Having separated Beau Desert, Cavendish and Narin & Portnoo in the previous match, I now add Broadstone into the mix. I selected Broadstone because it does have some truly memorable holes that are backed by a solid number of good holes which could nick a win here or there.
#1: C's opener is good, without being exceptional. Trees up the right have mucked the hole up a bit. BD's 1st is dead over an old quarry then straight uphill to a blind green well protected on the left by sand. N&Ps opener, like the other two, is also short, but quite good despite the caravan site on the right. B's par 5 opener isn't a terribly good hole even if it does feature a cool bunker. NO BLOOD
Broadstone
#2: C's two-shotter comes back to the opening tee and plays over a dip to a shelf green leaning right. BD's longish par four works left against terrain slippng right. Should one hit a poor drive a crossing bunker will often be tough to cover let alone reaching the two-tier green. N&P is in a bit of a funk for this aprt of the round. B's 2nd isn't all that great either....a drive heading uphill to a green higher up the hill..blah. I like C's hole, but BD's is the winner.
1 SKIN TO BEAU DESERT
#3: BD continues the good golf with a lovely short hole which is deceptively downhill. C's short 4 is very clever. For big hitters the worry is going over the green with the tee shot. N&P is still wallowing and B hasn't found its feet with a downhill 4 over water. Tough call, but I have to go with the par 4 over the par 4
1 SKIN TO CAVENDISH
#4: C's par three is downhill to narrow green. BD's short 4 turns harder right than it would seem from the blind drive. The green too is tricky. N&P is still in a funk! B gets a bit more interesting with a hole wrking right around an old tree, but its not as good as BD's offering even though this is a bit of a give away.
1 SKIN TO BEAU DESERT#5: BD continues the strong golf with one of the best holes on the course. A raking right to left down n' upper par 4 over a cross bunker which functions very similar to the one on the second. C's long par 4 is very good as well to a perched green which is a tough target. N&P wakes from its slumber with an excellent green complex. B's short par 4 is a good, but no match for BD or N&P.
NO BLOODBeau Desert
#6: BD's downhill par 4 to a sloping right to left green is more difficult than it looks. C's features a cool green with trees guarding it...unusual for Dr Mac. N&P's par 4 moves left around OOB then to a sharply raised green...the clear winner. B's par 3 is good, but not a winner.
1 SKIN TO NARIN & PORTNOO#7: N&P knob to knob par 3 is very good if one dimensional. BD's par 3 is far the better hole, a sort of Redan but to a raised green. C's short 4 over water is good, but feels forced. B's long par 4 is epic. One plays blindly to a plateau then to the shelved green over a deep crevice.
1 SKIN TO BROADSTONE
8: B's follow up par 3 is excellent. Large earth eating bunkers tear into turf which makes for a pleasing target. N&P's downhill short 4 with the sea as a backdrop is thrilling and dangerous. C's two shotter is very good as well with its hidden green surface and odd bunker configuration. BD's par 4 isn't of the same class as the others. Tough call here, but I am once again plopping for the par 4 over a par 3.
1 SKIN TO NARIN & PORTNOO
The match thus far
Beau Desert: 2 skins (2 & 4)
Narin & Portnoo: 2 skins (6 &
Broadstone: 1 skin (7)
Cavendish: 1 skins (3)
NO BLOOD: 1 & 5
Ciao