Golf Asia – July 2019

1

An intimidating tee shot, with

out of bounds left and right.

The typical play is to lay-up short of

the bunker on the left-hand side.

That will leave a medium-to-long

approach shot uphill to a two-tier

green, guarded by some very deep

bunkers. The miss is to the right,

but anything short could catch the

false front.

2

A definite birdie opportunity.

Off the tee, you’ve got to

negotiate four bunkers with out of

bounds right and thick rough on

the left. When going for it in two, the

line is straight over the cross

bunkers 60 yards short of the

green. If you want to lay-up, the play

is just short of the bunkers, and into

a little bowl.

3

An aesthetically beautiful hole,

with the green perched in a

little bowl. Depending on wind, it’s

a potential birdie opportunity. There

is a small dune front-left and front-

right, where they like to tuck the

pins behind. Anything long will

catch a severe drop off at the back.

4

Stroke index one on the

scorecard, and the first real

look at Portrush’s teeth. There’s a

bunker left off the tee, which is

about 300 yards to fly. If you don’t

take it on, the landing area

squeezes you down the right half

and up against the out of bounds,

leaving a long iron in. The green is

well-protected, and sits below some

high dunes which is a characteristic

of Portrush.

2

4

1

3

PAR 5

YDS 574

PAR 4

YDS 482

PAR 4
YDS 421

PAR 3

YDS 177

Catching the

slope after

the first set of

bunkers can

shorten the

hole by 30

yards.

Named after

Fred Daly,

who won

The Open in

19 47.

The fairway

is framed by

thick rough

and out of

bounds

down both

sides.

The tee box

is one of

the highest

points on the

course.

The green

has been

pushed

back by 50

yards from

where it was

previously.

Out of

bounds runs

down the

entire

right side.

The green

gathers from

the right and

sits above a

deep bunker

on the left.

Every putt

tends to

break from

the right.

Balls

pitching

before the

green can

kick towards

the bunkers

on the right.

A back-left

pin

position can

be partially

hidden by

the mounds.

The false

front means

it’s easy to

putt off the

green from

the top tier.

The sensible

play is to aim

for the centre

of the green

all week.

GIANT’S GRAVE

FRED DALY’S

HUGHIE’S

ISLAY

GMAC’S PLAYING NOTES

‘IT HAS THE

AESTHETICS OF

BIRKDALE, BUT IT

REMINDS ME OF

CARNOUSTIE WITH

THE WAY IT’S

BUNKERED AND

HOW ELUSIVE THE

FA I RWAYS A R E ’

COURSE GUIDE