GOLF ATRAVEL Player’s Guide
Short, But
Sweet
Andrew Marshall takes a look at what he deems to be the most fun par-3s in the British Isles.
The picturesque 14th at Doonbeg can play anywhere between a sand wedge and a 5-iron depending on the wind 66
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very golfer loves a great par3; there is something magical about hitting a crisp wedge close to the pin on a short hole or a towering hybrid to the green on a long one. Par-3s are often the most picturesque holes on a course and in many cases the most difficult ones. Whether it’s an elevated tee, a heart-pumping carry over a lake, a hidden green or one encircled by deep pot bunkers – making par is something to cherish. What follows, are a dozen memorable par-3s throughout the British Isles. Some have earned their reputation as classic and influential holes, while others are just waiting to be played on your next golf trip away.
The Fourth at Castle Stuart
Clockwise from top: the lovely fourth at Castle Stuart, a threetime host of the Scottish Open; the heavily bunkered sixth at Royal Portrush; the rather more modern London Golf Club and its 12th hole; Whinny Brae, the charming sixth at Royal Dornoch in the Scottish Highlands 68
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The recent home to the Scottish Open, Castle Stuart Golf Links near Inverness is the course where Phil Mickleson won an exciting sudden death play-off against South Africa’s Branden Grace to win last year’s title. This top-drawer layout with links characteristics that overlooks the Moray Firth is a delight to play, offering beautiful views and endless photo opportunities. You will be reaching for the camera rather than a club at the 191-yard fourth, played towards the beautiful Castle Stuart and the inspiration for the course name. It’s a really super short hole whose glorious location just gets better as you approach the green. castlestuartgolf.com HKGOLFER.COM
The Sixth at Royal Dornoch At 161 yards Whinny Brae isn’t the longest, but it’s probably the most difficult of the par-3s on the Royal Dornoch Championship Course. While the others are all raised plateau greens, the left hand side of the sixth has a steep hillside going up from the putting surface that is covered in whin bushes. With this being the narrowest green on the course, finding the target requires great control over distance and line as missing on either side exacts a severe penalty. Many who bail out to the right are faced with a steep uphill pitch of over 15 feet; getting up and down from there is no mean feat. The preferred option for many – admittedly older – members is to take a club less than required, and back yourself to pitch and putt from the front to save par. royaldornoch.com
The Seventh at Royal Porthcawl Consistently ranked as one of the top 100 golf courses in the world, the venue for the 2014 Senior British Open is as traditional a links course as you will find anywhere. The shortest hole on this demanding layout is the seventh (122 yards from the championship tees) and is Royal Porthcawl’s answer to Royal Troon’s more famous Postage Stamp. While the hole is undeniably short in stature, it is also treacherous with a narrow entrance to an equally shallow putting surface that is well guarded by small hillocks and a necklace of six pot bunkers. Land in one of these and making bogey, let alone par, will be far from easy. royalporthcawl.com
The Eleventh at Askernish Remote Askernish Old, on the Hebridean island of South Uist, is the kind of course where you can imagine following in the footsteps of the Scottish forefathers who strode the sheep-cropped turf with a few hickories and a pocketful of gutta perchas. First laid out by ‘Old’ Tom Morris in 1891, in recent years it has been unearthed and traditionally restored to its former glory. It’s thought that when ‘Old’ Tom came to Askernish, the 11th was designed as a par-4 with the green positioned out into the sea. Over the coming decades coastal erosion claimed the green leaving the hole as the challenging 197yard par-3 it is today. Played over a deep gully and directly into a sea wind, when you stand on the tee of Barra Sight, it looks like you are hitting straight into the Atlantic Ocean – too much of a slice and you are! askernishgolfclub.com HKGOLFER.COM
The Twelfth at the London Golf Club Two quality championship courses designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus make up the London Golf Club, which is located to the south of the English capital: the tougher parkland Heritage Course (that is reserved for members and their guests) and The International, an inland links that offers a good test for visitors. The course features several daunting shots over water, including the nerve-jangler from the elevated tee of the 190-yard par-3 12th. The hole plays over a lake onto an elongated slanted green held back with railroad ties. A deceptively tricky hole, this has claimed many a victim. londongolf.co.uk HK GOLFER・JUN 2014
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Clockwise from top: the Camel Estuary forms an idyllic backdrop at St Enodoc's 15th hole; the 11th hole at remote Askernish; the links at Carne, situated on the west coast of Ireland, features some of the biggest dunes in the game – here at the 16th
The Thirteenth at Dunstanburgh Castle With the beautiful sweep of Embleton Bay and the ancient ruins of the 14th Century Dunstanburgh Castle always in view, no golfer could wish to play in better surroundings than this outstanding Northumberland links designed by James Braid in 1877. The best moment comes at the far end of the course on the 135-yard par-3 13th, aptly named Castle, where the ancient ruins of Dunstanburgh form an atmospheric backdrop, framed perfectly high up on a cliff teeming with birdlife. A sweetly struck 8 or 9-iron should do the trick here on what is surely one of the most evocative short holes in the British Isles. dunstanburgh.com 70
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The Fourteenth at Doonbeg Depending on the ocean breezes, it can require anything from a sand wedge to a 5-iron at Doonbeg’s picture-postcard hole, the spectacular 111-yard par-3 14th - arguably the most sensational short hole in Ireland, with an unforgettable view extending all the way to the far peninsula. The hole requires a precise strike with just the right club. Go right and you are down the bank – too far left and you are also in for a difficult, blind recovery shot to find the putting surface. The short 14th is just one of many standout holes on this superb Greg Norman design in County Clare. doonbeglodge.com HKGOLFER.COM
The Fourteenth at Royal Portrush There are plenty of great holes on this Harry Colt classic, which many feel should be on the Open Championship rota of courses, but there is one that will be etched in the memory long after you leave. This is the 210-yard par-3 14th known as Calamity, whose reputation has travelled far and wide. It calls for an accurate long iron or fairway metal shot that must not go right. To slice or push the ball will earn you an almost sure double bogey, because the links land falls away severely down a steep slope. Take plenty of club and hit to the back left of the green. Don’t be ashamed of taking a four at Calamity - threes are as rare as an unfriendly Irishman. royalportrushgolfclub.com
The Fifteenth at St Enodoc Many golfers will have heard of St Enodoc Golf Club in Cornwall, but not all will have been fortunate to make the pilgrimage to play this James Braid gem. Although there are many terrific holes at St Enodoc, the 168-yard 15th is up there with the best in the southwest, and the start of a strong finish. A deep ravine lies between the tee and the green on this beautiful downhill par-3, and anything slightly mishit or under-clubbed is destined to be in the bottom of it. The wonderful views of the Camel Estuary from the tee as you prepare to hit off is worth the green fee alone. st-enodoc.co.uk
The Sixteenth at Carne It may be a long way from anywhere, but that’s the special charm of Carne Golf Links on the west coast of the Ireland. Here, you enjoy a feeling of isolation because of the distinctly divided fairways that twist and turn through the hilly landscape, and the way the greens reveal themselves like emerald islands nestling among the dunes. Carne’s signature par-3 is Magarlín, the 154-yard 16th that drops steeply from an elevated tee to a green encircled by dunes. It’s a classic oneshot hole that typifies this wild and rugged layout and makes a lasting impression on all that play it. carnegolflinks.com
The Sixteenth at Old Head Built on a 220-acre diamond of land, jutting out over two miles into the Atlantic Ocean, Old Head has developed into one of the planet’s must plays. With the ever-changing sea breezes, and over 7,200 yards in length from the tips, the course provides a challenge for players of all HKGOLFER.COM
levels. Nine of the holes play along the cliff tops, and all eighteen holes provide stunning ocean views. The pick of the short holes is Coosgorm, a top notch 186yard par-3 set tight to the ocean. With the coast and water’s edge to the right, the left side is a popular choice, but not always a rewarding one. Wind always plays a key part in club selection here. oldhead.com
The Seventeenth at Halifax Situated near Haworth in Yorkshire’s Bronte country, Halifax Golf Club (also known as Ogden) boasts one of the finest moorland courses in the British Isles with a top-drawer par-3 to match. Created in the early 20th Century by fivetime Open champion James Braid, the first dozen holes present a steady climb up a valley, with the 13th through 16th holes sitting on a plateau affording spectacular views. After the 16th there is nowhere to go but down, and the par-3 17th, aptly named Bagott’s Leap, is Ogden’s most famous hole. Played from high up with a dramatic drop to the green, club selection is of paramount importance to negotiate its 176 yards. If you get it right, it’s a good birdie chance. Fun! halifaxgolfclub.co.uk HK GOLFER・JUN 2014
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