For a guy who studied the great links courses of the UK

[David_Tepper]

It has been 30 years (yipes!) since I played Royal County Down. Anybody know how many blind tee shots there are at RCD? I do remember driving over a dune ridge with a striped pole on top at least 4 or 5 times, maybe even more. Brora is another course with its fair share of aiming poles. One hole, the par-4 14th I think, has aiming poles for both its 1st and 2nd shots.

Further comments on blind shots at RCD:

Half a dozen holes, beginning with the 2nd, entail a blind drive over a dune ridge to reach the narrow fairway that--we must take on faith--lies somewhere on the far side. Add to that three or four occasions when the green itself is hidden. JAMES FINEGAN on Royal County Down

[Bill_McBride]

At Elie last week I counted seven markers at the top of ridges to guide blind tee shots.  Too much fun!

[Jon Cavalier]

David,

I wish I could send you a "golfer's eye" view of the course, like those drone overflies, but, much lower.

By blind, I mean that you can't see the target.

DT  

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,61105.0.html - here to please.

And Pat, for what it's worth, I was quite surprised at the number of blind shots faced at NGLA, especially given Macdonald's own statement that “More than three blind holes are a defect and they should be at the end of a fine long shot only.” Interesting.

[Patrick_Mucci]

How many were blind for golfers at the time it was built though?

Here are the ones I can think of (uphill not necessarily meaning blind)

Approach/Drive on 2 (but potentially neither if the player hits to the crest of the hill with a drive)
Approach on 3
What can you see on your second shot on # 5
What can you see on the tee and second shot from the bowl on # 7
Approach on 11What about your tee shot on # 11
Approach on 16
Approach on 17 (sometimes)
How about your second on # 18 ?


I could see a blind shot come into play on 9 but it's less likely. How many have I missed?

Second shot on #5 is unclear to me off the top of my head- I'll take your word it's blind.
My one play on #7 I had a clear view on the second, but it was also my biggest drive of the day. Is the tee shot actually blind? Partial?
Second shot on 18 is also blind, true.

Alex,

I don't think we can dismiss how the course played before the quantum leap in technology.
Technology, which rendered the "road hole" bunker complex irrelevant to the big hitters.
While I had advocated for moving the 7th tee back across the road, a compromise tee was moved back, in front of the road,
bringing both the "road hole" bunker complex and the bowl in the DZ back into play.

From the bowl, the second shot on # 7 is totally blind.


That's 8 or 9 blind shots in around out of 37 full shots according to par.

Whoa, what about your second shot on # 1 if you're in the right side of the fairway.
Your approach to # 2 if you miss the fairway and end up left or right of the green.
What if you hit short on # 4
Second shot on # 5
Tee and second on # 7
Missed approach on # 8
Tee and second on # 11
approach from left rough on # 14.
Approach from left rough on # 15
Approach on # 16
Approach on # 17 from right side of fairway.
Second on # 18.

That's alot of blind shots, yet strangely, I absolutely love the golf course.

More than your average course, but not too many to turn me off at least.

Hard to get "turned off " by NGLA, but, I know some who are.

Counting blind shots from off the fairway? That's borderline moronic...  

How would you describe the second shot on the "Alps" hole ?

BLIND Second shots count as blind shots