the green. The green itself is very difficult, sloping away from the player and nearly impossible to hold with a tail-wind. This hole is a bit funky, but it makes for a good start to a grand links.
DEAL--Par 4, 389 Yards
Considerably shorter than its counterpart on the Sandwich Bay, Deal's opener should be a breather. Out of Bounds looms on the right, but the fairway itself is very wide and should be easy for a player to find once he steadies his nerves. Although the tee shot is featureless, the approach is full of character. Usually, the player will hit his approach with a wedge, crossing a narrow burn to a rolling green. When I first played Deal, I was unimpressed with the first tee shot. Once I arrived at the green, I knew the course would be something different. The green was quite unlike anything I had seen before it: massive, low-profile, but filled with all sorts of contours that forced the player to leave the ball on the correct part of the green. The first hole is far from the best at Deal, but it indicates what the golf course is all about: fun, and a great set of green complexes.