Carnoustie
The great venue of the Open Championship, oft called Carnasty. You must show up with game in hand or your package will be bloodied and back to you promptly in a bag. It is however one of the easiest great courses of the world to walk as it is basically flat and it is links. Links to those unaware are amazingly easy to walk and even though change in elevation often adds much to the interest and challenge of a course, the flattish links of Carnoustie are challenging, maddening and very hard, but never unfair.
You have the game or you don't. Carnoustie will let you know.
I grew up in Florida learning the game of golf where only Delaware comes close to being as flat and played much golf there before playing golf with elevation. florida also has the advantage of two other great challenges of Links golf: sand underfoot and WIND! Nae wind, nae gowf.
Carnoustie was the site of the only visit of the great Ben Hogan to the Open Championship. It was after his near-fatal accident by which standards it is unbelieveably admirable that he played the calibre of golf that he did, let alone walk or even survive the injuries that he had perhaps in spite of the relatively primative medical care available to him in that era. Just as the recovery shot is the greatest shot in golf, overcoming adversity, perhaps even achieving redemption were the great achievements of Mr. Hogan.
The lovely people of Carnoustie, a cozy little town that I have had the distinct pleasure of living in a house for a week of my life (Where I was also taught by Brucie the Seed Merchant of Carnoustie - how to drink whisky properly). came to know, love and utterly respect Mr. Hogan in 1953, arguably the greatest year of competitive golf that a professional has ever played. Labeled the Wee Ice Mon for his frigid calculating manner, the crowds reverently followed him as he won THE Open Championship to go along with the Masters and U.S. Open (At the monstrously R.T.J., Sr. renovated Oakland Hills South Course) Championships of that year. What a championship year, what a champion.
The Open Championship returned to Carnoustie Links in 1999 and Jean Van de Velde became the unluckiest golfer in history and took it with incredible grace. We all know the story, but I was right behind him as he teed off on the 72nd hole to be just plain unlucky. Certainly the drive was errant, but merely a block that reecived a good lie. The two iron was very well-struck and was very unlucky to hit such a small spot of the railing of the grandstands just so. A mere inch left, right, perhaps even longer or shorter and .........
C'est la vie - and that's just about how Van de Velde took it.
The Open Championship was again held in 2008 and my visit was in April before yielding the photos below, ergo the stands and ropes and cables, etc. Enjoy. A couple of holes were not included due to a serious outbreak of heavy rain which made the camera hide, but did not affect the score or enjoyment.
First Hole
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Second Hole
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Third hole
Fourth Hole
Fifth Hole
Sixth Hole
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