Kyle:
Sure, any golfer can hit any type shot if enough of them have a go at it. 40+ handicaps are more than capable in doing that -- but my central premise on the 18th at ME still stands. Kay had an opportunity to provide a definitive closer more align to what you see with the great links and heathland courses of the UK and Ireland. The 18th at ME is nothing remotely close to that -- in fact, it attempts to be completely opposite of plenty of the good stuff that precedes it.
Kyle, the H20 is an eye-candy prop. Drop the sad defense mechanism for a hole that is deadly dull and actually leaves a deplorable end to what could / should have been much better. I'm sorry your eyes were so clouded to that since you seem to have noticed the key details of design Kay included prior to that earlier in the round.
TD has the better tee shot situations -- check out the par-5 4th -- the Bishop's Purse. Great solitary bunker on the right side -- it appears rather small but the ideal play is from that side. The long skinny par-3 3rd green is another wonderful example of what critcial import club selection is all about. I do agree with you regarding the par-418th at TD -- I never thought the concluding hole was a solid one but when held agaunst the 18th at ME ther 18th at TD is like closer at Oakmont.
Kyle, let me say this again because you are missing my previous points almost as wide as a Tiger tee shot. It's not the trees at the 15th and 16th holes at ME. It's the simplistic pedestrian design that attempts to sell the golfer on something that's totally different -- it fails miserably.
On the whole, MEGL is a very convex golf course, Twisted Dune is a very concave one. Pleaser hellpme out with your statement I highlighted in bold. What sort of gobble de goop is that ?
One final statement are you saying in your mind that ME is the better golf course than TD. If you do -- you are frankly very alone in that thinking.
Many minds stand alone in their thinking. I'm okay with this. For starters, I know people that share my view so we can drop the Uncle Miltie routine (only showing as much as we need to) and discuss the golf courses.
Concave has containment features, convex has rejection features. I think you'd agree that TD has a large amount of mounding between holes whereas the surrounds to the fairway corridors at MEGL for the most part drop off, especially on the 1st, 3rd, 12th, and 17th. Miss a tee shot in the dunes at Twisted and the ball will be held closer to the centerline than a similar miss at MEGL. It's really not gobbledy goop but rather an accurate description of the landing zones found on both the courses.
As for you mentioning the 4th tee shot at Twisted Dune, this is, in my opinion, the only hole out there which features the type of tee shot presented on many of the holes at MEGL. At what point on other holes at Twisted is the golfer faced with the sort of decision making presented by the 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th, or 12th at MEGL to state a few. Each of these holes feature bunkers placed to influence or tempt the golfer, fall offs and rejection features that will kick a ball erring too much on the side of safety well away from the centerline of the hole from which recovery requires a well considered and executed shot.
Ironic, to me, that the hole to me at MEGL that most resembles what is found at Twisted is the 15th - which you find deplorable and an affront to a just and loving God.
I'm trying to pinpoint exactly what the 18th at MEGL, or any golf course, is supposed to be in your eyes. Is not the 18th green at MEGL drivable on an aggressive line? Is it not a fine candidate for a swing hole in a close match? What challenges do the golfer face in actually attempting to make a 3 and what are the consequences in not executing those decisions. Does the hole fit "elsewhere" in the routing? Would a simple change as flipping the nines appease you? Could the green jut into the pond as more of a "cape?" Sure. But I just do not find the hole as banal or blase as you do. You make the egregious assertion that a 40+ handicapper would find trouble with the hole. Yes, as by definition a 40+ handicapper would have difficulty with any golf shot or hole. The point is, the closer one attempts to get to the green, the more the water will influence the tee shot while granting an ideal angle to the green. Then the approach from the bail out zone to the left is no picnic as the angle of the green and the fall off to the right will feed any over-cooked approach toward the lake. A 10 handicap would have difficulty with that distance control from the left while a scratch golfer may actually feel they can take on the aggressive line and bring the water into the equation. Making a three on the hole requires well-thought out shots and execution. Five and Six are in the equation if the golfer misses. A person playing for a four is going to lose a shot to the successfully playing part of the field, most likely. What more is there?