In doing some research for a trip to Aberdovey I came upon various old threads mentioning the famous par-3 3rd hole.
Here's a pictorial update, with some photos copied from other threads to aid the reader -
First, a photo hanging in the Aberdovey Clubhouse depicting the green as it was in 1890's - fancy playing this with an olde ball, hickory shafts, jacket and tie etc. Testing to say the least.
Second, yee olde photo as taken from Seans 2010 photo-tour -
As this earlier photo shows, the hole used to play over the big dune. Quite some time ago the left side of the dune was removed. Anyone know when?
Third - the hole gets's a nice mention in Patric Dickinson's "A Round of Golf Courses" book with a quoted distance of 165 yds and an amusing sketch, including periscope. Sketch per Seans thread
Fourth - two photographs taken from a 2012 GCA thread by Mark Rowlinson and a 2010 photo-tour by Tony
And now below, the following photos taken from various angles during a recent visit. The hole now plays at 167 from the back 'Darwin' tees.
Below - from behind the back tee (on the right) - flag just visible over the rise. Once-upon-a-time no gap to see the pin though, just a big dune to go over.
From a little closer to the green
Closer still - no bunkers!
From the right side dune
Finally from behind the green
I hadn't played the course/hole before so knowing it's historical reputation I was expecting something, well, exciting and challenging. Regrettably this wasn't the case. With sufficient club, say a mid/long-iron or hybrid, to carry the ridge in front of the green and aimed slightly to the left side, a decent shot just ends up in the middle or middle/rear of the green. No strategy really. No requirement even for a particularly good strike on the ball, not with a modern club anyway. And a pretty straightforward pitch onto the green if you do come up short. Almost boring really, and, well, rather sad in many ways.
Pat raised a nice thread recently about the par-3 Redan at NGLA and how that played once-upon-a-time versus now. Whilst in no way attempting to compare NGLA's Redan with Aberdovey's Cader, I can't help wonder how Cader used to play in times gone by.
The game seems to have lost something somewhere over time. Challenge? Character? Adventure? Over-maintenance?
Irrespective of the diminished Cader however, Aberdovey is a lovely course (place). One I'd happily return to anytime.
atb