I just spent a few days playing Deal and I can say that Peter Dawson recently visited the course and from what I was told, he came away very impressed.  He believes there is enough space to host a major event at the club (some members think there is not enough space) and whether an Open will be forecoming remains to be seen.. It would be at least 2011 before that happens but I do think the club is being considered.. As Hoylake did with holding an British Amateur I think Deal will likely get a Walker Cup or Ladies/Senior Open as a test to see if the Open Championship should return.  Of course, another Amateur could be in the cards as well.

Working with Donald Steel, the course currently is 7,000 yards but can be stretched to 7380 yards or so..  I think this is what got the R&A excited--..  Deal will undergo a fair amount of change this winter..

#2 will have a new tee pushed back to the property line. This may add about 50 yards.

#3 tee will be pushed back I would guess about 40-50 yards and closer to the first tee on a slight dogleg left angle.  The bunker on the left side of the fairway will be removed and two pots added on the right.  #3 was a great par 4.5 downwind and I will bemoan this if it is pushed back far enough so it is unreachable but we shall see.

#4-- 2 options for the future (not this year), I hope the 1st happens.. #1 is to move the tee back 20 yards and the hole will play 172 yards to a crowned green.. The other option which I think is horrible is to add some green at the back for another 7 pin placements.. The green has not been touched since Morrison in the late 30s

#5-- new tee to push it to 600 yards!.. and perhaps the restoration of the old cross bunkers over the carry ridge.. This will essentially bring the hole similar to how it used to play back in the day if the bunkers are restored.

#7- new seawall tee.. will add about 15-20 yards..

#9 new seawall tee.. adds 15-20 yards

#12-- the famous U shaped green.. This used to be a par 5, the old tee is back over the road adjacent to the course (which the club owns).. So the old tee will be put back adding about 80-100 yards... This allows the great 16th hole to be a 470-500 yard par 4... Instead of a short par 5 which many at the club don't agree with.

There is room to thus stretch the course a great deal.. #1 could also see a new tee to stretch it another 40-50 yards..

Deal played very firm and fast and uncharacteristically in a strong northerly when I was there (the back was very short instead of the tough beatback it usually is).. The southeast corner of Kent is undergoing a severe drought (Deal only gets 22 inches or rain a year, a lot less than many places in the UK or US!).. I will have to wait until next year obviously to see the changes but I do worry about member tee drift.. The course is plenty challenging at 6500 yards from the medal tees and I reckon it will be near 6700/6899 yards with the tee changes.. The front 9 always gave you a chance to score at Deal, now it won't be so easy...

Bullocks!

The plans should be the complete restoration of The Sandy Parlour!

...  could this be another case of a club sacrificing how the course is played by chasing a pro tourney which will only be played every 10 years or so?  ... Memberships change courses in the search for club glory.  

Couldn't the motivation be more than glory?  

What do you think the effect of the increased visibility and notoriety of being an "Open" course has on the money these clubs can make from outside play?

Having never golfed in Scotland/England, I'd never heard of many of the links courses discussed on this site before I started hanging out here.  Like the typical American, my knowledge extended mostly to the courses I've seen on TV during the Open.  

Breaking (back) into the Open Rota has got to dramatically increase the potential for outside income for a course (if that's what they want).

Andy

Sean-- Deal was 6600 yards for the 1909 Open!  It was 7000+ for the Open that never took place in the late 30s.. With the floods there were amendments that shortened the course.  Essentially Deal is going back to where it was plus a bit more to combat today's technology.. Plus I don't see the routing or any greens (I severely doubt what I said about the 4th will happen) changed.   That is the core of the course..  None of that will be changed and I do know this the club would reject any changes like we saw ala Hoylake to greens.. Also, the course has had bunkers moved around over the last 50 years so this is nothing new..  My only concern is the medal tees moving back too far.. There are many members at Deal who have been there 40-50+ years who are in the power hierarchy so nothing is going to change the character of the course that much..

Also, I'm not saying there will be an Open there and that is the max they could stretch it to.. And most of this is only tees, nothing else except the 2 bunkers on #3..

JJSE-- you have to remember the 6th green is backboarded by the seawall.. If you could imaginary split the 6th green and go about 10 yards into the sea wall that is where the new tee would be..there is a stake there.

Tiger- The Donald did alright at Deal.. Gordon Irvine the super does all the work in the field anyway.. I'm not wild about the revetted and new bunkers on 17.. They are too open and wide at the front and less of the hazard they once were...

Noel -

Do you know when Deal last hosted an R&A Championship event and which event it was? Just curious.

Thanks.

DT  

David

I beleive it hosted the 1982 UK Amateur

Thanks Noel. I would love to read a follow up to that article some time. Always nice to hear about success stories.

Tell me, do they still talk about Laddie Lucas down there? I know an old gentleman who went to Pembroke with him.