The Nairn Golf Club

Sitting in the highlands, only down the road from Castle Stuart and an hour or so from Royal Dornoch is the less renowned but classic links of Nairn. A fine course in its own right with a traditional out and back layout, Nairn has played host to in recent years the Curtis Cup, Walker Cup with messers Casey, Donald and Kuchar and British Amateur.

The course is on relatively flat land for a links but it makes the most of its subtle undulations.

Above the clubhouse and 18th green on a classic Scottish morning.

The fist hole begins with in theory a gentle handshake. A 370 yard hole with replaced bunkers flanking the fairway at driving distance and a similarly guarded but large green with some soft internal contours.

The second is a much more stern test with a dry ditch limiting all but the most pure of ball strikers to a tee shot of around 230 yards before a lengthy approach to another large flat green.

The 2 left sided bunkers have 3 associates on the right of the fairway. the ridge ahead signifies the dry ditch that cuts across the second and 16th holes

The stretch from 3-5 is in my opinion that strongest run of holes on the course. The third is a par 4 again of only around 370 yards that sweeps gently to the left around a large left sided bunker and ends to a green partially hidden behind a mound to the right, receptive to the short approach that funnels a ball to the centre of the green.

The fourth is a classic short par 3. Only requiring a short iron unless played into a stiff breeze ( as is most often the way!) it plays back towards the sea to a long and narrow kidney shaped green protected by 3 bunkers short and a large grass bunker to the right. Anything long and left is in danger of hitting the beach that plays as a lateral water hazard.

The 5th is a world class mid length par 4 that asks you to flirt with the beach off the tee positioned directly behind the 4th green. There is one fairway bunker at around 225 yard and the approach is played to a green on a plateau with a false front and 2 deep bunkers to take anything missed right.

Its ok if you slice your tee shot on the 5th, the tide is out.
Below, the native heather that abounds round the 6th and 7th holes

The 6th is  a testing par 3 of around 165 yards played over around 150 yards of heather to an interesting 2 tiered green surrounded by bunkers, another strong golf hole. The view from behind the 6th green below.

The following stretch should offer a bit of respite after a few challenging holes. The 7th is a par 5 that sweeps along the coast and with a straight drive offers a birdie opportunity. The 8th and 9th are short but challenging par 4s where driver is very rarely the correct club from the tee. The 8th starts with a blind tee shot to an undulating fairway though the main challenge is getting the approach to stay on the donald ross style green with run offs on all sides.

The 9th stretches out to the furthest point on the course and demands a precise tee shot to avoid bunkers right and gorse left. Below the  7th green and 9th green ( with ice house)

The back 9 is seen as the tougher of the two, mainly due to its own amen corner of 12-14 that offer the most challenging stretch.

The 10th is a reachable par 5 that with gorse much of the way down the right and well placed pot bunkers to the left and 11th is another interesting par 3 to a slightly sunken green again surrounded at the front by bunkers.

12 is a longer par 4 that demands a true strike from the tee from the most intimidating tee shot on the course due to gorse that just seem to form a tunnel for the fairway that is actually more generous than first appears. the approach is to a large but raised green with run offs front and back. Once this is negotiated the next hole is rightly stroke index 1.  A controversial hole for some, its a long uphill par 4 that runs away from the sea and has a more parkland feel to it. More often than not, a long approach to the green sat a top a large hill is required. The green itself also has a shallow first tier that can hamper many an approach.

It does however take us to this fine view. 13th green to the left and 14th tee to the right.

The 14th many see as the signature hole is long but downhill par 3 played to the most severely undulating green on the course and another that polarises opinion. starting with a false front about 5-6 feet in height we then reach the plateau where only limited pin placements are possible. The back left half of the green resembling a half-pipe, collecting many balls and making for some interesting putting.

The 15th is welcome relief but is also a fine driveable par 4. Only 260 yards or so it has a greatly undulating fairway to a more subtle 2 level green that can certainly yield many a birdie or better.

looking to the 15th green and beyond to the 16th tee.

16th has no bunkers off the tee but the drive is semi blind from the hill that comes in from the right. the approach is over the dry ditch and 3 bunkers that are actually well short of the green. The next is a very nice manageable par 4 with the deepest bunkers on the course to the right ( though not often in play as a driver is rarely required). The fairway slopes down from right to left so a low shot to the right should carry nicely to a good spot. The approach is over a burn that is again well short of the green but does dissuade the big hitters from pounding a driver down, to a green where everything again slopes from right to left and its a fine site to see the ball traverse closer and closer to a left sided pin.

The course finishes with a straight away but well bunkered par 5 finishing right in front of the clubhouse and wind allowing is certainly another birdie opportunity.

Overall There are very few weak points here, and although the highlights may not be as impressive as Dornoch or Castle Stuart, it has a consistent run of strong links holes that make it a must see if you are in the highlands.

Royal Liverpool

With the upcoming Open championship I thought I would put up my experience of Royal Liverpool, which was a very unfortunate one, with an all day summer downpour being the weather de jour, hence abysmal conditions both for golf and photos.

None the less I headed out a couple of years ago with about about 2 other people over the whole day. My overriding impression was that they did a stellar job with a lot of flat land, but the course as a result of the topography didn't really have the wow factor of other open venues.

The putting green had stood up well for hours but had to give in at stage, 10 mins prior to my tee off. A hardy 2 souls taking a cautious approach on the great par 4 1st, up there with prestwick with its OB all the way around the right side of the hole that doglegs left to right.

For The Open this will be the third hole, lucky for the pros who get a bit of a loosen up before stepping up to this tee. Ultimately it leaves a great risk, reward par 5 to finish but I was a little disappointed that this would not be the opening hole.

A glorious day in mid summer indeed, This picture from the first tee doesn't really give the claustrophobic feel that you get with club in hand.

The second on the course is classic Open golf. Not a particularly long hole at 370 yards but with well placed bunkers at driving length and an interestingly contoured green. None the less I feel this will be a strong birdie chance. The approach to the second green below.

The 3rd is a very nice par 5 angling to the left gently with 3 right sided bunkers and followed by the strong 200 yard par 3 4th.

One hole I remember very well from the last time the open was here is the par 4 6th ( 8th in the open)
lined up against some houses with a blind tee shot over the gorse, it is certainly one of the most intimidating tee shots there in my book, though there is only one fairway bunker on the right to be avoided.

The front 9 then finishes with a very strong par 5th 8th where you miss the green left at your peril and possibly my favourite hole the 9th 'punchbowl'. only 390 from the tips but a very undulating fairway leads to a sunken green shrouded in mounds of thick rough.. Not the most generous punchbowl green I have ever seen but a lovely golf hole.

The back 9 starts with a sweeping par 4 that again has well positioned bunkers to the right for any overly conservative drives before reaching what is possibly the signature hole. The Par 3 'alps' plays 190 yards to an angled green with normally great views of the Dee estuary to the left hand side.

Highlights later in the round would certainly be the par 5s. The 14th is a sort of double dog leg with bunkers in play to the left off the tee and horrendous rough to the right, The fairway tapers later on to a really tight landing zone if you want to hit the green in two.

Below the bunkers at driving length with clubhouse in the distance.. Weather still miserable.

The 16th hole and the 18th for the open is another great par 5 which will undoubtedly offer high drama over the weekend. 560 yards from the back, like much of the course it is all flat but bounded almost entirely down the right with internal OB that simply has to be negotiated if going for the green.

Almost in the league of St Georges "Suez Canal'' though not quite as great in my book. The right hand greenside bunkers are shown below.

The next two will be encountered first by the Pros and are strong par 4s with highly penal rough when I played. I'm note sure how it will be looking in a few weeks but it should provide a stern test for the worlds best.

Of the open courses I have played, I would place Royal liverpool on the lower rankings. Close run with Troon I would say. They have not been blessed with amazing land but have made a very strong course full of memorable holes. and the drainage on that day was amazing!  I will need to return one day when the weather is a tad more forgiving!

Jacks Point

Since first seeing the pictures of this course a few years ago, I was sure it would have to get played if the opportunity arose, and thankfully it did. This is one of the most spectacular settings for a course you will ever see and the scenery is definitely on a par with the likes of Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers, albeit more of an alpine experience. My tee time was around 8.30 but as is usual with the excitement that accompanies such trips I was there at 0730, half an hour before anyone working there bar the greenkeepers arrived. It was a crisp start to the day with very low lying cloud initially surrounding the 18th green and making it even more atmospheric than normal. The mountain range of the Remarkables the fascinating backdrop on one side of the course with lake Wakatipu on the other.

The half hour prior to starting at least allowed the camera to get a work out.. It would be busy for the next 4 hours. ( 18th green)

The opening hole is a gentle but interesting introduction of what is to come, a gently turning par 4 with a generous fairway the rewards a draw. The second ( below) begins a stretch of 3 holes that all travel significantly up hill to the plateaux. The second is a strong mid length par 4 with accuracy the key from the tee to an uphill approach and a green guarded at the front. 

The 3rd is the first of a strong collection of par 3s, This time uphill and about 180 yards off the back to a greatly undulating, split level green. The ragged bunkering a strong feature of the course.

 The 4th if as another short/mid range par 4 up hill but aesthetically different from the second and is a strong hole, though the approach does bear resemblance to the second. None the less a good hole and offering many a photo opportunity. The greens on this day I have to say were very slick and I was impressed with the subtle contouring.

Below the par 4 4th before we reach the top of the hill.

The 5^th is a lovely dogleg par 5 that exposes the fantastic views but also offers a good, risk reward opportunity for being more aggressive off the tee. The fairways are fairly generous but stray off them and you will be punished by very long grass. It's a short hole but the direct route to the green is uphill and semi blind over a very large waste bunker.. The large rock in the fairway is a marker from the tee that you don;t want to fall too far right of.

 6 in my view is the first world class hole, a short par 4 maybe 340 off the back. It again asks the question of how aggressive you want to be off the tee, with the fairway narrowing considerably by a bunker that comes in from the right side. Not the hole to hook on either.

The par 3 seventh is visually stunning with its infinity green perched high above the lake, though perhaps seeing and hearing about this hole prior to playing it removed some of the wow factor that I was expecting. The nature of the hole, 140-150 yards but playing only really pitching wedge distance due to the height is fun although tried and tested. I understand you probably cant ignore the possibility of making this hole when the scenery around you is just begging for it! It actually falls to a flat looking green that turns out to be pretty nasty if you fall on the wrong side of the hole.

below, the signature 7th.

The 8^th is strong par 5 with a tough second to an elevated and blind green past some well positioned bunkers. The view below is looking back down the fairway about 100 yards short of a fine and undulating green.

 and the 9^th is just a good, long and tough golf hole with bushes lining a fairly generous but not huge fairway. Even with a strong drive you are left with a long approach to an elevated and well protected green below.

The back 9 offers more in terms of strategic golf with positioning being key off the tee on 10 and 12. The impressive par 3 11^th sandwiched between them. A very large but undulating green again protected on the short side by large bunkers and a tricky uphill pitch if you fall between them.

The impressive 11th above.

 Looking back on the par 3s,  I felt there was  a good variety and actually preferred the 3rd, 11th and 13th as oppose to the more glamorous 7th.

The 14th is a heavily bunkered par 5 reminiscent of those at Kinloch on the North Island ( never a bad thing) though my favourite  hole would certainly be the 15^th with the wall along the left acting as a fascinating hazard to avoid and again influences your tee shot with bunkers right taking the overly cautious bail out. A lovely interpretation of the cape style hole on this par 4 and one of my favourite par 4s, pictured below, it doesn't get much better if you can pull of a nice draw from the tee here.

 The 16th is  a ' long' par 4 that plays hugely downhill, with the ball seemingly staying in the air forever against the backdrop of the remarkables. It has a double fairway but maybe not the most strategic of holes due to the huge distance that is possible off the tee..

below, the 16th green from close to the 3rd tee.

The 17th is another downhill hole with bilateral bunkering at driving distance but a second shot that lacks maybe a bunker of two to deal with prior to getting to the green..

The 18^th, a little reminiscent of Kinloch with its lake down the left side is an incredibly tough par 4 off the backs and deserving of its number 1 rating. I enjoyed it although it maybe isn’t too in keeping with the rest of the course. It’s the sort of heroic finishing hole that more modern ‘championship’ venues seem to favour these days. Here is the green and its misty surrounds from the morning..

So overall the course is very strong and I’m sure it’s a must play if you are anywhere near Queenstown, probably the south island for that matter.. It reminded me a lot of Jack Nicklaus’s Kinloch on the North Island with its rugged bunkering and the style of some of the holes. Overall it certainly is a world class course a deserves to finds its place in the top 100. 

I find there isn't much between the top NZ courses I have played thus far, they are all great. I reckon in terms of the course and forgetting all else then Kinloch shades it for me with Kauri cliffs, Cape kidnappers and Jacks point in that order. though I'll probably change my mind tomorrow.

Lake Karrinyup Country Club

Lake Karrinyup, currently home of the Perth International Championship and designed by Mackenzie's companion Alex Russell is a fine course on the outskirts of the city. My overall impression was almost of a "Sunningdale of Australia". Not quite in the same league as Harry Colt's gems but not too far off.

The first is a fantastic opener, in theory a very straight forward short downhill par four but with an angled green that narrows the further back the you go and can lead to very tricky approaches. The second is probably even better, requiring a long drive to get over the crest of a hill ( a common theme here) where you then look down to a very well protected green that's hard to get on with the long iron you will be hitting in.

The quality approach to the second, above.

The Strong start continues with the par 5 third, a great risk reward tee shot with a watery grave all the way along the left and a well positioned bunker for those bailing out to the right.

The 4th is an uphill par four that bends to the left with a well protected green. I fine hole but a style that is possibly repeated too often throughout the round and what I though was one of the small weaknesses of the course.  

The 6th below is another example of the fine bunkering but was one of those uphill, bend to the left par 4s. Still very attractive though..

After the mammoth par 5 7th we get to the signature 8th, all carry par 3 over the lake and a real challenge before the front 9 finished with the uphill 9th ending at the clubhouse.

The 8th hole below.

The back 9 starts in a similar fashion to the front with a straight away par 4 down the hill before a relatively short but uphill par 5 with a central fairway bunker to be avoided.

The 11th is a lovely short par 3 with a postage stamp green that if missed provides a tricky approach over some well contoured slopes and a bunker on the front left.

The 13th is a lovely dogleg short par 4 and the 15th is equally strong, only 300 meters but with great cross bunkering requiring a bit of thought from the tee.

The last 3 holes offer a very stern test when coming home. The 450 yard 16th is followed by the tough but beautiful 220 yard par 3 17th with the well protected green below.

The 18th almost as expected, finishes with a decent uphill par 4 that again tends to the left and finished below the impressive clubhouse. 

Overall it really is a fine course, only let down slightly by some repetition on the par 4s. A strong track..