Portstewart - Second hole

[Kilted Arab]

This is a beautiful hole - stunning. Trouble up the left with the steep dunes, main landing area on the right...but if you overshoot there, trouble again.

I think this was possibly my favourite hole on the course, possibly due to it being one of the few I played well. Or, to be more accurate, I got away with it...

I sent my drive up the left, expecting my usual slice - it never came and I lost sight of the ball. Having lost one on the 1st, I wasn't in the best of moods!

Still, the ball somehow ended up on the narrow strip just before the hole...it either came in a little or took a lucky bounce off the dunes. Pitch up, 2 putts, par. Big sigh of relief. I think IG parred as well, but then again he parred most of them. The luck was with me on this one as I think DI ended up somewhere nasty on the right.

 

[Bravo]

These are such great pictures...I could see myself having quite a few good holes on this course and then having 3-5 double, triple or quads as my balls would find the rough stuff...

IG - as you see a tee shot fly into the dunes - does your group automatically tee a provisional? (Would seem that there would be many provisionals hit during the course of a round.)

 

[IrishGolfer]

These are such great pictures...I could see myself having quite a few good holes on this course and then having 3-5 double, triple or quads as my balls would find the rough stuff...

IG - as you see a tee shot fly into the dunes - does your group automatically tee a provisional? (Would seem that there would be many provisionals hit during the course of a round.)

The second has trouble all the way up the left. Anything left here and it is reload. Sometimes you get a break and find it, but then again, sometimes you are better off not finding it as the lie and stance can be fairly interesting.

This is a 3 wood / 2 iron off the tee with a lot of room on the right. To lose a ball left here is a big mistake, perhaps a visitor or for a member who has just hit a terrible tee-shot.

There has been an incredibale amount of rain here over the last 3 weeks. Coupled with the increase in temperature, the growth has been phenominal. I played on Sunday night and couldn't belive how much the rough had grown.

Links golf is often at the mercy of the weather. They only cut the fairways and greens, occasionally the semi rough. The rest is left to nature. get a dry spring and the rough can be reasonable. Get a wet / humid spring and summer and the rough can become a beast. Remember Carnoustie (when Paul lawrie won?), the rough was horrendous then. The players compalined that the Greens staff had put fertilizer on the rough to "trick it up". I was living in Scotland then and I can tell you all the courses round that area were the same. It was the result of a wet / wamr spring.

The result is lots of lost balls, long rounds of golf, high scores etc. Our American visitors and Competitions on Saturdays have been known to take 5 hours + per round. To me that is not enjoyable.

 

[Kilted Arab]

Remember Carnoustie (when Paul lawrie won?), the rough was horrendous then. The players compalined that the Greens staff had put fertilizer on the rough to "trick it up". I was living in Scotland then and I can tell you all the courses round that area were the same. It was the result of a wet / wamr spring.

This is a real personal gripe of mine. The course was the same for all players - that tournament was about course management, thinking about your shots - not gripping and ripping. Van Der Velde did so well, until the end, because he played to that - he got into trouble, didn't try to be a hero - took his medicine and got the ball back into play. Just went crazy on the 18th.

I don't think it was a coincidence that the tournament that year was won by Lawrie, basically a local lad.

 

[IrishGolfer]

This is a real personal gripe of mine. The course was the same for all players - that tournament was about course management, thinking about your shots - not gripping and ripping. Van Der Velde did so well, until the end, because he played to that - he got into trouble, didn't try to be a hero - took his medicine and got the ball back into play. Just went crazy on the 18th.

I don't think it was a coincidence that the tournament that year was won by Lawrie, basically a local lad.

I watched the final day unfold in the comfort of The Polwarth Tavern. Best golf on TV I have ever seen. I couldn't believe how it unfolded right in front of the world. Crazy frog, non?

Beer was quite good as well from what I can remember.

 

[Dave Ireland]

This is a beautiful hole - stunning. Trouble up the left with the steep dunes, main landing area on the right...but if you overshoot there, trouble again....... The luck was with me on this one as I think DI ended up somewhere nasty on the right.

Quite right tartaned one ... I played the hybrid off the tee and barely missed the sand dune bottom right of pic. I ended up about 10 yards further right of the guy in the pic - decent enought lie, trouble started when I chunked a PW into the dune ahead. IG who at this stage of the round was still more than helpful, found the ball for me .... memory serves me I didn't even get a putt on this green .... but I didn't cry

 

[Loop]

I watched the final day unfold in the comfort of The Polwarth Tavern. Best golf on TV I have ever seen. I couldn't believe how it unfolded right in front of the world. Crazy frog, non?

Beer was quite good as well from what I can remember.

Also saw it live. Really unbelievable, as I was cheering for the dude.
And you guys all know that a bad shot can lead still to another bad shot.
Oh, I didn't knew the Open that year was played in PortStewart. Really makes we want to go to Ireland next time I go to Europe.
If I do, I'll be sure to hook up with you guys