Old Tom Morris layed out a rudimentary 9-hole course at Cullen Links in 1870. There were no bunkers and even with the equipment of the day the course was considered fairly easy. In 1905 the club engaged the Lossiemouth professional, Charlie Neaves, to offer advice. He must have been a strange fellow to come up with the routing through the clay-coloured sea stacks. At 4600 yards the course isn’t long, but the par of 63 is commensurate with the yardage. Broadly speaking the course is in four sections. The start and end of the round are on the less interesting links land southeast of the sea stacks. The high ground, bi-level high holes have their moments, be it rare. The holes on the far side of the stacks are mildly interesting links. Then there is the sea stack section; the holes on which Cullen built its fame.
The bin near the first tee.
The opener is a very meek handshake before heading up to the high holes via a steep par 3 with a green that is not well endowed. A long par three follows. With OOB hard left and the cliff dead right, the 3rd uses the space very well. The view over the links is persuasive.
Looking over the 3rd green after teeing off on the 4th.
Very similar to the 2nd, the 4th plays up a steep bank to a lifeless green. The 5th may be the very definition of a good walk spoiled. An interesting cliff line is taken advantage of for the short 6th. Play is directly over a large dip which was mercifully mowed. It is on the sharply downhill 7th where Cullen begins to earnestly come to life. I usually don't like drop shotters, but this iteration of the concept includes a burn to the rear of the green; a hazard placement which I think is not used nearly enough. Plus, the shot brings us back to the links.
More to follow.
Ciao