The Open - Royal Troon Championship HD - Links 2003

The Open
Links 2003 Royal Troon Championship HD
by Stewart Parker
COURSE NOTES
Royal Troon Golf Club is on Scotland's Ayrshire Coast in the Town of Troon. It is on the rotation for The Open Championship and has held the Championship on several occasions.
Further details of the course and it history can be found on the Royal Troon Web site or The Open Championship Web Site.
The course is an out and back Links with a meander amongst the gorse covered dunes at the far end of the course. The prevailing wind is behind on the outward nine so the inward nine is long, narrow and into the prevailing wind.
CLIPNOTES
Description
Real, links course
Location
Ayrshire, Scotland
Conditions
Some poor pin positions means that M*/S* is as fast as I'd want to go. But turn the wind right up!
Concept 10/10
One of the wildest and purest of links courses, this classic Open venue is the latest in Stewart's prodigious output. Very much a course of two halves - the first relying on pot-bunker-oriented precision, and the second providing a risk-reward test way ahead of its time - it's one of the few courses which absolutely must be played under difficult wind conditions to appreciate its sheer genius. Stewart has let the natural wilderness and strategy do all the talking, but his excellent accompanying documentation is fitting icing on the cake.
Appearance 9/10
Long experienced in planting of the Scottish gorse and heather, the designer hasn't let us down here, and the construction of the cavernous and scary bunkers is spot on too - even from the inconvenient middle distances it's impossible to spot where they've been dropped into the landscape. The whole thing is seamlessly integrated with the panorama, which really adds to the environment. I'm still a little disappointed with the low-res 2D clubhouse, though.
Playability 10/10
Playing on Classic Open venues carries its own prestige, but there's much more to Troon than just the name. Blind tee shots are often a hindrance, but here they are a genuine and valid part of the strategy on a set of holes which reward course knowledge and prudence. The hole previews are perfectly informative without being overbearing and there's good ambient sound with the rush of the ocean in your ears. Even when buried in the bunkers, there's plenty of incentive to press on here and achieve good scores. Many of the pros failed to enjoy Royal Troon - I don't see how the Links golfer could possibly be of the same mind.
Challenge 7/10
Play with the recommended conditions and you'll be sorry! Troon has clocked up some pretty huge Open scores in the past; the tight fairways and demanding pot bunkers invariably take a heavy toll. But, with a bit of respect, the course yields birdies - at least a couple of the shorter Par 5s do. You can't go charging into the course, but play it like the Open winners and a score close to Par might well result.
Technical 8/10
Masterful work on much of the course, and a surer hand with water features than we have seen in the past (compare the sea to Scotland's Finest if you don't believe me). The clubhouse complex is disappointing when it should be a great climax to the round, though, and some pins are located in places no greenkeeper would conceive of.
Overall
Pure links magic from the hands of the best designer of Scottish courses. Tough stuff, but a fitting tribute to a very clever course.
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson