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Scotland on my Mind by Dan King
Saturday, July 20th
The St. Annes Old Links Golf Club |
This morning we are actually going to get out and play some golf. It seems like ages since I have, though it has only been three days. John set up a time at The St. Annes Old Links Golf Club, just about 10 blocks from Royal Lytham and St. Annes. We're going to play another Ryder Cup competition with Ed and I representing the U.S. of A. and John and Mark representing the U.K. After much discussion on handicaps and such, we decide to play it even.
It's another beautiful morning on the Fylde Coast. St. Annes is where golf was originally played in this area over 100 years ago. The St. Annes Golf Club played here until 1890 when they moved two miles south to the new course at Royal Lytham and St. Annes Championship course. After the club moved away, the land was leased by the town and 9 holes were laid out by the first professional, George Lowe. Shortly later, the course was expanded to 18 holes. St. Annes Old Links has been the qualifying site for the Open when it has been hosted at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. The Old Links has also hosted the Assistant Professional Championships and the Boys Amateur Championship.
The course is true links, with narrow fairways, natural grasses rough and sea sand bunkers. While not nearly as many bunkers as it's neighbor, Royal Lytham and St. Annes, there are plenty strategically placed sand bunkers here. The course borders the airfield of Blackpool airport and views of the Big Dipper and tower at Blackpool are visible from anywhere on the course. The most famous hole here is the par-3 ninth hole, Cannon, which Bobby Jones fell in love with when he played here for qualifying for the 1926 Open. After his round he returned to the hole and took detailed notes of the hole.
The momentum of our match between the U.K. and U.S. went back and forth. U.K. took the early lead, with a great birdie on the first by Mark and a good solid par on the 171 yard third by John. It could have been 3-up after three, but I managed a par on the 2nd, after a poor approach, but a chip that hit the pin. The US managed to make the big comeback, with a par on the par-5 Burma Road 5th and another victory on the par-5 6th, Carry. Victories on the 7th and 8th gave U.S. 4 straight holes, allowing us to go from 2-down to 2-up before the U.K. realized what hit them. A great shot by John to the par-3 9th, slowed the onslaught, but his missed birdie putt allowed Ed to halve the hole with a brilliant up and down.
The back-9 saw the U.K. claw back from their 2-down deficit, winning the par-4 10th hole with a par, and the long par-4 14th with another par to draw even. Things were looking bleak for the U.S., having not won a hole since the 8th. U.K. with honors on the 15th hit wonderful drives, down the middle. Ed topped a drive only going about 120 yards and I was lucky to hit the fairway with a poor drive. U.K. was feeling good about going up on us for the first time since the 5th when Ed came up with the shot of the competition. A beautiful 3-wood from 230 yard out, up-hill into the breeze knocked the wind out of the U.K. sails and led to wayward approaches by both. All that was left was a victory by yours truly with a good par on the par-5 17th, and victory was the U.S.'s 2 and 1. Fittingly enough, the hole U.S. won the victory on was the 17th named "Fair."
After the round, it was time for Ed and Mark to get back to work in the press tent at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, with my job to get back to my position on the coach in front of the telly. I did occasionally have to get up from my flat position and walk the 2 blocks to the Open and pick up another batch of score cards, to be scanned in on GolfWeb. Hard to believe I came all the way to the U.K. to play golf in the morning, and watch the tournament on the telly while napping on the couch. Not a big difference between the weekend here and back home in the states (except for the absence of commercials on the BBC).
I did wake up from my naps periodically to root Tom Lehman on to his wonderful 64. The problem for our pool at the GolfWeb house was for every stroke Lehman seemed to pick-up, Nicklaus was busy giving back. I need a good round from Roberts and Harrington in the final to have a chance against my housemates.
Some of my favorite holes at St. Annes Olds Links
Hole#2 Par-4 385 yard (Gilletts)
A fairly wide landing area, least by St. Annes Old Links standards,
the best drive is over the bunker on the right, where the fairway
opens up. There are two bunkers left that can catch the drive. The
approach appears closer than the actual yardage because the line of
three cross bunkers 50 yards short of the putting surface. The green
is long and narrow, with 3 more sand bunkers behind. A shot long will
fall down the slope, leaving a difficult up-and-down.
Hole#6 Par-5 512 yard (Carry)
A fairly straight par-5. The drive is over a small lake that should
not be a problem to carry unless the tee shot is topped. Four bunkers
sit out in the landing area, right of the fairway. Most drives are
then sent off to the left, where some dunes wait covered with tough
rough. There are numerous dunes and bunkers going the entire way up
to the green. The green is in an amphitheater, with mounds behind the
green to help contain wayward approaches.
Hole#9 Par-3 156 yard (Cannon)
The 2nd of St. Annes' 4 wonderful par-3s. The green sits in a hallow
between two large sand dunes, slightly below the level of the tee.
There are 8 sand bunkers surrounding this green, with the majority
of them front and left. The green in over 50 yards deep, but no more
than 15 yards wide. The tendency is to take a little extra club to
ensure you miss the sad bunkers. However, this can lead to a very
tricky lag putt and 2-putts from the back to the front is hardly
guaranteed.
Hole#11 Par-4 327 yard (Ruins)
On paper this appears to be one of the more simple holes on the
course. A decent drive with a long iron should leave no more than
a wedge into this green. There are only 3 bunkers on the hole that
should rarely come into play. So what is the magic of this hole?
The kidney shaped green is very quietly crowned. From the fairway,
hitting into the green, it is hardly noticeable. But as you arrive
at the green, you then realize why your approach failed to stay on
the green. A ridge runs down the middle of the green, and all balls
hit left, roll of to the left, and all hit right roll off to the
right.
Hole#13 Par-3 189 yard (Pendle)
The most difficult of St. Annes' wonderful par-3s. A long iron is
required, and there are 5 difficult bunkers to catch the wayward
shot. The green is surrounded by dunes giving it a claustrophobic
feeling. The green is 40 yards deep, but is divided down the middle
by a ridge. On the wrong tier and two putts is an accomplishment.
Hole#18 Par-5 488 yard (Valley)
A fine finishing hole. A reachable par-5. It followed a slightly
longer par-5, the 17th hole. The only problem off the tee is the
Out of bounds to the right with the rail line as well as 3 fairway
bunkers on the right. If playing from the correct tees for your
ability, these three bunkers should not prove to be a problem.
The approach to the green is completely blind, over a ridge, 100
yards short of the green, with three bunkers in the side of the
ridge. On the other side of the ridge, the landing areas are littered
with bunkers, and you don't know how successful you were until after
you climb the ridge. Will your ball be on the green or in one of the
sand bunkers?
Talk to you tomorrow.
Dan King
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