That said, your point about the road hole bunker dominating the hole is 100% correct - I'm not sure anyone ever stood on the tee at the Road Hole thinking about Scholar's!
Scott/Shane
Time to trot out my Road Hole story.
Myself and three very good friends decide to play the Old Course and get a tee-time at the ungodly hour of 7.50 am.
Two of the guys had played the course but for me and the other friend it was our first time therefore we each get a caddy. Despite or perhaps because of the 3 hour sleep from the previous nights frivolities I play a blinder and find myself standing on the 17th tee only 1 over par (off a 9 handicap). Forced to wait on the tee due to some non-golfing tourists ambling up the track along the outside of the hotel, that together with the previous nights alcohol consumption beginning to take its toll resulted in a high pull with the tee shot. Playing the second shot from roughly the start of the fairway adjacent to the corner I turn to my caddy for advice, the conversation roughly going as follows;
Me: "Well I'm not going to reach the green. It looks fairly open and I'd need to hit an out and out shank to go out of bounds so I'll hit as far up as I can and see if I can wedge it on and sink the putt."
Caddy: "That's right."
Me: "So basically I can hit this with impunity."
Caddy: "That's correct."
I hit a low two wood, slightly pulled going a couple of yards into the rough.
Me: "That OK ?"
Caddy: "Bunker"
Me: "What bunker !........you don't know what impunity means, do you ?"
Caddy: "That's correct."
Two to get out of Scholars, a chip and two putts later I walk off with a seven. Bogeyed the last to compound my sorrows. So I agree with Shane that the Road Hole bunker defines the hole but there's certainly more than one bunker to contend with.
Niall
ps. Shane - one of my playing partners that day was Billy Law who finished 3, 4, 3 for a 75. How I wish I could have bought that finish from him.