Royal County Down

[Adam Lawrence]

I was watching a Fried Egg video about RCD, in which Andy Johnson said something along the lines that, most of the time, if you have great greens, you have a great course, but RCD is an example of a course with fairly low-key greens that is great because of the terrain and how it is used.

This made me ask myself a question. Would RCD be a better course with more complex (I won't say 'better' because I'm trying to avoid leaping to conclusions) greens, or would it, given the rest of the course, just be too much to cope with?

Thoughts?

[Ally Mcintosh]

In general, RCD is overrated.


I’m not saying it’s not great (it is) but to perennially be in the top-3 in the world places it above its station as a golf course. Its beauty and aesthetic plays a large part in its position.


Would it be better with more interest in the greens? I am not overly sure. It has been a while since I’ve been there and I can’t recall enough of the detail in the surrounds to say. I will be there again in a couple of months time. What I will say is that I do believe greens can be low-key and still add to greatness as long as the green sites themselves are varied and supremely placed.

[Ryan Book]

Can only speak within my own personal context but I think a green redesign program at Bethpage Black would make it considerably more fun even if it adds strokes to my already suffering scorecard.

Then again, based what I understand of RCD, getting to the green is the fun part...mostly untrue at Black.

[Niall C]

Never played Royal County Down but I know a few superlative links courses that also have fairly flat greens. I'd put Carnoustie in that bracket. Given the landscape there I'm not sure greens that had a lot more movement would necessarily work as well.


Niall

[PCCraig]

I adore RCD.


I think the greens, if renovated to a bunch of potato chips, would be overload on that site. There is so much going on with the dunes and wind that it would be a bit too much. They aren't all boring ovals though...the 7th green is a mean little guy that would be right at home at Pinehurst #2. Plus, many of the greens sit in wonderful surroundings - the base of a dune, surrounded by gorse like on the 13th, etc.

[Steve Abt]

Can only speak within my own personal context but I think a green redesign program at Bethpage Black would make it considerably more fun even if it adds strokes to my already suffering scorecard.

Then again, based what I understand of RCD, getting to the green is the fun part...mostly untrue at Black.

BPB would be a better course, but I doubt you’d find it more fun because the typically 5 hour rounds would start pushing 6 hours!

[Rob Marshall]

When I played in Ireland I played probably the 4 best courses. RCD was the only one I truly thought played the way “I” thought a links course would play. I think on every green I missed I used a putter. Never hit a chip or pitch that I remember. The surrounds were all tight, firm and fast. I thought it was a great course but Lahinch was the course I loved.

[Mark_Fine]

RCD has flaws just like every other course out there (at least that I have seen including Pine Valley as discussed on the other thread) but it still one of the best courses on the planet.  It has been a while since I played it and I believe there have been some changes but the finishing two holes were weak. We all know another course in Monterrey where the last hole is considered by many to be marginal but most of us still give it a 10!  Like some others, there are too many great things about that course that override the issues.


The Black Course has already been mentioned as a course where the greens are not the star.  I have said in the past, I can’t even imagine how difficult The Black course would be if Tillie put Winged Foot West type greens at Bethpage Black 
OMG, it would be insane but would it be better, probably not. Sometimes architects know when to moderate vs go over the top. They remember their golf designs have to be played and not just looked at