[Charlie_Bell]

Mark, I'm pretty new to the site, so I'm wondering if there's a prohibition about posting your tour one hole at a time.  Just to load all the pictures from 4 holes takes between a minute and a half and two minutes.  By the time you get to 18, I'll have given up!   I know my connection is slow, but perhaps I'm not alone.  Just curious...

Thank you for all the effort  -- I'm having a great time re-living my round.

[Alex Miller]

Mark, I'm pretty new to the site, so I'm wondering if there's a prohibition about posting your tour one hole at a time.  Just to load all the pictures from 4 holes takes between a minute and a half and two minutes.  By the time you get to 18, I'll have given up!   I know my connection is slow, but perhaps I'm not alone.  Just curious...

Thank you for all the effort  -- I'm having a great time re-living my round.

I understand where this is coming from Charlie, but since Mark has such extensive photos this timetable really allows for the discussion that a new course opening deserves! Now that we're on page 2 it'll be better too.

[Charlie_Bell]

Alex,  I guess I didn't make myself clear.  I'm not complaining about the speed at which he's introducing the holes, nor about the number of pictures of each hole.  Because of my glacial connection speed, I was simply wondering whether he might post each set of new pictures as a new thread rather than adding to the ever-growing one. 

Having played the course, I agree it deserves the attention -- hole by hole -- and I'd like to chime in with my perspective. But I fear that waiting for 8, 10, 12 holes' worth of pictures will take forever...  Selfish of me, I know.  I hope you're right about the "Page 2" effect. 

[Matt Kardash]

Charlie, I am afraid you might be one of the only, if not the only one with an internet connection so slow it is ruining your viewing experience. I have a standard (for today's standards) high speed internet connection and I have no problems. Are you still on dial-up internet??

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 5: Par 4, 340 Yards -- A good short 4 and the first hole that plays straight downwind.  Some will consider driving the green, but for many the key to the hole is a properly placed tee shot.  A centreline bunker dictates play on the tee shot, though I cannot understand why a golfer would purposely play left of the bunker.  For mine, the key is to play the tee shot as near the far-right fairway bunkers as possible.  Then again, I only saw a single pin so perhaps there are reasons to play farther left.

Tee view (UK weather):




Tee View (Normal, sunny NS weather):




First full view of fairway:




The approach from the centre of the fairway is a short but difficult one.  A huge (HUGE) false-front guards the left portion of the green and only a well-nipped shot can carry it and remain on the green.  For me, the ideal play is to land the ball on the right half of the green and use the green contours to feed the ball left. 




Approaching from the extreme right side of the fairway near this set of fairway bunkers leaves not only a wicked-cool view to this eternity green but also a much preferred angle, from which the false-front should not be in play.










My playing partner gives an idea of the depth of the left greenside bunker.  If you're a tall man you may get a glimpse of the top of the flag.




A closer look at the false-front on the left half of the green:






As seen from the 1st tee, a duo of saving bunkers behind the green will stop the ball from running too far long.

[Ronald Montesano]

Charlie, it won't work. The entire first page of threads would be populated with Cabot Links threads. Open the thread, do some laundry, come back when it's loaded (or, get loaded while it loads!)

By the way, welcome to the asylum.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 6: Par 5, 530 Yards -- A mid-length par-5, theoretically reachable in two, but playing into the prevailing wind that will be an option for only a small group of players.  The golfer's eye is drawn to the large bunker on the left, though a cleverly placed top-shot bunkers makes depth perception difficult and the fact that it is nearly 250 yards to carry difficult to see.






Played over the flattest land on the golf course, there is little visual definition on the second shot at the 6th.  Golfers looking to leave as short a shot into the green as possible, must play between bunkers that flank the fairway 100 yards short of the green.  Most will look to lay-up short of this area to leave a 3rd of 125ish yards.








The 6th green is wide open in front, with the green tilting with the lay of the land from left-to-right.  If a golfer misses the green left there is plenty of fairway grass but the recovery may be tricky, played down the slope of the green.  Miss right and the golfer will find deep pot bunkers and tallgrass, but recoveries from this side of the green are more easily controlled.













As seen from the 7th tee, the area to the extreme left of the 6th green "is an area of hillocks and depressions reminiscent of hole #3 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland" (taken from Cabot Links hole description).

[Ronald Montesano]

"As seen from the 7th tee, the area to the extreme left of the 6th green "is an area of hillocks and depressions reminiscent of hole #3 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland" (taken from Cabot Links hole description)."

Are we/they/you talking about the whispy fescue area or the green-colored area? Is the 3rd hole at Prestwick so special as to merit a comparison/ vice-versa?

[Charlie_Bell]

Despite having made the trek to Cabot Links, I'm not a well-travelled golfer.  However, a quick trip 'round the internet just revealed that indeed the 3rd at Prestwick, with its dreaded Cardinal bunker-wasteland, is one of the most distinctive features in the game.  It is the most famous hole on the first course to host the Open championship, and it is included in the book, "1001 Golf Holes You Must Play Before You Die."  I learned all this in the last 10 minutes, so I look forward to hearing the comments of well-travelled golfers on GCA. 

You might even want to start a thread on the hole -- I'll bet it would generate a lot more goodwill than yet another thread about cellphones...

[Bryan Izatt]

"As seen from the 7th tee, the area to the extreme left of the 6th green "is an area of hillocks and depressions reminiscent of hole #3 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland" (taken from Cabot Links hole description)."

Sounds like a little marketing hyperbole to me.  The hillocks and depressions at Prestwick are much more dramatic than those referred to at Cabot.

 

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 7: Par 3, 230 Yards -- Whitman must have channelled MacRaynor with his design of the 7th, a unique redan-Biarritz combo.  The green is open in front and a kick-plate left of the green calls for a running shot on that side. 






The tilted land short of the green...






A Banks-like straight line fall-off right of the green...






The green itself is a modified Biarritz.  A Massive green with a deep swale running diagonally across its centre.

[Bryan Izatt]

Mark,

I think it's a bit of a stretch to describe the 7th as partly a Redan.  The green is not angled to the line of play.  In my recollection there wasn't that much front to back movement and it doesn't appear to be much in your picture below.  The bunkering is also inconsistent with a Redan.  The hole does allow for a nice running approach (which may be necessary from the further back tees especially into the prevailing winds). 

[Ronald Montesano]

perhaps there's a bit of kick plate on the left?

[Mark Saltzman]

perhaps there's a bit of kick plate on the left?

Statement or question? 

I think there is.

[Bryan Izatt]

The hole generally slopes left to right as well as down hill, so I guess you could call it a kick plate - but it is fairly gentle.  North Berwick is much steeper.  If every hole that slopes from right to left or vice versa and allows a running shot is called a Redan then there are a lot of Redans in the world.

[Jim Colton]

Hole 7: Par 3, 230 Yards -- Whitman must have channelled MacRaynor with his design of the 7th, a unique redan-Biarritz combo.  The green is open in front and a kick-plate left of the green calls for a running shot on that side. 

It is interesting how the hole kind of follows the layered landscape in the background. Even the drop-off right of the green mimics the background exactly.

[Guy Nicholson]

It is interesting how the hole kind of follows the layered landscape in the background. Even the drop-off right of the green mimics the background exactly.

A nice parallel (nod?) to Highlands Links, where Thompson did this a lot with contour.

[Charlie_Bell]

I'd enjoy seeing a low-handicap player tackle this hole, given the usual enthusiasm of the prevailing headwind.  To me it certainly seemed a hole that begs for a low running shot, but I suspect some big hitters would simply try to muscle it in, factoring in the headwind and making sure not to let the ball drift short-right.

Even for a bomber, though, I think a punch-runner under the wind would offer a better chance of getting it close.  But that's speculation; I've never even seen a map of BigHitter land, let alone visited it.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 8: Par 4, 313 Yards -- Theoretically driveable, though the predominant wind is into and from the left, making the hole play considerably more difficult.  A large dune protects the left side of the green, mandating a drive down the right side near wetlands if the golfer wants a clear view of the green.  The driving zone is further complicated by a dune in the left-centre of the fairway.  Some will choose to lay back short of the centreline dune to leave a longer approach but a greater chance of finding the wider fairway.

Tee View:






An equally (if not more) compelling tee shot from the 256 yard orange tees.  The tee shot angle has changed slightly, now creating an angled tee shot over a hazard with the option of bailing out to leave a more difficult approach.  At 256, many would be tempted to try and drive the green from here too!




The widest part of the fairway short of the centreline dune...




Approaching from the right leaves a clearer view of the green...






While approaching from the left requires an approach over the dune, though perhaps provides easier access to back-right pins...




The fun (or not) of firm conditions and short grass around the greens.  This approach landed just feet off the green's surface but bounced and trundled its way to leave a very awkward pitch.




Several looks at the green...

From short.




From short-left.




From left.






From behind.

[Don Hyslop]

This was one of my favourite holes when I played last year during the 10 hole preview. Just thought it was fun.

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 9: Par 4, 450 Yards -- The longest par-4 on the front 9, and it plays uphill and into the wind!  A series of bunkers on the left guard the ideal line, while a pair of bunkers on the right may catch shots that are big-time bailed-out, though into the wind they are unreachable for most.  On a day where the 9th plays downwind, the longest of hitters may be tempted to carry the bunkers on the left, and, if successful, great mowing lines and a perfectly placed speed-slot will help to reward the bold tee shot.






View of fairway from right:




Approaching from the right is a difficult task as a duo of bunkers set into the hill will catch any mis-struck shot.






Approaching from the left is ideal, though a cross-bunker obscures the golfer's view.  From here the golfer can run the ball onto the green and can use the green's contours to more easily access back pins.






Missing short/left is not bad...




But missing right may find deep bunkers or this fairway cut run-off that will send the ball caroming a long way from the green...




The 9th green is massive.  The green tilts generally back toward the fairway and at its rear is steeply contoured to help to contain long-iron / fairway wood approaches.  Heaven forbid you miss long in the back bunker, though.

[Matt Kardash]

Looks like a Pete Dye hole, the strategy and the green complex.

[Charlie_Bell]

For me, a mid-capper, the 8th and 9th are the two most interesting holes on the course.  Off the tee, with most pin placements there are multiple lines of play;  with varying pin placements, the options multiply.  The 8th goes from an elevated tee to a wide, flat, obstacle-filled fairway and a fairly flat green.  By contrast the 9th runs uphill all the way to a large, very sloping green.  (Note:  Contrary to the write-up, I believe that the 9th generally runs downwind, or quartering from behind.)  In both cases, everything appears to be "all out there in front of you," but as you approach the green you learn that there are a LOT of complications.

The fact that the two back-to-back holes run in opposite directions means that calculating yardages goes from one extreme to the other, and as I said, there are choices galore.  My only quibble would be that the 9th isn't what it could be visually because of the backdrop.  The look from the tee is lovely, thanks to the width of the fairway, the variety of the grasses, the depth of field, the green upslope, and the elegant yet natural bunkering -- but the red shed intrudes.  Still, that'll be the last thing on your mind after your first swing...

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 10: Par 3, 172 Yards -- We cross the road the reach the short 10th, one of the 4 par-3s on the back-nine.  The tee shot is played to a generous green with a kicker than can be used on the left and a deep bunker and steep fall-off on the right.  If the wind is down this is a birdie hole, but with the predominant wind playing into and across from the left, this short hole can turn into a brute.






This short bunker affects depth perception and hides the view of...




this much deeper greenside bunker.




A kicker left of the green...




Missing long/right is terrible...




The green is massive with gentle undulations and in particular a large knob in its centre...

[Charlie_Bell]

Great colors in the 2nd photo, Mark -- beautiful light.  I'm still wondering about the prevailing wind.  My sense was that the prevailing wind comes from the southwest, but your observations are different.   

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