David:
Alas, I fear your short term memory problem is getting worse.
I never said that the course had any architectural stuff ups.
I did say that the rest were okay, but nothing special. If you can extrapolate that into stuff ups, let alone major stuff ups, you have an incredible and unique insight into what people mean when they say something. Chuck in your day job with Mike pronto, and head for Canberra. You have a wunnerful career as a political speechwriter ahead of you. I bet the super is better than your current deal, too.
Ben:
There's nothing confounding about it at all. If I have played the best, a couple in the middle and a couple at the end, then I think I can say with a reasonable degree of confidence where another course is going to fit.
If not, why not? If you've played more than me, why don't you give us your top ten?
Matt:
I don't think where we disagree is whether the poorer holes are good, more the notion that 'flawless' - or whatever other description comes to mind - automatically means that they are good.
Take the 10th. I guess you could call it flawless? It's 400-odd metres, yet to me, the first 300 aren't interesting at all. I was reminded of 13th beach - bunkers, grass and dunes along one side, flat farmland along the other.
The last 100 or so are good, culminating in a great green. I was reminded very much of the 2nd at Macrihanish whilst playing it - a drive out into a wideish fairway, then a second uphill to a strongly contoured green.
Except, the 2nd at Macrihanish has a more interesting drive, because you have to be aware of the burn 240 odd in front of the tee - clearly my cojones were swollen that day too, since I sent it straight into the water - but then you have a fantastic blind second shot up over the hill to one of the most inspiring and unique greens you can come across.
And so it goes at Macrihanish, with a great 3rd, 4th and 5th to name just three other great holes for you (and Ben).
I just didn't find that inspiration at Barnbougle. Yes it has some great holes, yes it has some fantastic contours in the fairways, yes it has some great greens, but to me there is something lacking about the place.
The other holes are just holes. Maybe there is nothing lacking architecturally, but I think they lack the uniqueness, memorability and inspiration of the other holes. They just aren't the same.
And rankings? Some people (a lot) think Birkdale might actually be one of the 30 best courses in the world. Cruden Bay makes it into the top 100 on Golf magazine's World list, yet it floats around closer to 70-80 on British Golf magazine lists. Who's right?
I haven't played NSW or RM East or RA. I haven't any interest into going to Adelaide, but the other two I hope to knock off soon.
Kepp this in mind, though. In the Confidential Guide, NSW is only a 7. RM East only a six. That places them behind Commonwealth (
.