What's the Best, Longest Walk on a Golf Course?

[MCirba]

Sometimes an otherwise walkable routing requires a long walk between holes that's worth the trip.   

What are some of the best long walks between two holes, how far is the gap, and what makes them particularly pleasurable?   Additionally, please describe what you think made the break in the round necessary and if you think it could/should have been routed differently.   

I have a few examples in mind but am interested to hear what others think.   Thanks!

[Eric Strulowitz]

I always thought the walk up and down Gullane hill is one of the classic walks in golf.

[MCirba]

I always thought the walk up and down Gullane hill is one of the classic walks in golf.

Erik,

I love Gullane #1, as well, and left there wondering why I hadn't seen it more favored as it's glorious in almost every respect.

I probably didn't ask my question well, though and was talking about gaps between holes that create long walks.   I'm going to edit my initial post.

[Sam Krume]

I love the walk from the 3rd to the 4th(Championship) tee at Royal County Down. Once you get up there it is a view of wonderfullness. I know thats not a real word, but hey when the views that good......

[Greg Gilson]

Before Tom gets in, I will nominate the walk from 4 to 5 on Barnbougle Dunes. He can explain the need/rationale but the feeling you get when you first see Bass Strait is quite memorable.

[Joe Bausch]

I'm sure I can come up with something better if I really tried, but the first to come to mind for me is the walk from the 3rd green to 4th tee at Bulle Rock (Maryland).  If you are in a cart, it is a long walk back to your cart and a ride around to the 4th tee.  If walking, you get a nice short-cut walk along a trail through the woods and over a creek.  Not unlike the walk from 3 green at Cobb's Creek to 4 tee!

[Ian Galbraith]

It's not super long but I loved the walk up the hill to the upper level of the course from the 6th green to the 7th tee at Royal Dornoch - did help the sun was out that day and I made a 3 on the 6th - life was good!

[Thomas Dai]

Depends how you define 'long' but the walk from the 8th green to the 9th tee at Cruden Bay gives a certain wow, and sore knees, whilst the 2nd green to 3rd tee at Enniscrone give a nice joy factor. Looking back when walking up from the 6th green to the 7th tee at Dornoch is pretty nice as well as is walking up to the back 4th tee at Royal County Down.
My favourite though is cresting the rise when going from the 10th green to the 11th tee at Carne and seeing the expanse of dunes and sea stretching way into the distance (the 17th green to 18th isn't bad either as is the 8th green to 9th tee on the Kilmore).
Atb

[Sean_A]

I don't know if it is the best, but the 300-400 yard walk between Crail's 14 and 15 is very cool being on the water.  I do recall we halted our game and smoked a cigar in glorious sunshine. 

Ciao

[Adam Lawrence]

12-13 at Highlands Links. Highlands in general is the greatest walk in golf (that I have seen up to press)

[Brian Finn]

Crail Balcomie - walk between #14 and #15.  Perhaps the length of a short par 4, the walk is extremely enjoyable, as you have the sea to your left and pass Constantine's Cave on the right (It is believed that King Constantine I was killed in the cave after a battle with the Danes in 874).

[Ruediger Meyer]

Before Tom gets in, I will nominate the walk from 4 to 5 on Barnbougle Dunes. He can explain the need/rationale but the feeling you get when you first see Bass Strait is quite memorable.

I second this. I would say the 200 (?) yards at Cypress Point from 15 to 16 might be the best, but I can't speak of it since I only saw the walk on a youtube video

[Peter Pallotta]

Before Tom gets in, I will nominate the walk from 4 to 5 on Barnbougle Dunes. He can explain the need/rationale but the feeling you get when you first see Bass Strait is quite memorable.

And before Tom chimes in, I'll nominate the journey at Crystal Downs through the forest between No 11 and No 12.  It was in itself a very pleasant experience, just as a lovely passageway through peaceful and idyllic surrounds; and then it comes at a good spot, not too early in the round and not too late; and then it brings you to a markedly different-looking golf course that is at the same time still clearly the same golf course. Of course I have no idea if the old masters could have routed the course differently, but why would they?

[Tim_Weiman]

Mike,


Sand Ridge in Cleveland has one really bad long walk (9-10), but two very pleasant moderately long walks (11-12, 15-16). Both are a consequence of the final routing plan, after about 25 different plans were considered, largely due to the question of how to deal with wetland issues.


The property is about 360 acres. Close to a third is wetlands with a large portion of wetlands kind of sitting in the middle of the property. The desire to minimize intrusions into the wetlands strongly influenced both the bad and the good long walks.


If my memory serves, routing plans not selected had versions of the "good walks" - walks over wooden bridges through the wetlands - but didn't have anything like the bad long walk (9-10).


The bad, long walk just has an unnatural, awkward feel to it. The only good thing is feeling relieve when you finally make it to the 10th tee knowing a more pleasant journey lies ahead.

[Kevin_D]

15 to 16 at Friar's Head is pretty tough to beat

[Scott Warren]

The thing I like about both 4-5 at Barnbougle Dunes and 15-16 at Friars Head is that the water is so scarcely seen from both golf courses, so it's genuinely a breathtaking moment when you take those walks and are struck all of a sudden by such beautiful pieces of coastline.

[Tom_Doak]

You've named nearly all the ones I thought of right away:  Highlands Links, Cypress Point, Barnbougle, Crystal Downs [though I wouldn't vote for the latter because it's steep enough to take your breath away by the time you get to #12 tee].


Another favorite for me is the walk from #3 green to 4 tee at Pacific Dunes.  You go off of #3 green with its beautiful view and maybe stop at the halfway house, a pause that almost makes you forget where you are -- and then you turn the corner and you are right on top of the cliffs, walking down to #4 tee.

[jeffwarne]

Friar's Head 15 green to 16 tee is pretty cool now with the catwalk

I personally don't care for them having collaborated with our Superintendant for the last 6-7 years in eliminating 13 of them....

[Michael Whitaker]

You guys nailed the first two that came to me... Barnbougle and Friar's Head. As Scott says, they both offer views that are so strikingly than what comes before it is breathtaking.


Here is a shot from along the Barnbougle walk...

[Matt_Cohn]

Friar's Head 15 green to 16 tee is pretty cool now with the catwalk

I personally don't care for them having spent the last 6-7 years eliminating 13 of them....

13 of what?

[Matthew Sander]

12-13 at Highlands Links. Highlands in general is the greatest walk in golf (that I have seen up to press)

High praise indeed given your travels. I hope to experience it in the not too distant future.

[jeffwarne]

Friar's Head 15 green to 16 tee is pretty cool now with the catwalk

I personally don't care for them having collaborated with our Superintendant the last 6-7 years in eliminating 13 of them....

13 of what?

long green to tee walks --

[Garland Bayley]

Tomahawk outside Deadwood, SD. 9 holes course plays around one of the Black Hills. In the middle of the 9, you walk between the hill being circumnavigate and the hill to the east, isolated from golf and "civilization". I found walk peaceful and refreshing.

[George Smiltins]

Mike,


Sand Ridge in Cleveland has one really bad long walk (9-10), but two very pleasant moderately long walks (11-12, 15-16). Both are a consequence of the final routing plan, after about 25 different plans were considered, largely due to the question of how to deal with wetland issues.


The property is about 360 acres. Close to a third is wetlands with a large portion of wetlands kind of sitting in the middle of the property. The desire to minimize intrusions into the wetlands strongly influenced both the bad and the good long walks.


If my memory serves, routing plans not selected had versions of the "good walks" - walks over wooden bridges through the wetlands - but didn't have anything like the bad long walk (9-10).


The bad, long walk just has an unnatural, awkward feel to it. The only good thing is feeling relieve when you finally make it to the 10th tee knowing a more pleasant journey lies ahead.

7-8 is another sizable one...not necessarily scenic but I've always found it a nice pre-back nine reset. Usually always a cart waiting at 9 to speed up the trip to 10. Big fan of 11-12. Forget where you are and what you're even doing on it.

[MCirba]

Thanks for all the great replies.

The walk along the river at Highland Links between 12 and 13 measures out on Google Earth at 435 yards.   Is that the longest walk of those listed here?

Also, is there anything these walks have in common besides lovely views?   For instance, are any of these walks "backwards", or even sideways, or are they all forward progressions?