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Ally Mcintosh

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Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« on: July 06, 2011, 05:19:00 AM »
Quote from: Mark Chaplin on July 06, 2011, 05:06:05 AM
My guess is TOC, Royal County Down, Ballybunion, Royal St Georges and Royal Porthcawl will not feel too threatened by Cabot Links however good it is. I'd guess they are the collective "The Standard" for GB&I links golf

Mark's comment on the Cabot thread is an interesting one... What courses do set various "accepted" standards for other courses to be measured against in British & Irish links golf... I will offer the following (though I may not personally agree with all):

Setting: Turnberry
Toughness: Carnoustie
History: St. Andrews
Big Dunes: Royal St.Georges
Maintenance: Royal County Down
Fairness: Muirfield

What say you?... What others?
« Last Edit: July 06, 2011, 05:31:29 AM by Ally Mcintosh »
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Kevin Pallier

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2011, 05:53:03 AM »
Ally

Since when was fairness a standard is links golf ? Same for maintenance ?

As far as big dunes go - I wouldn't have thought Royal St G. fits the bill as the measuring stick. There is only a few on the F9 and virtually none on the B9 ?

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Mark Pearce

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2011, 06:04:56 AM »
Why set artificial categories and then allocate courses to them?  Why not just state that these courses (and maybe a handful of others) set the standard?  What about the thing the UK does brilliantly?  Those "second tier" links courses that are just wonderful places to play and enjoy golf.  The Deals, Silloths, Elies and Ryes?
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Mark Chaplin

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2011, 06:17:03 AM »
Kevin maintenance is important at every course. We'd mark down an over watered links with long lush grass around the greens.
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Ally Mcintosh

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2011, 06:33:48 AM »
Quote from: Kevin Pallier on July 06, 2011, 05:53:03 AM
Ally

Since when was fairness a standard is links golf ? Same for maintenance ?

As far as big dunes go - I wouldn't have thought Royal St G. fits the bill as the measuring stick. There is only a few on the F9 and virtually none on the B9 ?



Kevin, if you break out of a GCA mindset for a moment, then you know that "fairness" is a standard that many people measure links courses by.... Muirfield sets that standard in the public's eye because it is is a mantra so often repeated by the professionals... Personally, fairness isn't that big for me... The thread was meant as a slice of fun...

Ditto Mark P.

The thing that most people talk about with Turnberry is the setting... The thing that most people talk about with Royal St Georges is the dunes and undulating fairways (despite there being plenty more courses more dramatic)...

As for Royal County Down and maintenance, that has long been held (correctly) as a model for good links conditioning...

I was throwing out some public perceptions rather than GCA ideals....
« Last Edit: July 06, 2011, 06:36:15 AM by Ally Mcintosh »
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Ally Mcintosh

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2011, 06:34:31 AM »
.
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Ronald Montesano

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2011, 06:50:01 AM »
Sounds biblical...and then the standards begat the lists, which begat the rankings...
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Robin_Hiseman

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2011, 07:11:11 AM »
Would agree with five of your six Ally, but Big Dunes = Ballybunion, if you're looking for a well known marker.  RSG wouldn't make my personal top 20 in that respect.  Undulation - yes.  Big dunes - no.
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Mark Chaplin

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2011, 07:24:17 AM »
RStG sets the standard in grandeur of setting, it is a wonderful property with masses of wildlife, peace and tranquility.
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Giles Payne

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2011, 07:32:59 AM »
I agree with Chappers - from my experience it has the most space and the holes feel more isolated from each other.

With regards to the bounces and awkward lies, I believe that these are actually what truely test the skills of the golfers. If you wanted a perfect lie all of the time you would flatten all the fairways and play of a piece of astroturf where you could place the ball to get just the right set up.

Over the course of 72 holes and 280 odd shots chance will even out and skill will rise to the top - at RStG's the skill is not just in the striking of the ball but also in the player's course management and strategy.
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Adam Clayman

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2011, 07:47:09 AM »
If golf design that follows formula, is a bad thing, setting a standard should also follow as poor thinking.

Now, If Robert Thompson used "setting the standard" as a colloquialism, that's a horse of a different color.
 I don't see how TOC could be anything but, the setting of settings for all those that followed. 
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Ally Mcintosh

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Re: Links Golf - Setting the Standard?
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2011, 08:10:58 AM »
Quote from: Robin_Hiseman on July 06, 2011, 07:11:11 AM
Would agree with five of your six Ally, but Big Dunes = Ballybunion, if you're looking for a well known marker.  RSG wouldn't make my personal top 20 in that respect.  Undulation - yes.  Big dunes - no.

I guess you're right, Robin... I just wondered if most day to day golfers would default to Royal St.Georges because of its Open connections... But Ballybunion fits better...
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