Your First Hole of Links Golf

[Voytek Wilczak]

Clear, beautiful East Lothian September morning, 1994, first hole at North Berwick.

I learned several things that day:

1. If you're in Edinburgh, take a local bus there. Nice, scenic ride. Golf-crazy locals chat you up upon seeing your sticks - great fun. See #2.

2. It's pronounced North Berrick.

3. A clear, beautiful East Lothian September morning don't mean a thing. By the end of the round I had an inch of water in my shoes from the squalls.

Been in love with links golf ever since.

[Josh Smith]

Jim,

     Great to know you contribute here.  Very cool.

Back to the question,
 
     I guess playing on the Oregon coast on non irrigated fairways in summertime when I was around 14 was the first time I experienced "links" conditions.  Maybe watching the first drive just continue on its path many yards longer than normal until the rough slowed it up was the first impression that would stick with me.  Seaside public course was hardpan at its best and I loved that type of golf.  Can we have a renaissance back to less irrigation or only "grow in" irrigation on fairways and roughs so more of us can play this type of golf in the US?  Is this possible or acceptable at this day in age.  Think Sheep Ranch in the summer.

     Practicing short game and chipping in "links" conditions is hours of entertainment.  

     I for one have not had the honor of going overseas to play golf yet.  BD, PD, BT and SR will work just fine until then.

[henrye]

It was hot June afternoon, 90F, 33C, not a stitch of wind to be found and I was donning full jacket and tie as I walked into crowded lounge at Rye to pay my green fee to the bartender.  The members were similarly dressed and their pale complexions had all turned red like tomatoes from the heat/sun combo.  Sweat had drenched their collars.  Upon hearing I was from Canada, a few members offered to start me off with some good Canadian rye, which I politely declined.

The first fairway was a scorched brown and a direct hit down the middle kept my drive running seemingly endlessly.  The first ended relatively uneventful, but by the time I left the well-guarded par-3 second my introduction to Links golf had been made.

[Tony_Muldoon]

How many of you have noticed the wall that runs diagonally behind the first green at Rosses point?  

My first time at Prince’s was not memorable,  too many lost balls overpowered by the wind and the course and no short game at all.

Next time out at Sligo I hit a poor opening tee shot.  Hearing this mantra in my head, “take an extra club”,  I did and then thinned it.  I saw it land well short of the green and run up past the pin, over the green and on through until luckily there was a wall to stop it.  I realised there and then “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto”

[ForkaB]

Henry

First hole of links golf on a fast and firm Rye?  It must have been all downhill from there........

Rich

[TEPaul]

My first hole on a Links course (after perhaps four decades) was North Berwick. I took out a 2 iron and hit the ball dead fat.

Things did get a bit better after that. However, the fellow I was playing with (the USGA's Exec. Comm member Craig Ammerman) managed the unique feat during that round of hitting Mrs Majors (in the group ahead of us) in her pretty little ass at least twice and perhaps three times.

If you think about that it just might be one of the truly unique feats in the long and storied annals of all of golf.

However, in a another unique turn of events it turned out that that unique feat may've contributed in some small part to Ammerman becoming a member of North Berwick almost instantaneously.

I have no idea about these things, particularly in Scotland, and with Scottish women, but do you think there's some beneficial primal reaction amongst Scottish women that if they get hit in their pretty little ass by a golf ball two or perhaps three times during a single round by a strange man that they simply must do everything in their power to see to it that that strange man becomes a member of their golf club almost instantaneously?

[ForkaB]

Tom

Liittle did you and Mr. Ammerman know, but Mrs. Majors' job at North Berwick is to go out in fron of gormless Americans and protect the real golfers in front of them from their eccentricities.  If you remember back to your Fireball Roberts days, she was in effect the "pace car" for your round.  She doesn't do it for just anybody, so you should feel proud!

Rich

[TEPaul]

That's the wonderful thing about me and my life, Rich---it takes next to nothing to make me just as proud as punch. A flattish rock that skips 11 times to the other side of a pond pretty much makes my month. These are things that you slaves who are addicted to all of modern life's instant gratifications will probably never know or understand. On the other hand, I do admit to a certain envy of Ammerman and a certain sad regret that he nailed her two and perhaps three times and as hard as I tried I couldn't hit her in her pretty little ass a single time in 18 holes. I almost got her on #13 but that silly wall got in the way.

[Troy Alderson]

Brent,

#1 Pacific Dunes, pre-opening day for the Oregon GC Superintendents only.  Since then I have been hooked on traditional golf layouts and maintenance.  I do not remember the score, but hit the "through the green".  I was too amazed and wide eyed to concentrate on my game, I did not break 100.

Troy

[ed_getka]

Burnham and Berrow before going off to join the gang at the Painswick event up the road a piece. That first tee shot up between the mounds at B&B was a great introduction. Although after seeing NGLA, Pacific Dunes, and particularly Rustic Canyon I really felt like I knew what to do.
     The one links hole that really seared itself into my memory was #12 TOC. The approach shot options into that hole are fantastic.

Brent,
  I look forward to hearing about your trip once you gather your thoughts.

[Bill Weber]

Mine came along with a late starting time at Cruden Bay.  While the starting holes were memorable it was the finish in the gloaming I will never forget. The day had been a brilliant clear one. The walk up 17 then 18 with the light starting to fade, the grasses on the dunes a color I may never see again, was a visual delight I will never forget.

[Tim Pitner]

Lahinch in June/July, 1996.  My wife and I had a glimpse of Lahinch the previous evening from our B&B, which looked down on the course.  My wife couldn't believe that all the humps and bumps down below were a golf course.  Although it was a very "soft" day, there were quite a few people milling around by the first tee because it was a Saturday.  I was quite nervous and bunted a 3 wood down the fairway.  I loved it immediately.  I even recall being excited about playing in the rain because I associated it with links golf and the British Open.  Some things have changed.  

[James Bennett]

Royal Cinque Ports (Deal) with Tony Muldoon on 30 April 2006.

This followed a 'rush' from a wet and cold London to the coast, via a chalk based public course (even colder), followed by a walk around Princes looking for lost bunkers and lost routings, followed by a full English breakfast (it was early in the morning), follwoed by a quick walk into Royal St Georges along the public right of way (that path gets very wide in some parts, doesn't it ), followed by a quick dash to Deal to make sure that we made our tee time, all the while watching out for the guardian of the private road that we were (illegally) on.

I don't know if the above contributed to my first hole, but downwind in a cool sun following jet lag and transatlantic crossings etc etc...  Well, I thought a 3-wood down-breeze short of the crossing burn was the go.  The shot went about 20 yards (similar to Rcih's).  The next shot was equally ineffective.  The third to the green was duffed as well, delicately short of the burn.  I really expected the fourth to go into the burn, but somehow the skinny shot of the tight lie just carried the burn and ran up towards the pin.  Two putts for a double bogie 6.

Deal was memorable, but the golf was generally forgettable.  At least I parred the 18th, off the new tiger (back) tee as it was down-wind.  I wouldn't want to play from there into the prevailing wind.

Why is golf so difficult if you have had to sit in a car for anything more than 30 minutes?

James B

[TEPaul]

When it comes to some remarkable feelings on first holes nothing I've ever known compares to the tip tee on the first hole of Merion East in a tournament situation. But something tells me even that is of no comparison to the feeling one gets teeing off on the first hole of TOC (which I have never done)  

[mike_malone]

 June 1996-The European Club. I played with three other guys on a 12 man trip. Two of them I had not met before. The links thrill was delayed until we got out near the shore. I would say it was around 8 or 9. But, as we came down toward the beach it hit me. Been hooked ever since.

[MikeJones]

12 years old and the short course at St Enedoc, Cornwall.

I was on holiday with the family and already a serious golf nut. They'd drop me off at 10 in the morning and pick me up late afternoons and I was basically left to my own devices. The course was invariably deserted and I remember doing stupid 'kid' things such as replaying the first hole over and over until I got a 4, then and only then did I move onto hole 2! Silly, but at the same time wonderful stuff like that.

They wouldn't let me on the big course until a couple of years later where my Dad caddied for me, again while we were down there on holiday.

Sunny days, lots of wind, dried out fairways, just absolutely natural and something I can remember as clearly as if I were stood there right now. How can anyone not love links golf?

[John Chilver-Stainer]

TE Paul

Hard to believe a 20’000er plus Yabb God hasn’t played TOC.
As Madonna would say.
Like a virgin.
Like an ageing virgin. Better start doing it before you can’t do it !!

Have you fantasised  this moment?

Playing off together with Patrick Mucci and Tom MacWood would provide the ultimate life time bonding experience.

[Brent Hutto]

...a quick dash to Deal to make sure that we made our tee time, all the while watching out for the guardian of the private road that we were (illegally) on.

I don't know if the above contributed to my first hole, but downwind in a cool sun following jet lag and transatlantic crossings etc etc...  Well, I thought a 3-wood down-breeze short of the crossing burn was the go.  The shot went about 20 yards (similar to Rcih's).  The next shot was equally ineffective.  The third to the green was duffed as well, delicately short of the burn.  I really expected the fourth to go into the burn, but somehow the skinny shot of the tight lie just carried the burn and ran up towards the pin.  Two putts for a double bogie 6.

Deal was memorable, but the golf was generally forgettable.  At least I parred the 18th, off the new tiger (back) tee as it was down-wind.  I wouldn't want to play from there into the prevailing wind.

Why is golf so difficult if you have had to sit in a car for anything more than 30 minutes?

James,

I'm with you, buddy. My links introduction at Littlestone was a similar situation. I made the drive from Surrey to Kent early on a Friday morning. I got lost the first time five miles from the beginning of the trip so that used up my cushion even before breakfast. Then I took a wrong exit off the motorway and found myself almost to Ashford at the time I was supposed to be arriving at Littlestone.

So as I'm pulling into the parking lot Craig was waiting to tell me a tournament was teeing off in ten minutes and we needed to be ahead of them. I skipped the sunscreen, left my three-wheeler in the car (actually Tony's three-wheeler) and after two practice swings with my driver hit a high push-fade-toe-shot into the left rough. I will now always think that an ideal links routing ought to start off with a short, easy opening hole as do Littlestone and Deal. Thanks to that classic design feature, I was able to par the first hole even off my weak opening swing and we were off and running to the pseudo-Alps second hole and the rest of the course.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

The first at Royal Birkdale in the summer of 76 just after the Open..the ground was parched and hard{before sprinkler systems}
A terrifying tee shot anyway but because of the hard ground you could not keep the ball on the fairway...not that it mattered as I snapped my ball into the dunes anyway!
Love at first sight..Birkdale remains in my top ten courses

[Tom Huckaby]

June 1985.

Back-packing trip through Europe via Eurail pass.  After a few days in London, I knew I couldn't be that close to Scotland and not see the home of golf.  So I talked two of the guys into going North with me... train to Edinburgh... rented a car (blowing weeks of our budget)... got to St. Andrews and it hit me like a ton of bricks.  This is what golf is really all about.

Walked over and got a tee time for the next morning on The Old Course, no problem.  Went to a pub, had several beers, retired for a late afternoon nap, very tired after not sleeping much on the overnight train.  Woke up seemingly after a full night's sleep, looked at the clock and it said 7:00... got up, got dressed, started walking to the course... Got there and the light looked weird... realized it was 7pm the night before still.  Yes, I was rather excited.

The next morning finally came... rented clubs, played in sneakers... It was indeed love at first strike.  And yep, it changed my life also... I've been seeking out links golf ever since, at the expense of so many other life requirements.

 

[Brent Hutto]

And yep, it changed my life also... I've been seeking out links golf ever since, at the expense of so many other life requirements.

Where's the smiley-icon depicting an uncomfortable squirm of recognition?

Since returning from my England adventure, I'm having trouble envisioning any vacation or golf trip (same thing in my book) that doesn't involve a) a breeze swishing through long fescue grass, b) an ocean nearby and c) aiming ten yards short of the green with a 5-iron and still missing long.

About the fescue grass...in all seriousness, the sound a 20mph+ wind creates on a links course by the combination of drumming on your ears and rustling the long grass heads is hypnotic and unforgettable. In the same category with distant train whistles on a still summer night or waves lapping on a shore. Experiencing that sound puts one totally in a specific place and just remembering the sound almost transports me back there for a moment.

[Tom Huckaby]

Brent:

You may be experiencing what so many of us have... let's call it:

ReturnromUKnowallUSgolfsux-itis.

If you really love the game, the worst symptoms do pass.  Oh, you are now infected for life, so expect to seek out Sand Hills, Pacific Dunes, other links-like places here as well... But this feeling that home golf is meaningless and/or worthless will pass.  And you will start hitting lofted approaces again.  It will start to be fun again.  After all, the PLAYING OF THE GAME is the thing, not the venue - at least for those of a certain mind-set.

And you WILL return.  I have no doubt of that.  

[ed_getka]

Tom,
   That is funny about the sleep thing, I did the exact same thing when my wife and I went to Rome the first time. The guy at the desk gave me a really weird look when I was "checking out".

Brent,
    Welcome to the world of frequent daydreams. My most frequent ones involve Fishers Island.

[Gary Daughters]

This is a great question and one that brings back the fondest of memories.  I did a Captain Ahab thing at the road sign that reads Cruden Bay>.  Bumping up and down in my seat yelling Cruden BAY! Cruden BAY! Cruden BAY! like a maniac.

Sometimes the real thing exceeds what you dream about.  I smacked that drive and plucked out the tee.  Two holes later I was down to a Grateful Dead T-shirt and that's how I played my first round of links golf.

[Gene Greco]

8th hole at The Maidstone Club.

Then the all-world 9th.

After those two holes I never looked back.