[Jon Wiggett]

What a good looking hole the 6th is. It is one of those I haven't seen in the flesh.

David, I have certainly mentioned the repetitiveness of the bunker forms on this course though never said ALL but just many which I will stand by. There are too many bunkers cluttering up the course and many are very samey. That is not to say I think this is a bad course because of it but it does hold it back.

Jon

[Carl Nichols]

Thanks very much for the tour; really enjoy the pictures.  On the "in the dunes, not of the dunes" standard, is part of the issue that the grass choices make the fairways stand out so much from the native grass portions?  If Royal County Down had greener, rye grass fairways, would it look more "in the dunes" than "of the dunes"? 

[Jon Wiggett]

Carl,

I think your analogy would be closer fitting to Royal Birkdale though the greens at RB are more sympathetic to the surroundings. The fairways at RB are very flat compared to the big dunes it is set in. Having said that it is difficult to know how much was flattened, if any at all as the untouched valley bottoms in the area are also often very flat.

Jon

[Brian_Ewen]

I find the 6th very similar to the 15th on Ailsa.

No ?

[Tony_Muldoon]

I find the 6th very similar to the 15th on Ailsa.

No ?

I haven't seen this one, but...no.

I recall the Ailsa green as reasonably flat. The similarity might be the small dune on the left, but where's the bunker at  the rear tat was so much in paly on final round of 2009, or the really sharp fall off to the right?

[Adam Lawrence]

The sixth is Martin Hawtree's favourite hole on the course.

When I was there last month, one of my playing partners pointed out that the very manicured walking path right in front of the green spoiled the  impression of a wild landscape somewhat. I agree with this, but it's a minor criticism of a very good hole.

[Steve Lapper]

The sixth is Martin Hawtree's favourite hole on the course.

When I was there last month, one of my playing partners pointed out that the very manicured walking path right in front of the green spoiled the  impression of a wild landscape somewhat. I agree with this, but it's a minor criticism of a very good hole.

While I most definitely agree with most who like 6 for whatever reason, I do find the "cornice" bunker here a bit disheartening. There is absolutely no room for a shot out to the right side or backwards...one of the often necessary directions to take if one's lie in it is right up against the lip. One lefty in my group had to take a putt in the bunker just to get the ball to a playable spot.....not exactly reasonable IMO.

[Patrick_Mucci]

On # 6 is there a feel or consensus as to the optimal distance to play the hole from ?

Some holes function best at a select distance, what would that distance be on# 6 ?

[Brian_Ewen]

I recall the Ailsa green as reasonably flat. The similarity might be the small dune on the left, but where's the bunker at  the rear tat was so much in paly on final round of 2009, or the really sharp fall off to the right?

Less bunkering, but both have a sharp fall off to the right.

[Bryan Izatt]

Carl,

Can't really comment on RCD as I haven't seen it.  Jon's reference to RB having flat fairways between dunes is spot on, although RB's dunes are nowhere near the height and size of the ones at TIGLS.  Vis-a-vis "of the dunes", I think the dunes at Tigls are really too large for the most part to incorporate them directly into a hole.  Perhaps some of the smaller ones might have made a good Alps hole or a blind tee shot, but other than that it's hard to see how the course could have utilized them other than as gorgeous framing.

__________________________________


Brian E,

I don't see the resemblance to the 15th at Ailsa.  What do you see?




_____________________________________


Adam,

It could be argued that all the manicured paths detract from what is a pretty wild and rough site.  I hope the fairways and greens and maintained rough will age into a somewhat wilder and lass manicured links look, although it is possible that the course will be maintained in an ANGC manicured style on an ongoing basis.


_____________________________________


Steve,

I hadn't thought of that for a left-hander, but ti is true.  Perhaps there are other bunkers where a right-hander is equally dead.  Perhaps this bunker is potentially really a one shot lost kind of bunker for left-handers.  But, golf is not necessarily fair.  Your playing partner could have taken an unplayable drop elsewhere in the bunker rather than putting, but that doesn't ease the pain, I guess.


______________________________________


Patrick,

Optimal distance for what player in what kind of conditions?  I don't know that there is a unitary answer to that question.  It strikes me that if the distance required a player to hit a fairway wood or a driver and it was playing downwind in the prevailing wind then it would be too difficult a hole given there is no way to run it on nor nowhere good if the ball ran over.

[Bryan Izatt]

To me, the 7th is a very perplexing hole.  On the one hand, it's not often that I come across a drivable par 4 that I have  a reasonable chance of driving, even into a wind, and from 230 yards on the white tees, even I could potentially get there.  On the other hand, fr most long hitters and certainly for the touring pros that would play here in future Ryder Cups/Open Championships (if they ever get here) it would just be a good sized par 3, even from the tips.  In either event the fairway bunkers seem redundant.  Who is really going to lay up that short given there is more width around the green than there is in the lay up area.  On the other hand how can you dislike a hole that has no green-side bunkers.  But what about those small patches of wispy rough in some parts of the green embankment - they reduce the options.  On the other hand, it is another elevated green with runoffs, hollows and ridges.  And, on the other hand a pin on the front peninsula looks like a good defense.  I am perplexed, but perhaps that speaks well of the hole design.  I'd love to hear from you others about your playing experiences on this hole.

From the tee the green looks really close, but the fairway looks really narrow.  In a strong wind against or across the marram rough left and right might be butt puckering.  Downwind, with the prevailing wind it wouldn't even require a driver for most.




The fairway bunkers look to be in play from this angle, but you'd have to foozle a shot pretty badly to be in them.




From front left of the green you can see the contouring that will help deflect many tee shots.  Hitting the front peninsula of the green will be a matter of lick I suspect.  Also visible are tow of the "rough" grass bunker areas.  Will they let them get deep and gnarly?  If so, it'd be unique on the course I think.




From the front right side if the green you can see the fall offs from the green and the patch of light wispy rough.  My drive is is the wispy stuff amongst the wire hoops.  Oh, for a video of how it got to that point.  Below the wispy patch is the manicured walkway leading to the next tee.  That has got to get worn as they attract more play and more trolley and foot traffic.




From behind the green looking back you can see the relatively mild contouring of the green and the relatively wild undulations in the approaches.

[Frank Pont]

The sixth is Martin Hawtree's favourite hole on the course.

When I was there last month, one of my playing partners pointed out that the very manicured walking path right in front of the green spoiled the  impression of a wild landscape somewhat. I agree with this, but it's a minor criticism of a very good hole.

I had the same reaction, a small winding path would have been much better. Think Swinley Forest hole 4

[Steve Lapper]

The sixth is Martin Hawtree's favourite hole on the course.

When I was there last month, one of my playing partners pointed out that the very manicured walking path right in front of the green spoiled the  impression of a wild landscape somewhat. I agree with this, but it's a minor criticism of a very good hole.

I had the same reaction, a small winding path would have been much better. Think Swinley Forest hole 4

Btw...I once asked one of Hawtree's key architects about this path and his reply was along the lines of: "Well, it does serves as a bailout area on a hole otherwise without one, doesn't it?"

[Ally Mcintosh]

The sixth is Martin Hawtree's favourite hole on the course.

When I was there last month, one of my playing partners pointed out that the very manicured walking path right in front of the green spoiled the  impression of a wild landscape somewhat. I agree with this, but it's a minor criticism of a very good hole.

I had the same reaction, a small winding path would have been much better. Think Swinley Forest hole 4

Either a small winding path with every effort to hide it from view... or widened out on the approach to the green so it no longer feels like a path... Both these options should have been possible.

Really like the hole though - an exciting tee shot.

Patrick - For the lowish man, it plays well at about 175 yards. If there were an optimum length, that's about it.

[Frank Pont]

Hmm, I like a lot of the individual elements of hole 7, but am not sure if they work combined?

The green and steep surrounds is beautiful, but really only accepts high shots into it, is a bump and run shot really possible?

What is the strategy of a lay up shot? It looks like the best angle into the green is from the left, but there is no fairway there except the deep hollow left of the green.

I guess I would hit one as close to the green as I could with a punch shot and then try to make your up and down, no real benefit in laying up.

[Niall C]

Bryan

Re the fairway bunkering on no. 7, I think it definitely comes into play for a lot of shorter hitters who don't have a turbo charged driver like you do. They are also going to come into play for even the longer hitters when playing into a strong wind. That being the case I think you could make a case for removing them so as to increase the options of how you play the hole when reachable since at the moment (as you point out) there's as much room around the green as short of it so why not give it everything you've got.

That said, these bunkers are possibly some of the better bunkers on the course in Trms of variety of shape and blending in with the surrounds IMO.

Niall

[Niall C]

Bryan -

I am enjoying your comprehensive tour. Thanks for the excellent pics.

I seem to recall the course being criticized in prior threads for the bunkers being uniformly circular in shape. You pics reveal there are a good number of bunkers that are not.

DT  

David

You make a very good point. This tour highlights that not all Balmedie bunkers are circular pots although thinking of the course as a whole you do tend to walk away thinking they are all round and there are too many of them, as typified by no. 18. A selected cull of a number of the round pots would work wonders in negating both perceptions in my not so humble opinion.

Niall

[Rich Goodale]

Bryan

Vis a vis the 6th, I hit my 19 degree rescue frm 165 because I was only carrying 10 clubs and my next lowest one was a 5-iron, and the only way I was going to get a 5-iron to that green in that wind was by hitting a hard low hook into the wind which is pretty much near the bottom of shots I have in my bag.......  So, I choked down, tried to punch it low, heeled it but low and ugly but ultimately dead straight.  I'll take luck over skill any time...

Pat

Into a strong wind this hole can be a killer from any tee.  One of my playing partners hit a decent 4-iron but with a little too much side spin and his shot (and the next one) faded off high to the right and landed 20-30 yards short in the impenetrable wetlands.  Another over compensated and hit that hard left 5-iron I copnsidered but got it high too and he ended up 40 yards to the left of the green and short, in the gunge.  The driver guy wasn't a long hitter, but he nutted it and while landing on the middle of the green it exited the short grass at the back with pace.  In the calm, or even down wind, all the tees are playable (I'd go for the Blacks @ 183 with more elevation which would give you an even greater view).  The green plays sharply from back to front, so if you hit the ball fairly solid and straight you will be OK regardless of what tee you play.

Back to Bryan and the 7th

A puzzling hole when you reach the while tees and see a green 230 yards away.  Two par-3's in a row?  Who does Hawtree think he is?  Doak?  Then you read the sign that says "par" 4, start anticipating the birdie (or even eagle) putt.  Of course, into the wind, greening the ball was a big ask, and an even bigger once once we caught up with our drives and saw all the humps and hollows that you can't really see from the white tee.  I hit a reasonably good driver and was almost pin high down in the dingly dell to the left.  My playing partners were all 30-50 yards short and faced with very difficult decision shots from humpty bumpty lies.  None of them passed the test, and after I hit a flop shot to 10 feet or so, the two of them who were from Nairn but knew Dornoch well volunteered that they really never encountered such shots on their course, but could see the greenside resemblance at this and other holes at Tiggles to Dornoch.  You need a reliable flopshot at Tiggles.

That being said, I think this hole is severely over-manufactured for a driveable par-4.  Regardless of the wind or the tees I see this as a "hit the distance and hope" hole without any real strategic options off the tee.  I agree that the right side bunkers are superfluous and the rolling terrain down the middle OTT.  Nil * for this hole for me.

Rich

[Frank Pont]

Rich,

I guess you proved my hypothesis on how best to play hole 7 (be it with a data set of 3 players  )

[Rich Goodale]

Rich,

I guess you proved my hypothesis on how best to play hole 7 (be it with a data set of 3 players  )

Actually, 4 players (including me).  Good to see we think alike.

rich

[Bryan Izatt]

Niall,

No turbo driver left in this old golfer.  I played it into the wind and I doubt the two bunkers would come into play if you were playing from the proper tees and unless you were trying a layup shot.  After laying up, as Rich pointed out, there is really no good lie and the 2nd shot is a good-luck-mate kind of shot to a front pin from 40 to 70 yards.  Most people who would lack the length and want to lay up probably don't have that shot.

I'm still curious how the pros would play the hole.  Even for them hitting the green would be a challenge.  Can't imagine any laying up, though.

 

[Tony_Muldoon]

 After laying up, as Rich pointed out, there is really no good lie and the 2nd shot is a good-luck-mate kind of shot to a front pin from 40 to 70 yards.  Most people who would lack the length and want to lay up probably don't have that shot.

I'm still curious how the pros would play the hole.  Even for them hitting the green would be a challenge.  Can't imagine any laying up, though.

 

This description reminds me of Aberdovey's marvelous 16th (but without the track and train line threatening the LHS) on one of my all time favourite Par 4's.

[Frank Pont]

I'm still curious how the pros would play the hole.  Even for them hitting the green would be a challenge.  Can't imagine any laying up, though.
 

They would just whack their drive close to the green and make their up and down 70% of the time, birdie bingo!

[Tom_Doak]

I thought the 7th was the worst hole on the course, as if they couldn't get comfortable with the length of it, and went out of their way to trick up the approach and the surrounds, so there was no sense in trying.  So, then it's a 260-yard lay-up hole, or a hit-and-hope and then try to get up and down from some awkward situations.

The 16th at Aberdovey is a much better hole, which rewards the player who can hug the o.b. left, whether on a 280-yard tee shot or a 180-yarder.

[Frank Pont]

OK, I guess we all agree on hole 7, ready for hole 8!

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()