2009 The Open at Turnberry

Golf Course Architecture
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If you want a walk round Turnberry there is a nice free one on Virtual Caddy. You can sign up at:

http://www.virtualcaddy.com/index.cfm/login/signup

Turnberry is a lovely place to be and has some very nice holes but having played it personally I wouldn’t put it at the top of my list of Open courses. The stretch along the sea looks glorious but the golf holes themselves are not particularly stellar IMHO. There I said it :astonished: - a plague of locusts on my house for evermore :laughing: Interestingly it only came onto the rota in 1977 and was quite a controversial choice at that point in time. The impact of the 77 “Duel in the Sun” with Watson/Nicklaus was one of the most powerful course marketing boosts in history I believe. Not surprisingly this has been played up for all it is worth by the corporations who have owned it since then. A visit now with its £10 ball markers and ludicrous prices for a cup of “Turnberry” coffee leave me cold…

I’m sure it will be a great championship and its a course worthy enough to host it, no doubts…its just not my favourite!

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It’s fun to see that on the right golf course where experience and a bit of strategy here and there can put Tom Watson
on top the board deep into the back nine on Sat as I type this. Very important to put the ball in play off the tee, and
the approach shots are often more fed than they are darted. A much more interesting game to play and to watch.

It’s a real reminder that golf is an outdoor game.