[Thomas Dai]

What do you reckon would be 18 great GB&I links holes without sand bunkers?

Here are two nominations just to start things off.

1
2 - par-5 at Perranporth
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14 - par-4 Foxy at Royal Dornoch
15
16
17
18

[jeffwarne]

13. The PIt North Berwick
18, TOC

[Paul Dolton]

Hi Thomas

What about the first at Royal Cinque Ports . Tough drive with your second , hopefully, in front of the clubhouse.

[Tom_Doak]

13. The PIt North Berwick

There is actually a fairway bunker on the left, by the start of the wall.  Don't ask how I know that  

I had a whole list of bunkerless holes in The Confidential Guide ... at least half of them were links holes.  I'll try to come back later and fill in some gaps.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Would be a little too easy to be a homer here so I'll need to refrain myself...

Here's an immediate one:

14 - County Louth

[Patrick Glynn]

I just went through my list of favourite courses and am struggling to think of one without a bunker.

From a home perspective, I would nominate the Dell (5th) at Lahinch as a great Par 3 without a bunker. I also quite like the 4th at Deal but not sure its "great".

[Mark Pearce]

18 at Kington

[Adam Lawrence]

18 at Kington

Long way up the hill for a links

[Mark Pearce]

Ah, yes.  One should always read the rubric carefully.....

[Sean_A]

1 par 4 TOC?; par 5 St Enodoc?
2 - par-5 at Perranporth
3 par 4 St Enodoc;
4  par 3 Co Sligo?; par 5 Strandhill?; par 4 Rye?
5  par 4 Portrush?; 5 Lahinch?;
6  par 3 Portrush?; par 4 Ballybunion Old?
7 par 3 Rye?; par 4 Perranporth?; par 4 Saunton West?
8  par 4 Cruden Bay?; par 4 Saunton East?
9  par 4 Perranporth?
10  par 4 St Enodoc?
11  par 5 Perranporth?
12  par 4 Hunstanton?; par 4 B&B?; par 4 Perranporth?
13  par 5 B&B?; par 3 Aberdovey?; par 4 Rye?; par 4 Perranporth?
14 - par-4 Foxy at Royal Dornoch (if we need a par 3 Calamity Corner!)
15  par 4 Formby?; par 4 Rye?
16  par 3 Cruden Bay?
17  par 4 Carne?; par 4 Co Sligo?
18  par 4 TOC?; par 4 Rye?; par 4 Perranporth?

Jeepers, we could look to Perranporth to fill holes! I was also thinkin' there could be a few doozies at Gullane 1 and 2.  

Ciao

[Chris Roselle]

#11 at Ballybunion Old

[Jud_T]

Sean,

Nice list.  Not having played Portrush, I'd say the 6th at Ballybunion would be tough to beat.  One of the finest short 4s I've ever played, and that's before even considering the view.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Princes has 27 holes but

No7 on the Himalayas 9, is a great Par3, where the green sits half on top of a low Dune ridge. Your ball rarely does after your first shot.


Need a Scoresaver to check but

1 (4), 2(4) and possibly  7(5) at Portstewart are in the mix?

17 (4) Rosses Point.

[Thomas Dai]

Summary of nominations - includes some edits

1 - par 4 TOC; par 5 St Enodoc, par-4 Portstewart, par-4 Deal/RCP, par-4 Portsalon, par-4 Brora, par-4 Burnham, par-4 North Berwick
2 -par-5 at Perranporth, par-5 Enniscrone, par-4 Montrose
3 - par 4 St Enodoc; par-4 Carne, par-3 Enniscrone, par-3 Montrose, Gweedore
4  par 3 Co Sligo; par 5 Strandhill; par 4 Rye, Deal/RCP, par-4 Tenby, par-5 Burnham, Silloth
5  par 4 Portrush; par 5 Lahinch; par-4 Trevose, par-3 Ballyliffin Old
6  par 3 Portrush; par 4 Ballybunion Old, par-4 Carne, Gweedore
7 par 3 Rye; par 4 Perranporth; par 4 Saunton West, par-5 Portstewart, par-3 Himalayas/Princes, par-4 Cruden Bay, par-4 Golspie, Silloth, par-3 Ballyliffin Old, par-3 Narin & Portnoo
8  par 4 Cruden Bay; par 4 Saunton East, par-4 Portrush Dunluce, par-4 Narin & Portnoo
9  par 4 Perranporth, par-4 Portstewart, Seascale, par-4 Narin & Portnoo
10  par 4 St Enodoc, Kingsbarns
11  par 5 Perranporth, Ballybunnion, par-3 Enniscrone
12  par 4 Hunstanton; par 4 B&B; par 4 Perranporth, par-4 Carne, par-4 Enniscrone, par-3 Tenby, par 4 Pyle & Kenfig
13  par 5 B&B; par 3 Aberdovey; par 4 Rye; par 4 Perranporth,  par-3 Tralee, Prestwick, Silloth
14 - par-4 Foxy at Royal Dornoch,  par 3 Calamity/Portrush, County Louth, par-3 Carne, par-5 Enniscrone
15  par 4 Formby; par 4 Rye, par-3 Cruden Bay, par-4 Enniscrone, par-5 Ballybunnion Cashen
16  par 3 Cruden Bay, par-3 Royal Jersey, par-4 Enniscrone
17  par 4 Co Sligo, par-4 Rosses Point, par-3 Enniscrone, par-4 Portstewart, par-4 Montrose, par-4 Narin & Portnoo
18  par 4 TOC; par 4 Rye; par 4 Perranporth, par-5 Carne

The above includes nominations/revisions from later on in this thread.
atb

[Ally Mcintosh]

17  par 4 Carne?; par 4 Co Sligo?

Never been a huge fan of 17 at Rosses Point...

17 at Carne has one bunker... I could name a few other contenders from Carne though...

[jeffwarne]

Summary of nominations -

1 - par 4 TOC; par 5 St Enodoc, par-4 Portstewart, par-4 Deal/RCP
2 -par-5 at Perranporth, par-4 Portstewart, par-5 Enniscrone
3 - par 4 St Enodoc; par-4 Carne, par-3 Enniscrone
4  par 3 Co Sligo; par 5 Strandhill; par 4 Rye, Deal/RCP
5  par 4 Portrush; par 5 Lahinch; par-4 Trevose
6  par 3 Portrush; par 4 Ballybunion Old, par-4 Carne
7 par 3 Rye; par 4 Perranporth; par 4 Saunton West, par-5 Portstewart, par-3 Himalayas/Princes, par-4 Cruden Bay
8  par 4 Cruden Bay; par 4 Saunton East
9  par 4 Perranporth
10  par 4 St Enodoc
11  par 5 Perranporth, Ballybunnion, par-3 Enniscrone
12  par 4 Hunstanton; par 4 B&B; par 4 Perranporth, par-4 Carne, par-4 Enniscrone
13  par 5 B&B; par 3 Aberdovey; par 4 Rye; par 4 Perranporth,  
14 - par-4 Foxy at Royal Dornoch,  par 3 Calamity/Portrush, County Louth, par-3 Carne, par-5 Enniscrone
15  par 4 Formby; par 4 Rye, par-3 Cruden Bay, par-4 Enniscrone
16  par 3 Cruden Bay, par-3 Royal Jersey, par-4 Enniscrone
17  par 4 Co Sligo, par-4 Rosses Point, par-3 Enniscrone
18  par 4 TOC; par 4 Rye; par 4 Perranporth, par-5 Carne

#1 Portsalon-beautiful and unique use of topography as defense

and #5 at Gweedore would've been a great candidate if a young
Donal O"Cellaigh hadn't put the bloody pot bunker in
come to think of it #3 (awesome green and fairway tilt)and 6 (awesome use of width, angles, and terrain in the wind )also at Gweedore would be good picks unless Donal's snuck another one in

[Josh Bills]

13th Par 3- 159 at Tralee

I would add the 15th at Ballybunion Cashen Course Par 5- 480

[Cristian]

Royal Portrush 8; One of my favourite holes on the course; although hardly ever mentioned.

North Berwick 1. Love this hole too. (Although there might be some sand when the wind blows, there is no bunker)

Portstewart 2 has a greenside bunker (short right). When I played here over ten years ago I was in it after my third shot. In the clubhouse I was told that Darren Clarke was in the same bunker when he played Portstewart just a few weeks earlier, but he needed only one stroke to get there. Very friendly people the membership at Portstewart...

[Matt Schiffer]

#13 at Prestwick (I'm assigning the bunker on the left to hole 16)
Agreed on the four Cruden Bay holes (#s 7, 8, 15, 16), which provide a remarkable amount of variety.
#10 at Kingsbarns - not really a stand-out hole out for that course but relevant to the discussion!

[Niall C]

Gentlemen

Let me solve the selection dilema for the 13th hole and remind you of the 13th at Silloth.

Niall

[Niall C]

Now I think about it, what about the 4th at Silloth. A terrific par 4 with some great land forms.

Niall

[Niall C]

...........and then there is the 7th which is the hardest hole on the course.

Niall

[Niall C]

Sean

I remember the the short hole at Sligo being no. 2. A terrific short hole with a plateau green before you play down the hill, is that the one ?

Ally,

Agree re no. 17. That and the 18 th are a let down to what is a terrific course.

Niall

[Clyde Johnson]

A few more, recent ones from me:

Silloth-on-Solway: 13th (and you could probably include the 4th)
Seascale: 9th

[Josh Bills]

Brian, It remains one of my favorites probably due to the risk reward nature of the second shot.  I think my brother was forever lost in the high stuff and probably would agree more with you.  Would agree there really is no landing area for the 2nd shot, as I believe there was a mound in the middle of the fairway pushing anything to both sides.  A little more room would be reasonable since it still an uphill blind shot from short of the green, so bulldozing a little more is not unreasonable.  The other argument is at 480 yards it is driver, short iron, short iron so not unreasonable for those length clubs to have a small lay up area.  The other option is driver long iron/rescue to a well protected green.  In the end I am okay with it as is, though I found plenty of nasty stuff on that course, that hole I actually played well.  See below photo for the pain inflicted if the fairway was missed on the Cashen course

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