Not that it is out of place or bad, the bunker in the middle of
the green on the 6th @ Riviera. It is so reveered by so many
people.

Finally finished reading the retrospective on Royal County Down.  Most excellent volume.

I have to say the 17th (aka The Pond) seems so out of character with the rest of the course with that pond in the middle of the fairway.  A triangle no less.

I initially thought this must have been a more recent "change", but in fact it dates way back.  It's not clear either if the pond was man made or not.

I'm not interested to know if people agree with my assessment or not.  Just my opinion.

However ... it would be interesting to see if there are any GCAers out there that feel there are classics (or modern) with significant "out of character" features.  Features that really feel foreign to the rest of the course design.  Features that were implemented some time ago as part of the original design or even after the course would have first opened ... yet still feel out of place today.

Thoughts?  

The pond was indeed out of character at #17 RCD but (1) it isn't very big, and (2) is not in play for mortal humans.  A couple of the Walker Cuppers had to hit 3-woods to be sure and stay short, but from the 450 yard tee it wasn't a big deal.

It certainly wasn't offensive, just sort of unanticipated!

Patrick,
The famed Duke's Challenge in Vancouver, Washington has, or once had a pond in the middle of one of it's greens. It also had a green that sloped into an even bigger lake; an alternate tee that required you to take some stepping stones out to a tee, actually built on Lake Vancouver, as well as pear, plum and apple trees in the middle of fairways.

To this day, I don't think I have ever been on better maintained putting surfaces in my life.

Tommy,

Is the course, in its previous form, a NLE?

Tommy, thats too bad, I don't think I could give some of my friends enough crap about putting into a water hazrds.

Besides that, it's just such an absolutely original concept, even in today's crazy golf world where 90% of all courses have man made water hazards.

But interesting.
I'll have to check it out!

Happy Holidays!!

Jordan

The other pieces that contribute to any critisism of this great course are:

* 16, the driveable par four is so so
* 18, a strong par 5 has been weaken by technology, ie, eagle finish in the Walker Cup
* the finishing holes are all away from the water and less dramatic

Tom, have you seen Steele's new 16th hole?  It's just a couple of years old and runs straight away from #15, not at right angles.  It's a dandy short par 4, with a crowned green with very difficult pin locations.

#18 is 550 from the tips.  I was maybe 20' from Jonathan Moore when he hit that 252 yard 4-iron and it may be the best golf shot I've ever seen.  He hit a stinger than never went more than 20' off the ground; his Walker Cup teammates who had come out to watch him finish started jumping up and down the instant he hit the shot, it was so pure and straight.

There really weren't that many birdies on the hole during the matches, it is a very tough hole.

Agreed the finishing holes are away from the water, but you never really see much of the water with the big dune line along the waterside of the course.

It is a truly fine course, worthy of its Top 5 in the world ranking.  One great hole after another.  Rule of thumb:  short and straight is the only miss to consider!

Bumped up a past thread

Bill I was going to try and meet you but I working. You might have seen me having to re-rake the bunkers a driving range as some sweet young children  decided it smart to play in the bunkers> while sundays last group waited on the tee.