Golf Mates at Duff House Royal

[David_Tepper]

Yes, there is way too much "banter" in these videos, but Duff House Royal is a very worthwhile A. MacKenzie course that does not get the attention & exposure it deserves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E78J9c9fA0

[Niall C]

David


Thanks for posting the link. Yes, too much talk and not enough of DHR but it was great to see the course again and remind myself of those greens. For anyone watching though, the course is all MacKenzie and I'm pretty confident Braid wasn't there.


Niall

[Ally Mcintosh]

Great greens at Duff House Royal.


I played it first when I was very young and those greens were - in hindsight - the first time I thought about the detail in golf course architecture (versus the journey of the routing and cool looking holes).


Well worth a visit to see how greens can elevate an otherwise so-so course.

[Marty Bonnar]

Obvs being the massive MacKhead I am, I utterly loved seeing/playing DHR. With one minor reserve. What do you guys think of the 12th green? Just felt, well, odd to me. All built up with weird contours and tie-ins, or does my memory fail me?
F.

[Marty Bonnar]

Thought I had a snap…

[Thomas Dai]

Of the limited number of holes shown it seems that they played the 1st and the 17th, which is a rare Alister Mackenzie designed shared double-green.
Atb

[Marty Bonnar]

Of the limited number of holes shown it seems that they played the 1st and the 17th, which is a rare Alister Mackenzie designed shared double-green.
Atb

Dai,
So rare there’s TWO of them at DHR. 1/17 and 6/15. Bloody marvellous!
Cheers,
F.

[Thomas Dai]

Of the limited number of holes shown it seems that they played the 1st and the 17th, which is a rare Alister Mackenzie designed shared double-green.
Atb

Dai,
So rare there’s TWO of them at DHR. 1/17 and 6/15. Bloody marvellous!
Cheers,
F.

Thanks Marty.

It’s been a zillion years since I last played DHR. Quite pleased with myself that ‘the little grey cells’ still recalled 1/17. Don’t recall 6/15 though so thanks for the reminder. I shall look them up.
Atb

[Marty Bonnar]

Heading back to 15. 6th flag back right:

[Niall C]

Yep, the two holes play in opposite directions such that the "greens" back on to each other with a buried elephant type hump in the middle to divide the two holes.


I recall once thinning an approach and ending on the wrong side of the hump about 30 feet away. I managed to putt to tap in distance and it's probably the best putt I've ever hit.


As Ally says, DHR is an exemplar on to make great golf on a flat site.


Niall


 

[Niall C]

Thought I had a snap…

FBD


Yes, an unusual green compared to the rest but what I think is quite clever about it is that if you are looking to hit a run up shot for your approach you have to think about where you play from as the slope isn't perpendicular to play from middle of the fairway. As you saw in the video the face of the slope sits at an angle such that an approach from the left reduces the chances of the ball running across the slope rather than up.


Niall

[Marty Bonnar]

I just think it looks incredibly un-MacKenzie-like in its artlessness. Having said that, it WAS fun to play.
Interesting side note: Josh B directed my attention to an old b&w aerial which shows the 1st and 17th greens separated by a line of rough!
Check it out here. Open the link and go to image SFFO_0345.
https://ncap.org.uk/search?bbox=-2.5717583720498856,57.63667879900258,-2.489360911112424,57.66698916679188


Interesting!
F.