Cabot Cape Breton Match (Link v. Cliffs)

[Ben Malach]

One of the biggest quest in Canadian golf is which course at Cabot Cape Breton is better
I think the best way to enter this debate is by having a nice little match.
Cliffs seems to be the consensus pick looking at the ratings provided by a large number of golfing publications.  This becomes murkier once we discuss this question with locals and people that have been playing Cabot since it opened as with this group that have an intimate understanding of both properties.  The numbers begin to radically shift in favour of the Links. With the hopes of shedding some light on this fascinating phenomenon. It is time to pit the two sisters against one another to find Canada’s best modern golf course.
Hole #1
Cliffs - Par 5 Back: 581 Members:556 Forward: 461
The first hole is played from a built mound. This golf hole plays across the flattest part of the property. Rod Wittman was enlisted to provide some bolder movement to this former field. Here the drive is open there is a large fairway shared with the 10th. The only hazard that comes into play on the drive is a small cluster of bunkers in the middle of the fairway at around 230 yards from the tee. The hole is very strategically bland from here on out with a small decision to be made on your second shot of laying short of the bunker 40 odd yards short of the green or to go for it. This is not much of a decision as there is little risk of going in the bunker as it's small and to the left of the green. The first green is very flat with a slight tilt from front left to back right. This can provide some interest as depending on the pin it can run away from the golfer. This is an easy hole and better players will be frustrated with making more than bogey
Links - Par 5 Back 540 Members 515 Forwards 461


The first hole starts from below the lodge at Cabot with the tee shot being a test of wills as a large angular waste bunker guarding the left side of the fairway. With a small pot bunker  pinching the driving area on the right at about 240 yards from the back tee. This tee shot is no joke. The choice of the line will depend entirely upon the confidence of the player. As the bold golfer who can confidently carry the large bunker sets themself up for a go at the green in two. The more careful golfer is still in the hole as long as they find the fairway. As the second shot is defined by a deep swale in front of the green. This creates a wonderful risk reward if the golfer is close to the carry number to green. As the pitch from the ravine is just not as effective of a shot as one played from a good lie and number in the fairway.  This forces golfers to either lay up consider the layup or risk having a blind challenging shot into a rippling green defined by a central pimple in the putting surface. The opener is a friendly introduction to what you will fact the rest of the day.
as depending on the wind and the day this hole can play fairly simple or it can result in a battle for par. Some days you end up kicking yourself for not making a simple up and down for birdie.
1 up Cabot Links
Par 5 to Par 5 there is a lot more life and variety in the first hole at the Links vs its Cliffs sister
Hole #2
Cliffs - Par 4 Back 402 Members 364 Forward 283
One of the most famous holes of its length in the country. Playing to a Y-shaped fairway with a creek bisecting the line of play to a green elevated 15 feet from the fairway. The green is defined by a large mound containing two deep bunkers with bunkers wrapping around the back and right of the green. Much is made of the options presented by the Y-shaped fairway. In practice, the play is to hit the ball up the left-hand side to gain a better view of the green. There are more options available if players play from the more forward tee also known as ‘FrankenDune”. But a majority of players will be playing from the joint deck of the side of the 9th green. From this angle, the hole becomes very routine as a playing up the left is borderline required.  As a ball to the right gains little advantage even when the pin is placed on that side of the green. This is the golfer's first chance to play out of Cabot Cliff's famous dunes bunkers.
Links - Par 3 Back 247 Members 222 Forward 160
The second at the Links is just hard. It's not a bad hole but it is not one that stands up in the company that surrounds it. As its template nature almost contrasts heavily with the rest of the unique holes. I understand for a majority of Canadians the novelty of a Birriatz hole is enough to survive. I appreciate the effort and I think it's a very good hole of the type. However, I can’t give many points for the good execution of a template. They are made to elevate flat land, which this certainly is.
Hole win: Cliffs
The 2nd at Cabot is rightfully one of the most breathtaking holes in the world. It might seem complex after one play but under repeated play the strategy becomes apparent. The only thing that doesn’t change is how when you walk to the tee your breath still leaves your body.
Match:  All Square
Hole #3
Cliffs - Par 4 Back 389 Members 355 Forward 247
The third plays across a valley to a fairway bisected by a ridge with the left side of the fairway sits higher. The right side encompasses the bottom half of the fairway with bunkers cut in on this side at the optimal drive location. There is also a small centerline bunker that provides an aiming aide to the center of the fairway. The green is elevated from the right-hand side of the fairway by some 10 feet but the flag and playing surface are visible from here. On the left, the green is blocked by a large hill encompassing one of the largest bunkers on the property. A shot can be played off of this hill that blocks the view on the left. Canny players might want to use the large kicker slope concealed by this hill. The resulting shot is facinating to watch as the ball crest the hill and bounces down the hill to the middle of the green. The putting surface is pretty flat with a small ridge that divides the green into left and right sections.   This leads to the best play being playing down the right side of the fairway. As you gain a significant advantage of having a view of the pin. This combined with the green running away from the bind approach angle provides a significant advantage to playing to the lower fairway.
Links - Par 4 Back 330 Member 290 Forward 256
The par 4 3rd hole at Cabot Links is one of my favourite holes of its length in the world. It accomplishes so much without shouting its intentions to the golfer As the only hazards on the hole are some subtle bumps in the fairway a central mound by the green and OB right.  These three factors have led to some of the most interesting golf discussions as this hole changes so much depending on wind and ground conditions. I haven't found a consistent way to attack this hole and I think about playing it constantly. As the closer one plays to the Ob on the right the more visible the green becomes. But this play is filled with risk as one wrong kick and the ball is lost. There is another play of a mid-iron off the tee to the middle of the fairway.
This is the safest play but in some cases, especially with front or back pins, this shot makes birdie on a 300-yard hole almost impossible. Then there is a third option attempt to drive the green. This brings a lot of risk into play as a ball can get caught up in the central mound or find the OB in front of the green making the recovery mission impossible. This is not even getting to the green one of the flattest and quietest greens at Cabot. This might sound like it is a mismatch with a hole of this length and it would be if the wind didn’t seem to affect putts on this green more than any other on the golf course. The Third at Cabot is a master class in building a restrained world-class short 4. In a category dominated by some of the showiest holes in golf. This hole shows you can do everything without yelling.
Hole win: Links
Links starts to flex its muscles here with a unique golf hole. While its Cliffs counterpart would be a solid addition to any golf course. The short par 4 3rd at Cabot Links is just a tough hole to go against
Links 1 up

[Ben Malach]

Hole #4
Cliffs - Par 3’s
Upper Green - Back 154 Members 131 Forward 107
             Lower Green-  Back 221 Members 202 Forward 131
The famous hole with 2 greens at Cliffs. This is where this match becomes a challenge as to which hole do you use in the match. I am partial to the lower green over the upper green. As I think the longer par 3 fits well into the rhythm of the round. I am also fond of the redan nature of the green allowing the golfer to run the ball onto the green on a long downhill par 3. This is only enhanced in an environment where fast and firm rules. The upper hole is an interesting story of the right place right time (This hole is an interpretation of Riley Johns winning Lido entry) that was built due to the green fitting well into the existing horizon line. But if we look beyond the pretty face it is a very basic mid-length par 3. With a very flat green and two flanking bunkers that without the loud edges and scale could be found at any course in the country. For me, the lower green fits better into the routing and provides the chance for more interesting golf. The upper hole is a very pretty golf hole but it just doesn’t have the zip of its neighbour.

Links- Par 4 Back 450 Members 405 Forward 270
Kieth Cutten said it best when we were playing the 4th one day. He said the 4th hole would be the signature hole at the Links if it wasn’t facing the town. It's hard to argue with one of the guys that has spent more time here than 99% of golfers. What Kieth is driving at is that the 4th hole is a golf hole that requires you to golf your ball well or else. From the tee shot between a set of flanking bunkers to the deviously placed centerline bunker that catches balls from the long hitters to the rippling putting surface flowing in tiers from right to left. Then if you have driven your ball well you need to hit a bold approach to this green uphill about a club and a half to one of the most complex greens in the country. There is a ton of great pins here. Some require more gusto while others require the golfer to consider a more defensive approach. This is the subtle brilliance that elevates this green and the golf course to greatness. With pins on the right requiring a drive to the more left half of the fairway with pins in the middle and front left playing best from the middle of the fairway. With the right-hand side of the hole being dead and it is almost better from that angle to play for the approaching front left and to try to pitch and putt for a hard-earned par. This depth is endemic to the level of golf found at Cabot Links but few other wear this level of strategy with the casual elegance of the 4th hole.
Hole Win: Links
Links 2 Up
Links get the win here based on clarity of concept  and leaning into its strengths as a golf course
Hole #5
Cliffs Par 4 - Back 345 Member 322 Forward 304
The 5th is our second visit to the dunes. This dramatic cape tee shot played over the Broad Cove river estuary.  From the back tee, players are asked to take the safer route to the right playing to a ridge where the hard clay of the site transitions into the dunes with a loud blowout that protects from shots hit too far into the layup area.  The other option is the player can choose to take the more aggressive line over a blown-out dune and go for the green. The tee shot from the more forward tee is very bland and lacks real visual definition. Players from this tee are pretty much forced to lay up with a mid iron leaving them a short iron approach. This means the hole is more strategic for the players from the back tee than it is for the average golfer. The green is well bunkered and sits in a little depression at the foot of the largest dune on the property. This works very well as balls hit a little bit to the right, scamper down the bottom of the dune and end up in the middle or right half of the green.  There are distinct sections divided by ridges and rumples. This is probably my favourite green on the front 9 at Cabot Cliffs and deserves more observation as it climbs from the one of lowest parts of the golf course to the 6th tee.
Links Par 3 - Back 178 Member 172  Forward 165
The 5th at Cabot Links sits quietly as the exhale from your brief respite from spending the day staring directly at the gulf of St. Lawrence. Due to this, it lacks the visual pop of the later par 3’s With the green site being tucked into the slope at the foot of the old rail line that used to take coal from the mine off of the island. But in my mind, it is one of the most interesting par 3 greens in the country. Defined by a small knob in the middle of the green the player must navigate this internal contour on the approach and its fingers almost always come into play on every putt. There are so many good pins on this green. It is hard for me to pick a favourite pin position. Which is a sign of a great par 3. Also, this hole is alive in the winds of Cape Breton with its southern orientation it regularly plays into or downwind. Requiring the repeat golfer to have a bunch of different shots not only to reach the pins but to handle the constant winds.  Also, the front right bunker with the small pine tree is my favourite on the golf course as it doesn’t come into play for all but the strongest of duffers. Instead, it exists to create an interesting difference in depth perception. It also just has a soul all its own which is rare for an area of such small size to have as much emotional impact as it does on me.
Cliffs Wins

Links 1 up
Cliffs return to the dunes and the unique nature of the tee shot and approach sneak a win over an outstanding par 3
Hole #6
Cliffs Par 3 - Back 186 Member 144 Forward 92
Our final hole in the dunes the par 3 6th, brings us right into the heart of them.  The back tee deck is probably my favourite place on the entire Cabot property. With the view looking back down the beach to the town with family playing in the surf as the Broad Cove river quietly meets the gulf of St. Lawrence. The tee shot through the uprights of the dunes ridge that bisects the tees from the green. There is a blowout bunker some 10 yards short of the front of the green and about 15 yards off the line of play.  This is a really interesting challenge as I have dropped balls in there before to practice hitting out of the dune sand. The shot to save par is probably one of the hardest bunker shots at Cabot as it is blind and requires an almost vertical shot that carries at least 16 yards to make the green. Most likely the ball will end in the bottom of the punchbowl. If the flag is in the front and you are in this position. It's almost advised to write down a 5 and continue. The punch bowl nature of this green make it entirely defined by if the pin is front or back. The back pin is the simpler of the two as the ball naturally wants to run down and collect at the back of the green. If the pin is in the front it is almost advisable to putt the ball as it's an almost do-or-die shot to keep it on the upper level and I would rather try to lay my second dead to the pin than risk going for birdie and having a near impossible putt up the sever rise that divides this green into two.
Links - Back 465 Member 440 Forward 434
Playing around MacIsaac’s pond the 6th is a stern modern cape hole there are two key lines of play off the tee. The more aggressive of the two aim’s just to the right of the bunker some 100 yards away from the green. This line requires a strong carry across the pond to more rumpled and undulating ground but rewards the player with a wedge. The second safer line is to play up the edge of the pond. Leaving a longer second but with the advantage of a more level lie in the fairway. The second shot is defined by the diagonal tilt of the green from front right to back left. This is also one of the firmest greens on the golf course so hitting the front of the green and running the ball back to the desired pin location is the only way to get it close. The challenge here is that Rod and Co. have placed a nasty pot bunker on the front left of the green that gobbles up indifferent approaches. With one hit too firm chasing off the green into a series of tiny coffins that keep balls from washing into the harbour. Due to the tilt of this green and the subtle nature of the contours, this is one of the hardest greens to read on the golf course. There are a more limited amount of pins on this green due to the slope and firmness making the back and furthest right have fewer pins than normal. This lack of variety is more than made up for due to the interest in putting and the skill it takes to approach this green. This is one of the few places a caddy or local will give you a thumbs up for getting within 15’ of the pin. I wanted to mention as I did the hole before that the walk off the back of this green is my favourite part of the round at Cabot. There is just nothing like walking past a working harbour with a single-strap golf bag hanging off your shoulder as the warm sea air tousles your hair. It's a truly religious experience. As you leave the warmth of the harbour, we cross Beach Road #2 for the last time and enter back to the old mine site where the rest of the course lies. 
Hole Win: Cabot Links
Links 2 up
While I can see an argument for the punchbowl. I personally think the Cape hole is a golf hole that works the best for the majority of golfers as it asks a bunch of different questions to all classes of player

[Ally Mcintosh]

Ben,


I have played neither but your first paragraph is the one I want to stop on:


- Firstly - from afar - I always thought I’d prefer the “Links” over the “Cliffs”. The latter just looked like it was the showy one, the former seemed to have substance. Just a perception from not knowing nearly enough.


- Secondly, I am always fascinated by how local enthusiasts rank / rate courses compared to big international publications. I find there is a snobbery and condescending attitude by a few globe-trotting rankers that writes off the local view, often as if they haven’t travelled enough or don’t have a refined enough palate. But locals can also travel and they can also know a lot about GCA. They then have the advantage of having played the best courses tens or hundreds of times; as opposed to a fly-by-night run around 18 or 36. I’d almost always follow the advice of a knowledgeable local over an international traveller, as long as I understood his biases.

[Ben Malach]

Hole #7


Cliffs par 5- Back 589 Member 552 Forward 397


The 7th is the beginning of our trek back to the clubhouse and towards the hill upon which the back 8 is situated. This is the hole that has probably evolved the most over the history of the golf course. The tee shot was originally played not only over the pond but also a false dune that was removed after the first year due to playability and maintenance concerns replacing this are two bunkers that form a visual echelon tying into the long waste bunker that guards the right-hand side of the fairway. On the most direct line, there is a false dune feature protecting from a drive running out into the sinkholes that define this section of the property. The landing area is defined by a hogback created by Rod Wittman to add interest to an otherwise flat area of ground. This creates a unique dynamic to the tee shot as the best line is going to depend a lot on the wind and the shape of your drive. This is probably the hardest driving hole on the golf course as there is no comfortable safe line to be had. The second shot is defined by how close you want to play to a valley in front of the green. As a ball hit too close to the green. Ends up at the bottom of the valley which leaves you with a blind third into the green. A ball hit to conservatively leaves a long iron into one of the trickiest greens at Cabot Cliffs. The green is relatively simple but deceptive. As it slopes from back to front with a ridge running diagonally through it.  This is only par 5 on the golf course where par can be considered a good score.


Links par 3 - Back 192 Member 140 Forward 122


On a golf course filled with quirky holes, the 7th is probably the king of quirk on Cabot Links. The tee shot must be hit to land short of the green and chase on as the green is shaped so that anything hit passed the front apron will bounce and end up off the back of the green in a dunescape that makes bogey an almost expected result. This hole is sofun to play from every tee deck because the firmness of the green enables multiple shot trajectories to have a real impact on how the ball lands. This is also without mentioning the only bail out on the hole is the bunker right as the green is receptive from that angle. All but the best players will struggle to get up and down from the left greenside bunker as the green is running away from you and this is not a good sign when the green is as fast and firm as consistently as the 7th at Cabot Links.


Hole Win: Cabot Cliffs


Links 1 up
 
The stout par 5 is one of the few holes at Cabot Cliffs that punch back asking them to play 3 good shots to wind up with a score.


Hole #8


Cliffs Par 5- Back 542 Member 493 Forward 437


The 8th plays down the hill climbed on the 7th. The tee shot over a valley to the landing area defined by a carry bunker on the right and a well-placed centerline bunker. This tee shot plays deceptively downhill. It's a picturesque image watching your ball fly further than expected against the Northumberland Strait. With the slope and the hill kicking the ball down closer to the green. This is normally a mid or long iron for the better player into this Biarritz green. The epic scale of the blowout bunker on the left is probably one of the most interesting on the golf course but you are unlikely to find it unless you hit a very poor second. The front pins are very accessible and if the pin is here the better player is going to be frustrated at missing a great chance at an eagle. The back pins are more challenging as there are two very deep bunkers at the back of the green that protect the player from rolling the ball onto the maintenance road. It is an interesting use of the Biarritz template but this author favours the Biarritz down the road.


Links Par 5 -  Back 542 Member 493 Forward 437


The 8th at Cabot links opens with a tee shot over marshy land to a fairway canted from right to left with out-of-bounds lurking up the right-hand side and a dunes waste bunker protecting the beach and the boardwalk running up the left-hand side. The drive here is all about positioning as the longest hitters might be able to reach a level lie at the base of the hill which defines this lower half of the golf hole. The moral player has a choice to play for the middle of the fairway and have a hanging lie or challenge the left-hand waste bunker for a flat lie and stance. This is an important question as the more level lie, the more comfortable you will be with the long Iron or fairway wood required to position your third shot. This leads us to the blind second shot to one of the widest fairways in Canadian golf shared like the green with the 13th hole. The challenge here is to position your drive to take advantage of the width to create the best angle into the pins on this aggressively contoured green with the right side being best for left pins and the inverse for pins on the right. The approach area is defined by rough-hewn mounds on the right-hand side and dunescape running up the left. This green is one of the most aggressively contoured on the course full of small ridges, tight bowls and other features that break up this large rollicking putting surface.


Hole Win: Cabot Links


Links 2 up


Links wins here for showing the value in width and angles


Hole #9


Cliffs Par 3 -  Back 126 Member 109  Forward 70


This is probably the strangest hole on either of the two golf courses. Tightly packed between the 2nd tee and the 10th tee. This short par 3 is an interesting change of pace. Providing your last view of the dunescape for your round this short par 3. Can be played with about 4 to 5 clubs. The author of this piece has hit everything from putter up to a chippy 3 iron in a stiff breeze. This green is defined by multiple bold internal contours that allow a deft player the option to funnel the ball toward different hole locations. It is a cool and fun par 3 but it's often one of the golf holes that is forgotten when discussing the golf course due to its awkward position in the routing where it almost feels like an afterthought.


Links Par 4 -  Back 360 Member 320  Forward 265


This shortish par 4 harkens back to a lost concept in golf of the drive and pitch hole. The fairway is pockmarked with bunkers including a card wrecker in the center of the fairway located about 100 yards out from the surface. The green opens up from the right-hand side but a cluster of bunkers guards this angle. The easier drive to the left leaves you almost dead in the fairway to most pins and brings a small pot placed deceptively into the approach at about 50 yards from the center of the putting surface. The green is ensconced by bunkers that spell death if found. A deft hand is required to reach the right section of this green tilted from back right to front left with the front left pin residing in a catcher's mitt type feature. This hole is subject to much debate as to which way to play it. As it depends upon the player’s skill to determine if they want to have a hard drive, a hard approach or a hard putt. Honestly, the miss for all of these is no treat as the surroundings and slopes are intricate and challenging.
Hole Win: Cabot Links


Links 3 up


Links is about to start a run and this is the hole where the momentum begins to build. As its counterpart at Cabot Cliffs feels shoehorned into the routing.

[Ben Malach]

Hole #10


Cliffs Par 5 -  Back 557 Member 491  Forward 458


The 10th hole on the Cabot Cliffs golf course is a classic par 5 that brings the player back to the clubhouse. It resembles the first hole in many ways, with the fairway running closer to the coast and a series of bunkers on the left side. The challenge from the tee shot is slightly tighter, with a cluster of bunkers on the right and cliffs on the left. However, most golfers should be able to find the fairway.


The second shot presents a different challenge, with the player deciding whether to go for the green over an inlet in the cliffs or play a layup. While the risk-reward decision may seem tempting, experienced golfers often opt for a safer play to gain a better angle to the green. The green itself is relatively flat but surrounded by seven bunkers and has a subtle tilt from back left to front right. Missing the surface can be problematic as none of the bunkers offer an easy up and down, and there is a severe fall off to the right that chases balls an alkward distance away from the green to a semi blind pitching area.
Overall, the 10th hole exemplifies the Cabot Cliffs course's theme of connecting disparate properties into a cohesive whole. The routing is the most special aspect of the course, and the holes work together to create a sum greater than its parts.




Links Par 4 -  Back 385  Member 325 Forward 260


The 10th is straight out of the links golf playbook. A wonderful short hole but a direct contrast to the preceding hole even though it's of a similar length.


Here the hole tumbles around a large hill creating a blind drive for all levels of player. The emboldened long hitters playing over the top of the hill hopefully playing balls that should kick off the other side and onto the green for a rare chance at Eagle. The canny short hitters play over the edge of the bunkers carved into the base of the hill hoping for a good angle into the green. This is a rather reductionist take on the questions asked by this hole as the best play is defined as much by the wind and pin of the day as is a majority of the golf played at Cabot links.


 The real magic of this hole is in the green and its surrounds. Which can leave the bold golfer dead to the hole if they picked the wrong strategy off the tee. The green slowly leaking from the high in the front right to the low in the back left is one of the most intricate putting surfaces on the Links as it is defined by subtle little ripples and rolls this combined with its front-to-back nature can give unprepared players fits. This is not to say anything of the rumpled surrounds that neatly ensconce the bunkers; this greens site is a master class in shaping. As all of the little features tie together to create options galore without any of the features standing out to the point that they yell at you this is made all the more impressive by the green site being almost entirely created. If I had the time to spend an afternoon watching golf on one spot on the course this would be it. As, this is one of the most interesting holes in Canada.


Hole Win: Cabot Links


Links 4 up


Links gets another one here due to the variety of valid options on the hole. Truly a master class on the using the ground to create interest.


Hole #11


Cliffs Par 4 -  Back 404 Member 358  Forward 330




The 11th brings us to the base of the hill that encompasses the main landform of the back 8 holes at Cabot Cliffs. The drama of this hole is the large waste bunker. If this hazard is challenged the player is rewarded with  a speed slot that will kick the longest hitter's balls into short iron territory. If the player plays too conservatively there is a flanking bunker on the far left side of the fairway that catches balls that are played away from the waste bunker.


The main theme of this hole is to stay to the right-hand side as the hole plays best from this angle as the green is oriented this way with a small tilt from back right to front left. My rule of thumb is that if my ball finishes on the right-hand side of the centerline bunker some 50 yards in the approach every flag is a green light. If my ball is to the left of this bunker then front flags must be played to the middle number with back flags being total green lights.


 This hole is relatively simple to play with the biggest challenge being adjusting to every shot from the tee to the approach being played uphill. The surrounds are relatively benign with the only no go bunker being the right green side bunker as every shot from that bunker running away from it leading to up and downs from there being rare. This hole is also a great example of another theme that Cabot Cliffs has established by this point which is if you see big trouble off the tee hit for it and over it if you can. If you do that the chances are good there is some type of reward or simple play from beyond it.


 
Links Par 5 -  Back  620 Member 580 Forward 457


When describing the greatness of the 11th hole at Cabot, it's impossible to capture every element that makes it so exceptional. This hole defies conventional logic as it presents a brutally long par 5 with two blind shots. One on the drive with the second conquering the large mining spoils pile that defines the links.


The tee shot to a plateau of flat land between two aggressive swales is at an angle to the line of play with the shorter hitters having a broad flat landing area starting at the front right of the fairway that narrows as more of the second swale cuts into the fairway. The act of the plateau is two-fold, firstly it provides the flattest ground on the first part of the hole, second, the feature allows us a partial glimpse of the last 150 odd yards of the golf hole separated from the first hole by a rise of 30 feet from the floor of the hill at the end of the first section of the fairway to the green's surface with a roll separating the approach from the fairway that extends to the right. This is all interesting but the hole plays so differently depending on the wind and the player's skill set. As the tigers seeking to have a shorter second shot bring a line of bunkers that drip into the fairway some 350 yards off the back tee. This seems like a far number but with the downhill nature of the tee shot and the shape of the land a well-hit ball can find them as they slowly tighten up the fairway for the 40-odd yards working into the landform and the fairway meaning they collect a lot more balls than their petite scale would suggest.  Once these bunkers are found par becomesan afterthought. So knowing this the better player must play uncomfortably up against the brush that guards the left-hand side of the fairway. This makes for a very demanding tee shot. Where the player needs to hit a good ball that is not only long but accurately placed. Us mere mortals that play here will find an equally testing shot as we are seeking to hit a long ball that stays on top of the plateau to ensure we can hit a long iron or fairway metal to the top of the hill to ensure that we can have a look at the green with our third. If your ball is indifferently struck from the tee a par may already be out of grasp for even the canniest of players.


The second asks an interesting question as well with a large bailout peninsula to the right and a narrow opening to the left asking the golfer to blindly choose their path. The play to the left is the safest as all that is asked of the player is to hit a club that you can confidently bump into around 50 yards away from the surface making this layup not as daunting as described. However, the layup to the peninsula requires a deft touch to make work as the ball must come to a stop before the end of the fairway or else they end up in the pit of doom that guards this angle of play. The pit is some 60 yards wide and about 40 feet deep in the middle. This leaves a very steep gnarly feature that guards the green from this preferred angle. As all of the shots are hit into a backstop. Whereas the simpler more intimidating layup provides the golfer with a pitch to a green that runs away from them making judging chips and pitches from this angle to be a challenge. The green is fairly simple with a majority of the contour coming from the large hill that dominates the back half of the green. There is a subtle left-to-right tilt to this green. Which always comes into play. Honestly, I feel like I have only scratched the surface of what makes 11 so special. It's truly one of the best par 5’s in the world and it deserves an article to its self to explain why. This all being said it's probably one of the hardest par 5’s I have ever played and this is a common response from all who have played it. This is a credit to the genius of the hole as I can't think of another par 5 where the scratch man and bogey golf can play the same hole and both be happy with a par.


Hole Win: Cabot Links


Links 5 up


Links is a clear winner here. There are not many holes in the country as consistently interesting as the 11th at Cabot Links.






Hole # 12


Cliffs Par 3 -  Back 245 Member 225  Forward 162


This is probably one of the most consistently challenging holes on Cabot Cliffs. The long par 3 12th requires the player to hit small sections of a green with little room for error as a large bunker looms on the right and to the left a slope that can carry the ball 15 to 20 yards away from the green's surface. This is a hard shot on a normal golf course but it's only amplified on a site as consistently breezy as Cabot Cliffs. It's become a running joke here that par is almost like a birdie. Once on the green one finds one of the more complex greens on the golf course, all of the features play off the knob that forms the back right tier of the green. There is another small shoulder on the back left that bleeds into the middle tier which washes into the large false front. There is not much to say about the 12th other than it is just hard and there is no easy way to play the hole. If you want an easy chance at par it's been suggested the best way to do this is to layup in front of the right-hand side bunker then hopefully pitch it close and putt out. Other than that I would just mark up a reasonable number as bogey or worse is lurking every time you play this hole.


Links Par 4 -  Back 450 Member 410  Forward 365


This hole gracefully connects the highest point of the property to the lowest, descending from a ridge into a valley.  The land moves hard from left to right with the right-hand side of the fairway protected by a large waste bunker that starts at about 260 yards from the back tee this bunker runs for about 70 yards up the fairway. Protecting from a ball running though the fairway into the adjoining marsh.  The interesting part about this hole is that the best place to be is up the left-hand side of the fairway but to do this one must hit a draw to hold the ball on the slope.


From the left hand, the angle opens the green up to most pins although for more frontal pins the right-hand side angle comes into play. This is a hole that I chart the pin on the walk from 2 to 3. As knowing where the pin is can save you a stroke or more. As this green is most often the firmest and fastest green on the golf course. So losing the ball to the wrong section can mean an easy 3 putt. I have even seen balls to middle right pins find their way into the greenside bunker from a miss played putt played from the wrong angle above the hole. This hole is very subtle but it has a lot of teeth.




Hole Win: Links


Links 6 up


Links edges a close one here at the end of the day it wins it at the green. As even though 12 is one of the better par 3’s  at Cliffs. The green at the par 4 on the Links has more going on and requires more thought and care to approuch.

[Ben Malach]

Hole # 13


Cliffs Par 4 -  Back 398 Member 362  Forward 314


This hole runs diagonally up the side of the hill this fairway is defined by terraced flat sections that run diagonally from right to left with the macro landform of the hill. The hole is also defined by three bunkers the first one on the golfer's left is of little concern as it's only some 170-odd yards off the back tee. The second bunker starting at 250 yards from the back tee provides a good line into this green as the optimal angle to play into this turtleback green is from just over it. As it allows for use of the left side backboard of this green. From the left one must-hit approaches from the left green side bunker with little to stop a pitch hit without enough nip from running out to the collection area to the right of the green. 




Links Par 4 -  Back 440 Member 405  Forward 357


This is the hole that is probably most links like as on the drive blind over a sandy waste with sleepers embedded into the slope. Recalls tee shots on many a links found in the U.K. just like its British cousins. This hole is deceptively simple with only 3 bunkers in play ( 1 fairway, 2 green side). The challenge comes from the deft placement of the central fairway bunker. As the bunker is positioned at the heart of a depression in the center of the fairway leading all balls struck in its general direction finding this pit. This leads to a decision based on experience or through studying the hole on the walk up the adjoining 8th. As to what line off the tee does one want to take? Do you play the aggressive line up the right which risks a lost ball if you err too far right, or do you take  the safe play up the left and risk finding the bunker.


 The green on the 13th is more subdued than the extreme 8th half of the green with a large central ridge behind the principles nose bunkers being home to the most pins there is an upper back shelf with a backboard and a front right peninsula that is home to the hardest pin on this green.


Hole Win: Links
I find the 13th at Links to be one of the most fun holes as the blind but open nature of the tee shot combined with the number of options on the second shot make it a nice breather in the middle of a hard round of golf


Links 7 up




Hole # 14


Cliffs Par 3 -  Back 184 Member 149  Forward 113


Almost at the summit of the hill that dominates the back 8 of Cabot Cliffs. The green is sited into a little ridge between a large rock with sinkholes hidden behind the green. The tee shot is defined by the large rock in front of the green that was uncovered during construction the 14th is the start of the iconic stretch of the last 4 holes here at Cliffs. The set of three fronting bunkers built into the rock is one of the first iconic features players must negotiate of this stretch. This hole is not only a looker as the golfer has lots of different options depending on the pin or the wind, with a large kicker slope to the right of the green allowing golfer to bounce shots on to this intriguing green. With four unique sections that are separated by little rolls and bump this green has a slight left-to-right till allowing balls to use these ridges to gain a little ground advantage if you end up on the correct tier. (There is an alternate forward tee just in front of the green, while it is only a 45 to 50-yard pitch it's one of my favourite little shots to hit on a slow day at Cabot Cliffs)




Links Par 3 -  Back 108 Member 92  Forward 85


Playing from the top of the hill that dominates the property down to one of the smallest greens on the course. This little drop shot par 3 is one of the most deceptive holes on the property as the severe downhill nature of the shot allows for the wind to wreak havoc upon even the calmest days. Club and shot selection is tested here as the wrong flick of a wedge can lead to an easy 8 here. As both right, left, long and anything bar for a sliver in the front of the green is death. This creates a very nervy tee shot that is best aimed for the center of the green as trying to shape the ball into a hole can result in a short side pitch that would make Seve quake. The putting surface is relatively simple for a hole of this length but the wind combined with the subtle movements in the surface make it far from a sure birdie if your ball happens to find the putting surface.


Hole Win: Cliffs


Links 6 up


The quirk and uniqueness of the green site is a return to the themes that Cliffs does best that being rugged natural golf.








Hole # 15


Cliffs Par 5 -  Back 560 Member 524 Forward 443


The 15th hole plays from the pinnacle of the property down to the cliffs. Dropping over 40’ from tee to green. This leads the hole to play significantly shorter than the carded yardage from both the tee and second shot. Off the tee, the golfer has a choice of blasting the ball over a waste bunker on the right and playing into the widest and safest part of the fairway. With the caveat that they will face a blind second shot, the other option off the tee is to play to an upper plateau ensconced by bunkers. From here the player gets a clear view of the green and the straits of St. Lawrence beyond.


The second shot is very interesting as it plays sharply downhill towards a green defended by a large centerline bunker some 20 yards off the front of the green and three bunkers one right and left and a tiny pot bunker in the middle of the back of the green. There is also a little knob in the front of the green that deflects balls running into the hole. This second shot is one of my favourites on the entire property as you can choose to hit a long or mid iron for an aerial approach or if you are bold you can chase a runner down the slope to some of the pins. It's truly a magical spot. the green is intricately contoured and has two distinct halves leading to putts becoming challenging if left on the wrong side of the central ridge. This hole is one of the best of its type in Canada.


 
Links Par 4 -  Back 413 Member 381 Forward 280


Playing across a little wetland to a dunesy fairway defined by a little rise into a depression at the base of the hill upon which the green site is situated. This is a hole that to score must be played from the green backward as the internal contours of the green will shunt away balls hit from the wrong angle. With pins on the right of the green requiring your tee ball to challenge the dunes and beach on the left of the fairway and the inverse at when the pin is on the left asking the golfer to challenge the wild native area on the right. Also, it's key to note whether the pin is front or back as the approach to the green is blind from the landing area. It's also smart to note front pins as it's best to play beyond them as the front of the green is pinched by two deep bunkers one in the middle of the green and one just paces off the green to the left. This is probably one of the most deceptively challenging holes on the golf course as one miscue off the tee or into the green can leads you to scramble for par.


Hole Win: Cliffs


Links 5 up
This for me is the both literal and figurative summit of Cabot Cliffs. A gorgeous golf hole with a kind heart and beauty to spare

[Ben Malach]

Hole # 16


Cliffs Par 3 -  Back 178 Member 129 Forward 89


The 16th hole has slowly become one of the most iconic holes in golf. The shot values are interesting as well but perhaps not as arresting as the scenery would have you believe. As shots played to the lower narrow peninsula of the green are risky even on the calmest day as the whole green is defended by fronting and backing bunkers. So unless you can put the brakes on a mid-iron in the ever-present breeze your ball will bounce into one of the tiny back bunkers which is a very uncomfortable shot when you are looking at a shred of green before it plummets into the abyss. This leads a majority to take the safer play which is a bank shot off the kicker slope to the left of the green hoping the ball feeds onto the correct level of this two-tiered left-to-right sloped green. This safer play is defended by the left greenside bunker which catches shots hit a little too firmly as it is expertly placed at the furthest side of this slop almost connect to the back tee on 17. The whole left side of the green is obscured by a rise which makes seeing your ball land on the upper left half of the green impossible. The biggest thrill of 16 is walking up to the green to find where your ball has come to rest.




Links Par 4 -  Back 457 Member 388 Forward 334


The last hole playing along Inverness beach is a cracker. The fairway is bisected linearly by a ridge that defines the lower left from the upper right. Intervening in this ridge some 300 yards from the back is a centrally placed pot bunker. This bunker provides a wonderful aiming point and also a warning as just beyond it lies two more bunkers ready to gobble up golf balls that are hit just a bit offline.  The green is sighted just above a large swale leading to the beach and is protected by only 2 bunkers a small pot to the left and a more central bunker in the rear of the green. This long par 4 plays meaty as any meekly hit seconds are rejected by the front of the green and sent to the bottom of the swale some 8-10’ below the putting surface. The green dips off the side of this hill from back to front. It's a very simple hole but it is probably one of my favourite long par 4’s in Canada.


Hole Win: Links
Links 6 up




Links wins here by leaning into Rods ability to work magic out of nothing having seen photos of this land before he got there. Its a wonder that the human mind could build such wonderful rippling micro contours and that same mind could then lay some of the most interesting half-par holes upon them.


Hole #17


Cliffs Par 3 -  Back 331 Member 239 Forward 215


The blind tee shot over one of the eponymous cliffs is a wonderful and exhilarating experience. All but the longest of hitters must take the more left most route which normally requires less than a driver to either the top of the hill with the lucky one bounding down the hill on the other side to the green for a putt for eagle. If they manage to avoid the right green side  bunker and the central principal's nose feature. If the ball comes to rest at the top of the hill it's strange to say but often the best play is to hit a putt from the top of the hill and watch the ball run some 100y to the green. Pitches from this position are very hard to judge especially coinciding with the huge almost drop-shot nature of the approach. The green slopes from back to front with a noticeable tilt from left to right in the green making front left pins the hardest to score on. This helps hold the ball from running on  over the back of the green into the two of the deepest bunkers on the course. This hole is pure hit-it-and-hope fun.




Links Par 3 -  Back 170 Member 128 Forward 85


This is my favourite par 3 at Cabot. The bunkering is immaculate from the centerline bunker that sits 15 yards short of the green which blocks the view of the bottom of front pins to the dastardly bunkers left, right and center back left. To the rippled putting surface broken into distinct shelfs from the highest on the back left that ties beautifully into the back ridge that then flows elegantly to the front right area. This green complex is something every lover of great golf must see at least once in their life. The amount of action around this green from a short-game perspective is insane and that's not even getting into how deceptive this putting surface is. I have seen many large numbers occur from benign seeming misses to the wrong pin. It's one of those greens that you want to bring a shag bag to on a slow day to hit shots and putts on for hours. It is also a nice last chance to say goodbye to the ocean as one makes their way home to the hustle and bustle of the resort above.


Hole Win: Links


Links 7 up


Links edges boldness with thoughtful contours and subtle details


Hole #18


Cliffs Par 5 -  Back 532 Member 492 Forward 431


Playing home on Cabot Cliffs with the couch hill behind the 18 green is a welcoming site after you have completed your hike up the hill and back on the back 8 at Cabot Cliffs. Like 15 this tee shot plays significantly downhill. The golfer must still manage one last good swing with the big stick as the ball must fit into the gap between a stand of natives with 2 large fairway bunkers on the right and on the left ocean. The second shot asks the golfer once again to be bold and take on the green over a jut in the cliff some 50 yards in front of the green or to play to the left of it into a small neck. The green is relatively simple and is only defended by two bunkers one placed in the middle left of the green and one at the back. The 18th hole allows one to take a
small breath after the intensity of the stretch from 14-17.




Links Par 4 -  Back 475 Member 392 Forward 325


This stern uphill finishing hole starts with a blind drive over a small sighting bunker to one of the widest fairways on the golf course. The bunkers in the fairway come into play left as well as with a smartly placed bunker in the center at the base of the hill that climbs to the green. If you play to the right you will gain not only the advantage of a kick from the hill conquered on the drive but will most likely be rewarded with a falter stance. Those on the left will have a lie that is either uphill, below their feet or a combination of both. This matters a lot as the green is well defended on all sides with deep bunkers lurking to the right, with the patio and out-of-bounds lurking up the left, there is also s cute little bunker in the back of the green preventing golfers from running a low approach out onto the cart path leading down to the first hole. The green is a work of art with lots of little ripples as it drains from multiple angles meaning putts break a lot of different ways. There is a slight back to front tilt but its not extreme. This green is also one of the key amenities of the resort as it's lit in the evenings. This allows guests to experience the details and truly soak in this green unlike any other at the resort. A testament to its quality is how long people will spend in the evening merely rolling balls to different hole locations. It's rare to find one green of this quality on a golf course but at Cabot Links it's merely one of a dozen. 


Hole Win: Links
Links 8 up


The closing holes are a microcosm of this entire match Cliffs photographs way better but golf is not played via the lens of a camera or drone. It's played on the ground and with the contours that lie there. This is where Links reigns supreme as a true example of what modern links golf can and should be. 


I hope that you enjoyed following along for this match even though it became a little one-sided. I personally believe that as Cabot Links ages more and more, people will see its depth and the art in its subtly rolling contours. It doesn’t shout as its sister does to the world to come to see it however like its creator Rod Whitman it speaks softly in elegant simply profound ways.

[Matt Kardash]

The most bold thing about Cabot Links is how restrained the whole thing is. It is so not flashy. Probably any other designer would have made a much flashier looking course, but I don't think anyone would have made a better one. If anything, this top 100 course might actually be underrated.

[Ben Malach]

Matt, I 100% agree. I also think that's what gives it such amazing replayability as the course isn't as defined as it's more visually impressive sister.


That's not even getting into the larger variety of loops that the routing contains for evening or sunset play.


It's definitely a step ahead of any modern course in Canada.

[Joe Bausch]

I appreciate all the work you did for this thread, Ben. And I join you on this other side of the fence.

Both courses are wonderful, and I'd happily time travel to play either as I sit here in my man-cave in 30 degree weather!

Give me the pleasure of only one more round at the site, it would be the Links.

Perhaps the site would enjoy looking at my photo tours as they read your detailed descriptions:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/CabotLinks/index.html

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/CabotCliffs2/index.html

[Ben Malach]

Thanks, Joseph for your kind words.


That's exactly what this piece was for is sitting and reading on a cold winter's eve as that's how I wrote it last winter.


I appreciate you providing your images as well as that's one of the reasons why Drew never released this piece at beyond the contour. As we didn't have the time to devote to combing through our images to provide proper accompaniment.

[Andrew Harvie]

I'm slightly different than you, but a cool way to compare two great golf courses.


1 -- Links, 1 up | I like the hidden collection area front right at Links more than the wavy green at Cliffs
2 -- Cliffs, AS | Easy choice really
3 -- Links, 1 up | Classy short hole
4 -- Cliffs, AS | Difficult choice and Links is a great hole as well, but the 4th is a very fun par 3 at Cliffs with two unique greens
5 -- Links, 1 up | Difficult choice as well but I really love the green on the 5th at Links
6 -- Links, 2 up | Iconic harbour hole with superb strategy because of the high right side leading into the green
7 -- Cliffs, 1 up | A very demanding par 5, but pretty awesome to play with a very cool tee shot across the gorge
8 -- Links, 2 up | Love this par 5 hoisting the second shot out of the valley to the double green
9 -- Cliffs, 1 up | cute little par 3 with a very engaging green, especially when the pin is on the left
10 -- Links, 2 up | Another difficult choice because the 10th is a great 5 at Cliffs, but the 10th at Links is everything I love about that golf course
11 -- Links, 3 up | The second world-class par 5 at Links against a climber at Cliffs. Easy choice for me
12 -- wash | There's no clear standout to me here so I just went wash
13 -- Links, 4 up | Playing to the other side of the double green from a low, blind tee. Superb hole
14 -- Cliffs, 3 up | This is maybe my favourite par 3 at Cabot. It's very beautiful but also fun to play
15 -- Cliffs, 2 up | An excellent par 5 from Coore/Crenshaw. Links is also a great par 4 too, but the 15th at Cliffs is a class above
16 -- Links, 3&2 | Maybe the best long 4 in the country at Links? True juggernaut matchup
17 -- Links, 4 up | The best one-shot hole at Links and perhaps the best singular green complex on the property. Just sublime from Whitman
18 -- Cliffs, 3 up | Another great par 5 against the coastline with the green narrowing in the back, meaning getting home in two ought to be a tee shot up the right. Love the finish at Links as well with the restaurant seemingly on top of the 18th green

[Brett Meyer]

Ben,

Thanks for putting the effort into writing all of that! I can't say that I read it all very carefully but what I did read was very thoughtful and there's a lot that I agree with. I don't think I have as intimate an understanding of these courses as you do having only been around each twice, but I've written about each on my website and have put a good deal of thought into them.

Despite my limited experience with the courses, I'm with you and the locals. The basic reason why is that Cabot Links has the best green complex shaping I've seen on a new course. Better than any of the Bandon Courses. Better than Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, or anything I've seen by Pete Dye. And that's because much of the interest is generated through subtle features. It exemplifies the do-more-by-doing-less principle, which I think is an important one.

Like all new courses, there's a lot of short grass around the greens. But I haven't seen one that it so good at letting short grass do what it can do without helping it. By that I mean this: when the grass is short, the ball will roll. When the ball rolls, it doesn't need to roll very far to make for tricky shots. This is the core lesson of Pinehurst no. 2 and that course is so great not because it has severe roll-offs (it has a few), but because most of them aren't. Yet so many new courses have many steep, long roll-offs next to the greens, from where many players will take an X. This is completely unnecessary to generate interest. It mostly generates frustration. On Cabot Links, the short grass areas are often gently sloped and in some cases are pretty flat. And that's enough. More is less.

Having said that, I asked the starter before my first round here which course people preferred. And to my surprise, he said that it was about 50-50. I thought that with the ratings and the greater visual drama of Cabot Cliffs, it would have been more like 80-20 Cliffs.

I haven't done one of these hole-by-hole matchups in my head, so while I expect Cabot Links to win, Cliffs has the advantage of having more spectacular individual holes. Links is more of a the-whole-is-more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts kind of course.

1: Links' first hole exemplifies everything I said above. It's just the most perfect, comfortable-looking green. It looks like a green on a fine British links course. But the first two shots are also great; it's reachable if you can hug/carry the bunker on left and the fairway bunkers in the approach landing area pinch the fairway in the perfect spot for those who haven't hit such a good drive but want to go for it anyway.

I also like the first hole on Cliffs, which was very tough into the wind. I like the carry bunker in the middle of the fairway well short of the green, but I think each element is just a bit less interesting than Links 1.

Links 1 up.

2: Everyone will pick Cliffs here and so will I because it's such a beautiful hole and has so many options. Although I wonder if it makes sense to play for the right side of the fairway given the better view from the left. I may not have played this hole enough to understand it.

The green on Links 2 is another beauty, although I think I'm more impressed by the soft shaping short of the green than the Biarritz swale.

All square.

3: This is such a great driving hole on Links, with the mound probably being one of the best centerline features that I've seen. I didn't think the approach was as interesting because the green is pretty large.

I think the best way to play the 3rd on Cliffs is to go left of the fairway bunker because you don't have to cross the dip on the right side of the green on the approach, but the best thing might just be to get as close as you can to the green, which invites greater trouble.

I think my personal preference is for Links but reviewing them again, I can't say it's a better hole overall. So I'll call it a draw.

All square.

4: This is an easy one for me. I don't care for either of the greens on Cliffs. The right green is just too narrow and I saw more than one player play ping pong in the bunkers.

Links is a classic tough long par 4, with staggered fairway bunkers and diagonal bunkers leading into the green. But there's plenty of room up the left side on the approach, giving those who are further back in the fairway a chance.

Links 1 up.

5: I love the par 3 5th on Links, which again exemplifies what's so good about this course, with its green that falls softly from front-left to back-right.

But I just can't say that it's a better hole than Cliffs' 5th, which must be one of the world's greatest driving holes. The thing that makes this hole so great, apart from the unique and spectacular setting, is that the drive is interesting for every skill level of player. Everyone can think about making some carry and it would be to everyone's advantage if they could pull it off.

All square.

6: I'd say the opposite for this one. Cliffs' 6th is such a great setting. I don't think I've ever seen a hole that blends into sand dunes better.

But you just can't beat Links 6, which is one of the coolest settings anywhere. St. Enodoc and Cruden Bay don't have anything on the little fishing boat harbor behind this green. And the green is another subtle work of art, sloping so gently to the left. And it's one of the best pond driving holes that I've seen.

Links 1 up.

7: This one is a tougher call because I think Cliffs 7 is one of the best driving holes on the property. But I'm not as impressed by the approach.

Links' 7th is one of the best-looking greens of all. And the principle of the hole, that the deeper you go into the green, the steeper the greater the danger (steeper fall-off on the right), is one that I always love. Because I like a greater percentage of this hole,

Links 2 up

8: This is another easy call. Cliffs is a pretty good driving hole but the land is fairly tame and I wasn't impressed by the rest of the hole.

I think Links 8 is one of the best par 5s that I've seen. It's important to hug the left side if you want to go for the green because it shortens the hole, and that invites obvious danger. But if laying up, it's critical to be up the left side. If the pin is anywhere on the left, it's extremely awkward to approach from wide right because of the brilliant contouring, which creates a deep but narrow ridge on the left. Maybe it wouldn't be quite as interesting if the pin were somewhere else on this large double green, but it was on the left both times I played it and I learned the hard way how much harder an approach from the right was.

Links 3 up

9: The little downhill par 3 on Cliffs is beautiful, but it feels shoehorned into the routing and the green was both large and uninteresting.

This isn't one of my favorite holes on Links either, but there's clearly something to think about on the drive with all the bunkers. I didn't remember the green, but looking at the picture on my website, clearly it's another good one.

Links 4 up.

10: I think Cliffs 10 is one of the best-looking holes anywhere. It's also an awesome approach over the chasm if you hit good enough of a drive to go for it.

Links 10 is also a very good looking hole but I don't think I was as impressed as Andrew and Ben seem to have been. Although it's a tough green to approach if you miss the fairway left, it seemed fine from everywhere else. But this hole played downwind both times and was quite easy, so maybe I missed something that playing in different conditions would reveal.

Links 3 up.

11: This is a pretty easy call because Links 11 is just such an incredible hole. I can't match what Ben said but I'll note one additional thing--if you lay up to the left fairway, you want to be on the right side because if you're too far back and left, you'll have a blind approach. I'd also note that the drive is quite tough, with everything sneaking off to the right.

But Cliffs 11 is good too. It was downwind which made it play a lot narrower than it looked because even a slight pull would run into the bunker on the left. The green is also very nice.

Links 4 up.

12: This is neither course's strongest hole but Cliffs' has the vice of being almost unplayable. There isn't anyway to run the ball on the green. I think you just have to hit a perfect iron shot that lands into the upslope at the front of the green in just the right spot to kill the momentum. This is one of those holes where less short grass around the green would be better because everyone who tries to hit the green gets killed by the long runoff to the left.

Links 12 is probably the tamest hole so far as far as features, but it was into the teeth of the wind, so I appreciated that. It's a long par 4, so the lack of features makes sense if the hole is going to play into the wind a lot.

Links 5 up.

13: This is a tough call again because it isn't either course's best. I like the blind drive on Links, but the rest of the hold reminds me more of other new courses with a very wide fairway and big, bold green. It's not bad, but it doesn't exemplify what I think is so unique and great about this course.

Cliffs 13 is a nice break after 12. It's a nice wide-open fairway to a blind, but deep and friendly green. Because I think it's stylistically a better fit with the rest of the course,

Links 4 up.

14: I played in July when the courses were very firm. Cliffs 14, with its table top green, was straight downwind and like 12, it was impossible to hit the green without hitting the upslope in front of the green in just the right spot. I saw one ball hit the green and bounce into the woods, never to be found.

I think these super-short par 3s are often gimmicky, relying too much on bunkers or goofy green contours. But I thought Links 14 was just right. It's pretty nasty if you miss the green right, but I think the green is large enough that it's reasonable. I don't know, maybe because I hit two good wedge shots and hit the green twice I don't see how unreasonable the hole can be.

Links 5 up. And that'd be the match, Links 5&4.

15: This is another tough call, but because both holes are so great. I think this is Links' best hole. It's made by the green, which is narrow at the front and angled at the left side of the fairway, making for an easier approach if you hug the beach grass on the left. But it's also important to note that the green also widens a bit at its back and there's short grass over the right bunker, so there may be a bit more room for inaccuracy if you take enough club.

Everyone's seen pictures of Cliffs 15. Obviously, you want to carry the bunker if you can. But I'm not sure the risk of going left of the bunker justifies the reward. And I don't think there's much of an advantage in the angle. With the firm ground, it's always a bit hit-and-hope when going for the green.

Links 6 up.

16: Links 16 is an excellent long par 4 which, like no. 4, requires you either to lay back or hit a very straight drive between staggered bunkers. The approach is a beauty.

But it just can't compete with Cliffs 16, which is certainly the most spectacular par 3 I've ever played. I haven't played many holes which literally got my heart racing, but this one did. And there's some decision making about which line to pick if playing safe.

Links 5 up.

17: I feel the same way about Cliffs 17 as Cliffs 16. Is there a more spectacular driving hole in the world? That you have to go uphill and over this cliff? Unbelievable. They should probably clear out some of the roses left of the fairway but otherwise, I think the hole works. You can get on the green if you take the bold line but if you play out to the left, it's a very tricky pitch. And I confirmed that the bump-and-run around the front bunker works.

Links 17 is a very English-feeling uphill par 3 with tight bunkering around the green, one of my favorite types of holes. And this and the other par 3s nos. 5 and 7 exemplify the relaxed, subtle greatness of this course. But this hole can't compete with Cliffs 17.

Links 4 up.

18: Now that I think about it, 15 can't be the best hole on Links because 18 must be. This is surely one of the world's greatest long par 4s. I love the blind drive and the approach is one of the coolest shots anywhere, where a pull means that you'll have to chip from below the bar window with everyone watching. And on a course with sublime contouring on and around the greens, this one might be the best yet.

Cliffs 18 is obviously a great hole too, but not this great to me. It was very tough to carry the chasm short of the green into the wind but that's probably more of a strength than a weakness. I really struggled with it both times and maybe that makes me less disposed toward it than I'd otherwise be.

Links 5 up.


I can see why Cliffs is the higher-rated course--it's visually spectacular and has several holes that stand out even among the world's best. But it just can't match Links around the greens.

Part of this I think is because of the site. Like the debate I'm having in the thread about the top 100 public courses on Southern Pines vs. Mid Pines and Pine Needles, Cliffs' land is much hillier and is not conducive to building subtle greens. Because I value this highly in a course, it puts Cliffs behind Links for me.

I also think that Cliffs and other new courses might benefit from having a bit less short grass around the greens. I appreciate that short grass can create short game interest, but it overly penalizes shots that aren't that bad when you have it on long and steep slopes. I really don't think that shots up a steep short grass hill are all that interesting; you're just praying that it comes off right so that you don't have to hit the shot again or hit that same shot from the other side of the green. The pros struggle with these shots too as we saw at Pinehurst this past summer. Again, Cabot Cliffs is not nearly the biggest offender, but new courses either need to reduce the amount of short grass around their greens or have softer features. Like Cabot Links.

The most bold thing about Cabot Links is how restrained the whole thing is. It is so not flashy. Probably any other designer would have made a much flashier looking course, but I don't think anyone would have made a better one. If anything, this top 100 course might actually be underrated.

Matt, I couldn't agree with this statement more. Cabot Links is such a nice contrast to many of the influencer-approved^TM new courses, many of which are trying to be too flashy and have too many bold (and overly bold) design features. The shaping is so soft and subtle; it's a real work of art, all the more so because it doesn't scream 'WORK OF ART!!!' at you.

[Ben Malach]

Brett,


I think the reason why Cliffs greens and surrounds are less detailed is because of time.


Cabot Links had almost 3 years of shaping. The majority of Cabot Cliffs was shaped in one season.


meaning less chances to iterate and evolve the concepts in the dirt. They shaped a green and surround got a quick edit bang grass it move on.




Golf construction isn't romantic it's pragmatic at its best. It's why I started the craft vs art thread. As well craft can be art. Craft to reach that level takes time and care. Softness is a lot harder to bail than a screaming ripper of a contour.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Brett, Ben - thank you.

[Matt Kardash]

Ben, you are right. Due to the financial crash Whitman had years to sit on a dozer and play around in the sand. How often does a designer get that chance? I am sure other designers would admit that time is the most valuable resource.

[Brett Meyer]

Brett,


I think the reason why Cliffs greens and surrounds are less detailed is because of time.


Cabot Links had almost 3 years of shaping. The majority of Cabot Cliffs was shaped in one season.


meaning less chances to iterate and evolve the concepts in the dirt. They shaped a green and surround got a quick edit bang grass it move on.




Golf construction isn't romantic it's pragmatic at its best. It's why I started the craft vs art thread. As well craft can be art. Craft to reach that level takes time and care. Softness is a lot harder to bail than a screaming ripper of a contour.

Ben, that's really interesting to hear and makes a lot of sense. To me, it speaks to the idea that to figure out what works best, you need to experiment. A golf course is a functional thing and you may not know whether some of the elements that you build will work as intended. You get the same thing in classical music. Composers--even very experienced ones--often revise pieces after their first performances because an idea doesn't work quite as well with the orchestra as it did on the computer.

Although while time was maybe essential here, you still have to appreciate subtlety like this to produce a result like this. I can't imagine that a Mike Strantz or King/Collins would evolve their green complexes into something more like these given infinite time. And while the most important thing is that we live in a world with variety, if asked what I think is better, I'm always going to go with something like this, which achieves much with elements that look simple. Perhaps it's even more impressive if what looks simple wasn't simple to devise or construct.

[David_Madison]

I totally agree with the comments about Links being the more sustainably interesting, subtle course. While on a recent visit there, I heard the following comment that seemed to sum things up perfectly... "You date the Cliffs, but you marry the Links."

[Ben Malach]

David:


Cool, story man


What does that mean? I know that it's the same thing everyone says.




Did you read a word of the nearly 10k I wrote on the subject?


Instead of repeating other people's takes. Examine the situation and make your own opinion.


Sorry to put you on blast but this is an epidemic on this board and this thread is supposed to be an antidote to such linear thinking.

[David_Madison]

Ben,

Sorry if you didn't like my comment, which in a pithy way echoed your essay (which by the way I read in its entirety and thought was really well written and for the most part fully agreed with). I really don't know why you decided to as you say put me on blast when all I did was say that your opinion was shared by people in the know up there who live with the two courses full time.

The first time I visited the two courses was in 2019. I very much enjoyed both, and came away with the overwhelming feeling that Cliffs was the most "shock and awe" course that I'd ever played. We all know about its incredible visuals, the views from a number of holes along the cliffs. I've even wondered at times if the course was routed in a manner that accentuated some of that shock and awe at the expense of pure playing qualities. For what it's worth, my wife and I have printed business cards with our personal contact info that we'll give to people we meet, and they are printed over a photo of the 16th hole at sunset. Cliffs was a fantastic playing experience and well worth the trip up from North Carolina. At the same time, I really enjoyed Links and thought that it was a wonderful course. But it didn't leave me with the same incredible feeling that I had after playing Cliffs.

Fast forward to this past summer... Cliffs was still wonderful, but I didn't get the sense of seeing a whole lot more in the course than I saw the first time. But my experience on Links was totally different. First, the playing surfaces have matured really nicely over the past five years so it had a more finished feeling that I remembered. But far more impactful, I saw so much more in the course after seeing it again, so many more of the subtleties and intricacies that were easy to miss after the first visit. I had a much greater sense that the more I might play the course, the more I'd see in it, kinda' like an onion that had lots of layers that could be peeled back to reveal yet additional layers. That's one of the ways that I tend to describe courses that I think the most highly of and that I know I'd enjoy playing over and over again. My bottom line on Links is that it sits in the very top tier of all the courses I've played, and definitely above the group in which I'd place Cliffs.

Towards the end of our recent stay I spoke with some of the people there and relayed my thoughts about the two courses. That's when I heard the date vs marry comment, which seemed to sum up my thoughts pretty nicely. It didn't seem to me that any of what I've written here in this note really added a whole lot to your detailed review so all I did was go to the punchline. Did I do better this time?

[Ben Malach]

David:




That's great context to why your opinion on the place evolved.


From conditions to experience.


Thanks for responding again, sorry I put you on blast.