XIX: Carnoustie
There are few layouts on the planet which send a shiver up the spine of travelling golfers quite like Carnoustie. A mythical reputation as one of the most brutal tests of golf was built upon a handful of Open Championships in trying conditions, the infamous brain explosion of Jean van de Velde up the 18th hole and cheesy monickers like ‘Carnasty’ have isolated Carnoustie as something of an enigma on the links golf continuum.
Sitting in the bar after my second lap of its sandy soil, meandering burns and treacherous traps, I found myself pondering whether Carnoustie may well be one of the more misunderstood courses of its stature – respected more for its stout test of golf rather than admired for its strategic qualities.
The gentle terrain and not so gentle bunkering of the 1st
From the first tee, there’s no doubt in my mind that the uneducated golfer likely feels a tinge of disappointment – on a typically grey Scottish day Carnoustie brings little to the table with regard to eye candy. Lacking in hulking dunes, dynamic changes in elevation and expansive sea views, Carnoustie’s beauty requires a slightly longer look, a little patience and at least a small amount of thought.
Funnily enough, the often-overlooked opener is perhaps my favourite on the course, with a tee shot splitting white stakes left and a death trap right atop a crest it gives way to a brilliant semi-blind approach into a sunken bowl greensite – it’s 10 foot tall flagstick one of the handful of Carnoustie’s forgotten quirks
The brilliant short third
The opener’s dash of quirk isn’t a mere flash in the pan, with the third bringing a fiddly short par four to the table. Dog-legging right, a burn cuts across the front of the green at around 250 yards and a trio of bunkers litter the fairway making the the lay-up no gimmie. In reality, it’s the downwind approach to the perched green which will cause the most issues with the burn short and death long – both gettable by all yet punishing many, the third delivers exactly what a short par four should; hope, ecstasy and despair.
Greenside surrounds combine with bunkering to make approaches and chipping a tough test
Carnoustie’s land is too often described as dead flat, in reality it features a beautifully random assortment of the subtle bumps, hollows and ridges which we love in links golf – a feature which often gets lost in translation due to their smaller scale and lesser frequency compared to many of the iconic links. Carnoustie’s routing utilises the majority of the lumpy terrain to frame up greensites and command exacting approaches into greens and making for some touchy chips and pitches– one of many characteristics which brought to mind the similarities to Portmarnock’s test of golf.
The narrow chute up the sixth 'Hogan's Alley'
At Carnoustie, courage and stupidity can look awfully similar- the bold golfer’s round can be derailed by a slightly miscued driver or made by a towering three wood which inches over the burn, it’s hero to zero nature and wide range of possible outcomes is what makes it such a thrill to play, and the heartbeat for its championship reputation.
Hogan’s Alley, Carnoustie’s most famous hole and one of golf’s great par fives, perfectly encapsulates the courage/stupidity tightrope off the tee with the opportunity to thread the out of bounds and cluster of bunkers (a feat which Hogan achieved in all four rounds of his sole Open Championship) or lay up short and sacrifice the potential for a moment of glory – this dance with strategy, options, risk and reward personifies Carnoustie’s layers of excellence.
The winding Jockie's and Barry Burns are never far away!
Whilst certainly falling to the execution end of the links golf continuum, Carnoustie poses unique questions with a firm hand, its answers may be stricter than some, however they are by no means spelled out from the tee box – success commands proper thought, planning and plotting your way around sophisticated bunkering and meandering burns. When proper thought meets proper execution Carnoustie can be tamed, but make no mistake – there’s absolutely nowhere to hide.
Carnoustie's bunkers rise from the ground - the 14th 'Spectacles' loom
Moving deeper into the round, Carnoustie continues to squeeze every drop of quality out of a property squeezed on all sides, its out and back routing chopping and changing directions with no two holes alike. Two iconic burns – Jockie’s and Barry are seemingly never far, flirting with seven holes and asking particularly difficult questions on the flatter portions of the property, an extremely clever design feature which brings to life holes which may have failed to capture interest in its absence.
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Carnoustie may be the best and most intimidatingly bunkered course I have seen; its deep pits seem to sit different to any others, their lips rising from the ground an automatic penalty and seemingly rearing their head in every landing spot off the tee. No bunkers rise higher than the iconic pair of ‘spectacles’ guarding the 14th leaving nothing but uncertainty in the golfer’s mind about having a crack in two!
The brilliant 17th beyond the island fairway
The masochist of many promising rounds, for challenge, strategy and outright excellence Carnoustie’s run home from the 14th tee leaves very little to be desired. The spectacle bunkers at 14, the 240 yard one-shotter at 16, the 17th’s island fairway carved out of the winding burn, and the iconic 18th who’s green is smothered by out of bounds and a watery grave merely yards short of the looming hotel.
There’s no faking this run of holes, exacting and downright scary, this hour and change is where the drama happens, where heroes and zeros are defined, and what every golfer no matter their acumen remembers Carnoustie for. Carnoustie is one of the rare courses which ticks every box of satisfaction and whereby any semblance of a score has been earned in every regard.​
There's nowhere to hide approaching the 18th!
As time continues to pass and Carnoustie creates some much-needed distance from the brutal Open Championships gone by, one can only hope that its reputation continues to further transcend its fierce reputation and a newfound admiration as one of the more strategic and complete links on the planet is spawned. Carnoustie is a moral beast, both fair and just, one which responds to proactive intelligence and craft rather than reactive brawn. An opportunity to peel back its layers reveals optionality, crafty green complexes and just the right amount of quirk whilst retaining its stature as a stern test of golf. Those fortunate to experience a 36-hole weekend across Carnoustie and The Old Course at St Andrews could not ask for a finer nor more complete crash course on links golf.