Golf Towns - Carnoustie
BY ED HODGE
6 MINS READ
Carnoustie, both as a town and a golfing venue, simply grows on you. After one visit, you are regularly left wanting more. The town has a warmth at its heart – and a dedication to golf. The sight of many a caddy wandering the roads, a golf-themed street sign or a local members’ clubhouse highlight the town’s golf bond… and you are often left wanting to explore the streets further.
The same is undeniably true of the championship links that dominate Carnoustie. Arriving by rail into the seaside Angus town, with the train passing alongside the famed turf and the Carnoustie Golf Hotel & Spa proudly coming into view situated behind the 18th, you are desperate to take on the challenge you have read and heard so much about.
Hogan’s Alley, the famous par-5 6th hole which sparks excitement and fear in equal measure, and the demanding four-hole closing stretch with the Barry Burn snaking its way across the links are at the forefront of any golf aficionado’s mind when Carnoustie is mentioned.
Golf, after all, has been played at Carnoustie since the early 16th century, with the Championship course over time earning a well-deserved reputation as one of the great tests with its rough and devilish, well-positioned bunkers. When the wind blows, it only adds to the challenge. An eight-time host to The Open, most recently in 2018 when Italy’s Francesco Molinari triumphed, it’s a bucket-list venue.
And, just like the town itself, there is every likelihood you will want to return to sample it again.
Carnoustie Championship
“It's a really tough course,” admits Molinari of the par-72 test that stretches to almost 7,000 yards. “You can try and play smart golf, but some shots, you just have to hit it straight. There's no way around it. You can't really hide.”
Molinari, who went bogey-free over the weekend in 2018 to hold off the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods, certainly developed a passion for the place. Host venue for the AIG Women’s Open this year, with Anna Nordqvist claiming a third Major title, and used annually for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (including this week), it’s obvious to say Carnoustie has fine credentials.
Of course, it’s also loved by a Scotsman. Paul Lawrie came from 10 shots behind on the final day of The Open in 1999 to memorably overcome Frenchman Jean Van de Velde, after his troubles on the 72nd hole, and American Justin Leonard in a play-off.
“For me, it is one of the fairest championship courses – what you see is what you get,” adds Lawrie. “There is nothing hidden, you know exactly what is there. There are very few blind shots. The course just stands the test of the time. It’s just a brilliant layout, a great links course. If you get in the bunkers you’re not getting on the green. For me, that’s a sign of a proper links course.”
Many who walk the streets of Carnoustie have golfing tales to tell. Golf is simply never far from the conversation in a town that also boasts the Burnside and Buddon Courses, as well as the much-loved test of Panmure just down the road.
The Burnside simply oozes character and it was here in 1953 where the great Ben Hogan shot 70 in order to qualify for The Open, which he subsequently won. The Buddon only opened for play as an 18-holer in 1981 and is a fantastic challenge with great natural beauty. It starts and finishes as a links course, with several tree-lined holes in the middle of the round.
Panmure Photography - @palsonthelinks
Panmure, one of the oldest clubs in the world dating back to 1845, immediately catches the eye with its elegant clubhouse. The course itself does justice to the building. The famous Old Tom Morris and James Braid influenced venue requires both strategy and skill, with rolling links mixed with some beautiful trees. With a par of 70 at just over 6,300 yards, it’s a fun day out. Hogan famously practiced here ahead of that 1953 Open win, to continue the historical theme.
Carnoustie Golf Links, which boasts a newly-refurbished clubhouse with The Rookery restaurant, the renowned ‘Carnoustie Craws’ junior set-up and a thriving golf dementia group, is very much at the heart of the town. Yet don’t leave without exploring the shops and taking in the views with a stroll along the sandy beach. There is every likelihood you will be back.