Carnoustie #5

[Sean_A]

POSITIVES: 1) Another good green complex which is angled oddly.  2) Greenside bunkering is superb.  3) Another bending fairway which makes the right fw bunker actually in a direct line to the green.  

NEGATIVES: 1) Pinching fw bunkers. 2) Part of fairway beyond the burn is way too narrow - they may as well save the time of even bothering to cut what they do because it isn't a recovery after a missed drive. 3) Two bunkers right of narrow neck - how much punishment does a guy deserve after missing a tee shot.  

VERDICT: A potentially very good hole wasted by excessive penalness.  

SUGGGESTIONS: 1) Fill in left fw bunker.  2) Fill in 2 fairway bunkers beyond the burn. 3) Widen fairway beyond burn.  4) Create fairway around righ fw bunker and long greenside bunker.  

#5 415 yards


TOTAL # OF BUNKERS FILLED IN: 6

Ciao

[Richard Pennell]

POSITIVES: 1) Another good green complex which is angled oddly.  2) Greenside bunkering is superb.  3) Another bending fairway which makes the right fw bunker actually in a direct line to the green.  

I think this is the point where Carnoustie starts to show her teeth. The approach is a tough shot even from position A I think. I saw quite a few pros play for the low front-right portion of the green in order to try and 2-putt for par - no mean feat from anywhere on this green. The contouring is quite severe, especially up near the left-hand greenside bunker. The R & A had the hole quite close to that bunker one day (Thursday?), and a downhill putt to that was a tricky proposition.

NEGATIVES: 3) Two bunkers right of narrow neck - how much punishment does a guy deserve after missing a tee shot.  

The only thing about these 2 bunkers for me is that they obscured the sight of the lower half of the green from a drive pushed out right. Retaining the bank that they're set in would do the same, of course, and the pros know what distance they're playing to the yard, but it definitely makes the recovery shot visually tougher.

I still think its a very good hole.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Didn't Westwood drive over the burn to attack the hole, and found the fairway?  Apparently it's possible.