18 holes, 18 Courses - My Dream Eclectic Round

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been tweeting 18 holes to make up a dream eclectic course from holes that i have played. The only rules I adhered to were a) any course could only appear once; b) holes had to be chosen in accordance with their original hole order and c) the course had to be at least a par 70.

It was a fun exercise to undertake but not without its challenges. There were some holes that I had to forsake in order to make the routing work (i.e. get the par to at least 70).

The course comes to a par 71, but is only 6,300 yards from the members’ tees. It turns out that I have a definite bias to picking shorter par 4s and fun par 3s. Having said that, there are a few more challenging holes thrown in too.

If you click in the course title then you will be linked to my review of the course so you can see what I made of the whole course as well as some tips for a visit.

Thanks for all of those who followed along on Twitter - it was good fun to do!

HOLE 1
ST ANDREWS OLD COURSE
PAR 4 - 355 YARDS

First up is No. 1 on The Old Course. There are greater holes on the course but the heart beats here like nowhere else - nerves, excitement, anticipation. You’ll always have an audience, just don’t have a slice!

HOLE 2
PINE VALLEY
PAR 4 - 355 YARDS

Famously there are no bad holes at Pine Valley and I could have chosen any of them but I went for the 2nd as it embodies the characteristics of the whole course in one hole. There’s a carry that looks longer than it is, an approach shot that requires precision and you can’t relax on the green. And those colours...!

HOLE 3
NATIONAL GOLF LINKS OF AMERICA
PAR 4 - 407 YARDS

National Golf Links of America is a glorious mix of template holes and quirk. The 3rd hole, Alps, combines both.

HOLE 4
BARNBOUGLE DUNES
PAR 4 - 279 YARDS

Barnbougle Dunes is a Tom Doak and Mike Clayton creation on the north coast of Tasmania. This is a fantastic short par 4. You can try to fly the sand and go for glory or play safe with a mid-iron. I layed up and thinned one into the massive bunker with my 2nd!

HOLE 5
LAHINCH GOLF CLUB
PAR 3 - 148 YARDS

The 5th at Lahinch is known as Dell. I’m not always a lover of blind shots but this is a delicious treat. Hit a good shot and you’ll bound up the hill with hope in your heart to see how close to the pin you’ve got!

Picture - lahinchgolf.com

HOLE 6
ROYAL MELBOURNE (WEST)
PAR 4 - 426 YARDS

This is a tremendously strong hole, one of the world’s best doglegs. The safe line is to the left but you will be better rewarded going down the right. When you get there the green tilts from back to front like few others. Adrian Logue has written a fantastic article about the hole here.

HOLE 7
SUNNINGDALE (OLD COURSE)
PAR 4 - 393 YARDS

You drive over a ridge to be greeted by the most glorious sight of heather, eyebrow bunkers and magnificent trees. A gorgeous and challenging hole, one of England’s finest.

Picture - Sunningdale Golf Club

HOLE 8
MORFONTAINE (VALLIERE)
PAR 5 - 441 YARDS

This shortest of par 5s is on the 9 holes course - the Valliere - that accompanies the main 18 holes . It embodies all that’s good about the 27 holes that Tom Simpson created - inviting, intriguing, beguiling and fun. How can this green not make you smile?!

HOLE 9
TRUMP TURNBERRY - AILSA COURSE
PAR 3 - 187 YARDS

I’m a bit of a sucker for a good ocean hole and this has to be one of the most thrilling tee shots in golf. The recent work on the Ailsa course was superb and as of this week both Golf World and Golf Monthly have it as the no. 1 course in the UK. With holes like this it’s easy to see why.

HOLE 10
UTRECHT DE PAN
PAR 4 - 336 YARDS

The 10th hole at de Pan is a beautiful short par 4. It requires precision from the tee with a long iron before you need to thread one through the mounds to the green. This is a wonderful course - a Dutch Swinley Forest - and it’s great to see it making appearances in recent world top 100 lists. Holland is an under-rated golf destination and de Pan is the jewel.

HOLE 11
SHINNECOCK HILLS
PAR 3 - 146 YARDS

Sometimes called the shortest par 5 in golf, precision off the tee is a must. The treacherous green is hard to hold but the bunkers can wreck your scorecard. It’s the highest point on the course so listen to your caddies advice on what to do!

Picture - Golf Digest

HOLE 12
SWINLEY FOREST
PAR 4 - 430 YARDS

This double dogleg is the longest hole at Swinley Forest and a real test. As Geoff Ogilvy says, Swinley is golf the way it should be. It’s now open to visitors who send an email, rather than have an interview with the secretary! When this is all over, I urge you to get there.

View fullsize

HOLE 13
NORTH BERWICK
PAR 4 - 339 YARDS

North Berwick is an utter joy from beginning to end and this hole will bring a smile to even the most curmudgeonly face! The 13th hole - Pit - is a great example of what makes this course such fun. Depending on the direction of your approach can be the shortest of wedges or a long iron - either way you’ll need to get over the wall guarding the green.

The Pit in the snow

HOLE 14
FRIAR’S HEAD
PAR 5 - 540 YARDS

Friar’s Head is a Coore and Crenshaw creation on the north shore of Long Island. Rory McIlroy called it one of the best courses he’s played and the 14th one of the prettiest holes he’s seen.

This par 5 narrows as it moves up through blown out dunes to a tricky green with an infinity staircase floating on the sand behind. Pure heaven!

HOLE 15
KINGSTON HEATH
PAR 3 - 156 YARDS

The 15th at Kingston Heath is a sublime hole. It’s one of the best bunkered holes anywhere, a thrill to play. Ian Poulter said, ‘It’s one of the top par 3s in the world. It’s only 152 yards...none of this 245 yard crap we see so often. Pure brilliance’

HOLE 16
MERION
PAR 4 - 398 YARDS

The 16th at Merion is a really demanding par 4 with the second shot requiring a heroic approach over the quarry, or a bail-out right. It’s a visually stunning hole and requires you to think and execute perfectly. Next time I’ll go right!

There’s a quarry to be crossed if you go straight at the 16th green at Merion

HOLE 17
MUIRFIELD
PAR 5 - 506 YARDS

The 17th at Muirfield is a fantastic hole. The wind will play a big factor on what you can do here. With the prevailing westerly behind you you may be able to get close in 2. If it’s blowing the other way then make sure your second is long enough to get over the treacherous cross bunkers. Anything between eagle and triple bogey is in play here!

HOLE 18
CAPE WICKHAM LINKS
PAR 4 - 412 YARDS

I love playing golf with a smile on my face & I was grinning from ear to ear all the way round the magnificent Cape Wickham. Victoria Cove is in play as a bunker all the way up the hole. Like all of Cape Wickham, it’s breathtaking.

Lukas Michel's Favourite Courses

Lukas Michel with the Mid-Am trophy

In 2019, Australian Lukas Michel was the first ever international winner of the US Mid-Am, a USGA event open to the top Amateur golfers over the age of 25. Like the U.S. Amateur, the Mid-Am consists of two days of stroke play, with the leading 64 competitors then playing a knockout match play to decide the champion. 

With it came not only the prestige of winning this top amateur title but also a place in the Masters and US Open. Those events are postponed for now, but Lukas has a good idea what he will face when the tournaments are played as he has already played several rounds at Augusta and is well-acquainted with Winged Foot.

Lukas is a great golfer and a student of golf architecture who has played many of the best courses in the world. Lukas is based in Melbourne and studied at St Andrews, so he has had the opportunity to see the world’s best!

If you want to hear more from Lukas then I recommend his recent appearances on the Cookie Jar podcast which covers, among other topics, his Mid Am-win and first impressions of Augusta.

Thanks so much to Lukas - I just love his choices and several of these would make my own favourites list. Good luck for the Masters and US Open when the time comes!

Here are Lukas’s favourite courses -

LAHINCH GOLF CLUB
I played Lahinch as part of a trip to play the North of Ireland Amateur (Royal Portrush). An Irish lad I met down-under the year before was kind enough to arrange several rounds of golf at the best courses in Ireland, but this one stood out for its wildly fun routing.
UK Golf Guy Review, Graylyn Loomis

THE OLD COURSE, ST ANDREWS
The town of St Andrews will forever hold a place in my heart for the 5 months I spent there studying abroad. As a student and “links ticket” holder I had rights to play this famous course as many times as I wanted for the annual cost of £200. It’s a shame most visitors only get to play it once, as you only start to appreciate it after several plays in variable conditions.
UK Golf Guy Review

NORTH BERWICK
Outside of Melbourne, Edinburgh is the first town I could see myself living; and my first choice of club to be a member would be North Berwick. A classic “out and back” routing over fairly subtle ground, but its design features like the centre-line bunkers on 9, the green nestled behind a wall on 13, the famous Redan on 15, and Gate green on 16 that make this place so special.
UK Golf Guy review, Scottish Golf History, Planet Golf

WALTON HEATH - OLD COURSE
I’ve played a couple of tournaments here and always enjoyed the challenge the layout presents. Fairways are lined with some of the densest heather, which puts a premium on driving the ball well, while the same heather makes for some of the most beautifully crafted and vegetated bunkers in the world. Holes like the 2nd, 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 16th prove there’s more than just pretty bunkers and tough heather here.
UK Golf Guy review, Walton Heath Website, Top 100 Website

TOBACCO ROAD 
One of the most exciting and drama filled rounds of golf you’ll play anywhere. Stranz has a way of making shots look much more difficult than they really are, so the sense of achievement and pleasure when you execute well is second to none.
Tobacco Road, Graylyn Loomis, Breaking Eighty

PINE VALLEY
As the number one golf course in the world, I went into my round at Pine Valley with the highest expectations and fully ready to be let down. Pine Valley still managed to exceed that and then some. 
UK Golf Guy Review, Golf Digest Flyover, Golf Club Atlas

CAL CLUB
If it’s not the best course in San Francisco, it’s definitely the most enjoyable to play, mainly for its superb fescue surfaces which allow the ball to bounce and run like the best courses of Great Britain and Ireland. Artistic and cleverly placed bunkers make this course a pretty and forever interesting place to play golf.
California Golf Club, the fried egg, LINKS magazine

MORFONTAINE (VALLIERE)
Following one of the best driveways in golf, which winds its way through stunning heathland scattered with golf holes, you’re met by the elegant vine covered clubhouse. 5 holes in to my “warm-up” round at the 9 hole Valliere course, I was convinced I’d just played the best 5 hole stretch of golf holes in my life. Although seen as an accompaniment of sorts, the Valliere is not to be missed and might have 6 or 7 of the best holes on the entire 27 hole property. 
Geoffshackleford.com, Planet Golf

LAKE KARRINYUP
The course I learnt to play at, starting at an age of 9 to 18. Built on fairly hilly terrain, tee shots demand aggressive lines and specific shapes to catch the right slopes and to gain significant advantage. These tee shots often set up dramatic down hill approach shots to holes such as the 2nd, 7th, 13th, and 18th. 
Lake Karrinyup Website, Aussie Golf Quest

ROYAL MELBOURNE (WEST)
Alister MacKenzie’s routing here is the best in the land, and Morcom and Russell were successfully able to build his vision. The legacy of this trio lives on through the quality of Melbourne and Australian golf. The West course asks you to think, to be creative, and to execute better than any other golf course anywhere, and for that it’s one of the most fun and interesting golf courses in the world.
UK Golf Guy Review, No Laying Up Tourist Sauce, Golf Channel Analysis

LAHINCH GOLF CLUB

THE OLD COURSE - ST ANDREWS

NORTH BERWICK

WALTON HEATH - OLD COURSE

TOBACCO ROAD

Picture - tobaccoroadgolf.com

PINE VALLEY

CAL CLUB

Picture - calclub.org

MORFONTAINE - VALLIERE

LAKE KARRINYUP

Picture - lkcc.com.cu

ROYAL MELBOURNE

David McClure's Favourite Golf Courses

David McClure, a sales executive at Golf Escapes, caught the golfing bug at the age of 12 and has been driven by a desire to better himself ever since. From early days playing at his local course in Sussex with friends on rugby-free weekends, to gracing some of the most impressive and captivating locations around the world, David has a deep love not just of the sport, but the great friendships that can be formed as part of it.

With a style most comparable to the late, great Seve Ballesteros, David likes to combine a hint of flair with a sprinkling of aggression and a whole lot of passion. Taking the occasional chance of being all over the place, David is a player who wants to find that once-in-a-lifetime wonder shot, a player full of excitement others want to share the course with.

As a sales executive at Golf Escapes, David thrives on helping others find that ideal trip. Golf Escapes is passionate about sharing their irresistible tips and knowledge with fellow golf-lovers around the world.

From short UK weekend breaks to luxurious golf and spa holidays across the world, Golf Escapes has the right trip for everyone. Their in-depth understanding garnered through personal experience means they can recommend the perfect package, or help you design a unique, tailor-made tour especially for you.

With every detail thought of, you can be sure that your visit to some of the grandest and most enticing courses around the world will be memorable for life.

David himself has played at many such courses. With a peak handicap of just two, he has been blessed with opportunities to play at some of the finest courses around the world. Favouring those that bring a smile to your face and special memories flooding back, here are David’s favourite courses to play:

LES CHATEAUX COURSE - GOLF DU MEDOC
The par 71 course is widely regarded as one of the best in France. Set in the majestic wine region of Bordeaux, strong winds and unforgiving roughs demand precision and technique for a successful round. One of two courses at the Golf du Medoc resort, the Chateau is the award-winning ‘big sister’. It was designed in 1989 by the American Bill Coore, who has worked across the world and is famed for using the natural contours of the land to help in his designs. Bordeaux’s beautiful countryside combined with Coore’s philosophy has made the Chateau course a stunning picture.

MONTE REI
The Monte Rei is the unrivalled eastern Algarve course. A world-class setting with the Serra do Caldeirão mountains to the north and the Atlantic Ocean in the south places the course with its 7182 yards of pure beauty on the must-play list. Featuring five lakes and a border of indigenous trees, the Monte Rei has enough challenge for any handicap and ability, and a unique way of surpassing all expectations on each hole as it improves even when that is seemingly impossible.

TPC STADIUM SAWGRASS
The host of the annual Players Championship, the TPC Stadium Sawgrass is among the best-known courses worldwide. It is impeccably attended to and has an ideal location being just a mile in from the Atlantic coast in Florida. Adrenaline rushes characterise the course, with no greater buzz than the seventeenth. Alcatraz, as its known, is a par three that fills even pros with equal measures of excitement and dread. An island green jutting out into a lake provides a real challenge, one that any adventurous golfer should relish and target.

THE BLUE MONSTER - DORAL
Renovated to be longer and more exhilarating than ever before in 2014 by the world-renowned Gil Hanse, the designer of the Rio 2016 Olympic course, The Blue Monster is a truly world-class course. Popular with many of the top players in the world, the course enables visitors to follow in the footsteps of their favourite pros in creating memories and moments to savour. With long, flowing fairways, but deep and strategically placed bunkers and water hazards, the course promises an enthralling experience for all players.

YAS LINKS
Set against stunning views of the Arabian Gulf, Yas Links in Abu Dhabi consistently ranks highly on lists for the best courses in the world. The course lives up to the expectations of its surroundings with a great variety of challenges and rewarding outcomes for those having a good round. Over two miles of coastline was reshaped in the construction of the course so every inch is designed to perfection. World-class facilities only add to the grandeur, so at the end of a day’s play, you can relax and marvel at the stunning views over the course.

QUINTA DA LAGO - NORTH
Playing courses designed by professional players gives you an insight into what they enjoy and how they like to see golf played. Redesigned and redeveloped in collaboration with European Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley, this stunning Quinta do Lago North is a must for any golfer playing in the Algarve. Aesthetically spectacular, great care was also taken to ensure the development encouraged new eco-systems, culminating not only in a fantastic golfing venue, but one of great charm and beautiful scenery. Well-positioned bunkers and water hazards will challenge any golfer, while four sets of tees can be an encouragement to players of all levels.

SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB
Designed by Gary Player, the South African widely considered as one of the greatest golfers of all time, the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club provides mouthwatering 360-degree views. A short ten-minute ride from the city centre, the magnificent, must play Abu Dhabi course is located right on the beachfront. Blue waters, white-sand beaches, native dune grasses and palm trees give a paradisical feel to the place. Challenges such as saltwater lagoons, sand dunes and an impressive 67 bunkers make this course its own special kind of test.

FINCA CORTESIN
Renowned as one of the best golfing experiences in Spain and Europe, if not the world, the Finca Cortesin was designed by the world-famous golf course architect Cabell Robinson. The attentively cared for course combines perfectly with the natural vegetation in the area to create the ideal playing space. Having hosted European Tour events in the past, the course is one for any serious golfer to take on. World-class service and extensive practise facilities both add to the overall feel that this is a serious golfing venue.

THE NICKLAUS COURSE AT ST MELLION
The first European course personally designed by Jack Nicklaus, the Nicklaus course is one of two at the St Mellion resort in Plymouth and is renowned worldwide. Advocating strategic play, the course can be an unforgiving place with numerous water hazards, which drives great challenge and competition for the golfer looking to push themself. The Nicklaus Course at St Mellion is kept to an immaculate standard and surpassed even the high expectations of the designer himself who, as the record holder of the most major wins, knows a thing or two about his courses!

CASA DE CAMPO - THE TEETH OF THE DOG
The signature course of the designer Pete Dye, Casa de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog is often considered to be the number one course in the Caribbean. Located in the most visited Caribbean destination of the Dominican Republic, the course features 18 staggeringly beautiful holes and uses the coastal landscape to great effect. Demanding great ability of players, the course is a rewarding but unforgiving journey of tough shots. It is a must-play course in one of the most idyllic locations in the world.

David McClure works for Golf Escapes, a company of professional golfers and enthusiasts that specialise in golf holidays. David very much enjoyed coming up with this list and now looks forward to the next time he might be able to take his next golf trip. When ever that may be.

LES CHATEAUX - Golf de medoc

MONTE REI

TPC STADIUM - SAWGRASS

THE BLUE MONSTER - DORAL

YAS LINKS

QUINTA DA LAGO - NORTH

SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB

FINCA CORTESIN

THE NICKLAUS COURSE AT ST MELLION

CASA DE CAMPO - TEETH OF THE DOG

Michael Wolf's Favourite Courses

One of the great things about Twitter has been the way that like-minded people have been connected and are able to enrich the experiences of others.

When it comes to the small corner of the internet that is Golf Architecture, Michael Wolf (@bamabearcat) is approaching legendary status.

Michael is someone who simply loves the game. He is both well-read and well-travelled and loves sharing his knowledge and discoveries. If you have even a passing interest in the history of golf and golf courses then he is a must follow.

In his role as President of 288 Sports Michael is an agent to several professional golfers and his posts often show an appreciation of a golf course from the perspective of both the top professional and enthusiastic amateur.

Michael’s Top 10 list below is great, but I would really encourage you to scroll down the page to read his thoughts on why he has picked these courses. If you have the time, you should also listen to his recent appearance on the excellent ‘Good-Good Golf Podcast’ where he talks about his trip of a lifetime to Australia. It is another great insight into Michael’s enthusiasm for the game.

So thanks a lot Michael for you contribution, over to you!

Answering a request to list one’s ten favorite golf courses can be a simple, straightforward task that takes a few moments to complete. My ten favorites are:

1. ST ANDREWS - THE OLD COURSE
First, and still the best.
UK Golf Guy Review

2. AUGUSTA NATIONAL
The anticipation, the experience, and the memory from playing it just once will last a lifetime.
Masters.com, Planet Golf, GolfClubAtlas.com, Augusta Chronicle

3. CYPRESS POINT
Robert Louis Stevenson was right, it really is the most felicitous meeting of land and sea.
Graylyn Loomis, Golf Digest, Playing the Top 100

4. ROYAL MELBOURNE
Maybe the best golf course in the world for my game.
UK Golf Guy Review, No Laying Up Tourist Sauce, Golf Channel Analysis

5. ST GEORGE’S HILL
England’s Augusta National.
St George’s Hill website, Planet Golf, Playing the Top 100

6. CRYSTAL DOWNS
My idea of a perfect summer club.
Top100golfcourses, Crystal Downs website, The Alister MacKenzie Society

7. VALLEY CLUB OF MONTECITO
What I imagine golf in heaven would look like.
Golf Digest, Golf Club Atlas, The Alister MacKenzie Society

8. NATIONAL GOLF LINKS OF AMERICA
Maybe no better example of a club that’s stayed true to its creator’s vision.
UK Golf Guy Review, NGLA website, 1968 Sports Illustrated Article

9. CLOVERNOOK COUNTRY CLUB
A hidden gem that might not stay hidden much longer.
Clovernook website

10. OHOOPEE MATCH CLUB
Sandbelt golf finally makes it to the Deep South.
Hanse Golf Design, Fried Egg Youtube Guide, Golf Digest

The difficult part comes with explaining why those are my ten favorites, the assignment would become impossible if I had to justify why courses numbers 11 through 200 aren’t on the list. Why is Sand Hills number 13 instead of 8? Personal taste can be a useful defensive phrase, but it’s a poor informer.

If I was asked to name my favorite architects, Simpson, Doak, Ross, Alison and Coore/Crenshaw would all be high on my list, however none of them designed a course in my top 10. My favorite place to play golf is in the UK, but only one Scottish and a single English course appear on my list. Ireland is nowhere to be found. Nor anything from Japan, France or Canada. Why? I’ve played great golf courses in all of those countries.

What is it about the ten on my list that makes me think about them more than any of the other six hundred golf courses I’ve played. Why are these the ten that I’ll scheme, beg or borrow the most just to play one more time?

Perhaps it’s best to explain my list by explaining myself. I’m a middle-aged former caddy turned accountant who hits it pretty far, very often crooked, but with just enough of a short game to not go broke playing off of a 10 handicap. That probably explains why five of the courses on my list were built by MacKenzie - I definitely use every last yard of his wide fairways. I appreciate the need to think from the hole backwards before every single swing. Some of my favorite shots in golf are the well executed layups following a wayward drive, leaving myself with a good angle for a better chance at an up and down for par.

I always walk - and I don’t carry a rangefinder, so I’ll rely on sprinkler heads when playing a course for the first time. I find the yardage books for great golf courses only reveal a fraction of the story. More than half of my favorite courses are really easy walks. It’s true there isn’t anything easy about walking Crystal Downs or Augusta National, but for those I’ll excuse the hike.

None of the ten have much in the way of long walks from green to the next tee - 16 green to 17 tee at Crystal being the exception that proves the rule. But the common thread is you keep moving forward. I derive a certain intangible pleasure from courses like Royal Melbourne or Cypress Point where I can still play from the back tees; I find that my enjoyment of a course is often in direct opposition to the number of tee boxes it has.

Unless I’m employing a caddy, I usually only carry 10 or 11 clubs on my bad back. I’ve only owned 3 sets of irons in 35 years of golf. Caddying as a kid quickly teaches you it’s the knight and not the sword. Besides, I’ve noticed that fewer clubs are needed on the courses I enjoy the most.

Every one of the names on my list has a great short par 3, and most of them have great par 5s as well. But what makes these ten names really stand out is that most of them also have several great par 3.5s and 4.5s. Are there ANY really good golf courses where all of the par 4s are between 350-450 yards? Are there any great golf courses that don’t have unique short and long holes?

Another common theme is challenging greens and bunkering. Making it around any of them without a single three putt is a pretty rare occurrence, even for a scratch golfer. I enjoy having my short game and my mind tested. But the flip side is a 27 handicap could make their way around the majority of the courses without losing more than a ball or two. In fact, the likeliest places to lose a ball would be on the 16th or 17th at Cypress Point, or in the beautiful heather of St Georges Hill and those are two challenges I’m always happy to take on.

Finally, I love golf history. I enjoy learning how the unique places in the game came about - who founded them, built them, how they’ve been stewarded over subsequent decades. How have their memberships, traditions, local customs, weather and agronomy conspired to make them stand out?

Sand and wind are usually the building blocks. And employing the experience of a Harry Colt or CB Macdonald certainly helps. But pull back the curtain, and every one of the truly special places has a long list of people who have simply cared. Employees and members who have made the effort to educate themselves on what’s been entrusted to them, and have dedicated their time to passing along these treasures to the next generation. They gave a damn.

A few last words on what may seem to be my outlier - Clovernook CC in Cincinnati, Ohio. It’s a 1927 Langford and Moreau where I started caddying at age 12. Nostalgia of course plays a part in my choice but there’s more to this choice than you might expect. The golf course still has its original routing, and 16 or 17 fantastic original greens that with a little love could rival Lawsonia's. So I’m thrilled that Brian Schneider from Renaissance golf has recently signed on to giving Clovernook some long overdue attention. And I’m optimistic that Clovernook will be making appearances on the lists of future generations of golfers.

It’s been a great blessing of my life to have played so many of the worlds great courses, there’s certainly nothing I’ve done to deserve such good fortune. I wish more than four of the ten that I’ve chosen were easier for more golfers to play at least once in their lives. But I wouldn’t be fooling anyone who knows me if I didn’t acknowledge that part of the thrill of playing an Augusta or Cypress is just making it to the first tee. Getting a chance to see for myself what I’ve already read so much about has almost always exceeded my expectations.

So while these are my favorite ten that I’ve already played, I’m tempted to say that my true favorite is whichever course is next on my play list - the Morfontaines and Tara Itis and Falsboros that I haven’t seen yet. After all, it’s always best to keep moving forward...

THE OLD COURSE - ST ANDREWS

AUGUSTA NATIONAL

CYPRESS POINT

Picture - Geoff Shackelford

ROYAL MELBOURNE

ST GEORGE'S HILL

Picture - www.stgeorgeshillgolfclub.co.uk

CRYSTAL DOWNS

Picture - mackenziesociety.org

VALLEY CLUB OF MONTECITO

Picture - The Alister Mackenzie Society

NATIONAL GOLF LINKS OF AMERICA

CLOVERNOOK

Picture - www.clovernookcc.com

OHOOPEE

Picture - www.ohoopeematchclub.com

Bob Harrison's Favourite Courses

One of the things I have enjoyed most about the ‘Favourite Courses’ series has been seeing the courses chosen by some of the world’s finest architects and, importantly, their reasons why. I think it gives an insight into their philosophy, which in turn influences their work.

Bob Harrison established himself as a top golf course architect working for Greg Norman for over 20 years as his lead designer for Australian and Asian projects. He worked on many projects, but two stand-outs from this period would be Ellerston (consistently ranked in the top 100 courses in the world) and the National (Moonah) course. I was fortunate enough to play the National last year and thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster of joy Bob has created.

Bob then set up Harrison Golf and his impressive work has continued. In 2015 Bob started work on Ardfin, a course on the remote island of Jura in Scotland. The courses has opened to incredible plaudits - and a trip to Ardfin is very high up on my list for 2020!

Bob’s philosophy is great. He believes that courses ‘should look as natural and as spectacular as possible, whether you are lucky enough to have land that is naturally beautiful and find the best collection of natural holes, or whether the land doesn’t work in your favour and the objective becomes to manufacture a natural overall shape to give the impression that the golf holes were laid out over it.’

A big thanks to Bob for his selection. I think his words provide a great contribution to the discussion about what makes for a truly special golf course. Over to Bob!

As some of the other contributors have suggested, it’s perhaps difficult to determine between your 10 favourite courses and your choice of the 10 best courses, but here goes. Firstly, I am motivated by atmosphere, inspiration, variety, isolation, and grandness of scale. I can’t stand courses which rely on barbed-wire rough within a yard or so of the greens – you need to have areas to escape to on perfect lies, but requiring delicate and demanding recovery. It needs to be fun, and it gets down to personal reaction – on which courses would you rather be?

1. THE MACHRIE (OLD)
The old version before the recent changes. A quirky and inspirational course in the most spectacular and suitable dunes for golf – large enough to be inspiring, but not so large as to make the layout or the individual holes unworkable. A number of blind shots – but who cares. A number of the most thrilling, interesting and inspiring holes – with only 8 bunkers. Quirky but wonderful.  Tumultuous fairway shapes, but exciting.  It was a joy to be there, and even better if staying in the old hotel.
Hidden Links Golf, Golf Course Architecture

2. ROYAL ST GEORGE’S
Another similarly charismatic course in magnificent dunes land on a grand scale, at least on the front nine. Inspiring, strategically interesting holes, and on most of the holes a feeling of isolation. Interesting that it’s not favoured by many professionals, or at least by American professionals, but golf was never to be strictly rational. Bernard Darwin once wrote about Sandwich:

“One great characteristic – I think it is a beauty – of Sandwich, is the extraordinary solitude that surrounds the individual player. We wind about in the dells and hollows among the great hills, alone in the midst of a multitude, and hardly ever realise that there are others playing on the links until we meet them at luncheon... This is as nearly my idea of Heaven as is to be attained on any earthly links.’’
UK Golf Guy Review, Planet Golf, Royal St George’s

3. ST ANDREWS - THE OLD COURSE
Links land, but no inspirational dunes here. Just really interesting holes, with strategy substantially influenced by the most astonishing green sites and bunkering. The particular aspect of the greens that helps to dictate the interesting strategy is that many of them run downhill from front to back – at least in some sections of the surfaces. There is a great feeling and history being out on this course, and the Old Town in the background on the way home completes the picture. It’s a wide course, but the location and all-or-nothing severity of the bunkers, in parallel with the greens, makes it an exciting challenge.
UK Golf Guy Review

4. ARDFIN
A recent one of my own on the Inner Hebrides island of Jura, but worth listing, I believe, because it has diverse, unique and strategically interesting holes – and all on perhaps the most spectacular site in golf. Holes on cliffs, holes along beaches and a few inland along ancient stone walls.  Reasonably short at 6800 yards. Wide – in a windy site – except for one or two holes, and currently being further widened. Three reachable 4s in spectacular locations. Variety, both in the individual holes and the glorious wilderness landscape.
Golf Club Atlas, Top 100 Golf Courses

5. AUGUSTA NATIONAL
Often not a popular choice in ranking lists, but the holes on the back nine particularly provide the most inspirational, all-or-nothing shots to greens which are right on the edge of being unreasonable, but which dictate this thrilling play – particularly on the final afternoon of The Masters. I preferred the previous version without the rough, and have seen the recent longer and narrower version only on television, but still think it’s fantastic and you are still challenged to make choices and position shots. A magical place and almost borderline, but inspiring nonetheless.
Masters.com, Planet Golf, GolfClubAtlas.com, Augusta Chronicle

6. NEWCASTLE
Newcastle is a favourite from university days, and travels through rolling sandhills on a big scale, with most holes isolated by corridors of Australian bushland. In many places the holes make extraordinary, sometimes outrageous, use of the natural contours. The par 4 5th and the par 5 10th are examples, and you almost wouldn’t dare to design them on a new course. I believe the shaping, style and strategic interest of the greens and bunkers has held Newcastle back to an extent. We are about to remedy this situation, and also to create 7 new holes in attractive ground to replace perhaps the least interesting on the course – the 1st, 16th, 17th and 18th.
Newcastle Golf Club, Top 100 Golf Courses

7. CYPRESS POINT
A most beautiful and varied landscape, with the course passing through a pine forest and dramatic sandhills before finishing with some of the most fantastic cliff holes in golf. The holes have strategic variety as well, including back-to-back reachable par 4s – the 8th and 9th – with the latter being amongst the best and most dramatic in golf. It’s hard to beat 15, 16 and 17 around the clifftops. The beauty of the landscape is well-complemented by Mackenzie’s artistic style, making the whole thing look and feel amazing. We can all be thankful that Seth Raynor didn’t get to do it. Not too many golfers. It’s just a pleasure to be there.
Graylyn Loomis, Golf Digest, Playing the Top 100 

8. NORTH BERWICK
Great fun in a lovely setting with intimate interaction with the sea. This course appeals to so many of us even though it’s perhaps a little ordinary in a few places, for example near the turn. Overall, though, the course has great variety, and most of the holes are either unusual, or quirky, or even alarming (16th green) or strategically wonderful in the traditional sense. While the Redan (15th) perhaps gets the most publicity, my own favourites are the 13th (Pit) and 14th ( Perfection) – although I am disappointed that the ‘go-for-it’ 13th has been recently lengthened. Why would you do that, at least to that degree? Every time I walk down the 14th I wonder at the fantastic blind approach, and what some of the ex-pro-name-golfer-designers might have done to it with bulldozers. So much more charismatic than its nearby famous neighbour, Muirfield.
UK Golf Guy review, Scottish Golf History, Planet Golf

9. ROYAL MELBOURNE COMPOSITE
Another course where you can hit it anywhere – well almost so. Despite the width, the wilderness rough is extremely penalising but the strategic interest benefits from the width, the inspirational greens and majestic bunkering. A beautiful atmosphere and landscape within which to play golf.
UK Golf Guy Review, No Laying Up Tourist Sauce, Golf Channel Analysis

This gets me to 9 courses, and I am reluctant to choose one, or leave any out, from:

• Silloth, which, despite poor shaping, is another magical course with almost unique holes in fantastic dunes;

• New South Wales, which has some of the most astonishing holes in a grand seaside setting;

• Moonah at The National, which I believe deserves a high place in Australia’s top 10, apart from being a favourite; and

• Royal County Down, where you can feel the glory of what’s to come when you step onto the first tee.

We’ll let you off with those Bob. What great choices, and wonderful descriptions!

You can see others in the ‘Favourite Courses’ series here.

THE MACHRIE

Picture - Hidden Links

ROYAL ST GEORGE'S

Picture - Royal St George’s

ST ANDREWS - THE OLD COURSE

Ardfin

Picture - Konrad Borkowski

AUGUSTA NATIONAL

NEWCASTLE

Picture - Gary Lisbon

CYPRESS POINT

Picture - Geoff Shackelford

NORTH BERWICK

ROYAL MELBOURNE

Beth Allen’s Favourite Courses

Beth Allen © Kenny Smith

I am delighted to be able to share Beth Allen’s 10 favourite courses. Beth is the only American to have won the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit - her 2016 season saw her finish in the top 10 on 8 occasions, with 2 victories.

Beth grew up around golf on the west coast of the USA and has now made her base in Scotland - you can see these two influences coming through in her selections.

It’s always interesting to see what courses a professional golfer enjoys. Beth has selected courses that are fun, but also make you think. I’ve enjoyed reading about some of the selections I hadn’t heard much about before. Click on the links to find out more.

If you want to find out more about Beth’s career and how she has settled in Scotland, this profile in the New York Times and this from Visit Scotland are interesting. You can also follow her on Twitter at @BethAllenGolf

Thanks a lot to Beth for sharing her choices with us - we wish her all the best for a great 2020 season!

MUIRFIELD
If someone asked me where I’d like to spend my last day on earth, it would be here. My favorite links course, tremendous bunkering, stunning views & unique atmosphere. Lunch is decent too :-)
UK Golf Guy Review, Graylyn Loomis

NORTH BERWICK
Super welcoming golf club that is outrageous at times (especially the back 9) but that’s why I love it. Whenever I play the West Links I feel grateful I live in Scotland.
UK Golf Guy review, Scottish Golf History, Planet Golf

TORREY PINES
For various reasons but mainly sentimental. My dad was the director of golf for The City of San Diego. That meant he looked over Torrey Pines. I had the pleasure of driving the beverage cart around that beautiful property. I also sold range balls there (but really that was just paid practice, beer cart much more lucrative). Of course, I played there often with my family & enjoyed it every time despite the South being a complete beast of a course. The par 3 third on the South & the par 3 15 on the North are highlights for me.
Torrey Pines Website, Top 100 Golf Courses

ST ANDREWS - THE OLD COURSE
I’ve had the pleasure of playing a British Open there as well as the odd bounce game. It never gets old. Ever.
UK Golf Guy Review, Scottishgolfhistory.org

ROYAL MELBOURNE (COMPOSITE)
The composite is one of the toughest courses I’ve ever played but so clever. I’ve never had more fun actually having to think around a golf course but not wanting to break anything, does that make sense? Every par three is strong but the 7th is an awesome short one that demands good decision making.
UK Golf Guy Review, No Laying Up Tourist Sauce, Shackelford Golf Channel Analysis

WILSHIRE COUNTRY CLUB
Despite being pretty much in the middle of Hollywood this course is an old classic. It reminds me of a Sand Belt course design but with tiny greens. Really classic old school California track, which I love.
Wilshire Country Club Website, Golf Club Atlas

SLEEPY HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB
Only got to play Sleepy Hollow 4 times one week of my life, during the 2002 US Women’s Am, but unforgettable. Oddly, Bill Murray caddied in my group which certainly added to the experience. The course’s logo is one of the best but also the golf course is amazing!
Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Graylyn Loomis

THE VALLEY CLUB AT MONTECITO
A beautiful Mackenzie/Hunter course on the central coast of California. Very unassuming upon arrival, but an outstanding layout with great bunkering & challenging greens. Again, very ‘Sand Belty’
Golf Digest, Golf Club Atlas, The Alister MacKenzie Society

PRESTWICK GOLF CLUB
I couldn’t leave out a links in the West! Such a fun starting hole next to the railway. It’s wild & unpredictable, so good.
Golf Club Atlas, Planet Golf

METROPOLITAN GOLF CLUB
Sensing a theme? Another sand belt gem. Actually, the first sand belt course I’ve ever played in my first Australian Open in 2009. I’d never seen greenside bunkers like Metro’s before, and may or may not have putted into a couple of them.
UK Golf Guy review, No Laying Up Tourist Sauce

A big thanks to Beth for sharing these. Next up is top Australian golf architect Bob Harrison.

You can see others in the ‘Favourite Courses’ series here.

MUIRFIELD

NORTH BERWICK

TORREY PINES

Picture - golfdigest.com

ST ANDREWS - THE OLD COURSE

ROYAL MELBOURNE

Picture - www.golfvic.org.au

Wilshire Country Club

Picture - Wilshirecountryclub.com

Sleepy Hollow Country Club

Picutre - graylynloomis.com

The Valley Club at Montecito

Picture - The Alister Mackenzie Society

PRESTWICK GOLF CLUB

Picture - www.prestwickgc.co.uk

METROPOLITAN GOLF CLUB

The Best Golf Podcasts for 2020

Almost two years ago, when I last wrote about my favourite golf podcasts (that article is still consistently in the top 5 pages visited on ukgolfguy.com) I wrote about an explosion in golf podcasts - but it turns out that was just the warm up. 2019 saw another plethora of golf podcasts land, and the choice can be a little bewildering.

Personal taste is a massive issue when it comes to choosing which podcasts to have on the go, so I recognise that my selections may not be everyone’s choices. But hopefully the list will give you some inspiration if you are looking for something for your daily commute or workout in the gym. Enjoy, and feel free to let me know any I’m missing!

MY MUST LISTENS
I pretty much listen to every episode of these podcasts. In general they aren’t affiliated with a publisher but have a strong independent streak, and cover a wide range of topics.

THE McKELLAR GOLF PODCAST

I have written before about being an unashamed fanboy of Lawrence Donegan and John Huggan. Their ByTheMinute podcast was one of the earliest, and one of the best, examples of the genre and I am delighted that the two have got together again.

The podcast hasn’t been going long (it started in earnest at the end of September) and the plan is to release a new edition at the beginning of each week to discuss current golf affairs as well as sometimes diving into more general topics. There have been a couple of excellent guests so far (Mike Clayton and Denis Pugh) and I think the hosts will be pretty discerning about who they have on the show.

One of the things I like about McKellar is that Huggan and Donegan are beholden to no one and aren’t worried about talking about some of the ridiculousthings that go on in the world of golf today. They won’t hold back in their criticism of things they disagree with, but equally, here you have two people who are very well informed and really care for the game and its future.

I hope that they are able to sustain the regular drop of episodes we have seen in the early months. Some of the other podcasts on this list are a requisite of people’s jobs, this isn’t the case for Donegan and Huggan. It does promote the excellent McKellar magazine. Let’s hope that this one keeps going. They both make the golf world a richer place.

THE CUT

The Cut is a relatively new golf podcast but has quickly made it onto my ‘Must Listen’ list. It is produced by the BBC and features their golf correspondent, Ian Carter, and their best commentator, Andrew Cotter. From a frequency point of view they are pretty reliable through the main golf season, and will let you know when they are taking a break.

They tend to concentrate on current golf events - particularly when they are live on the site. The BBC still sends a team to the Majors and other big events, so during those weeks there is likely to be a good selection of interviews with leading players.

The European players are all very familiar with Carter from his many years of work with the BBC and Cotter through this and his much-discussed corporate work. As a result, you will normally get an interview which is fairly relaxed but probing, and Carter and Cotter will often elicit a good nugget or insight that others would struggle to get.

The pod is pretty European-centric and I’m not entirely sure how well the very (very) dry humour and references to 1980s British children’s TV translates in other parts of the globe. However, for those of us who can pick up on those it is very entertaining.

Don’t expect to necessarily get the hard-hitting ‘takes’ of some of the other podcasts. In their day jobs, Carter and Cotter rely on having a good relationship with the tours and players and that may dictate their style a little. However, I don’t think this takes away from the quality of their output. They are two of the very best voices in the game today.

THE GOOD-GOOD GOLF PODCAST

From the ashes of the previously lauded ‘iSeekGolf’ podcast comes the Good-Good Golf Podcast. It was always likely that ISG was doomed after my appearance on episode 99 but the segue into Good-Good was easy.

The ISG hosts, Rod Morri and Adrian Logue have been joined by 'Feed the Ball’ host Derek Duncan. The content has evolved a little from the ISG podcasts. Their pitch is that ‘Good-Good is the golf show for the serious golfer. We celebrate everything great about the game, from course architecture to promoting public golf’.

There are slightly fewer interviews and conversations around current tour events than there were in iSeekGolf and more discussion and conversations between the three hosts on, dare I say it, the State of the Game. I maybe found the ISG podcasts a little more varied in their subject matter. It is early days though and I am sure that the content will evolve as 2020 develops and they have a full season of issues to discuss.

In common with all my ‘Must Listens’ the hosts of this show are intelligent and have a lot to offer when discussing the current position and future development of the game. All three of them bring a something to the party. Rod has a fantastic interviewing style, he is expertly guides the conversation and is not scared to provoke when required. Adrian is the unashamed intellectual of the group, and he is really thriving on this platform. There is also the opportunity to hear more from Derek Duncan of Feed the Ball fame whose strong credentials from the world of golf course architecture shine through.

One of the challenges for anyone trying to make a living in the current media world is how to make money producing content that we are getting so used to accessing for free. Morri has brought together a selection of golf podcasts into one place - Talkingolf. The idea is that a network of podcasts will be able to generate an audience attractive to advertisers. The standard is high and it would be great to see a model like this work.

NO LAYING UP

The juggernaut that is No Laying Up continues. What started as a twitter feed, before evolving into a podcast, now has more arms and legs than a centipede (if, indeed, centpides have arms and legs?!). There is a merchandise area, spin-off podcast, excellent video travelogue channel, online forum, subscription only area and a travel company. These guys are very busy.

The NLU team have given up their previous day jobs to concentrate full time on making a success of the NLU franchise. They have managed to straddle the line between embracing ‘new’ media while having considered opinions, delivered with thought and passion. To monetise the brand they will have to rely on more than just the podcast. I really hope these other ventures give them what they need financially to carry on.

The podcast output has been pretty prodigious over the last 12 months - over 80 in 2019 - and that’s without the live Twitter video broadcasts during various big events. I probably listened to over 90% of these and the quality was very high throughout the year.

One of the concerns I had in the past was that they might find it hard not to go too ‘corporate’. Were they really going to criticise the distance the ball goes when Callaway pays their wages? Would they give the PGA Tour an easy time to ensure they got access to events and players?

It’s become clear though that they can tread that line well. They did a piece on golf course architecture and lamented the distance the ball is going - they must reckon that Callaway would still sell balls even if they didn’t go quite as far.

As for the PGA Tour, they are not at all shy to criticise, although Alan Shipnuck suggests here that that may be causing them a few issues. If that is the case then that is short-sighted of the Tour and it’s pleasing that NLU are still pushing on and being true to themselves.

Most of all, what I like about No Laying Up is their enthusiasm. They revel in celebrating what is good in the game, while pointing out some of the absurdities. They are just as happy discussing the current form of the world’s top talent as what makes a good golf trip or the finances that drive the modern game. And, although this is a podcast review, I would urge you to check out their travel series on YouTube. They are shot brilliantly, with some great story-telling.

STATE OF THE GAME

So here we are again! There is a sense of deja vu as I write this. Here’s what I wrote in 2018 -

‘State of the Game is the best in the business. The combination of Rod Morri, Geoff Shackelford and Mike Clayton is gold-dust. However, their podcasts are so few and far between these days that they may need to be retired from the list. Fortunately, Morri hosts the iSeekgolf podcast now, Shackelford has his Shackhouse and Clayton has the media profile of a Kardashian these days, so you can hear plenty from all of them in various places. I would argue though that they are never better than when together.’

This almost all still applies. Alas, there have only been three episodes of the show in the last 6 months. When one appears it goes straight to the top of my list of golf podcasts to listen to. All is not lost though. Mike Clayton is very generous with his time and you don’t have to wait too long before he appears on one of the other podcasts on this list. Rod has Good-Good as well as a few other podcasts on the go.

However, we are missing the opinions of Geoff Shackelford at the moment. It would be great if 2020 bought an outlet for us to hear his views on the game more frequently. Even better if State of the Game got into a regular routine with these three back on air together.

SOMETIMES LISTEN
Even with a long commute and a fair bit of dog walking, there are only so many hours in the day to listen to a golf podcast. I’ve enjoyed all of the below at different times and will generally check out the subject matter of an episode before deciding whether to listen.

THE ROUND GOLF PODCAST
This was a bit of a sleeper for me but now I’ve listened to every episode and really enjoyed them. The basic premise is that the host, Richard Kaufman, speaks to a guest about the most significant round of golf in their life. They don’t give a shot-by-shot analysis of the round but rather explain the context of it and its impact on them.

The discussion starts with this premise but you usually get an in-depth look at a player’s career, their influences and a really good insight into their personality. Kaufman is a very ‘warm’ interviewer who elicits a lot from his subjects.

These also age well, so you can dip into the back catalogue without a worry that they are no longer relevant. The interviews with John E Morgan, Laura Davies and Matthew Southgate would all serve as a good introduction to the pod.

GOLF WEEKLY
I will resist the usual dig about the title of this podcast being a misnomer. This Irish-based podcast has upped its output over the last year and, through the key golf months, managed a podcast pretty much every week.

As an Irish pod, it obviously leans towards all things from Emerald Isle but it is not generally an esoteric listen. It mainly covers current professional events but the hosts will happily provoke debate on a wide variety of subjects. It’s all done with a very good sense of humour, sometimes with quite a biting edge.

My only slight quibble, and probably the thing that holds me back from listening a bit more, is when the podcast lands and, associated with that, the nature of the content. It often comes out towards the end of the week and spends a fair chunk of time reviewing the previous week’s action and previewing the current week’s event. The problem is that I have usually already listened to several reviews of the previous week’s events, which will seem like an age ago, and the previews of the current week just come too late as the events are often already underway.

This is a relatively minor issue, but if they fix it, this will be a ‘must listen’ next year!

THE SHOTGUN START
One quibble people often have with podcasts is their publishing reliability and the relevance of the content (see above!). Well you can forget any such concerns with The Shotgun Start. The level of output from hosts Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath is quite breathtaking. They have a new show every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, published first thing, and have clocked in over 160 editions in 2019, each one lasting around an hour.

The Shotgun Start focuses on the professional tours as well as covering significant amateur events. The style of the two hosts is incredibly laconic. It’s just two guys having a chat about what’s going on in the golf world at the time. However, don’t mistake the laid-back style for a lack of depth or rigour. The level of knowledge and research, particularly from Johnson, is phenomenal. He is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to players’ stats and histories.

The frequency means that this podcast is probably the most topical in golf; they record after the conclusion of the PGA event on a Sunday evening. When they go off-piste, some of the discussions go over my head as I don’t follow any other US sports, but those never last too long!

I am becoming a big fan of this podcast and, if you are interested in the professional game, it is well worth a listen.

FEED THE BALL
I wouldn’t describe myself as a golf course architecture geek. If I were, I imagine that Derek Duncan’s excellent Feed the Ball podcast would be at the very top of my list. In a little under 2 years Derek has established himself as one of the most thoughtful and interesting voices in the game.

Every episode has the same construct. Derek talks to a guest (normally an architect) about their careers, their thoughts on design. the state of the industry and the future. Not being an architecture expert, I have often not heard of the guests before listening to an episode, but Derek chooses his guests well and coaxes fascinating insights from them with his endearing, easy to listen to style. Since listening my knowledge of and interest in golf course architecture has definitely increased.

The interviews can be long but they are easy listens. If you haven’t listened before, the Mike Clayton and David McLay Kidd pods from early 2019 are good places to jump in, and the recent Jim Urbina episode was one of the very best.

TALKINGOLF HISTORY
2019 saw the launch of Talkingolf History. Hosted by American golf historian Connor T Lewis, this podcast does exactly what it says on the tin. In each episode, Connor discusses an aspect of the game’s history with an expert. Connor clearly has a real passion for the subject matter which shines through in his broadcasting. He chooses his guests well and they bring real expertise to the subjects covered.

There is a North American skew to date and it will be interesting to see how the podcast develops. While I am sure the UK and US have the best researched areas of golf history I think it would be fascinating if, at times, Connor took a look at the evolution of the game in other parts of the world.

Connor is also prolific on social media. He has founded ‘The Society of Golf Historians’, driven through his Twitter and Facebook feeds. These are a good ways to find out what is coming up in future podcasts and the Facebook group is becoming a place where others are regularly sharing interesting historical articles and opinions.

LIFE ON TOUR
I was originally fairly skeptical about the European Tour’s house podcast. I had assumed we would get a slightly anodyne Pravda-esque production. Fortunately, that is not the case. The format means the podcast doesn’t need to deal with topical controversies, rather you have Andrew Cotter interviewing a well known golf personality.

Cotter’s easy-going style works very well in this format and the interviews last around an hour each which means you get a level of depth you will rarely find elsewhere. Well worth a listen.

GOLF.COM
I’ve slightly lost the plot with the branding of the podcast from Golf magazine. I think it is called the Drop Zone at the moment but there has been a few incarnations, so I will stick with Golf.com for now.

The regular hosts, Sean Zak and Dylan Dethier are journalists at Golf magazine and release a new podcast every week, with the focus on US personalities and the PGA Tour. They have a good line-up of interviewees during the course of a season and I tend to dip in when one of those is of particular interest to me.

The episodes that really stand out are Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger’s major tournament previews and reviews. These episodes absolutely make it into the ‘must listen’ category. The previews are likely to meander in many different directions, including anecdotes from previous editions of the events they have covered. They usually record their Major reviews on the Sunday night of the event, in a local restaurant, while still giddy about whatever has unfolded that day. This makes for some of the very best golf podcasts.

THE FRIED EGG
Another Andy Johnson production, the Fried Egg covers a range of topics from golf course architecture to the professional and amateur games. This has been a grower on me since it began.

Andy’s incredible knowledge of the game again shines through and he has had a fantastic line-up of guests. Geoff Ogilvy and Tom Doak both appear frequently and those episodes go straight to the top of my listening pile. However, many of the lesser names also entertain.

There are some episodes I opt out of. These tend to cover some of the less well-known US courses or events. There’s just not enough hours in my week to listen to everything!

I would love to know what Andy’s business model is. He produces a phenomenal amount of output, and his research must be very time-consuming, yet his podcasts have only the lightest commercial element to them. Whatever it is, the listener is benefiting from it!

THE CLUBPROGUY PODCAST
The NoLayingUp interview with ClubProGuy is still probably the funniest golf podcast every made. If you haven’t heard it then follow this link and enjoy.

ClubProGuy started out on Twitter where we were introduced to the ex-Mexican mini-tour player who is now a club pro. He has since branched out into producing some highly entertaining videos and this occasional podcast. In them, he interviews pros who appreciate his unique sense of humour. It’s worth a listen, but to get all the gags make sure you follow him on Twitter too.

ON MY LIST FOR 2020
These are the podcasts I’ll be listening to more in 2020. I’ve only listened to a few of each but I’ve liked what I’ve heard so far.

THE GOLFER’S JOURNAL
The Golfer’s Journal podcast has moved on from being merely a companion piece for the print publication and is now a fortnightly production hosted by golf writer Tom Coyne.

SKY SPORTS GOLF PODCAST
The Sky Sports Golf podcast, hosted by the entertaining Josh Antmann focuses mainly on the European Tour. It focuses on reviewing and previewing Tour events, using Sky Sports presenters and other UK-based guests.

THE TRAP DRAW
This is a spin-off podcast from Tron and Randy of No Laying Up. Where NLU will have a focus on the main tours and players, the Trap Draw tends to focus more on less well-known players and has more discussion on broader topics such as architecture or book reviews.

So there you have it. There are many other podcasts out there but these are the ones that make it onto my regular rotation. I find those that simply review PGA Tour events and preview upcoming events a little samey. But if there are any great listens I’m missing just let me know - there’s always room for 1 or 2 more!

10 Courses in Paradise - An Australian Golf Itinerary

This week the eyes of the golf world will be on Melbourne and the Presidents Cup. It’s an event that has found it hard to capture the public’s imagination in the past, but this year’s event seems to have a lot more buzz around it than usual. Tiger Woods’ self-pick as playing captain and Patrick Reed’s blatant disregard for the rules of golf have been contributory factors for sure, but the venue is definitely another reason.

Royal Melbourne will be a star this week. It is one of the very best courses in the world, up 4 places to number 7 in the recent GOLF Magazine top 100 list. However, there is much more to see in a golf trip to Australia.

For those of us in Europe it may seem a long way to go to play golf, but the planes are getting better and there is so much accessible golf to discover when you get there, it’s well worth a trip. From the West Coast of the US it’s the same distance as a trip to Europe.

Earlier this year I wrote about a suggested itinerary for a trip to this golfing paradise and I’ve summarised it again below. If you are at all tempted to go, I would encourage you to bite the bullet.

The climate is pretty good for all year round golf but I settled on March when the weather is unlikely to be oppressively hot, it’s usually dry and the fly season as passed!

Here’s an itinerary, with prices, for a trip next March. It covers ten courses and twelve rounds, I have based the costs on 4 people travelling, with 2 to a room. Enjoy!

Monday morning - depart UK - fly to Melbourne with Emirates. £610. 
There are even cheaper flights (£400 with Air China) but the Middle East airlines are fantastic and the times work out well.

Tuesday evening - arrive in Australia and stay in downtown hotel. $70 a night
I preferred to stay downtown to see a bit of the nightlife. The QT Hotel was great, but around $170 a night per person. If you go for one of the many three star hotels you can do it for $70 and there are plenty of Aparthotels available too.

You’ll need to hire a car for your trip but they were really good value. You can get something pretty big and decent for around $90 per person.

Wednesday - Play Victoria (click for my course review). $400 
After a leisurely breakfast, head half an hour south from the city centre. Recently renovated by the talented people from OCCM, Victoria is will give you a great first taste of Sandbelt golf. Your opening drive on a 229m downhill par 4 will set you up for the fun to come!

Victoria is a pure sandbelt experience.

Thursday - Play St Andrews Beach ($59) & The National, Moonah ($300)
It’s about 75 minutes drive south to Cape Schanck, so make an early start to beat the traffic. St Andrews Beach is a fun and challenging Tom Doak creation (he says its the course of his that he’d most like to be a member of) and provides phenomenal value.

Have lunch and a drink at St Andrews Beach Brewery before heading to The National where you will have the choice of 3 courses. We played the Moonah which was a high quality test. It’s a tough track but still playable with some superb bunkering and green complexes.

The redesigned Ocean course, now the Gunnamatta, from Tom Doak has opened recently and is garnering much praise so you may want to try that out instead. Others swear by the Old. Basically, you are spoilt for choice!

The Moonah Course is close to Melbourne and well worth the trip.

Friday - Royal Melbourne ($830 inc mandatory caddie). Fly to King Island ($150). Accommodation in Currie ($90)
This evening you’ll be heading to King Island and Tasmania for a few days. I would recommend leaving most of your stuff in the hotel storage as you need to travel light for the flights in and out of the island.

Royal Melbourne is the most famous Australian golf course and its reputation for brilliant architecture is richly deserved. This is golf on a grand scale. The ball will run forever so the length won’t be an issue, but get on the wrong side of the fairways and scoring is hard. If there is ever a course to be on the right side of the hole, this is it.

It is absurdly expensive to play without a member and international visitors need to take a caddie. The price is clearly ridiculous but you can’t come to Melbourne without playing here. Given the expense I’ve just included one round on the West course but, if you can befriend a member, then you may want to play the East as well.

Royal Melbourne is golf on a grand scale. It may play short from the tee but the greens will challenge even the best players in the world.

After the round, head to the airport and grab the Sharp Airlines flight for the 45 minute hop to King Island, then hire a car on the island for a couple of days ($25 per person). It’s a 10 minute drive to the Ocean Dunes hotel in downtown Currie. More details on my King Island blog here.

Saturday - Cape Wickham *2 ($260 for 2 rounds)
Drive the 45 minutes to incredible Cape Wickham. This is one of the very best golf courses built in the last 50 years anywhere on the planet. It is simply magnificent, providing thrills on virtually every hole and in the most spectacular setting. Read my review to understand why I rate it so highly - just make sure you have time for 36 holes at this wonder of the golfing world.

The 1st at Cape Wickham gives you a taste for the pure thrills that are to come.

Then head back to Currie to see how the locals live it up on a Saturday night. You are likely to make it to bed by 11!!

Sunday - Ocean Dunes ($230). Fly to Launceston ($220). Accommodation at Barnbougle ($117.50)
Ocean Dunes is just a few minutes drive from Currie. As you’ll be driving right past the front door, it’s worth seeing. Although it is overshadowed by Cape Wickham and the routing makes for some long walks between greens and tees at times, you should have 18 holes here. After your round it’s a short drive to the airport and a flight to Tasmania proper to experience the delights of Barnbougle.

We flew directly to the golf course, but a more cost effective option is to fly to Launceston and then get a 90 minute transfer ($50 each way) to Barnbougle. The accommodation is functional but perfectly acceptable at Barnbougle and you are right on the property.

Monday - Barnbougle Dunes *2 ($155)
Michael Clayton (who designed the course with Tom Doak) calls this out as the best value green fee in the whole world of golf and I think he’s spot on. It’s $124 for one round, but if you play the same course twice in a day it’s only $155. The course is a triumph. Doak and Clayton have created a true links course with wonderful options from the tee and challenges around the green. Play it twice and try to keep the smile off your face!

The Tasmanian Devil at Barbougle is one of the most fun, and infuriating, par 3s in the world.

Tuesday - Lost Farm ($124). Fly to Melbourne ($60)
If you get up early you can squeeze in two rounds at Lost Farm at Barnbougle. I have just budgeted for one though because you are likely to be feeling a little tired by now! This Bill Coore course is a bit more ‘resorty’ than Barnbougle Dunes. I found it a little less thrilling, but for many it is at least an equal to its neighbour. You won’t want to miss it if you’re here for sure.

Lost Farm at Barnbougle plays between spectacular dunes.

Transfer back to Launceston which has plenty of connections to Melbourne at really reasonable prices. On your return to Melbourne, head back to your hotel to be reunited with your bags for the last couple of nights.

Wednesday - Metropolitan ($350)
Metro probably doesn’t quite count as a ‘must play’ but it is one of the most famous courses in the area and I was really glad we had it on the schedule. It is one of the best-conditioned courses in the world, with the most distinctive bunkers I have ever seen. The blade tops are razor sharp!

The razor sharp bunkers at Metropolitan need to be seen to be believed.

Thursday - Kingston Heath ($400). Fly back to London.
Kingston Heath was my favourite Sandbelt course. It’s a magical place which you absolutely must play. I’ve never seen a better par 3 than the 15th. The staff were really friendly and you will enjoy being an honorary member for a day. It’s a perfect place to finish your trip before heading off to the airport for a late night flight.

Kingston Heath has 3 fantastic par 3s, none better than the 15th.

With the magic of time zones you will be back in London for lunch on Friday!

Total costs, in £, for this itinerary would look like this:

Flights - £900
Accommodation - £390
Car Hire/Transfers - £125
Golf - £1700

Total - £3,115 (c.$4,000 US).

If you can find members to host you at any of the Melbourne courses you will find the visitors’ fees far kinder on the pocket, at around $125 per round. So you could cut the price of golf to £900, reducing your total to £2,315.

It’s clearly a lot of money, but I would thoroughly recommend saving up to do it if you can. You won’t get a warmer welcome anywhere, and the golf will thrill you from beginning to end.

You can read more detail about my trip in my blog here:

Part 1 - From Edinburgh to King Island, and something very special
Part 2 - Barnbougle - Two Modern Classics
Part 3 - Sandbelt Golf and a podcast debut
Part 4 - A day trip to the Mornington Peninsula
Part 5 - Metropolitan and Victoria
Part 6 - How to Plan a Golf Trip to Australia

Review - The Golf Lover’s Guide to Scotland

The youth of today don’t know how good they’ve got it…! Way back, when I started planning golf trips, there was no internet to turn to. Instead, we would rely on a map, a dodgy guidebook and, if you were lucky, word of mouth from someone at your club.

Of course, all of that has changed in the last 20 years and we are blessed with many online resources to turn to and communities to ask. The element of mystery has gone out of most golf trips now and Twitter, or one of the many great travel sites, will guide you on your way.

As a result I barely ever use a printed book when planning a holiday these days. Well, apart from The Confidential Guide. Of course, if Doak et al’s work was available on a website it would be more accessible to a wider audience, but there is something special about thumbing through those great books when it comes to fantastising about the next golf trip.

However, it can sometimes feel like there is a little too much information out there, and the curation can be a little questionable in places, so it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. But one publication that will help you plan a Scottish golf trip is the recently published ‘The Golf Lover’s Guide to Scotland’.

It’s not a massive tome pretending to cover every aspect of Scottish golf. It’s similar in size to a copy of the Reader’s Digest (I realise this may not mean much to the younger generation!) and covers twenty four ‘mainstream’ courses, a couple of unusual gems and five 9 hole courses. You may think that feels a little light for a guide to all that is good in the the Home of Golf but it works very well. The selection is strong - only one course, Dundonald, sits a little weirdly in this list. The rest would grace any golf trip to Scotland.

It would have been very easy for the author to overwhelm by going for quantity over quality but he manages to cover all of the main bases in surprising depth.

There are four sections to each review. First up are the nuts and bolts, covering what you need to know about playing the course - when it’s open, what to wear, how to book, what it costs etc.

The next section, probably the most interesting for me, is a very well-researched section about the history of the club which will give you a sense of the course’s place in the game, before moving on to the course reviews themselves.

The reviews do a good job of calling out the key holes on any course and what type of test you are going to get. The photography is particularly good and really brings the courses to life.

For every course you will also get recommendations for where else to play in the area which is invaluable when it comes to putting a trip together. A map would have been a helpful addition in this respect as I suspect many people won’t know their Brechin from their Buckie. (Not that either of those are covered but you get the point…)

The only other slight quibble I have is that rather than give the green fees for individual courses, there is a rather elaborate colour-coded key which requires quite a lot of flicking back and forth to remember. Not the greatest hardship in the world, but worth a tweak for future editions.

There are few golfers in the world who don’t yearn for a Scottish golf trip one day and this book will most definitely whet your appetite and help you plan that special trip. And for those of us who have already played many of the courses, it definitely provides plenty of inspiration for where to head to next.

The GOLF Magazine World Top 100 - putting the fun into rankings

Every two years sees the publication of the most highly regarded world golf course ranking list. GOLF Magazine has established itself as the pre-eminent voice in the field (really only the top100golfcourses.com ranking can be compared) and this year’s list has been even more highly anticipated than its predecessors. That’s because Ran Morrissett, founder of Golfclubatlas.com and co-contributor to the Confidential Guide, has recently taken over as the Architecture Editor and is overseeing the curation of the list.

You can see the process for rating here, but basically a group of 80 well-travelled golf aficionados are asked to apply points to courses they have played. This list doesn’t give points separately for multiple factors and then apply a formula to come up with an overall score - it’s a lot simpler than that.

With Ran at the helm, and the trend in recent years for the more naturalistic styles of the world’s leading architects, many were wondering whether this was a year of change in the GOLF rankings. It was safe to say it has been! There’s a great article by Ran here giving his thoughts some of the big moves.

Clearly one of the key variables in the process is who is doing the rating. Apparently the panel underwent major surgery this year with more than half of the old panel not invited back and 20-30 new panellists added.

You can see the full rankings below and on the golf.com site here but here are some of my observations:

A list that celebrates fun and playability
The overwhelming feeling from this list is that the raters are putting fun and playability high up their priorities. Seeing courses like Swinley Forest (up 32 places to position 55), North Berwick (up 17 to 37) and Friar’s Head (up 7 to 26) make such moves up the rankings shows that this is a list which celebrates courses you will play with a smile on your face.

If you’re looking for fun then North Berwick at 37 is a good bet!

Ran also makes the point in his article that this list likes courses that don’t demand crazy length to be successful, and celebrates courses that are easy to get round. He says ‘The idea that a round should take little more than three hours to complete is gaining steam, so it's no surprise to see 'short' courses that ooze character inch up the ranking’.

Stand still and go back
When I was at Pine Valley earlier this year (humblebrag I know…) Tom Fazio was on site. In recent years they have done some fantastic work there and are already planning changes for the next couple of years. The member I was with said that the club revered its status as the number 1 course but knew that if they didn’t continuously look at how to improve the course they would risk losing that status.

You can see the courses who have suffered in this way. Pebble Beach has fallen to number 11 in the world, and I would suggest this is still too high. As recently as 2001 Pebble was ranked at number 3 in the world but unless they give someone a mandate to take a serious look at the course it is only going to keep falling. But when you’re getting $2,000 a tee time it’s hard to bite the bullet and close the course to do real surgery.

There are no such concerns at Augusta, but it too has suffered. By its standards it has plummeted down the rankings - at number 9 now having never previously been out of the top 5. Morrissett suggests in his comments than planting trees and lengthening the course isn’t a secret to success in this new Golden Age of architecture. It’s hard to argue.

Every year new work emerges from winter at Pine Valley - like this recent bunkering on the 12th

There are some spectacular drops
I was once in discussion with a compiler of a ratings list and he said to watch for the moves, to look at which courses made dramatic moves down to get a good feel for the zeitgeist of the raters.

Well, this lot have eschewed some of the courses outside of the US whose inclusion had people scratching their heads in days gone by. Oitavos Dunes in Portugal was always a questionable choice for many and it has plummeted out of the list, from 55th! Almost as dramatic is the drop for The Club at Nine Bridges from 41st to 94th. Those who are trying to tick off the top 100 may be pleased to know they no longer need to make the trip to Ayodhya Links in Thailand!

It is also unlikely that President Trump will be too enamoured that Trump International in Aberdeen is just clinging on to the top 100 in last position, down from 46 last time. While this course divides those who have played it, few would argue it is a true links experience, and it has probably suffered for that.

Such dramatic drops have impacted some of the US old favourites too. Baltusrol was barely outside of the top 50 until 10 years ago and has now dropped out the Top 100 completely. Muirfield Village drops 26 places to 85. Courses that have made their reputations in competitive play but not entranced the raters have suffered.

A classic list
In case you are in doubt, this is a list that likes the classics. Courses like Garden City, Cal Club, Prestwick, Rye, Woodhall Spa, Somerset Hills, Winged Foot East, St George’s Hill and Myopia have all either entered for the first time or shot up the list and it’s wonderful to see the Colt masterpiece of de Pan in Holland make an entry. Royal Dornoch has leapt 5 places to 10th and there are 30 courses from the UK in the list now, up from 19 in 1987.

The gorgeous Utrecht de Pan enters in 88th

But a few quibbles…
When you get into the top 30, and definitely into the top 10, it gets very hard to argue with this list. Is Royal Melbourne really better than Muirfield? You could argue it either way, but both are among the very best in the world. However, further down I have a couple of issues.

There is one course that for me is massively misplaced and that it Cape Wickham. It is one of the wonders of the modern world and I think a case could be made for it being a top 10 course. Without any doubt it should knock out some of those I have played that are in the top 30. You don’t have to take my word for it, Alan Shipnuck makes its case here and I know two other people who have played most, if not all, of the top 100 in the world who would put it in their top 10. Maybe the issue is its remoteness means few raters have played it, but surely it must rise up the ratings as more discover its magnificence?

The other one I would question (although not to the same degree) is Turnberry, or Trump Turnberry as it is now called. It comes in at 17 in this list, but I do wonder if enough of the raters have seen the course since the amazing renovations of the last few years. In the UK, Golf World has it as number 3 in their rankings, Golf Monthly has it in top spot, and top100golfcourses.com has it in 2nd. GOLF has it at 6th in the UK and Ireland which I think is just too low. The recent work is stunning and warrants a higher placing.

The magnificent Turnberry rennovation feels a little hard done by in this list

Half the fun of lists like this is in provoking a debate, and this list certainly does that. But I also think that a ratings list can play an important role in shaping the future of the game. What the raters and compilers choose to prioritise can encourage clubs to embrace the same styles when they develop their courses. With great power comes great responsibility, but I think Ran and his team have shouldered their burden well!

Rankings and movements (click on link to read my review) -

1 Pine Valley (no change)
2 Cypress Point (no change)
3 The Old Course, St Andrews (no change)
4 Shinnecock Hills (up 2)
5 National Golf Links of America (up 2)
6 Royal County Down (down 2)
7 Royal Melbourne West (up 4)
8 Oakmont (no change)
9 Augusta National (down 4)
10 Royal Dornoch (up 5)
11 Pebble Beach (down 2)
12 Muirfield (down 2)
13 Royal Portrush, Dunluce (up 1)
14 Sand Hills (up 1)
15 Merion (down 3)
16 Pinehurst 2, (up 2)
17 Turnberry, Ailsa (down 1)
18 Fishers Island (up 1)
19 Chicago Golf Club (up 2)
20 Los Angeles, North (up 2)
21 Ballybunion (Down 4)
22 Kingston Heath (Down 2)
23 Winged Foot, West (Up 4)
24 Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes (Up 2)
25 Crystal Downs (Down 1)
26 Friar's Head (Up 7)
27 Tara Iti (Down 2)
28 Riviera (Up 4)
29 Sunningdale, Old (Up 2)
30 San Francisco (Down 5)
31 Prairie Dunes (Down 1)
32 Carnoustie (Down 4)
33 Royal St Georges (Up 9)
34 Seminole (Down 11)
35 Barnbougle Dunes (Up 3)
36 Lahinch (Down 1)
37 North Berwick (Up 14)
38 The Country Club, Brookline (Down 1)
39 Hirono (Up 1)
40 Royal Birkdale (Down 6)
41 Morfontaine (Up 4)
42 Somerset Hills (Up 33)
43 Cabot Cliffs (Up 7)
44 Cape Kidnappers (No Change)
45 Shoreacres (Up 12)
46 New South Wales (Down 3)
47 Garden City (Up 9)
48 Portmarnock (Up 1)
49 Southern Hills (Up 20)
50 Californian Golf Club of San Francisco (Up 23)
51 Royal Troon (Down 4)
52 Camargo (Up 11)
53 Bethpage, Black (Down 1)
54 Woodhall Spa (Up 12)
55 Swinley Forest (Up 32)
56 Kawana (Up 12)
57 Ballyneal (Up 29)
58 Kiawah Island, Ocean (Down 4)
59 Casa de Campo (Down 11)
60 Cape Wickham Links (Up 12)
61 Royal Lytham St Annes (No Change)
62 Winged Foot, East (Up 21)
63 Cruden Bay (Up 14)
64 Maidstone (Up 6)
65 Royal Liverpool (Up 19)
66 Castle Stuart (Up 5)
67 Rye (New Entry)
68 TPC Sawgrass (Down 8)
69 Whistling Straits (Down 11)
70 Diamante (Down 34)
71 Kingsbarns (Down 7)
72 Oakland Hills, South (Down 19)
73 Sunningdale, New (Up 7)
74 Quaker Ridge (Up 4)
75 Prestwick (Up 25)
76 Sleepy Hollow (New Entry)
77T Ellerston (Down 15)
77T Koninklijke Haagsche (Up 4)
79 Olympic Club, Lake (Down 12)
80 Bandon Dunes (Down 15)
81 Inverness (Up 17)
82 Cabot Links (Up 14)
83 Yale (New Entry)
84 The Golf Club (Down 5)
85 Muirfield Village (Down 26)
86 St George's Hill (New Entry)
87 Bandon Trails (New Entry)
88 Utrecht (New Entry)
89 Barnbougle Lost Farm (Up 1)
90 Walton Heath (Up 2)
91 Peachtree (New Entry)
92 Myopia (New Entry)
93 Macrahinish (Down 5)
94 The Club at Nine Bridges (Down 53)
95 St George's (Down 1)
96 Royal Melbourne, East (New Entry)
97 Waterville (Down 15)
98 Ohoopee Match Club (New Entry)
99 Rock Creek (New Entry)
100 Trump International (Down 54)

No longer on the list -

Shanquin Bay (previously 39), Oitavos Dunes (55), Baltrusol Lower (74), Ayodhya Links (76), Royal Porthcawl (85), Ganton (89), Yas Links (91), Oak Hill East (93), Valderrama (95), European Club (97), Tokyo Country Club (99)

John Sabino's Favourite Courses

In one corner of the internet, John Sabino is a cult figure, an inspiration and a font of all knowledge. In an era before Twitter and podcasts, his ‘Playing the Top 100 Golf Courses’ website was an incredible resource for those of us beguiled by the greatest golf courses in the world and keen to learn more.

John’s first posting was on 1st January 2006, you can see it here. John used Golf Magazine’s 2003 list to guide him on his mission to play the top 100 golf courses in the world and over the next few years we watched avidly as John ticked off the courses and shared his experiences. His reviews were extensive, accompanied by photographs and, more often than not, some insight into how he got access. When planning a trip, or researching what awaits me before a round, I will still turn to this site for information.

In 2013 John completed his odyssey, amazingly with a round at Augusta with a Masters’ Champion. However, the story didn’t finish there. John continues to play around the world at some of the most interesting courses. He also wrote a book (you can read my review here) about his experiences and shares more of the secrets of getting access.

John also curates a list of all the players known to have played the Top 100 Courses in the world - quite a service!

In January last year John wrote about his diagnosis with acute leukemia in May 2018. He wrote movingly about the treatment he had received and his goal to go to Augusta once again to watch the Masters and to play again. Over the next few months it was fantastic to read about how John achieved these aims in some style and we are now being treated to reviews of courses John played on a recent trip to the UK.

Thanks John for all you have done for us and thanks for sharing your favourite courses!

1.      CYPRESS POINT
To quote a golf friend who sums up Cypress better than I can: "Playing in heaven: Six holes in the trees, six holes in the sand dunes, six holes by the sea." There is none better.
Graylyn Loomis, Golf Digest, Top 100 Golf Blog

2.      NATIONAL GOLF LINKS OF AMERICA
C.B. Macdonald’s ideal golf course is just that. Horace Hutchinson got it right more than a century ago when he wrote: “It has no weak points.” A brilliant collection of holes that plays different every day based on the shifting winds,  you use every club in your bag when you play the National. Gets extra credit for the clubhouse and lobster lunch!
UK Golf Guy Review, NGLA website, 1968 Sports Illustrated Article

3.      SAND HILLS
Playing it is more than a round of golf, it’s a life changing experience. Coore & Crenshaw waved a magic wand to create this place.
Top 100 Golf Blog, Holy Grail Golfer

4.      SUNNINGDALE (OLD)
Willie Park Jr.’s master class in how to route a golf course; he took advantage of the rolling heathland terrain to a degree few architects ever do. Golf is sometimes referred to metaphorically as a walk in the park. In the case of Sunningdale, it is literally true.
UK Golf Guy Review, Golf Club Atlas

5.      MYOPIA HUNT CLUB
Old school golf at its finest. A strong case can be made that the collection of par three holes at Myopia are as good and as challenging as any in the game. The horses, hounds and polo field give the place a genteel and civilized ambiance.
Top 100 Golf blog, Geekedongolf, Planet Golf

6.      CRUDEN BAY
The most fun place to play golf in the world, in my opinion. Quirky, unconventional, and one of a kind.
Golf Club Atlas, Cruden Bay Website

7.      JACK’S POINT
Its remote location in Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island keeps Jack’s Point below the radar. The views are as good as any golf course in the world, with the deep blue Lake Wakatipu set against the backdrop of the Remarkable Mountains framing many holes.
Jack’s Point Wesbite, Planet Golf, Top 100 Golf Blog

8.      KINGSBARNS
Ignore those who criticize Kingsbarns as not being a true links course. Kyle Phillips knew his stuff and the holes are world class, and the views, stunning. The drivable 6th is a standout. Criticize me if you like for not being an architecture aficionado, but this is the real deal and the best course in the Kingdom of Fife.
UK Golf Guy, Graylyn Loomis, Top 100 Golf Blog

9.      MAIDSTONE
The routing offers a lot of variety and continual change in direction; no two consecutive holes play in the same direction. The holes in the dunes (8, 9, and 14) near the ocean are exceptional. It’s not hard to imagine Jay Gatsby driving up Old Beach Lane today in a Pierce Arrow Runabout. The club has such a timeless quality to it that he would feel right at home.
Maidstone Club, Graylyn Loomis

10.   CARNOUSTIE
The unloved course of the Open rotation happens to be the best, but because it is not pretty it doesn’t get as many likes in today’s upside-down world of social media. The course demands a variety of shots, and particularly rewards bump and run shots hit correctly. If you compare Carnoustie hole-for-hole with just about any course, it stacks up with the best in the world. A pleasure to play.
UK Golf Guy, Top 100 Golf Blog

Other contenders for my top ten: Bandon Dunes, Woodhall Spa, Royal Adelaide, Yale, and Castle Stuart.

You can see others in the ‘Favourite Courses’ series here.

CYPRESS POINT

Picture - Geoff Shackelford

NGLA

SAND HILLS

Picture - holygrailgolfer.blogspot.com

SUNNINGDALE OLD

MYOPIA HUNT

Picture - Golf DIgest

Cruden Bay

Picture - https://crudenbaygolfclub.co.uk

JACK'S POINT

Picture - https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/

KINGSBARNS

Picture - Kingsbarns Golf Links

MAIDSTONE

Picture - www.maidstoneclub.org

Carnoustie

Picture - www.carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk

John Huggan's Favourite Courses

Next up in the ‘Favourite Courses’ series is one of the world’s leading golf journalists, John Huggan. John has had a lifetime in golf. As a boy he played in Dunbar on the Scottish East coast and went on to become one of Scotland’s top amateur players, representing the country at Boys, Youth and Full International levels.

He then moved in to golf media, starting his career at Golf World before going on to be the Instruction Editor of the US publication, Golf Digest. Since then John has been a freelance journalist writing for a huge range of publications across the world. This interview from Golfshake.com will give you a good taste of the life and times (to date!) of John.

In recent years John has become a podcast star. He was one of the early voices on the excellent State of the Game, joined up with Lawrence Donegan for the brilliant BytheMinGolf which has made a renaissance under the McKellar brand, as well as guesting on many others.

The format suits John brilliantly. He has a strong perspective on what makes golf great and how the modern game both enhances it and puts it in jeopardy. He spends a lot of time around professional golf and is clearly well connected to players and the industry, yet he is always forthright in his views. You know you aren’t getting a commercially sanitised opinion from John, which makes him the perfect podcast guest!

Many thanks to John for sharing his list

BARNBOUGLE DUNES
Wonderful scenery. Terrific holes, both long and short. Love them all.
UK Golf Guy, Golf Club Atlas Review, Planet Golf Review

CYPRESS POINT
Most fun. Coolest place on planet. Every hole memorable… apart from the 18th.
Graylyn Loomis, Golf Digest, Playing the Top 100

MORFONTAINE
Played there in the 1982 French Amateur. Sublime and never forgotten
UK Golf Guy review, Top100golf blog, Geoff Shackleford Article

MUIRFIELD
Best course I’ve ever played. No more to be said, other than they should get rid of all that rough on left side of 9th fairway.
UK Golf Guy Review, Graylyn Loomis

ROYAL MELBOURNE
Have played all 36-holes, but not the composite as the composite. Best course in southern hemisphere.
UK Golf Guy Review, No Laying Up Tourist Sauce, Golf Channel Analysis

ROYAL PORTRUSH
Loved it back in the mid 1980s. And it’s even better now.
UK Golf Guy Review, Royal Portrush Website

SHINNECOCK HILLS
Best course I played during my eight years living in the States. Pure. And most links-like.
UK Golf Guy Review, Golf Monthly History

SUNNINGDALE (OLD)
Is there a better place to play golf? I think not.
UK Golf Guy Review, Golf Club Atlas, Top100golfcourses

THE OLD COURSE
In a class of its own. So much to learn. So much to appreciate. And different every time out.
UK Golf Guy Review

WINTERFIELD
Where it all began for me. Short 14th still one of my favourite holes anywhere.
Winterfield Golf Club, Golfshake.com

You can see others in the ‘Favourite Courses’ series here.

BARNBOUGLE DUNES

CYPRESS POINT

Picture - Geoff Shackelford

MORFONTAINE

MUIRFIELD

ROYAL MELBOURNE

ROYAL PORTRUSH

SHINNECOCK HILLS

SUNNINGDALE (OLD)

THE OLD COURSE

WINTERFIELD

Picture - Visit Scotland

A big thanks to John for taking the time to share these. Next up is the man who started it all for many of us - John Sabino.

OTHER’S FAVOURITE COURSES

Mike DeVries' Favourite Courses

In early 2019 I was lucky enough to take a trip to Australia to play the phenomenal courses of the Sandbelt and Tasmania. Every course was memorable. However there was one that stood out above all the others for me - Cape Wickham, where Mike DeVries and Darius Oliver have created something really special.

Mike is an incredibly talented architect and I am delighted that he has shared his 10 favourite courses with me. Mike was an apprentice with Tom Doak and has worked with Tom Fazio. He has gone on to design and create six courses as well as consulting on many renovations.

I love Mike’s philosophy which revolves around creating courses ‘based on the classic design principles of the great courses and which promote playability, subtle golf features, and exciting golf for all levels of players.’

There is an excellent Feed the Ball interview with Mike here which I would thoroughly recommend to learn more about Mike’s outlook and approach to his work.

Mike has recently joined up with Frank Pont and Mike Clayton to form Clayton, DeVries, Pont. It’s fair to say that has caused a good deal of excitement and anticipation. I can’t wait to see what these talented architects come up with in the years ahead.

I’ve been lucky enough to have played six of Mike’s favourites so have linked to my reviews for those as well as to other articles which may be of interest.

CRYSTAL DOWNS
Well, I grew up working here and playing the course with my grandparents, who taught me the game. It is one of the greatest courses in the world and every time I am on the property, I learn something new about golf course architecture – that is how good it is.
Top100golfcourses, Crystal Downs website, The Alister Mackenzie Society

CAPE WICKHAM
Another personal bias, since it is one of my designs. The adventure that was building the course, bringing my family over to King Island for 6 months of the project, and the result is something I cannot get back to often enough. Gorgeous, fun, and not as far away as you think – only a 40 minute flight from Melbourne. It is highly variable, depending on your skill level and the weather but always playable and with lots of options.
UK Golf Guy Review, Golf Australia

LAWSONIA - LINKS
Quite possibly one of the most exhilarating rounds you can ever have. The first time I was there, I had to step away from my approach shot on the third hole because my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest! Then, it happened again on the fourth tee! Oh, and a little “cut putt stymie” around my good friend’s ball on the ninth green… Memories that will never die.
top100golfcourses.com, Lawsonia Website

BELVEDERE
This old William Watson design in northern Michigan is an amazing course, with the right atmosphere, and beautiful greens. I have only played it with my hickories and with other hickory enthusiasts – a treat every time.
Belvedere Website, Golf Club Atlas Thread

ROYAL DORNOCH
A Mecca of golf. I felt like I was going to the end of the earth to get there and experience it, but it really isn’t that far. A stellar course and place that is hard to beat.
UK Golf Guy Review, top100golfcourses.com, telegraph.co.uk, Graylyn Loomis,

NORTH BERWICK
Such a classic course, with great holes, and unique features and names. Also gets bonus points as the first course where I broke 80, but lost two pints to my mate I was playing against!
UK Golf Guy review, Scottish Golf History, Planet Golf

ST ANDREWS - THE OLD COURSE
What else can you say? It is where it all started and much has come from there, via Old Tom and all the champions through the years. Endlessly fascinating – being on the course on a Sunday, when there is no golf but people are walking their dogs and enjoying the land, is a great time to study the course’s features.
UK Golf Guy Review

NATIONAL GOLF LINKS OF AMERICA
Killer setting, iconic holes, and always good companionship when I have been fortunate to play there. It is a course that seems to change the way golfers think about golf course architecture – always fascinating to hear their stories about their experience. 
UK Golf Guy Review, NGLA website, 1968 Sports Illustrated Article

DE PAN
This quaint course in the Netherlands is a gem. Beautiful setting, small clubhouse, great holes, excellent turf and heather abounds, it is a special treat to tread those fairways.
UK Golf Guy Review

CYPRESS POINT
Exquisite in all aspects.
Graylyn Loomis, Golf Digest, Playing the Top 100

Bonus Course – like Spinal Tap, I sometimes feel the need to “go to eleven”

KINGSLEY
So hard not to include my first real solo design, because it is probably the most fun I can have playing the game. The turf is always firm and fast (Dan Lucas built the course with me and is the best turf guy I have ever seen) and the shot options and fun playing partners are abundant. It doesn’t hurt that it is only 20-25 minutes from my house, so I get to play it often.
Golf Club Atlas

You can see others in the ‘Favourite Courses’ series here.

CRYSTAL DOWNS

Picture - mackenziesociety.org

CAPE WICKHAM

LAWSONIA LINKS

Picture - lawsonia.com

BELVEDERE

Picture - Belvedere Golf Club

Royal Dornoch

Picture - royaldornoch.com

North Berwick

St Andrews Old Course

National Golf Links of America

De Pan

Cypress Point

Picture - Geoff Shackelford

A big thanks to Mike for taking the time to do this, some fantastic choices here. Next up is former top amateur player and now doyen of Scottish golf journalism, John Huggan.

OTHER’S FAVOURITE COURSES

Part 6 - How to Plan a Golf Trip to Australia

My blogs about my Australia adventure led to a flurry of emails (OK, at least half a dozen) from readers asking about the logistics and costs of putting together a similar trip. So, here goes:

The good news is you can play pretty much every golf course in Australia (only Ellerston is truly private). However, organising a trip isn’t as straightforward as visitors from the UK might be used to.

You can basically split the courses into two types - public courses that offer some of the very best value in the world (Barnbougle, St Andrew’s Beach, Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes) and the private Melbourne clubs that are, at times, breathtakingly expensive. Royal Melbourne is the most expensive ‘regular’ visitor tee time of any golf club anywhere in the world! And while the welcome we got everywhere was warm, the private Melbourne clubs didn’t make it easy to get a game!

In this itinerary I have put more emphasis on the public courses, as well as the ‘must sees’. However, if you can find a member to get you on the private courses then you could increase the number of those you play. Thousand Greens would be a great way to meet some locals who could take you on and the private Melbourne courses are pretty well represented. If you haven’t discovered Thousand Greens yet, I wrote about it here a few months ago and is well worth investigating.

When to go?
I did quite a lot of research into the Melbourne climate and spoke to some locals and the consensus was that the end of summer was probably the best time - we went in early March. The summer in Melbourne can be quite something. A few weeks before we went, the temperature was in the high 30s centigrade and some courses were closed because it was so hot! In March, the chance of extreme heat reduces, and it is after the fly season which I am told are best avoided.

How do I book?
Barnbougle is nice and easy - online booking. The rest require an email or phone call. Click on the links below for details.

For the private courses, a letter of introduction from your current club is sometimes required (although you don’t need to be a master forger to produce such a document!). I don't want to sound churlish, but it is quite a palaver and frankly means everything takes much longer to organise than it should. If you don’t need one for St Andrews or Muirfield…

When can I play?
Brace, brace - this is complicated. Most of the private courses have very defined times for guests and there is little obvious flexibility.

In Melbourne, most private courses have only a couple of hours available for visitors, around the middle of the day, two or three times a week. Weekend play without a member is pretty much impossible. So, the weekend is the perfect time to head to Tasmania and King Island where you can play whenever you want.

Maybe my biggest gripe is for Royal Melbourne. They have 2 of the most amazing courses in the country and when I asked if there was a way to play 36 holes in one day I was met with a flat out 'no'. What a terrible shame that people travelling the globe to experience these fine courses cannot do so on one glorious day.

Clearly I found some aspects of organising my trip quite frustrating. I wasn't expecting it to be as hard, or as expensive, to plan my trip to Australia. However, it was without doubt, worth the effort. The whole experience was simply one of the very best I have ever had in the world. The people we met over there were ridiculously friendly - all delighted we had made the trip and wanting us to get the most from our experience. The quality of the courses was amazingly high. Sandbelt golf needs to be seen to be believed. 

So, given most of my requests came from UK based readers, here is a possible schedule, starting in the UK, for a trip next March. I have based the costs on 4 people travelling, with 2 to a room.

Monday morning - depart UK - fly to Melbourne with Emirates. £610. 
There are even cheaper flights (£400 with Air China) but the Middle East airlines are fantastic and the times work out well.

Tuesday evening - arrive in Australian and stay in downtown hotel. $70 a night
I preferred to stay downtown to see a bit of the nightlife. The QT Hotel was great, but around $170 a night per person. If you go for one of the may three star hotels you can do it for $70 and there are plenty of Aparthotels out there too.

You’ll need to hire a car for your trip but they were really good value. You can get something pretty big and decent for around $90 per person.

Wednesday - Play Victoria (click for my review). $400 
After a leisurely breakfast, head half an hour south from the city centre. Recently renovated by the talented people from OCCM, Victoria will give you a great first taste of Sandbelt golf.

Victoria has been lovingly restored and is a pure Sandbelt experience

Thursday - Play St Andrews Beach ($59) & The National, Moonah ($300)
It’s about 75 minutes drive south to Cape Schanck, so make an early start to beat the traffic. St Andrews Beach is a fun and challenging Tom Doak creation that provides phenomenal value. Have lunch and a drink at St Andrews Beach Brewery before heading to The National where you will have the choice of 3 courses. We played the Moonah which was a high quality test. The redesigned Ocean course, now the Gunnamatta, from Tom Doak has opened recently and is garnering much praise so you may want to try that out instead.

The Moonah course at The National is well worth the trip south from Melbourne

Friday - Royal Melbourne ($830 inc mandatory caddie). Fly to King Island ($150). Accommodation in Currie ($90)
After a round at Royal Melbourne you’re heading to King Island and Tasmania for a few days. I would recommend leaving most of your stuff in the hotel storage as you need to travel light for the flights in and out of the island.

Royal Melbourne is the most famous Australian golf course and its reputation for brilliant architecture is richly deserved. It is absurdly expensive to play without a member. International visitors need to take a caddie (!) and the cost here includes 1 caddie who will carry two bags. The price is clearly ridiculous but you can’t come to Melbourne without playing here. Given the expense I’ve just included one round on the West course but, if you can befriend a member, then you may want to play the East as well.

After the round, head to the airport and grab the Sharp Airlines flight to King Island. It’s only a 45 minute hop and then hire a car on the island for a couple of days ($25 per person). It’s only 10 minutes drive to the Ocean Dunes hotel in downtown Currie. More details on my King Island blog here.

Royal Melbourne is one of the world’s great golf architecture treasures

Saturday - Cape Wickham *2 ($260 for 2 rounds)
Drive the 45 minutes to incredible Cape Wickham. This may just be the best golf course built in the last 50 years anywhere on the planet. It is simply magnificent. Read my review to understand just why I rate it so highly but make sure you have time for 36 holes at this wonder of the golfing world.

Then back to Currie to see how the locals live it up on a Saturday night. You are likely to make it to bed by 11!!

Cape Wickham is an amazing creation and you have to see it to believe it!

Sunday - Ocean Dunes ($230). Fly to Launceston ($220). Accommodation at Barnbougle ($117.50)

Ocean Dunes is just a few minutes drive from Currie. It’s worth seeing as you’ll be driving right past the front door. Of course, it is overshadowed by Cape Wickham but you should have 18 holes here before getting on a plane to Tasmania proper to experience the delights of Barnbougle.

We flew directly to the golf course itself, but a more cost effective option is to fly to Launceston and then get a 90 minute transfer ($50 each way) to Barnbougle. The accommodation is functional but perfectly acceptable at Barnbougle and you are right on the property.

Monday - Barnbougle Dunes *2 ($155)

Michael Clayton (who designed the course with Tom Doak) calls this out as the best value green fee in the whole world of golf and I think he’s spot on. Its $124 for one round but if you play the same course twice in a day it’s only $155. The course is a triumph. Play it twice and try to keep the smile off your face!

Barnbougle Dunes feels like true links golf on the other side of the world from the Home of Golf

Tuesday - Lost Farm ($124). Fly to Melbourne ($60)

If you get up early you can squeeze in 2 rounds at the Lost Farm at Barnbougle course. I have budgeted for just 1 though because as you may be feeling a little tired by now! This Bill Coore course is a little more resorty than Barnbougle Dunes but for many it is at least an equal to its neighbour.

Transfer back to Launceston which has plenty of connections to Melbourne at really reasonable prices. on your return to Melbourne, head back to your hotel to be reunited with your bag for the last couple of nights.

The Lost Farm at Barnbougle

Wednesday - Metropolitan ($350)

Metro probably doesn’t quite count as a ‘must play’ but it is one of the most famous courses in the area and I was really glad we had it on the schedule. If you are pressed for time you could skip this day, but you will miss one of the best conditioned courses in the world, with the most distinctive bunkers. 

The bunkers at Metro need to be seen to be believed

Thursday - Kingston Heath ($400). Fly back to London.

Kingston Heath was my favourite Sandbelt course. It’s a magical place which you absolutely must play. I’ve never seen a better par 3 than the 15th. The staff were really friendly and you will enjoy being an honorary member for a day. It’s a perfect place to finish your trip before heading off to the airport for a late night flight. The magic of time zones means you will be back in London for lunch on Friday!

Honorary membership for the day at Kingston Heath

So total costs for this trip would look like this in £ -

Flights - £900
Accomodation - £390
Car Hire/Transfers - £125
Golf - £1700

Total - £3,115

If you can find members to host you at any of the Melbourne courses you will find the visitors’ fees far kinder on the pocket. At around $125 per round you could cut the price of golf to £900, reducing your total to £2,315. One member of a Melbourne club said he would be more than happy to be put in contact with anyone who would like to be hosted, so drop me a line if you would like an intro!

It’s clearly a lot of money, but I would thoroughly recommend saving up to do it if you can. You won’t get a warmer welcome anywhere, and the golf will thrill you from beginning to end.

You can read more detail about my trip in my blog:

Part 1 - From Edinburgh to King Island, and something very special
Part 2 - Barnbougle - Two Modern Classics
Part 3 - Sandbelt Golf and a podcast debut
Part 4 - A day trip to the Mornington Peninsula
Part 5 - Metropolitan and Victoria

An Open Experience - Playing Portrush

I’ve been going to The Open since I was 12, my first was Turnberry in 1986. My Dad was entertaining clients from the motor trade in the corporate hospitality for the week and I tagged along. He dropped me off at 7am and left to spend the day walking around Turnberry in the pouring rain, absolutely drenched but incredibly happy. The weather was so bad that there was no problem getting a plum seat at the 18th as Greg Norman came down the last on that Sunday afternoon. I was hooked.

Fast forward 33 years and I’ve been to every Open venue since then, both to play and watch. The only one I hadn’t spectated at was Royal St Georges, although it was one of my favourites to play. So when it was announced that The Open was returning to Portrush after all of these years I was keen to make it along to see how the course fared, and how the fans reacted to the greatest of all of golf’s tournaments.

I had big intentions of visiting Portrush before The Open to see how the new holes they had created for the event had bedded in, but before I had anything organised, I received an email that led to a change of plan.

The Open has turned into quite a commercial beast and they are always looking for new ways to make money and drive revenues up. ‘The Open Experience’ is one such way. With this special ticket you get not only the usual, high-class hospitality but also a range of ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences, which you can buy, if you have the money… They were offering the the chance to play the course the day after The Open, with the pins in the same places and the stands all around. I was suckered.

In my haste to book the trip I had failed miserably to check the family calendar and had a horrible clash with the 40th birthday celebrations of two close friends (not golf fans clearly, having booked a party for Open weekend). Between that and rescheduled Easyjet flights it meant a 5am start from Edinburgh to get to Glasgow airport, finally making it onto the course around lunchtime on the Sunday. 

There were about 60 guests in the hospitality by the 1st fairway, most of them had been there for at least one day before and some of them for the whole week. The clientele was mainly American, with a few other nationalities sprinkled in. British voices were fairly thin on the ground.

The package promised behind the scenes experiences, however my late arrival and the R&A’s rather odd decision to push up tee times by an hour meant I got a slightly truncated version. First stop was a trip to the Golf Channel’s studio half way down the 18th fairway. We got there about 30 minutes before the leaders teed off and walked into a rather small, makeshift studio to see Jaime Diaz, Rich Lerner and Brandon Chamblee giving their final thoughts to the American TV audience before the leaders headed out. 

It wasn’t as frantic as I had anticipated from watching Aaron Sorkin-eqsue TV dramas. In fact it was incredibly laid back (one of the crew was reading a book!) and it was just like 3 guys having a chat. I thought it was very trusting of them to let in half a dozen complete strangers and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to have 15 minutes of fame with a quick ‘hello Mum’ moment. However, I managed to contain myself and made do with a quick chat and a photograph before heading out to see Lowry and Fleetwood come down the first.

Another really nice part of the package was the reserved seats at the 1st tee and 18th Green. The 1st tee stand was pretty small and people were queuing at the 18th grandstand for several hours to get a seat.

Great seats on the 1st tee

Normally I come to an Open fully equipped for a day’s viewing. Firstly, you need to have a radio with you that doesn’t rely on network coverage (i.e. not a phone based one). Secondly, the periscope I bought from Phil Mickelson’s dad a few years ago is vital if you want to have a clue what’s going on. Unfortunately, today I had neither. I followed Lowry and Fleetwood to the 5th but then the heavens absolutely opened and it turned in to one of the wettest days I’d ever seen on a golf course. So I decided to do something 12 year old me would have thought very strange, and returned to the tent to watch a couple of hours play on the TV and to take advantage of a couple more of the ‘experiences’.

Firstly, there was a trip inside the iconic yellow scoreboard behind the 18th green. We clambered up the ladder and were able to see at first hand the military-style operation run by the pupils of Cranleigh School to ensure that the fans at the 18th are kept up to date. Having seen this board pretty much all my life, it was great to get the chance to view it in this unusual way!

Inside the iconic yellow scoreboard on 18

The it was back to the hospitality tent to hear from an ex-major champion talk about the Championship. We had been promised David Duval and Darren Clarke (Watson and Player had been there earlier in the week) but got the slightly less historic Rich Beem instead. While he may not have had the most celebrated career, he was an entertaining speaker and helped set the scene as the leaders headed into the back 9.

By this time Lowry had pretty much wrapped the whole thing up and there was something of a party mood about the place. I had had vague intentions of trying to walk out to the 14th and follow them in, but several tens of thousands of others had had a similar idea and, without my periscope or radio, I wouldn’t have had much idea what was happening, so I headed instead to the 18th. The R&A have put some wifi in various spots on the course and it was pretty good at the 18th so I was able to watch Sky’s coverage while waiting for the final groups.

Much has been made of the atmosphere at Royal Portrush and as Lowry came over the hill from the 17th and swept down the 18th you could sense the massive sea of support carrying him along.

This felt to me much more like the Opens of my youth than those of the last few years. I remember being at St Andrews in 1990 when my hero, Nick Faldo, came down the last. We jumped over the barriers of the 18th fairway and ran fast to get all the way up to the green. It took quite an effort for Faldo to make it through to the green and there was a real sense of euphoria in the crowd. 

In recent years the whole affair has become a little more solemn. The marshalls have been more fastidious and the whole thing more regimented. Geoff Shackelford talked about this on the State of the Game Open review. It definitely seemed that everyone was allowed to have more fun in Portrush.

It was a wonderful Open, and while I had only been there for a few hours I could tell that it had been a little bit special. There has been much discussion about when the Open will be back, and whether other courses might be chopped from the rota to accommodate it. I’m not sure whether it is true that the merchandise tent hit its daily sales targets by 10:30am every day, but the queue to get in was huge when I walked past, and no other Open will have ever generated as much in ticket money as this one. That alone would be enough to guarantee a place ahead of some other rota courses but the fans’ exuberance will surely boost its appeal even more. I suspect that the R&A will do nothing too hasty, but without a doubt we will be back sooner rather than later.

I’d had great fun watching, but I couldn’t wait to see what the course was like to play. All through the week there had been tales of thick rough, impossible lies and all kinds of weather to contend with.

I had only been to Portrush once before - 10 years previously on a slightly ridiculous itinerary that took in Lytham, Hoylake and County Down, and far too many bars en route. County Down is ranked a scarcely believable 3rd versus Portrush’s 12 in the Ultimate Top 100 list - but I came away from that trip with a very clear view that Portrush was my favourite by some distance. It suited my game more. County Down’s blind shots and heavy gorse did for me whereas Portrush was accessible and fun.

On the Monday after The Open the course is reserved for the R&A and sponsors and we were pretty much the last out, with a 3:40pm tee time. We were lucky with the conditions as although the wind was up (we started in a 2 or 3 club wind) the sun was shining and there were none of the biblical downpours of the previous day.

I had done a little poll on Twitter to see what people though my stableford score for the 18 holes would be. The average came in at around 23 points and gave me something to aim for!

There was quite a range in the predictions!

We were to play off a mixture of tees. Where the tees had been moved up on the last round we were off of the same box and I think the course was playing about 6,700 yards for us. Longer that my normal ‘comfort zone’ of 6,500 but I was happy to go with it in the circumstances!

Our fourball had a rather mixed range of abilities. We had a British student on a golf scholarship in the US playing off +4, another middle aged 12 handicapper like me and a lady from Holland who can’t possibly have had a handicap under 36. 54 would have been pushing it. 

We were each supplied with a caddy. Now, I have written before about my aversion to caddies but these ones were very good. Mine was a schoolboy from Belfast who spent his summer holidays in Portrush mainly caddying for rich Americans. He proffered no swing tips the whole way around, no judgement was offered when I decided to hit 2 wedges on occasion from 200ish yards - he just seemed keen that I had a good day. The only thing that I questioned was his future career choice. To be aspiring to a career in corporate banking at the age of 16 was slightly depressing I felt, but good luck to him!

Only a sight hint of nerves on the first tee!

I wasn’t as nervous on the first tee as I had expected. I think I was helped by the fact that our expectations were all pretty low having seen so many of the pros struggle over the last few days. My first shot was a little scuffy left, but well away from the OB that had caused McIlroy such heartache (internal OB is one of my pet peeves but that one really is quite a long way to the left!). My second pulled up short of the bunkers but a pitch to 10 foot and a good read from my caddy got me away with a par. Happy days!

Don’t worry, I won’t go through a blow by blow of every shot out there but here are some general observations and thoughts:

Firstly, the course was a lot more playable than I had expected. While some of the fairways were pinched in, I didn’t feel particularly intimidated off the tee and the trouble tended to come the closer you got to the greens which meant there were plenty of options for a mid handicapper like me.

However, the rough was definitely a major factor. It has been a wet summer all over the UK. Around Gullane, where I live, the rough has been at higher levels than we have seen for years. This Portrush rough was really brutal though and if you were in some of the thick stuff then the chances of finding the ball were low. If you did find it, getting it out was even tougher. I asked the caddies whether the course was playing particularly different from normal and they said that the rough was fairly typical of all courses in the area given the rain.

As for the greens, I suspect they hadn’t been cut that morning but they were an absolute pleasure to play on - not too fast and just enough movement to make you think a little. We holed quite a few feet between us and it confirmed the point that you don’t need to have greens that play like a snooker table to enjoy the experience.

The fairway bunkers caused me more trouble than pretty much anything else on the course. On several occasions I hit what I thought was a pretty good tee shot just to see it gobbled up by the sand. Then, in my efforts to escape, I found myself clipping the top of the bunker and the ball returning to my feet.

Playing with the stands up was pretty special, but it was amazing to think that just 24 hours previously there had been 40,000 people clambering all over the course. We didn’t have a single lie between us all day that was impacted by the stands or traffic from the previous week. 

This course was a delight to play. Even in these conditions and set-up it isn’t a brute like Carnoustie or a slog like Lytham. This was lovely links golf in a magical setting. The first third sets the bar incredibly high and with the wind behind these are holes to make your score on. The short, par 4 5th was a particular delight. This hole is one of my favourite anywhere in the world - it gives both a test of nerve and a spectacular view.

The 5th at Portrush is one of the most beautiful spots anywhere in the world

It would be fair to say though that I was lulled into a bit of a false sense of security over these opening holes. I was scoring pretty well and the course wasn’t proving too difficult. At the 6th we turned into the wind - still 3 clubs probably - and things were to take a turn. 

The 7th and the 8th are two new holes and they fit seamlessly into the routing. 7 is a par 5 on a huge scale. The dunes are massive - the hole would fit very well into Trump International at Aberdeen. While the pros were able to get onto this 592 yard monster in 2, this is where the difference between pro and amateur starts to bite. It took my quite a while to wind my way up and I only managed to scrape a point.

9, 10 and 11 ruined my ambitions of getting to 30 points as the course really showed its teeth but I was keen to make sure that they didn’t spoil my day. A friend of mine recalls a time when he was getting mad on the course and his playing partner turned to him and said ‘why are you getting angry, you’re not good enough to get angry’. Wise words I always try to remember when scoring isn’t going my way!

I got through my bad patch with spirits still high and the holes from 13 in were just one delight after another. We played off the slightly forward Sunday tees at the par 3 16th, Calamity Corner, and even then I managed to come up short which is clearly not the place to be. In hindsight I should have smashed a driver into the stands at the back in a real pro move! 

Calamity by name…..

While I didn’t make it down the slope at the par 4 17th it was a really lovely hole to play and then the 18th was made all the more special with the light splitting the stands as we came down the hole.

I ended up coming home with 24 points which wasn’t devastating. Had we been off the back tees all the way round though I am sure 20 would have proved elusive. I wasn’t striking it brilliantly and the combination of bunkers and rough cost me dearly but this is a course you can score on if you plot your way around. There are more elevated greens here than you will find on many Scottish links so scoring can be a bit tougher if you’re not dialled in with your approach shots but if you have a bit of a short game you’ll be OK. 

I can only imagine how hard I would find it to score on a US Open course or Augusta the day after championship play had finished. This Open course doesn’t need to be tricked up too horribly for the pros to find it a challenge, but yet is still playable for mere mortals

It was a great thrill to play the course set up like this and the quality really shone through. While I had always rated it highly the new holes and tweaks made mean that I have bumped it up to a 19 now in my scoring system - putting it into a truly elite bracket.

The Open Experience made the trip a bit extra special, but getting a game at Portrush under normal circumstances is pretty straightforward. You can play it 7 days a week, with fewer restrictions than most Open rota courses. Green fees of £90 in the winter and £220 in the summer make it great value.

Bring on Royal St Georges in 2020!

Tom Doak on the Scottish Open at The Renaissance

Tom Doak is without a doubt one of the pre-eminent golf course architects of his generation. Five of the ultimate top 100 courses in the world are his original designs and he has had a hand in restoring and nurturing many other top 100 courses, all around the world.

However, when the Scottish Open visits his Renaissance Club design in East Lothian next week, this will be a first for Doak. He explains, ‘It's an entirely new experience for me; my courses have hosted amateur events and also the US Women's Open, but not a Tour event.’

The Renaissance Club - host to the 2019 Scottish Open. Pics - www.trcaa.com

Building a new course, sandwiched in between Muirfield and North Berwick, wasn’t a job for the faint-hearted. So where did Tom get his inspiration from?

‘I spent a year in the UK and Ireland after college and that's where my affinity for links golf started, it is always an inspiration for my work. The only feature I can think of which is a direct homage to something in Scotland though is the shallow shelf in the 8th green - I think it's the 14th or 15th as played for the Scottish Open - which is based on the 12th green on The Old Course at St. Andrews.’ 

It would be fair to say that the course the world will see for the Scottish Open isn’t a typical Doak creation. Accessibility and playability for golfers of all levels are key Doak hallmarks but features which aren’t particularly prevalent here. Why the difference? Doak explains, ‘My client was always interested in hosting a big professional event, so I had to respect that and change my design philosophy a bit, since I normally don't care at all about that.’

 ‘One feature I incorporated was having a couple of long par-4 holes (8 and 18 normally, 2 and 18 for the tournament) with very difficult greens. That's normally frowned on by American designers who think it's unfair, but I noticed several of them in my year abroad (like the 13th at Prestwick or the Road Hole at St Andrews) and was determined to incorporate one to test the players, both physically and mentally. If you're trying to test a plus-6 handicap you have to have a couple of features that a scratch player will struggle with.’

The Renaissance has a reputation as a tough driving course – and that has been exacerbated by some set-up decisions made by the club. ‘The course is now about half as wide as when I built it. They stopped mowing large portions of fairway a few years ago to prove that the course was a tough test, though I thought the length and difficulties around the greens would take care of most of that.’

Doak is phlegmatic about what happens when a course is picked to host a top event like the Scottish Open. ‘Mr. Sarvadi still asks my opinion of things, but for example it was not my idea to renumber the holes and put the most compelling part of the golf course right at the start (and likely not on TV).  Once the Tour takes over, even the owner doesn't get a say, and the architect surely doesn't.’

What they won’t have banked on is the recent conditions in East Lothian. Doak believes that the wet year in Scotland so far means that ‘the rough could be pretty brutal for the Scottish Open’. It has been the wettest June in the East of Scotland for many years and the rough on all the local courses is high. Forget the wispy grass of last year’s Scottish Open at Gullane, this is deep, succulent, cloying rough that will gobble balls up and make them hard to get out.

But this isn’t just a long, tight course, the green complexes are dramatic at times too. Tom thinks you will need to be an all-round player, at the top of his game, to thrive. ‘The winner will have to drive it well and/or be strong enough not to care. But the hole locations on those greens really matter in terms of where you don't want to miss each day, so it will take a player who can think his way around the course and avoid bad errors.’

The world won’t see a typical Doak course when they turn on their TVs in a couple of weeks time. But we will see the players tested to the max over a demanding course. Tom is true to his philosophy on who he wants to see as the winner, ‘I absolutely don't care about the scoring, as long as the best players on the week rise to the top’. Given the quality of the course they are going to face, I suspect he will get his wish.

You can read my reviews of all the Tom Doak courses here -

Shane Bacon's Favourite Courses

In recent years, the golf media landscape has changed beyond all recognition. A new generation of fans has been introduced to the game through new channels, and Shane Bacon has played a big role in that.

His Clubhouse podcast is one of the best listens out there. He is insightful and happy to give strong opinions, while clearly also having the respect of the raft of top players he hosts. This week he will, once again, be behind the microphone presenting coverage of the US Open on Fox.

Shane always talks from a position of knowledge. He has wide experience in the world of golf - from caddying on the LPGA Tour to interviewing all of the world’s leading players. He even made it all the way to Sectional qualifying for this year’s US Open.

I’m delighted that Shane has shared his favourite courses here. It is a great list that covers the world!

ST ANDREWS - THE OLD COURSE
The Old Course has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons (I caddied there for a summer), it’s the most pure golf experience in the world.
UK Golf Guy Review

BRORA
Of all the courses in Scotland, Brora is the one I most look forward to returning to.
Brora Golf Club, National Club Golfer

CYPRESS POINT
It’s three golf courses in one, and the most anticipated walk in all of golf when you leave 14 and head across 17-mile to 15, 16 and 17.
Graylyn Loomis, Golf Digest, Playing the Top 100

BANDON DUNES
The debate for best golf course at Bandon is the most fun, post-round pint conversation in the game, and for me the original is the one I most look forward to playing. What an unreal back nine.
Graylyn Loomis, Plugged-in Golf, Golf Advisor

ROYAL MELBOURNE
Courses can let one down at times. Royal Melbourne will never, ever have that problem.
UK Golf Guy Review, No Laying Up Tourist Sauce, Shackelford Golf Channel Analysis

AUBUDON PARK
It would be disingenuous to have a list of 10 private golf courses when places like Audubon park in New Orleans exist. My favorite course in my favorite city in America.
Aubudon Park website, YouTube drone footage

YEAMANS HALL
A place where time stands still on a golf course that remains one of the true hidden gems of an American architecture legend.
Top100golfcourses.com, Playing the Top 100

FISHERS ISLAND
How can you not include a golf course that requires a car to a ferry to a taxi to another boat? A stretch of golf that cannot be touched by another course in the US.
Fishers Island Club,  Youtube video by air

NATIONAL GOLF LINKS OF AMERICA
I’ve always wondered what it must feel like to be the richest billionaire in a room full of billionaires. I bet it feels a lot like NGLA does on Long Island. 
UK Golf Guy Review, NGLA website, 1968 Sports Illustrated Article

PEBBLE BEACH
I stand by the fact that Pebble remains one of the most underrated courses in America. The first hole is a perfect starting off point. The holes away from the ocean (like 12) are fantastic designs with just enough trouble to throw off even the best in the world. And the finish ... that turn back to 17 and 18. What a venue. 
UK Golf Guy Review, Monterey Herald History, Youtube - Tiger Wood 2000

Thanks a lot Shane, you can see the favourite course choices from some other names in modern golf here.

St Andrews - Old Course

BRORA

Picture - broragolfclub.co.uk

CYPRESS POINT

Picture - Geoff Shackelford

BANDON DUNES

Picture - bandondunes.com

ROYAL MELBOURNE

AUDUBON PARK

Picture - audubonnatureinstitute.org

YEAMAN'S HALL

Picture - www.graylynloomis.com

FISHERS ISLAND

Picture - fishersislandclub.com

NATIONAL GOLF LINKS OF AMERICA

PEBBLE BEACH

Picture - www.pebblebeach.com

Part 5 - Metropolitan and Victoria

DAY 8 - MELBOURNE

ROUND 11 - THE METROPOLITAN GOLF CLUB

All good things must come to an end and, after just a week in Australia, we were packing our bags at the QT hotel for our last day of golf before heading home. We had a tee time at Metropolitan at 9:30am, which would allow us to fit in a round in the afternoon if we felt our bodies could cope!

A couple of months before heading out to Australia I had received an email from a Metropolitan member, Don. Don has been a member there for many years and had reached out to offer any help we needed in planning our trip. Once again, here was someone who had a passion for the game, who just wanted to do what he could to make sure we had an enjoyable experience. There will be many aspects of this trip that will stick in my mind for a long time, but the kindness of strangers will definitely be one if them!

Alas, we had already booked our tee time directly with the club (for $400...) so we couldn’t avail ourselves of a cheaper visitor’s rate, but we absolutely could get the advantage of Don’s local knowledge, anecdotes and experience to help us round. We hadn’t organised it intentionally, but travelling as a three had been a real advantage on the trip - we were able to meet some great characters who could make up a 4 and show us the ropes on the way.

There’s nothing quaint about the clubhouse at Metropolitan. The current building opened a few years ago and it provides a really sleek, polished, top-end experience (although be warned, they don’t serve breakfast beyond a coffee and banana bread!).

Even a cursory bit of research about the course will set your expectations high about two things - the quality of the conditioning and the unusual look of the greenside bunkers. Neither will disappoint.

Firstly, the conditioning was truly exceptional. The fairways (couch grass for those interested in such things - most Australians were!) and greens (bentgrass) were among the very best I have played anywhere in the world. The greens were phenomenally slick, and often a good size as well, so putting the ball in the right place with your approach was key. We had a lot of three-putts, but we didn’t stop smiling!

While the look of the greenside bunkers was something I was prepared for, they were still hypnotising. They are cut right into the green, which is mown to the edge, creating a line on the top that looks like it has been carved with a samurai blade.

A classic Metro bunker

The logos of Metropolitan and Royal Melbourne look like they were separated at birth and there is a reason for this. Metro was formed when a group of Royal Melbourne members chose not to move with the club when it relocated away from the city in 1901. A few years later though they did move south and built the bones of the course we see today. Alister MacKenzie’s visit to these parts brought some modifications to the bunkers and other changes to the course. However, the course changed dramatically in the 1960s when much of the land for the back 9 was lost to a local school expansion and new holes were constructed on adjoining land.

The first 2 holes are a fantastic start - an accessible par 4, before a wonderful mid-length par 3 when you will really notice those Metro bunkers. Another call-out hole would be the par 4 5th where placement from the tee to allow the right approach to the sloping green is key. The impressive opening concludes with the winding par 5 6th - another world-class hole that would grace any top course.

It is fair to say that the front 9 is stronger than the back where the land is a little flatter and less interesting. However, I wouldn’t want to exaggerate that too much. Despite a bit of awkward routing there are some lovely holes - the par 3 13th comes particularly to mind.

While I have majored on the quality of the presentation of the course, you will still get an authentic Sandbelt experience. Away from the fairways you will see the exposed sand and, if you miss the fairway, your lie is going to be a bit of a lottery - just as golf should be!

I would definitely recommend adding Metropolitan to a Melbourne itinerary. It oozes quality and as Mike Clayton has said, you’ll never get a bad lie on the fairway (although, that’s not necessarily to his pleasure!).

It was great to share a pint with Don on the terrace in the early Autumn sun. He has a great outlook on the game, and I thought an email he sent me really encapsulated what makes a good day on the golf course: ‘It is a combination of so many factors - course architecture, weather on the day you played, how well you played, whether one lucky/unlucky bounce changed everything and lastly - but probably most important - who did you play with and what was the mood/vibe like. Did you have any fun? For isn’t that really what it’s all about?’.

Well put Don, well put.

I’ll be honest, my golf was beginning to suffer a wee bit at this stage and a score above 30 points was beyond me, but I was one point clear of Glendo and so we decided to head out for just one more round before our evening flight home.

It had been a toss-up between the newly-renovated Victoria or the newly-renovated Peninsula Kingswood. In the end it was a pretty easy decision. I phoned them both up and Peninsula said they didn’t take visitors that day. Victoria said ‘no problem, head over’ - decision made!

ROUND 12 - THE VICTORIA GOLF CLUB

When we were planning our trip, we weren’t sure we were going to be able to play Victoria as it was undergoing extensive renovations led by Australia’s top design firm, Ogilvy, Cocking, Clayton & Mead (OCCM).

There had been some criticism that the greens at Victoria were its Achilles heel. Mike Cocking, in this Golf Course Architecture article, explains their work - ‘The club brought OCCM in to complete a greens replacement project – converting greens that had largely become poa annua and were inconsistent and difficult to manage, to a new variety of creeping bentgrass – Pure Distinction……Like many greens built in an era when seven or eight on the stimpmeter was considered fast; greens six, eleven and thirteen were so steeply contoured that they would need to be adjusted to allow a reasonable number of pins and general playability with a modern bentgrass’.

The course had just been open for a couple of week to visitors but the greens were in tremendous nick. If this was a problem previously, I don’t think they will have any such concerns in the future.

Geoff Shackelford visited the Sandbelt in 2011 and proclaimed Victoria the most artfully presented of the premier Sandbelt courses. That article itself was said to have jolted Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath into action and all three have taken the Sandbelt experience up another notch.

The whole package at Victoria works beautifully. You are welcomed in an inviting clubhouse, packed with memorabilia and home to one of the best club sandwiches man has ever made. The pro shop team were friendly and welcoming and the first tee puts a big smile on your face. You will see everything here you would expect of a Sandbelt course - exposed sand, rather than rough, and exquisite bunkering.

That’s a club sandwich...

This is a course that definitely has a few quirks, but none of them detracted from the experience. I doubt there is a shorter par 4 opening hole on any top 100 course on the world - 229 meters, and downhill. However, even this benign opening asks strategic questions of the sort you will get used to as you plot your way around Victoria. Another well-documented quirk is that both 9s end with back-to-back par 5s. Unusual? For sure. A problem? Not at all.

Particularly worth noting are the par 3s - one of the best collections we saw on the trip and the par 4 10th which is a great little dogleg hole which swoops up to an elevated green.

Our round was something of a rollercoaster of emotions. Glendo started really well and built up quite a lead over me. He needed to win the point for this round to tie me over the 12 rounds we’d played (alas Greig had fallen by the wayside some holes before!). Unfortunately, on about the 8th hole his body and swing just deserted him and it became a war of attrition over the back 9.

In the end, Glendo very generously conceded me a (very miss-able) two footer on the last to halve the game and give me victory over the 12 match rubber by a single point. Peter Thomson looked down as I was presented with the (somewhat modest) trophy). We had a beer on the terrace as the sun set and reflected on a trip of a lifetime.

All that effort for such a small trophy!

We picked a host of stereotypical Australian songs (a Kylie/Natalie Imbruglia/John Farnham medley) for the car as we set off for the airport and our evening flight back to Europe.

You couldn’t get the smiles off our faces! It had been a hell of a long way to go for one week’s golf, and we packed in a lot, but we had made new friends and found new places that will live with us forever.

Reflecting on Don’s words, he nailed what makes a great golf memory. I was lucky to have spent a week with two of my best friends seeing some of the best golf courses man has ever built. You can’t ask much more than that!

I’ve got one blog left on the subject of our Australian adventure where I’ll give a few tips on planning a trip like this, an idea of how much it would be likely to cost you, as well as some thoughts on how the Melbourne clubs could make things even better for out of town visitors. But for now you can see how I scored all the courses and their full reviews here.

Part 1 - From Edinburgh to King Island, and something very special
Part 2 - Barnbougle - Two Modern Classics
Part 3 - Sandbelt Golf and a podcast debut
Part 4 - A day trip to the Mornington Peninsula

Part 4 - A day trip to the Mornington Peninsula

DAY 7 - MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Melbourne has many great golf courses and we only scratched the surface on our trip. However, we decided to take the trip south to the Mornington Peninsula to see two of Australia’s best courses and see a little of life outside the Sandbelt.

ROUND 9 - ST ANDREW’S BEACH

We left central Melbourne at 7am and before 8:30 we were at St Andrew’s Beach. Watch out for the speed cameras which are subtle - and prolific - all the way down.

St Andrew’s Beach is a Tom Doak course (there is a LOT of love for Doak in these parts) and he says that, of his creations, this is the one he would like to play every day. Originally it was going to be the centrepiece of a high-end private club, but the money didn’t work out. Rather than being left to go to rack and ruin, the course is now managed as a wonderfully good value pay and play course.

The skies were grey when we arrived and we sheltered in the slightly makeshift-looking cabin/cafe/shop as the wind rattled around us. The guy at the desk was really pleasant and happily heated up a few sausage rolls. It turns out this is not something to be taken for granted in Australia.  In the UK you will always get a bacon roll or the like before you head out in the morning. In Melbourne, we discovered, this wasn’t a racing certainty. Metropolitan - I’m looking at you!

I should mention here that this was a ridiculously good value tee time. We paid a mere $59 (just over £30) for our midweek, morning round. People, quite rightly, rave about the good value at Barnbougle but I think St Andrew’s Beach beats it. When I emailed, a couple of months out, to inquire about a tee time the answer was immediate and they were really friendly and welcoming.

Doak says that there was virtually no earth-moving required here and the course was just waiting to be laid out. Others say there was more earth moving than he might lead you to believe, but it is definitely wonderful land for building a golf course on. You really feel that greens were just mown a bit shorter than the fairways and the bunkers were simply made by scooping them out with a digger. This is one of the most natural-feeling ‘new’ courses I have seen.

If you want to read a little more about the course then this article from Golf Club Atlas does a great job 

The course has delicious variety in hole length, with many ‘½’ holes to enjoy, like the short 2nd and 14th. While the overall yardage is only 6,200 yards from the white tees, it is a par 70 so definitely provides a good test and it didn’t feel like a short course.

Like most of Doak’s other work, this isn’t a course where you have to be too fearful from the tee. You’ll be able to find the short stuff relatively easily but the second shots will often require imagination into well protected, and often small, greens.

I found this a really accessible course. You didn’t have to be a low handicap to get a few birdie opportunities and, while you never see the sea, the views of the golf course are wonderful at times.

The weather did clear up a little, but we were playing in far from perfect conditions and it says a lot that we were still raving about the course long after we came off, despite the weather.

I’m glad to say I managed to get another point on the board at St Andrew’s Beach and so, with a spring in my step at least, we jumped in the car for the 10 minute drive to the nearby National Golf Club.

ROUND 10 - THE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB (MOONAH)

The National Golf Club is quite a place. On the property you’ll three find golf courses and one of the most impressive modern clubhouses I’ve seen. Given our extensive warm-up at St Andrew’s Beach we didn’t use the practice facilities but they looked fantastic, including a putting green on the roof!

We received a great welcome in the clubhouse - the staff were attentive, full of information and keen to ensure we had a good experience.

I have talked a lot about the warmth of the locals we met on this trip. We had another great example of this at The National. A member, Brian, had seen my tweet about our trip and sent me a note asking if he could join us at The National. Brian knows the course intimately, having been a member since it opened, and wanted to make sure we had a great experience there. I was just blown away by his thoughtfulness. Golf is a great game for meet like-minded people and making new friends, but I experienced that in unusual abundance in Australia.

With another great host, Brian, at the National Golf Club

The Moonah course is consistently ranked as one of the top dozen courses in Australia and, in the recent Confidential Guide, Masa Nishijima and Darius Oliver had it on the verge of the world top 100.

Had we been there a few weeks later, we would probably have tried to get on to the newly renovated Ocean Course as well. As the name implies, the course lies closer to the Ocean and has been completely redone by Doak and his team in the last year. Previously, the course was a Peter Thomson design and it would be fair to say that some felt more could have been done with the property. We got to see a few of the new holes on our way round, and a breathtaking view of the opening and closing holes from the clubhouse. The work Doak has done will surely elevate it to one of the top courses in the country. The course is being renamed the Gunnamatta - not to be confused with the other Tom Doak Gunnamatta course a 10 minute drive away! Some things in this world make little sense!

It was a windy day when we arrived and our host assured us that we would find the Moonah a little more forgiving than the Old Course - and he was right. The course names Norman and Harrison as the designers but, from what we have heard, Bob Harrison should take most of the credit. He apparently spent an inordinate amount of time on the premises trying to determine the best routing. When you see the property you will understand why. You could comfortably build another 3 courses in the land adjacent to the course and the choices he had were pretty much endless.

The land at The National is on a breathtaking scale

So, what to expect?

Firstly, I had read some comments on the top100golfcourse.com site saying that this course was just too difficult for the average golfer in the wind, from even the forward tees. Given that we were in a crazy run of 36 hole days (the arms were getting heavy) and the wind was up, I was a little nervous. But there was no need for fear. Yes, it was a test, but it isn’t a course that will destroy you.

Secondly, you get plenty of width from the fairways so you don’t need to be too intimidated. However, there are spines galore which will take your ball to the ‘good’ side or the ‘bad side’ which may then prevent you shooting the lights out. But it won’t impede your fun. The grass plays with some pace but it will never get as fiery as a Scottish links course.

Next, conventional wisdom says you should make your score on the first 11 holes as the final stretch, into the wind, will definitely have you reaching for a few long clubs. Conventional wisdom is correct!

The course has been very cleverly designed, with subtlety and nuance that will force you to think. The bunkering is superb and scoring around the greens will require a great deal of imagination. If you can score well over the traditional links of Scotland and Ireland then I suspect you will do well here.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to The National and the Moonah course. The whole set-up in the clubhouse was great. Sure, it’s a far cry from the tradition and history of Royal Melbourne or Kingston Heath, but you get the impression that this is a place for people who want golf, golf and more golf. They have a love and passion for the game and, by the looks of what Doak is creating, a desire to make things even better.

We could have stayed and talked to Brian all evening but we had to head back to Melbourne for our last meal and to get packed up. The drive back was easy and by 8:30 we were out in the fantastic Movida restaurant for some incredibly high quality, tasty tapas and Spanish fare. We ate very well in Melbourne and we felt very comfortable walking around the city.

This trip was always going to be purely about the golf, but Melbourne felt like it would be a great city to live in. Friendly people, lovely restaurants and plenty of things to do to keep you occupied.

Alas though, our week was almost up. We were able to squeeze in rounds at two of the most famous Melbourne course en route to the airport. Would be do justice to the bunkers at Metropolitan? Would we still be able to walk at Victoria? All will be revealed!!

Part 1 - From Edinburgh to King Island, and something very special
Part 2 - Barnbougle - Two Modern Classics
Part 3 - Sandbelt Golf and a podcast debut

Part 3 - Sandbelt golf and a podcast debut

After 3 days of island hopping and some of the best golf we had ever seen, we returned to the mainland and the Melbourne sandbelt courses to see what all the fuss was about.

I had spent quite a lot of time thinking about where to stay. All of our golf would be to the south of the city, but we were keen to see a bit of Melbourne’s nightlife and get a sense of the city, so we stayed in the CBD. In the end I think it was the right call. We had some great food and the hotel was fantastic (although were too tired at night to hit the clubs, oh – and, of course, we’re far too old now!). We stayed in the QT hotel which was very central and within walking distance of everything we needed.

The hotel really looked after us well and had a very cool rooftop bar where the beautiful people were all hanging out. We fitted in very well, obviously! Feeling a few aches and pains by now, and having walked 100,000 steps in the previous 3 days, we had an early night and the luxury of a lie in on the Sunday morning before seeing the Southern Hemisphere’s premier golf course.

DAY 5, ROUND 7 - ROYAL MELBOURNE

I think I can safely say I had been looking forward to Royal Melbourne more than any other course on the trip. In my Ultimate Top 100 ranking the West course comes in at number 7 and everything I had read about it told me we were in for a real treat.

Visitor play is limited and very expensive. Here’s a fact for you – this is the most expensive ‘regular’ tee time of any of the top 100 courses in the world. If you are visiting from abroad you will pay A$750 for your tee time and then there is a compulsory caddy at another $140. That means 18 holes will set you back a cool A$890. That’s almost £500 or over $600 in American money.

Now, of course you can actually book a tee time here – you can’t do that at the vast majority of the US courses in the top 100 – but boy oh boy, this is one expensive tee time.

We were very fortunate though in that we had a gentleman, who may be the most wonderful host in the world, looking after us for the day. I had met Matt through Twitter and he was keen to show us around his home course. Matt is a tremendous font of knowledge when it comes to Sandbelt golf in general, and Royal Melbourne in particular. He has an infectious enthusiasm for the game and the course that made our day one of the most memorable I have spent on a golf course.

Matt played with the No Laying Up guys when they visited and narrated the course introduction you can see on their YouTube spot. You will also see him playing with hickories and he had them out again when we played with him too. And goodness me, could he play with them. He was hitting the ball as far as we were off the tee on occasions and his ability to get it up and down around the green was phenomenal.

We met many great people on our trip to Australia and one of the unifying characteristics was a real pride in their golf courses and their desire to give us he best possible experience. I don’t think the UK would give such a warm a welcome to visitors from the other side of the world, and this is one of the memories of this trip that will stay with me for the longest time.

After a very pleasant lunch we had a tour of the clubhouse. The place was packed with history, from original sketches from MacKenzie, through to the clubs Adam Scott used to win the Masters. The President’s Cup was also on show. It was a veritable treasure trove of Melbourne golf memorabilia and if you find yourself there make sure you take the time to explore it. I’ve written a little more about the history of the course on my main review and it really is a fascinating tale.

The President's Cup on display

Alex Russell, the man who built Royal Melbourne

Adam Scott's clubs from his Masters victory are on show

The wind was blowing hard and the skies overcast when we headed to the practice putting green. I had heard Mike Clayton talking on a podcast the previous week about how the greens at Royal Melbourne were running incredibly fast at the moment, verging on crazy. Indeed the practice green was pretty pacey and I got a little worried about whether the combination of wind and green speeds would prove unplayable.

As it was though, this wasn’t a concern. The wind dropped after the first few holes and the greens weren’t too fast. Without any doubt you would benefit from knowing which side of the hole to be on on pretty much every green. The ball seemed to run forever coming downhill but you could have a bit of a rap at it up the way. The slopes and contours really got the mind working overtime but they were incredibly true and a real delight, if slightly scary at times, to putt on.

I’m not sure why, but I had got in in my mind that this was going to be quite a tough test from the tee. The whole thing is on a grand scale but you will rarely be intimidated from the tee, with wide fairways in front of you. However, you will soon realise that you need to be in the right spot if you want to give yourself a chance of being the right side of the pin with your next shots.

There was so much to enjoy at Royal Melbourne, but two features worthy of mention were the superb bunkering and conditioning of the course. It takes a while to get used to the thin layers of slightly greyish sand but the positioning and shaping are tremendous. Conditioning-wise there wasn’t a bad lie on the golf course (some might say it was a little too perfect!) . The ball sat up perfectly on the fairways and those oh-so-smooth greens.

The West course is clearly one of the very best in the world. I found it fun, challenging but playable, and clever. We all agreed this was a very high 18 in the scoring system I use to rate courses (see here for more on that). It didn’t quite soar for us to the very, very best courses we had played, but it was still wonderful. Maybe I am not well versed enough in golf architecture to really ‘get it’ as much as others do. People who are far better positioned to comment on these things say it may be the best golf course in the world (well, after St Andrews of course!). When I make it back to Melbourne I will try and get straight back to Royal Melbourne to see if I can discover a little more of the magic that has it ranked so incredibly highly.

That being said, we had a wonderful day and our host had a huge part to play in that. Matt kindly gave us a lift back to the hotel, stopping off at what may be one of the very best burger joints I have ever experienced.

I would like to tell you that we then hit the nightclubs until 3am and give you a review of them. However, it was a quick drink in the bar before an early night. I needed to be with-it for my Monday morning.

DAY 6 - A PODCAST AND KINGSTON HEATH

A couple of weeks before I left home I received a message from Rod Morri asking if I would be interested in appearing on his iseekgolf podcast when I was over, to talk about my trip and experiences. I was pretty flattered by this as I am a huge fan of Rod and his work. Rod started hosting the State of the Game podcast some 7 years ago  and I think he is the best in the business. I have previously waxed lyrical about his output, you can see a little of that here and here.

I was a little nervous replying to Rod’s message. I wasn’t sure that I would have a much of interest to say and, not being a professional broadcaster, I was worried I might just dry up altogether and make a bit of a fool of myself if truth be told.

Rod came to pick me up from the hotel and drove to Metropolitan Golf Club who had kindly lent us a room to record in. It was quite a surreal drive. I normally listen to podcasts on my daily commute and this was like having a live podcast, with Rod’s distinctive tones actually responding to my words!

It was fascinating talking to Rod about the changing golf media landscape and what business models may emerge in the future. He recently addressed that on a podcast you can listen to here. I really hope that whatever landscape develops, that it finds a place for people like Rod to thrive – his contribution to the golf debate is vital.

Rod Morri - the man behind the mike!

We were joined at Metro by Rod’s co-host, Adrian Logue. Adrian acts as the straight man to Rod on a regular basis. He’s a real gentleman who clearly has a deep knowledge of the game and shares with Rod a view of how it should develop for the better.

As we settled down to record, Rod was very clear with me that we would do this in one take and there would be no edits. With that, off we went! You can hear the podcast here if you are so inclined. I really enjoyed doing it and Rod and Adrian’s style helped me to relax into the conversation and hopefully provide a little insight into our trip so far.

These guys, like everyone we met on this trip, were hugely proud of Australian golf and delighted to meet people who could help spread the word. The Victoria tourist board should be putting them on the payroll!

Me, Adrian and Rod

ROUND 8 - KINGSTON HEATH

After my brief brush with celebrity, its was off to Kingston Heath. In the weeks before my trip this course had been rising up my ‘most anticipated’ list as it had been selected in my ‘Favourite Courses’ series by both renowned Australian architect Mike Cocking and journalist Graylyn Loomis, both putting it ahead of Royal Melbourne. Everything I had read about it said we were in for a real treat and gosh, were they right.

We found friendly welcomes everywhere we went, but Kingston Heath stood out. The guys in the pro shop were very friendly and we were given ‘Honorary Membership’ status for the afternoon. It was a little touch that cost nothing on the part of the club but set the tone for the welcome we would get.

There are some days on the golf course that just seem utterly magical -the company, the course, the atmosphere, your game. Our day at Kingston Heath was one of those very special days. This place entranced me in a way that few courses have before and I came away having been totally seduced by it.

Kingston Heath was exactly what I had expected in a sandbelt course and maybe even a bit more ‘sandbelty’ than Royal Melbourne. The fairways bleed into the scrubby sand with some of the most amazing bunkering all around. If you missed the fairways then there was no 2 inch collar rough here, normally just scrub sand or light vegetation. The look is unique in world golf, but works perfectly here. Geoff Ogilvy is not only a Melbourne native but also one of the best thinkers when it comes to golf course design and if you want to understand more about what sandbelt golf is, this article by him should do the trick.

Kingston Heath eptiomises Sandbelt golf

There is no choice of 5 tees to suit your game here, just white and red markers and nothing in between. The white tees when we played were pretty pushed back and as such it probably played a good 6,800 yards but it didn’t feel terribly long. The ball will run when it hits the turf, and with the scrubby sand alongside the fairways rather than deep rough you won’t spend long looking for balls. Like at Royal Melbourne, we barely lost a ball between us.

This a small, flat property and is oft compared with Merion because of the way t the course fits so adeptly into a small property, 50 acres in this case. There is a fascinating read here from Golf Course Architecture about the history and evolution of the course. The work of the last 30 years in taking out trees, exposing the sand and restoring the bunkers has meant that this course really is now one of the very best in the world.

Like Royal Melbourne, the bunkering here was great and the conditioning wonderful. The other thing I would call out is the set of par 3s. There were only three of them but boy, were they great. The 15th is the standout par 3. It’s a 160 yard, uphill par 3 which is superbly bunkered all around. I thought the 7th at Barnbougle was close to perfection, but this gives it a run for its money. When we played it the tee was at the front and if you went for the pin, unless you landed it on a spot the size of beach towel you were going to end in the deep bunkers left and right. From there it would take a very skilled golfer to get up and down. The play was very clearly another club or two to the vast green behind but we didn’t know that at the time…

While the 15th is a wonderful hole, the other 2 par 3s are almost as compelling. Again, they are not long holes (which I like - there’s a reason there are very few long par 3s that people rave about) but the bunkering is phenomenal on them all. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a better set of par 3s.

The 15th at Kingston Heath, possibly the best par 3 anywhere

Like Royal Melbourne, this is an accessible course and was probably a little more playable from different angles. My game clicked quite well and I played close to handicap, putting me into the lead with only 4 rounds to go.

As you can tell I adored Kingston Heath. I thought it was one of the very best golf courses I had ever seen and we all agreed it thoroughly deserved a ‘19’ in my slightly esoteric scoring system. This puts it in a very elite group, up there with St Andrews, Cape Wickham, Muirfield, Shinnecock, Turnberry, Birkdale, Royal St George’s, Royal Dornoch and Friar’s Head. I had no doubt it thoroughly deserved its place there.

Back in Melbourne after the round we headed up to a great Thai restaurant, Chin Chin. The food was fantastic and it was a really fun atmosphere too. It also had the advantage of only being a 5 minute walk from the hotel. Glendo’s feet were not doing well after 8 rounds and we did some googling to work out whether he would be able to take a buggy for the 36 holes at St Andrew’s Beach and The National tomorrow. It was going to be an early start for our penultimate day Down Under.

Part 1 - From Edinburgh to King Island, and something very special
Part 2 - Barnbougle - 2 Modern Classics