Match VII: Cavendish V Beau Desert V Narin & Portnoo

[Sean_A]

I think to date I have under-estimated how good Cavendish is.  I previously thought of Cavendish as on par with Littlestone, but now I realize C has more superior holes.  However, there is one caveat, Cavendish is often a wetish course which drags its appeal dwon somewhat.  Lets see how C does against Beau Desert and N&P...two courses not short on highlight holes.

#1. C's opener hasn't changed, short and to the point except for trees compromise the proper strategy of the hole.  BD's opener is an in your face short par 4 played over a quarry then to a huge blind green which slopes hard right.  N&P's also starts with a short par 4 where we get an early view of the dreaded caravan park.  The hole though is quite good.  NO BLOOD.

Beau Desert


Narin & Portnoo


#2. C's short 4 comes straight back near the first tee.  The green imaginatively slopes right.  BD's banger par is a reverse dogleg which is overly constricted by trees/rough up the left, but an excellent hole regardess.  N&P is stuck in doldrums with a very dull par 5.  No contest here....1 SKIN TO BEAU DESERT



#3. BD's short hole is very clever moving away from the tee, yet the green gives the appearance of being back to front.  C's short par 4 is excellent and these days it will take some control on the part of flat bellies not to run through the green with the drive. N&P's short isn't bad, but nearly of the quality of BD's.  However, neither is good enough to topple C.  1 SKIN TO CAVENDISH



#4. C's par is a drop-shotter to skinny green, not bad, but no great shakes.  BD's short par 4 is blind from the tee and moves deceptively hard right to a green set below the fairway...awkward hole indeed.  N&P is still groping around for form with a very so-so par 4.  I think by default, BD takes the win based on the very tricky approach. 1 SKIN TO BEAU DESERT

#5. BD's par 4 swinging downhill and left then uphill is excellent.  C's long par 4 is very good as well, but lacking the character of BD's effort.  N&P comes alive with a cool green for its par 4.  I don't think its good enough to beat BD though....NO BLOOD

Beau Desert


Narin & Portnoo


#6. BD's modest par 4 plays straight downhill to a very tricky canted green.  C's par 4 is rather dull despite a very good green. N&P's par 4 plays awkwardly around OOB left then to a pulpit green which is very cool.  I think the green site alone takes the day here.  1 SKIN TO NARIN & PORTNOO

#7. N&P's knob to knob par 3 requires sharp flight control.  Far less dramatic, but perhaps more fun, BD's redan-like par 3 is comfortably the better design.  C's par 4 isn't really in the conversation.  I am going to go for design quality over beauty here...1 SKIN TO BEAU DESERT



8. BD's tight legger left is saved to some degree by a good green.  N&P's short and sharply downhill par is the thing of dreams...a very fine hole.  C's par 4 is very good because of the green, but no match for N&P. 1 SKIN TO NARIN & PORNOO



#9. N&P comes right back with another rollicking hole.  Playing over an abrupt crest to a green set well below...this is awesome stuff.  BD's 9th is a great short par 4 which is ever so tempting to have a go at.  The green too is excellent!. C's par 3 is a bit of a dog's dinner visually, but the hole ain't bad.  I have to go with the raw golf here...1 SKIN TO NARIN & PORTNOO



After 9 the match stands at

Beau Desert: 3 skins (2, 4 & 7)
Narin & Pornoo: 3 skins (6, 8 & 9)
Cavendish: 1 skin (3)

NO BLOOD: 1 & 5

More to follow

Ciao

[Sean_A]

After 9 the match stands at

Beau Desert: 3 skins (2, 4 & 7)
Narin & Pornoo: 3 skins (6, 8 & 9)
Cavendish: 1 skin (3)

NO BLOOD: 1 & 5

#10: N&P's par 5 swinging right and diving to a green squeezed by dunes is very good stuff.  BD's 10th is a crafty short hole which produces fr more bogies than the card suggests it should.  C's awesome 10th takes the prize....as it has done for several matches now.  1 SKIN TO CAVENDISH



#11. C backs up the 10th with another good using the same water, though the drive is a bit obscure for such a dangerous shot. N&P's par 3 to the boundary is very good as well as is BD's longish par 4 with a severely tilted green.  This one is too close to call; NO BLOOD.

Cavendish


Beau Desert


#12. C's modest par 4 features a killer green running away from play.  N&P is in the doldrums with this hole and the next.  BD's long par 4 double legs between trees, the sort of hole I usually don't care for.  However, I do like that if one can curb the urge to hit driver, its possible to lay-up then play over the trees protecting the second leg. The rare use of green wall trees which I like claims the day.  1 SKIN TO BEAU DESERT



#13. BD's medium length par 4 plays downhill with the green following suit.  C's par 3 is a marvelous take on the Redan playing much more uphill then the orginal.  N&P....doldrums.  Gotta give this one C...1 SKIN TO CAVENDISH



#14. C's par 5 bending around a wall is a very clever way to make a flat hole interesting.  BD's par 4 is superb.  The approach is very obscured to a difficult and rather large green. N&P's par 5 movong to the left is good, but a bit tight.  This one is too close to call; NO BLOOD

Narin & Portnoo


Beau Desert


#15. C's version of the Eden is very good.  The drop shot must be very precise to remain on the green.  BD's par 5 is a bit old fashioned with a break in the fairway leaving a blind second.  If one gets into position...the third is one of the most fun shots in the game because the green leans incredibly left, but isn't wide enough to allow for the tilt.  Nothing but the very best of shots will see an approach within 10 feet. N&P's par 5 coming back is also good, but not as good as BD's.  This one is too close to call; NO BLOOD

Narin & Portnoo


Beau Desert


#16. C's par 4 plays steeply downhill to a green which is surprisingly difficult to hold.  Sometimes it feels like one is bowling because the ball has to bounce in for 30-40 yards.  BD's short 16th is excellent.  There is a cross bunker protecting a very difficult green...par here is an excellent score.  N&P's short hole running away from play is also very good.  Once again...NO BLOOD

Beau Desert


Cavendish


#17. C's par 3 is good, if visually not a stand out.  BD's par 4 has a break in the fairway which can be played from if one pulls a good lie.  Like 15, the green runs wildly left making this very much a positional hole.  N&Ps medium par 4 is outstanding.  The humpty bumpty fairway and and runaway green surrounding by low rise mounding really makes for a unique hole.  This is a no brainer...1 SKIN TO NARIN & PORTNOO



#18.  N&P's finish isn't the stuff of the 17th, but it is good as birdies can be had.  C's 18th is very good over heaving terrain to a green set off right.  BD's 18th is a short par 5 that always plays longer than the yardage suggests.  The fairway is cut-off twice, thus requiring two perfect shots to reach the green.  The fairway runs severely left so it is easy to find oneself in trouble in trouble from the blind drive.  1 SKIN TO CAVENDISH

I have gone and done it now...a three way tie! It has really struck home how very good Cavendish's back 9 is. 

Beau Desert: 4 skins (2, 4, 7 & 12)
Narin & Pornoo: 4 skins (6, 8, 9 & 17)
Cavendish: 4 skins (3, 10, 13 & 18)

NO BLOOD: 1, 5, 11, 14, 15 & 16

Next match...Beau Desert V Narin & Portnoo V Cavendish V Carnoustie Burnside

Previous Matches

Match VI: Cavendish V Littlestone V Rosapenna OTM
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,63756.0.html

Match V: Cavendish V Prestbury V Liphook
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,63743.msg1518020.html#msg1518020

Match IV: Kington V Huntercombe V Cavendish
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,63725.msg1517854.html#msg1517854

Match III: Kington V New Zealand V Huntercombe
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,63708.0.html

Match II: Cleeve Cloud V Royal Ashdown Forest V Kington
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,63674.0.html

Match I: Minch Old V Painswick V Cleeve Cloud
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,63660.0.html

Ciao

[Tommy Williamsen]

Sean, I have played all three and they could not be more different. You know how much I enjoyed Beau Desert when we played it. I had to choose I might be hard pressed to pick a favorite. After the first couple holes, Cavendish is just wonderful. Americans have to get over the fact that it is not a par 72 or even 70. Narin Portnoo is a surprise. I had never heard of the course but the lady at the B&B told me to go check it out. When I drove in (probably in 1996) and saw all the caravans I almost turned around. It was the biggest surprise of the trip. I'd probably go BD, Cavendish and N&P. But on another day it might be different.