It tells you something about the challenge of the Dunluce Links at Portrush that the four toughest holes all come on the back nine.
The signature hole is certainly the 16th, Calamity Corner, for its distance, appearance and that it comes so late in the round – and also for the fact that you will just have to deal with what’s just come before it.
But Portrush is certainly scoreable. There are just 62 bunkers, fewer than any Open test, and Shane Lowry managed to get round it, in some horrific conditions, in 15-under, helped by a 63 on the Saturday.
Here we take a look at the five hardest holes from the 2019 Open and how they might affect this year’s Championship.
11th hole – 475 yards – par 4
• Name: PG Stevenson’s
• Difficulty in 2019: 0.35
• Stroke Index: 8
• Green length: 33 yds
• Bunkers: 1
To stand on the tee here, you very quickly get an idea of why this hole played as the toughest six years ago. The Open tee is nearly 100 yards back from the medal one and it is something like 260 yards to cut the corner of this huge par 4 – it plays as a 5 for the members – but it can often play into the teeth of a southwesterly wind.
There is also a false front to consider and a solitary bunker that will catch any approach tugged left. A drive of around 280 yards will get you down a slope in the fairway from where you will have around 180 yards to the front of a smallish green. The good news is that you have a par 5 to follow.
14th hole – 466 yards – par 4
• Name: Causeway
• Difficulty in 2019: 0.35
• Stroke Index: 2
• Green length: 39 yards
• Bunkers: 4
Head pro Gary McNeill describes this as ‘one of the great holes here and probably one of the great second shots in golf’ and one where birdies are an absolute rarity.
Two fairway bunkers sit at the 300-320 yard mark, with the fairway cambering to the left, so they will be laying back of here. Then the fun really starts; the green looks straightforward on the planner but features a hog’s back where the ball will be repelled if struck left, short or long.
If ever the cliche of just finding the middle of the green works, then it’s here at the 14th.
16th hole – 236 yards – par 3
• Name: Calamity Corner
• Difficulty in 2019: 0.25
• Stroke Index: 6
• Green length: 39 yards
• Bunkers: 0
Here we go, the hole that everyone will be talking about at the start of the week and the one where we’ll see the most photos of – along with the beach/bench combo behind the 4th green.
For all the talk of par 3s having to be less than 160 yards to be great, this is just a brute of over 230 yards and it’s fantastic because of it.
Shane Lowry knows how to craft a long iron in and he somehow managed to play it in 11 shots over the four days. Rory McIlroy doubled it on Thursday and then made a two on the following day.
Supposedly, Bobby Locke played it short and left on all four days in 1951 and got up and down every time. The big, absolutely enormous, miss is down into a chasm to the right, so you then play left, which leaves you a stinky chip with knobs in the way and the vast abyss lurking behind.
18th hole – 474 yards – par 4
• Name: Babington’s
• Difficulty in 2019: 0.23
• Stroke Index: 10
• Green length: 42 yards
• Bunkers: 5
We’ve yet to enjoy the drama of a player needing a par to win The Open but we did get to witness one of the great celebratory walks from Lowry.
If anything, the Saturday was maybe even better. There are two adjacent bunkers down the right half, but, overcook it up the left, and there is the possibility of having to reload from the tee.
The sensible shot is to play short of those bunkers, knock a mid-iron onto the green and sign your card. There is a drop-off to the left of the green; remember McIlroy needing to chip in to make the weekend, but there are certainly tougher finishes on the Open rota.
4th hole – 502 yards – par 4
• Name: Fred Daly’s
• Difficulty in 2019: 0.20
• Stroke Index: 1
• Green length: 30 yards
• Bunkers: 4
This is a fantastic driving hole and the hardest hole on the course for the members. The longest of the par 4s, which has been extended considerably from 2019, is the trickiest hole on the front nine and a par here will see you head to the 5th tee in good spirits.
First up, though, there are a pair of bunkers to be skirted up the left side. Go right and there is a chance to hitting it off the property. Again, the heart of the green is the play.
A large sandhill will block your sight of a back-left pin so trust the ground and let the ground work for you. The hole is named after the 1947 Open champion, who comes from the town.
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Article Link: Hardest holes at Royal Portrush: 5 brutal tests at The Open