Golf Scrapbook Blog (The Top Ones)

Carnoustie

The first (foreground) and 18th from the clubhouse grill.

May 2022 – Before heading to Scotland I prepped by reading reviews and whatnot online for all of the courses we were planning to play (Castle course, Old Course, Royal Troon, Kingsbarns, Prestwick, and Carnoustie). There were mixed reviews on Carnoustie but almost all said there aren’t spectacular views (and in fact there really weren’t). This is usually a huge negative for me as I’m not a golf architectural expert and I rank courses more by experience and “wow” factor versus golf architecture nuances. Plus I read how it was like 18 kicks to the groin. So I wasn’t sure I was going to like Carnoustie for how highly it is ranked by the golf mags. Well…

Carnoustie was a great golf experience and certainly more based on the course than the “other” factors. The clubhouse was ok. I couldn’t get drinks as it was too early (so had to sneak in some Jameson’s for a walking Irish Coffee). The views as mentioned above were okay but not of the “wow” seaside variety. Actually, the Castle course offered the greatest views on our trip. And it was tough – not to mention we played it in 25-30 mph sustained winds. However, the Opens, the variety of golf holes, the meandering Barry burn, and just the “vibe” pushed Carnoustie up into the highest strata of my personal rankings.

I felt like I played well here but my score reflected otherwise. The front was almost entirely into the wind coming off the North Sea and I had a score that popped over the bogey golfer-equivalent of the Mendoza line (50). I shot a smooth 51. As with Scottish out and back layouts, the back was almost entirely “with” the wind so I salvaged some humility and shot a 44 on the back. This was a pretty honest 44 too as my buddy Mike commented on eight that if I am giving myself gimmes, I shouldn’t backhand the gimme (or count the shot if I did miss it). So I stopped that and asked him for the gimme approval moving forward and then didn’t backhand, one leg or “casual cocktailer” any putts. By the way, the “casual cocktailer” is a Johnny Cocktails term for the below putting style (replace cane with putter)…

Borrowed without permission so if it is yours, I will take it down.

Of course, Carnoustie’s most famous (infamous?) memory is the 1999 Jean Van de Velde meltdown where he blew the Open on the 18th hole and famously went into the Barry burn to consider trying to hit his ball from out of there. I talk about this and other famous meltdowns in my Winged Foot review. We do love us watching some train wreck unfold, don’t we? As promised there I did indeed try to recreate the memory on my 18th visit. I didn’t go into the burn – either with my shot or to recreate the scene.

BTW, the famous background building is the Carnoustie hotel and not the clubhouse. The clubhouse is off to the right of this photo and a pretty modern affair.

I’ll leave it to you if you want to search for the original and spot the differences but at least this cracked me up some. You can read about it and watch it unfold here.

Carnoustie is about a 45-minute ride north of St. Andrews, up and around the River Tay. You should definitely include it in your Scottish rota if you’re traveling to the St. Andrews area. If you play early, like we did, they are pretty strict with the no booze until 11 o’clock so BYOB. We played with a nice couple from Dubai – she was just starting out. What a sadist her husband was, taking her to one of the world’s hardest courses to “learn” the game. Well, they made great company and she played quickly and picked up when she was struggling.

I’ll leave the hole-by-hole descriptions to the captions below. We played the green tees here which still measure nearly 6,200 yards and slope to a 130. Don’t be tee-shamed into playing the Yellows if you’re a bogey golfer – this is tough enough as is. I talk about the St. Andrews area on my Old Course page. I don’t know much about the town here or even Dundee (nearby) as we just vanned it in and out for the round and got our asses back to St. Andrews.

Overall review? Carnoustie has such a great variety of holes and the Open Championship history push this into a course you really should play if you are here. The immediate rough was wispy enough to get out of and decent course management will help you avoid the bunkers. I’ve read how design snobs say the middle six holes are “meh.” I think “they” are knocking at least 8 through 12 for having a different personality than the rest of the traditional linksy holes. These holes are on a different portion of the property and some are tree lined. I like these as it gives the overall course more variety. Ten actually is one of my favorite holes on the course (and not just because I parred it). It really is the first time you encounter the Barry burn and that makes your short approach shot of the knee-knocker variety.

Opening hole, 364 from the greens and the prevailing wind will be blowing into you and to the right, which turns any fade into a slice. Got off the tee ok here but I couldn’t get on in regulation with the wind and three putt for double. Maybe you can see the aiming marker in the distance as the green is hidden in a little hollow.
The approach on the 382-yard second. Now you will be dead into the prevailing wind. The green is a long and narrow. Again, couldn’t get on in regulation but chipped close and bogeyed.
Three gives you a break. Wind’s at your back. Short. Let ‘er rip. Par or birdie time! Alas not for me, not sure what happened but took a seven on the number 14 handicap hole. Grrr.
From the third green.
Four sends you back out and into the rightish headwind. Features the only double green on the course. Be careful, we didn’t have caddies and almost teed off on 15 after finishing the hole. I bogeyed here.
Five takes you back with the wind. Just 350 yards. Every time on the front when I had the wind as my friend, I screwed up. Pushed my drive way right. Found it (in fact didn’t lose a ball here for the second round in a row) but was in high grass so had to wedge it out to here and missed the green on the approach for another double.
Six is a par five into the wind with OB all along the left. Goes into the rightish headwind again. A bogey.
Seventh tee. Note the lurking OB left. Way right again (as you’ll see below) and another bogey.
My second shot. Was able to get a hybrid on it and damn near yanked it OB.
Par three 8th just 133 yards and wind at your back. Workers in the right front trap and as I was fading everything I aimed for the left of the green and lo and behold hit it dead straight. The trap saved me from going OB but I couldn’t get out in one and took another double.
Nine and capping off a poopy front nine, I pushed it right into a dry burn. Drop two. Short of green in three. And three more to get in.
Ten from the tee. Wind kind of behind us now but blowing a bit left which kept my fade in the fairway. Not long but you’ll see below why this is the #3 handicap.
The green (and the 11th tee to the right) are on a little island surrounded by the Barry burn. Put a wedge on the green and finally a par.
Eleven sent you back into the wind and despite my disappointment on not being able to get a cocktail at the halfway house, hit a nice drive and approach and got my second par in a row.
Twelve takes you back into the prevailing wind and played 400 yards. I hit it well enough just not low enough and couldn’t get on in regulation. Bogey.
Thirteen is a great little par three. Wind behind. Took a little off my wedge and nailed it into the face of the bunker to the left. Impossible shot that I left in the bunker, and again and skulled it across the green and three but for a triple.
After the humiliation on 13, I recovered on 14 for a bogey. In the distance you can see the spectacle bunkers.
Here they are closer up from my approach. Funny, I had tunes going and Jethro Tull Passion Play was playing and coming up 14 “The Hare Who Lost his Spectacles” was on. Funny.
The other side of the spectacles. My hybrid got me onto the green but would three putt for a bogey. That’s my buddy’s approach shot in the foreground.
Fifteen is a 400+ yard par four but with the wind. You see the Carnoustie tree in the distance (missing the three crows). Bogeyed here after the best drive I had all day.
Sixteen is a long par three (220 yards from the greens). Duffed my tee shot but got my second on and two putt bogey.
My buddy Mike is in the front bunker. By this point in our trip we were starting to figure out the pot bunkers and he got out and just missed a par putt.
Seventeen is back into the wind and from the tee you have no idea where to hit it. I pushed it right (again) and hit my second shot so poorly it stayed short of the burn for my third which I drilled and took a very satisfying bogey.
I was so busy calculating my JVDV photo that I didn’t take a good one of 18. I think my buddy did and once he shares them I will update. I pushed my drive right into the bunker. skulled it but got it out into the left rough. Put my third into the greenside bunker, got out and a two-putt 6. Sucky? Yes, but I still would’ve beaten JVDV.
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