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Ask 100 golfers to rank one of the best Open Championship venues, and also you’ll in all probability get a variety of responses.
We requested three-time Ryder Cup captain and Golf Care ambassador Bernard Gallacher to just do that. Right here’s what he mentioned…
1. St Andrews – Outdated, Fife
St Andrews is simply a type of locations that’ll make the hairs on the again of your neck rise up.
What number of golfers would select the Outdated if they may solely play one course for the remainder of their lives? A really massive quantity, you think about, for that is the dwelling of golf—the place the nice sport has been performed because the fifteenth century.
With its double greens, crossovers and gaping bunkers, there’s nowhere else fairly prefer it on this planet. Throw all that historical past into the combination, its well-known landmarks and iconic holes, and you’ve got golf’s undisputed primary golf course, by no means thoughts one of the best Open Championship venue.
Bernard Gallacher:
That is the preferred of all of the programs on the Open rota for each gamers and spectators. The Outdated Course is the quintessential seaside hyperlinks course, with its iconic double greens, extensive fairways, cavernous bunkers, and a capricious North Sea wind that’s able to spring up at any time.
It’s my favorite course on this planet!
2. Royal Liverpool
Royal Liverpool (or Hoylake, because it’s typically referred) has hosted The Open 13 instances, together with 2023. One of the crucial historic golf golf equipment within the nation, there aren’t many higher so far as Open Championship venues are involved.
On the tip of the Wirral peninsula and set on pretty flat floor, it might lack the dramatic views different Open Championship venues, nevertheless it’s no much less mesmerising and makes fantastic use of its pure contours.
Bernard Gallacher:
Royal Liverpool returned to the Open fold in 2006 after a 39-year hole.
It’s largely a Harry Colt designed course, however Donald Metal, Martin Hawtree, and, extra lately, Martin Ebert have all up to date the course over time to create at the moment’s masterpiece.
It’s a real hyperlinks course with quick fairways, penal tough, and wonderful greens.
The course at all times produces excellent winners—Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Peter Thompson, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to call just a few.
3. Muirfield, East Lothian
For a lot of, Muirfield, which first hosted The Open means again in 1892, gives the fairest check of all of the Open Championship venues. Two circuits of 9 rotate in reverse instructions, the again 9 looping contained in the entrance 9, guaranteeing that golfers by no means face the identical wind route on two consecutive holes.
The format could be barely uncommon for a Scottish hyperlinks course, nevertheless it’s near-perfect—a little bit eccentric, perhaps, however a masterpiece nonetheless, with the fairways and hazards fantastically designed. Then there’s the clubhouse, which, just like the course, has its personal particular ambiance.
Bernard Gallacher:
The golf course, which was initially laid out by Outdated Tom Morris, lies on the southern banks of the Firth of Forth in East Lothian.
It’s at all times a troublesome check for one of the best golfers on this planet with its slender fairways, impenetrable tough, and quick greens.
Jack Nicklaus gained the primary of his three Opens right here in 1966 (finishing his Grand Slam within the course of) and named his course in America Muirfield Village to commemorate the event.
I even have fond reminiscences of Muirfield myself, having gained the inaugural Scottish Stroke Play Championship right here in 1967—once I was simply 17. How time flies!
4. Trump Turnberry Resort – Ailsa, South Ayrshire
Any point out of Turnberry and it’s onerous to not image 1977’s well-known ‘Duel in the Sun’, when Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson went head-to-head for the Claret Jug. Watson edged it, after all, however he did endure heartbreak right here, too, when in 2009, aged 59, he misplaced a play-off in opposition to Stewart Cink.
The Ailsa course options one of the crucial spectacular par-3s on the Open rota—the par-3 ninth, specifically, which performs over the cliffs and crags to a inexperienced proper by the well-known lighthouse.
A few of the holes by the ocean right here will take your breath away, as will the midway hut, which isn’t your typical stopover. We’re speaking severe wow-factor from begin to end.
Bernard Gallacher:
This very scenic course on the banks of the Firth of Clyde overlooks the Isle of Arran.
The Ailsa Course has hosted 4 Opens, with probably the most well-known by far being the 1977 Duel within the Solar when Tom Watson held off Jack Nicklaus to win by a stroke. The 2 golfers have been up to now forward of the remainder of the sphere that Hubert Inexperienced, who completed third, was 11 strokes behind the winner!
5. Carnoustie, Angus
In the event you like a troublesome check, they don’t come a lot sterner than ‘Automobile-nasty’. That is the place Jean van de Velde succumbed to the treacherous 18th hole in 1999, and little question many extra will fall sufferer to this brute sooner or later.
Weak holes merely don’t exist on this Angus hyperlinks, the place the slender fairways are protected by gorse, streams and devilish bunkers. It’d lack the spectacular sea views that a number of the different Open Championship venues can boast, however there’s arguably nowhere higher to check your sport. The ending stretch will stay lengthy within the reminiscence, that’s for positive.
Bernard Gallacher:
In my view, Carnoustie is the hardest of all of the Open programs. A protracted course with slender fairways and penal tough, Carnoustie has a flat floor that’s uncovered to the vagaries of the wind, which simply provides to the issue.
It’s the one course on the Open rota the place water comes into play over the ultimate holes. The notorious Barry Burn brought on numerous issues for Jean van de Velde right here again in 1999!
The signature gap is the par-5 sixth gap, renamed Hogan’s Alley after Ben Hogan’s Open victory in 1953, when he fearlessly skirted the out of bounds on the left every single day along with his drive to present himself one of the best strategy to the inexperienced.
6. Royal Birkdale, Southport
The North West of England is a hyperlinks hotbed, with an array of fantastic programs supplementing its three Open Championship venues—though not everybody will agree how the trio needs to be ranked.
Royal Birkdale first hosted The Open in 1954, and has since grow to be the second most common venue behind St Andrews. This venue is blessed with a number of the most beautiful dunes within the nation, which body the holes fantastically—anybody who performs right here will keep in mind them—after all, alongside the par-4 1st, no doubt one of many hardest openers on the Open rota.
Bernard Gallacher:
Royal Birkdale has hosted the Open no fewer than ten instances, with the final winner being Jordan Speith in 2017.
The fairways right here lie between enormous sandy dunes, which act as an ideal amphitheatre for spectators. Like all seaside programs, it turns into a really powerful check when the wind kicks up.
I performed my first Ryder Cup right here in 1969 and witnessed Jack Nicklaus conceding a two-foot putt to Tony Jacklin on the final inexperienced, that means the match completed as a draw. This second remains to be thought of one among sport’s biggest gestures, and rightly so.
7. Royal Portrush – Dunluce, County Antrim
Royal Portrush is beautiful, and there’s each probability those that have performed it might rank it even increased than we now have. Shane Lowry, who landed a famous Open victory right here in 2019, could be a type of.
This Harry Colt masterpiece is characterised by towering dunes and an array of standout holes. The par-4 fifth tops the lot for a lot of—a gap the place you tee off from an elevated tee earlier than following the golf green in the direction of the ocean. In reality, each gap right here feels dramatic ultimately.
Bernard Gallacher:
This course is steeped in historical past. Max Faulkner, a good friend and early mentor of mine once I turned skilled in 1968, gained the Open there in 1953, and it might be one other sixteen years earlier than one other British golfer, Tony Jacklin, would comply with him and win the Open. For sure, Max dined out on his well-known victory for a few years!
Royal Portrush has two wonderful programs, The Dunluce Links and the Valley Links.
The Dunluce Hyperlinks is the Championship course, which was up to date by Martin Ebert to accommodate the massive crowds on the 2019 Open.
The course has many excellent holes, however arguably the signature gap is the sixteenth—in any other case often called Calamity Nook. This 236-yard par-3 is performed over a valley with an enormous drop off to the correct, performed normally into the prevailing wind. It comes late within the spherical and has the potential to be an actual card wrecker!
8. Royal St George’s, Kent
Situated on the Kent shoreline, this windswept hyperlinks course, which is thought to be one of many strongest layouts within the UK and Eire, will check your ball-striking and course administration to the boundaries.
Considered one of its finest options, in addition to its undulating terrain, is the truth that the holes all level in numerous instructions. In consequence, golfers face ever-changing wind instructions, simply to make issues extra fascinating.
Bernard Gallacher:
St George’s is likely one of the best Open championship venues. It’s hosted the event many instances, and a few excellent golfers have gained it right here—together with my good good friend Sandy Lyle.
In reality, he and I shared a home when he gained it in 1985 and have become The Champion Golfer of the 12 months, however I can’t declare any credit score for his victory!
9. Royal Lytham & St Annes, Lancashire
Royal Lytham & St Annes is an iconic Open Championship venue that boasts most of the event’s most memorable moments—Seve Ballesteros’ restoration shot from the automobile park in 1979 to complete three photographs clear, and his third Open title in 1988 being amongst them.
The pot bunkers and sprawling gorse will strike concern into anybody who performs right here, and its issue cranks up a notch when the wind blows in from the Irish Sea.
Bernard Gallacher:
This difficult course options slender fairways and 167 strategically positioned bunkers to catch wayward drives and mishit second photographs.
It’s a hyperlinks course nevertheless it now lies half a mile inland! The opening gap is a troublesome lengthy par-3, which is uncommon. In reality, I can not consider one other Open Championship course that begins with a par-3.
Apart from that, it’s a typical traditional hyperlinks course with the primary 9 holes heading away from the clubhouse and the final 9 heading again.
I performed Jack Nicklaus within the singles right here within the 1977 Ryder Cup, and, with out that means to be too boastful, I managed to beat the ‘nice man’ on the final inexperienced. It was my finest Ryder Cup second!
10. Royal Troon – Outdated, South Ayrshire
Royal Troon is designed within the conventional out-and-back method of the Outdated Course at St Andrews. Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson placed on a present right here in 2016 that was paying homage to the Watson, Nicklaus duel at Turnberry—and far of the credit score for that epic showdown might be attributed to the qualities of this excellent hyperlinks course.
It has three distinct sections: the primary six out and alongside the coast; the center half a technical check via the dunes; and a troublesome last third that’s usually performed into the wind. The standout gap? There can’t be many higher brief holes on the Open rota than the well-known Postage Stamp.
Bernard Gallacher:
Gamers must make their rating over the primary 12 holes right here as a result of the final six might be extraordinarily lengthy and difficult, particularly into the wind.
The par-3 eighth, nicknamed the Postage Stamp, is one among golf’s most well-known holes. It’s solely 123 yards lengthy, however its small inexperienced steep fall off on the correct and deep bunker on the left can problem even the world’s finest golfers, particularly if you issue within the wind.
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