Doak rankings and the value of a golf course

How much should a round at a golf course cost?

This was a question I was pondering as I was playing Silvies Ranch earlier this summer. I got the chance to play the reversible courses three times for $225 and I have been unable to shake my visceral negative reaction to the golf experience. This despite the really friendly staff, the well designed greens with nice undulations, and the really tasty lemonade and the fancy bathrooms that are nicer than the facilities in my house.

The rack rate greens fees for the courses was $185 if you don't stay at the resort, so $225 for three rounds should be good value. But I'm not sure I got a good value. It's not like the golf courses were bad as I have the Craddock course at a solid 5 on the Doak ranking (I liked it better than the Hankins course which I also rated a 5 because I couldn't see ranking it a 4). The resort is really scenic, but the prices, which includes $18 for a hot dog, $22 for a steak salad that had very little steak, and $180 per person for a 1.5 to 2 hour tour of the goat herds, just ruined the entire experience. The yardage book was $20, which sort of makes sense since you're getting two courses in one book.

For me, I'd play the golf course again for $80 per round. Maybe $100, but I wouldn't think it's a good value at that point. I'd probably skip the cart at $25 despite the hilly 7+ mile walk.

And that's not considering the cost to get to the course. Silvies is hours from any sort of city, and you'd only find it if you're looking for it.

So if you're a traveling* golfer, what would you pay to play a Doak 10? An 8, or a 5 as I've rated Silvies Ranch?

My 10s are The Old Course, Royal Dornoch, and Pacific Dunes. The greens fees I paid were roughly $150 to $200 (rack rates now are much higher and I avoid Bandon in the summer). I do not feel cheated when I look back at the prices I paid to play those courses. But I've also paid a lot more to play golf, so the $200 isn't really a baseline for the best of the best.

Courses rated 8 include Old Macdonald, the Streamsong courses, TPC Sawgrass, and Bethpage Black for the US. Cape Kidnappers, Carnoustie, and North Berwick overseas. Cape Kidnappers was about $300 US at the time and TPC Sawgrass was that price after the forecaddie tip. The Scottish courses were about $150 to $200 and Streamsong was part of a package, but probably in the $150 ballpark when I played.

Cape Kidnappers was spectacular and I would probably replay it at that price, mostly for the scenery and isolation (there were maybe two other groups on the course when I played), but TPC Sawgrass is not another go around at $300. So let's say the top end is $300 for a Doak 8. Bottom end, I'd expect to pay maybe $150 and feel good about it so a reasonable range in my estimation would be $150 to $225. TPC at $225 I could do, but it's what, $350 now?

For Doak 7s, Kingsbarns is now, what, 265 pounds or over $400? Sheesh. Hard pass. I thought it was over priced at 165 pounds.

Other courses at 7s include Chambers Bay, Gamble Sands, Bandon Dunes/Trails, Spyglass, and Macrihanish. Roughly, I think I paid in the $125 to $175 range for those courses and I was fine with it. That also works out ok in relation to the 8s. There are a couple of private courses I rated 7s and I'm ok with an access fee surcharge of maybe $50.

For 6s, my feeling is $100 to $150 is reasonable based on the courses I have rated there. It seems like you're likely to find a few more bargains in this rating.

So that gets me to the 5s. I have some courses in the $50 range rated as 5s, but those are closer to the bargains. A bottom end range of $60 is probably in the ballpark and based on the courses I would maybe pay $80? Pumpkin Ridge is over $100 but I wouldn't want to pay that. But this doesn't work with my Doak 6 range so let's drop that a bit on the bottom end to $90 and increase the top end on 5s to $100.

4s and below are probably not worth traveling for although I did end up paying $250+ (via an expensive bottle of wine) to play Rich Harvest Farms. The car collection is worth a few bucks.

Conveniently, this works out with my spitballing of the Silvies Ranch courses. $80 to $100 would be reasonable.

To close, I don't think I came up with a range for 9s and 10s. In some cases, it may be almost 4 figures (e.g. Cypress or Pine Valley) but for public, eh, probably $200 on the low end and maybe I'd go up to $400. I guess I'm not playing Pebble.

*If you're a local golfer, my cost equation goes way down. There should be a few bargains that you can play and you'll probably do so unless you're a member somewhere or just wealthy.

Central Oregon (Bend area) Golf Course Tiers

Central Oregon has a lot of quality golf. While the best Oregon golf is in Bandon, the plethora of solid to very good golf is worthy of spending a few days exploring.

Top Tier
Crosswater Club
Pronghorn - Nicklaus
Tetherow

People tend to like the Nicklaus course at Pronghorn the best. It's a very good design, challenging but not excessively difficult, and in excellent shape.

If you're into "golf architecture," try Tetherow. It's linksy and difficult, but interesting and a good test to see how much is too much design

Crosswater is a "championship design." It's what you might consider a "fair test" of golf, if you can hit the ball solidly in the air. It's a fairly wide course and has less slope in the greens but if you can't carry the ball consistently 100 to 150 yards in the air, either play the white tees or choose another course.

One added bonus of these courses is that the practice areas for these three courses are spectacular.

Second tier
Aspen Lakes
Black Butte - Big Meadow and Glaze Meadow
Brasada Canyons
Juniper
Tokatee (Midway between Bend and Eugene)

Brasada Canyons is a fun course that plays up and down near Powell Butte. Often described as a resort course, there are many decent holes but lacks the beguiling element seen in many great courses. The front nine provides a better golfing experience with fewer houses encroaching on the holes. In addition, by the middle of the second nine, the constant up and down nature of the course starts to become tiresome. Some may put this course in the top tier but in my opinion, the top three courses provide a better golfing experience, especially for the architectuarially minded golfer.

Tokatee is a fun Ted Robinson design. There are a few doglegs and a couple of oddly placed water hazards, but the course is surprisingly enjoyable.

Aspen Lakes is surprisingly tight and has some excessively long tee to green walks. However, there are no bad holes and is solid.

While I've played both Black Butte courses, my rounds at Big Meadow were before the redesign. Glaze Meadow has a surprising amount of elevation change while my memory of Big Meadow was a flatter golf course. While I don't remember any bad holes on either course, very few stood out but overall they were good golf courses. One concern is that my recent round at Glaze Meadow had some very tall, thick rough relatively close to the fairways and greens where you might be searching or lose balls on shots that might have been found on other golf courses.
 
Juniper is another playable course with a good mix of long and short, easy and difficult golf holes. Unlike many of the courses in the area, there is little out-of-bounds and short tee to green walks. There is some elevation change and interior undulation.

Third tier
Crooked River Ranch
Eagle Crest - Challenge
Eagle Crest - Resort
Eagle Crest - Ridge
Lost Tracks
Meadow Lakes
Quail Run
River's Edge
Sunriver - Meadows
Sunriver - Woodlands
Widgi Creek

Eagle Crest - Ridge, Lost Tracks, and Sunriver - Woodlands are similar golf courses set in slightly different settings. The courses have a lot of OB, are bordered by houses, and have doglegs that turn a bit shorter than you might expect. Lost Tracks has the signature hole with the island green and train car bridge, Woodlands has one funky hole that's maybe the one I've disliked the most in the area, and the Ridge is a bit bland and has fairways that end at odd distances. Woodlands is the best of this lot but you will pay more.

Meadow Lakes is a fun, compact golf course with little OB but has a bit too many water hazards on the outside of doglegs.

Quail Run is worth a play if you're looking for a solid golf course that's enjoyable. The greens are relatively bland, however, you're unlikely to complain unless the hole is located just below a ridge. Like many in the area, the course is tree lined with a few doglegs that turn a bit quickly. Also, there are limited forced carries and minimal out-of-bounds.

River's Edge front nine is a bit too quirky but is much more playable on the back. The signature 16th hole is probably the worst on the back nine.

Sunriver - Meadows is a difficult course, and can get a bit windy. Like other Fought designed courses I've played, although the holes are solid, the designs can get a bit repetitious and dull.

Widgi Creek is pretty tight and has a couple of greens that defy explanations. However, there are other holes that redeem the course.

If you're staying at Eagle Crest, you could play the Resort course. Otherwise I don't recommend going out of your way to play there.

Crooked River Ranch is a noticeable departure from pretty much every other course in the Bend area. One of, if not the oldest public courses, the course is under 6,000 yards from the back, has few hazards and isn't pretentious. Some of the holes can be a bit bland, and the back nine is more modern than the front (which feels like it's still in the 70s), but if you're looking for a relaxing, enjoyable round of golf with great views of the Crooked River, this is your course. A nice place to play if you're not expecting Championship golf.

Eagle Crest - Challenge Course is nice for a change of pace. I wouldn't recommend it as a lone round of golf but if you have limited time, there are some challenging approaches to TPC style greens. The course does lack variety and has lengthy walks.

In this tier, depending on what you're looking for, I'd recommend Meadow Lakes, Quail Run, and Widgi Creek as the most enjoyable and providing the best value.

Some ostensibly private golf courses that can be accessed via hotel accommodations include Bend Golf Club and the Fazio course at Pronghorn. Bend GC is a good golf course, essentially a classic country club feel in a high desert setting with small greens and some blind shots. They take pride in how well their greens roll and it shows. Overall it is probably near the top of the second tier, depending on whether you enjoy tree lined golf courses or more of an open feel, like Juniper.

The Fazio course at Pronghorn is a very nice, challenging, but not overly difficult golf course. Wider off the tee than the Nicklaus course, it provides a pleasant golfing experience, with the chance to make a few birdies if you are striking the ball well. While it is the nicest Fazio course I have played, I have not played many, including the most highly ranked courses. Also, there are a few holes or design features that Fazio has used elsewhere, including a double green on 17, and the Nicklaus course uses the lava in a more interesting way.

Awbrey Glen and Broken Top are two other private courses that you might consider playing if you have access and want to spend a bit of cash. Both are decent courses with a little bit of funkiness. While you might want to play both for the sake of completeness, Bend GC and Pronghorn - Fazio are better options if you want that private course experience. I'd place both Awbrey Glen and Broken Top in the 2nd tier of courses. The Fazio course at Pronghorn would slot in the first tier of Bend courses but also would maybe be #1 in highest greens fees as well. For an extra expense, take a caddy.

Waterton Lakes Golf Club - Waterton National Park, Alberta

If you ever find yourself with golf clubs and a few hours to spare (or as the case was in 2004, your girlfriend being sick of you during a long road trip) while visiting the Waterton National Park in Alberta just north of Glacier National Park, there's a pretty cool and pretty scenic golf course to be found. According to their website, it's "inspired by Stanley Thompson." Nine of the holes may have been designed by Stanley Thompson, however, and I definitely noticed some similarities to design concepts of Banff Springs and Sleepy Hollow when I played there in 2012.

During my first visit, I wasn't expecting much but was hugely surprised by the quality of the course. With my follow up visit eight years later, some of the duller holes were more noticeable, but there was still quality golf, especially on the back nine.

On the front nine, I felt that the two par 5s were the better holes, making good use of the land movement to add intrigue despite rather level fairways. The first par 5 (hole 2) is reachable in 2 for the longer hitters but your second shot is likely blind. The second par 5 (hole 6) is a bit of a test, especially from the back tees. The third hole is a reachable par 4 but blind off the tee. I hit what I thought was a pretty good drive but never found the tee shot as there was trouble pretty close to the green.

I wasn't particularly fond of the three par 3s on the front as two are pretty long and have tree trouble close to the greens.

The ninth hole takes you back to the clubhouse with a nice view of the surrounding mountains.

 

The back nine has more elevation changes and plays closer to the edges of the mountains and the cliff sides. After a pretty dull 10th, the fairways become more tree lined (as demonstrated by the 14th) and the doglegs get sharper, especially at the short par 4 16th.





One word of caution. When playing later in the day, watch out for wildlife. If you look closely at the photo, there's a bear playing through on the tee box.

I started talking very loudly but noticed it was a bear cub. It was a bit worrisome as I had no clue where the mother was (and I was playing as a single so I had no one to outrun but myself). I ended up seeing the mother up in a tree about 100 yards away.

Personal Doak Ratings - Oregon Golf Courses

Quick ranking of Oregon golf courses played based on the Doak Scale. This is according to my personal ratings.

Golf Course	City	State/Country	Score
Pacific Dunes	Bandon	OR	10
Old Macdonald	Bandon	OR	8
Bandon Dunes	Bandon	OR	7
Bandon Trails	Bandon	OR	7
Pronghorn - Fazio	Bend	OR	7
Bandon Crossings	Bandon	OR	6
Broken Top	Bend	OR	6
Crosswater	Sunriver	OR	6
Pronghorn - Nicklaus	Bend	OR	6
Pumpkin Ridge - Witch Hollow	North Plains	OR	6
Running Y Ranch	Klamath Falls	OR	6
Sheep Ranch (C&C)	Bandon	OR	6
Tetherow	Bend	OR	6
Aspen Lakes	Sisters	OR	5
Awbrey Glen	Bend	OR	5
Bend Golf Club	Bend	OR	5
Black Butte - Big Meadow	Black Butte	OR	5
Brasada Canyons	Powell Butte	OR	5
Eagle Point	Medford	OR	5
Juniper	Redmond	OR	5
Pumpkin Ridge - Ghost Creek	North Plains	OR	5
Sheep Ranch (NLE)	Bandon	OR	5
Silvies Ranch (Craddock)	Seneca	OR	5
Silvies Ranch (Hankins)	Seneca	OR	5
Stone Creek	Oregon City	OR	5
The Preserve	Bandon	OR	5
The Reserve - South	Aloha	OR	5
Tokatee	McKenzie Bridge	OR	5
Eagle Crest Resort - Ridge	Redmond	OR	4
Eastmoreland	Portland	OR	4
Emerald Valley	Creswell	OR	4
Florence Golf Links (Sandpines)	Florence	OR	4
Heron Lakes - The Great Blue	Portland	OR	4
Langdon Farms	Aurora	OR	4
Lost Tracks	Bend	OR	4
Meadow Lakes	Prineville	OR	4
Mallard Creek	Lebanon	OR	4
OGA Golf Course	Woodburn	OR	4
Quail Run	La Pine	OR	4
Shorty's (19 holes)	Bandon	OR	4
Sunriver - Meadows	Sunriver	OR	4
Sunriver - Woodlands	Sunriver	OR	4
The Reserve - North	Aloha	OR	4
Widgi Creek	Bend	OR	4
Crooked River Ranch	Terrebone	OR	3
Indian Creek	Hood River	OR	3
River's Edge	Bend	OR	3
Santiam Golf Club	Aumsville	OR	3
Salem Golf Club	Salem	OR	3
Charlotte's	Bandon	OR	3
Trysting Tree	Corvallis	OR	3
Eagle Crest Resort - Challenge	Redmond	OR	2
Eagle Crest Resort - Resort	Redmond	OR	2
Big River	Umatilla	OR	1

   

Personal Doak Ratings - Washington State Golf Courses

Quick ranking of Washington State golf courses played based on the Doak Scale. This is based on my personal ratings.

Golf Course	City	State/Country	Score
Chambers Bay	Tacoma	WA	7
Gamble Sands	Brewster	WA	7
Wine Valley	Walla Walla	WA	7
Gold Mountain - Olympic	Bremerton	WA	6
Inglewood	Kenmore	WA	6
Tacoma CC	Tacoma	WA	6
TPC Snoqualmie	Snoqualmie	WA	6
Tumble Creek	Roslyn	WA	6
Avalon	Burlington	WA	5
Broadmoor	Seattle	WA	5
Druids Glen	Covington	WA	5
Harbour Pointe	Mulkiteo	WA	5
Loomis Trails	Lynden	WA	5
McCormick Woods	Port Orchard	WA	5
Oakbrook	Tacoma	WA	5
Sahalee	Samamish	WA	5
Semiahmoo	Semiahmoo	WA	5
Shuksan	Bellingham	WA	5
The Classic	Spanaway	WA	5
The Home Course	Dupont	WA	5
Trophy Lake	Port Orchard	WA	5
White Horse	Kingston	WA	5
Desert Canyon	Orondo	WA	4
Eaglemont	Mount Vernon	WA	4
Elk Ridge	Carson	WA	4
Everett CC	Everett	WA	4
Gold Mountain - Cascade	Bremerton	WA	4
Hawk's Prairie - Links	Lacey	WA	4
Hawk's Prairie - Woodlands	Lacey	WA	4
Homestead Farms	Bellingham	WA	4
Kayak Point	Stanwood	WA	4
Meadowwood	Spokane	WA	4
Newcastle - Coal Creek	Newcastle	WA	4
North Bellingham	Bellingham	WA	4
Port Ludlow	Port Ludlow	WA	4
Redmond Ridge	Redmond	WA	4
Snohomish	Snohomish	WA	4
Suncadia - Prospector	Roslyn	WA	4
Suncadia - Rope Rider	Roslyn	WA	4
Tri-Mountain	Ridgefield	WA	4
Washington National	Auburn	WA	4
West Seattle	Seattle	WA	4
Allenmoore	Tacoma	WA	3
Bear Mountain Ranch	Chelan	WA	3
Camas Meadows	Camas	WA	3
Eagle's Pride	Fort Lewis	WA	3
Horseshoe Lake	Port Orchard	WA	3
Kahler Glen	Leavenworth	WA	3
Lake Padden	Bellingham	WA	3
Lake Spanaway	Spanaway	WA	3
Legion Memorial	Everett	WA	3
Mount Si	North Bend	WA	3
Newcastle - China Creek	Newcastle	WA	3
North Shore	Tacoma	WA	3
Riverbend	Kent	WA	3
Sand Point	Seattle	WA	3
Sudden Valley	Bellingham	WA	3
Willows Run - Eagle Talon	Redmond	WA	3
Battle Creek	Marysville	WA	2
Bellevue Muni	Bellevue	WA	2
Camaloch	Camano Island	WA	2
Capitol City	Olympia	WA	2
Cedarcrest	Marysville	WA	2
Echo Falls	Bothell	WA	2
Interbay	Seattle	WA	2
Jackson Park	Seattle	WA	2
Jefferson	Seattle	WA	2
Lynnwood Muni	Lynnwood	WA	2
Walter Hall	Everett	WA	2
Willows Run - Coyote Creek	Redmond	WA	2
Gleneagle	Arlington	WA	1
The Nile	Edmonds	WA	1
Wayne	Bothell	WA	1

Personal Doak Ratings - Golf courses in the United States (non WA/OR)

Quick ranking of United States Non-Oregon and Washington State golf courses played based on the Doak Scale. This is according to my personal ratings.

Golf Course	City	State/Country	Score
Bethpage Black	Bethpage	NY	8
Streamsong - Blue	Streamsong	FL	8
Streamsong - Red	Streamsong	FL	8
TPC Sawgrass	Jacksonville	FL	8
Old Barnwell	Aiken	SC	7
Spyglass	Monterey	CA	7
The Dunes Club	New Buffalo	MI	7
The Olympic Club - Lake	San Francisco	CA	7
World Woods - Pine Barrens	Brooksville	FL	7
Bethpage Red	Bethpage	NY	6
Cog Hill - Dubsdread	Lemont	IL	6
Eagle Eye	Bath	MI	6
Fowler's Mill	Chesterton	OH	6
Innisbrook - Copperhead	Palm Harbor	FL	6
La Quinta - Mountain	La Quinta	CA	6
Old Works	Anaconda	MT	6
Olympia Fields - North	Olympia Fields	IL	6
PGA West - Stadium	Palm Desert	CA	6
Poppy Hills	Monterey	CA	6
Princeville	Kauai	HI	6
Sleepy Hollow	Brecksville	OH	6
Amelia Island - Long Point	Amelia Island	FL	5
Cantigny	Wheaton	IL	5
Coeur d'Alene	Coeur d'Alene	ID	5
The Course at Wente Vineyards Forest Akers - West	Livermore East Lansing	CA MI	5 5
Hawk Hollow	Bath	MI	5
Hawk's Nest	Creston	OH	5
Innisbrook - Island	Palm Harbor	FL	5
Kauai Lagoon - Kiele	Kauai	HI	5
Maumee Bay	Maumee	OH	5
Morongo Golf Club - Champions	Beaumont	CA	5
Morongo Golf Club - Legends	Beaumont	CA	5
Oak Valley	Beaumont	CA	5
PGA West - Nicklaus Tournament	Palm Desert	CA	5
SCGA Golf Course	Murrieta	CA	5
The Glen Club	Glenview	IL	5
The Highlands of Elgin	Elgin	IL	5
Timber Ridge	Bath	MI	5
World Woods - Rolling Oaks	Brooksville	FL	5
Amelia Island - Oak Marsh	Amelia Island	FL	4
Amelia Island - Ocean Links	Amelia Island	FL	4
Aviara	Carlsbad	CA	4
Cherokee Run	Conyers	GA	4
College Fields	Okemos	MI	4
Innisbrook - North	Palm Harbor	FL	4
Innisbrook - South	Palm Harbor	FL	4
La Quinta - Dunes	La Quinta	CA	4
Luana Hills	Oahu	HI	4
Manakiki	Cleveland	OH	4
Metropolitan Golf Links	Oakland	CA	4
PGA West - Norman	Palm Desert	CA	4
Redhawk	Temecula	CA	4
Royal Amelia	Amelia Island	FL	4
Steele Canyon	Jamul	CA	4
Torrey Pines - South	La Jolla	CA	4
Del Monte	Monterey	CA	3
Detwiler Park	Toledo	OH	3
Mallard Creek	Columbia Station	OH	3
Ottawa Park	Toledo	OH	3
Rich Harvest Farms	Sugar Grove	IL	3
El Dorado	Mason	MI	2
Forest Akers - East	East Lansing	MI	2
Grosbeck	Lansing	MI	2
Indian Hills	Okemos	MI	1
Royal Crest	Columbia Station	OH	1

Personal Doak Ratings - Non United States Golf Courses

Quick ranking of golf courses played internationally based on the Doak Scale. This is according to my personal ratings.

Golf Course	City	State/Country	Score
Royal Dornoch	Dornoch	Scotland	10
The Old Course	St. Andrews	Scotland	10
Cabot Cliffs	Inverness	Nova Scotia, Canada	9
Cape Kidnappers	Napier	New Zealand	8
Carnoustie	Carnoustie	Scotland	8
Highlands Links	Ingonish	Nova Scotia, Canada	8
North Berwick	North Berwick	Scotland	8
Banff Springs	Banff	Alberta	7
Cabot Links	Inverness	Nova Scotia, Canada	7
Kingsbarns	St. Andrews	Scotland	7
Kinloch	Kinloch	New Zealand	7
Macrihanish	Macrihanish	Scotland	7
Big Sky	Pemberton	British Columbia	6
Chateau Whistler	Whistler	British Columbia	6
Kauri Cliffs	Bay of Islands	New Zealand	6
Bear Mountain	Victoria	British Columbia	5
Nicklaus North	Whistler	British Columbia	5
Waterton	Waterton	Alberta	4
Whistler	Whistler	British Columbia	4
Struie	Dornoch	Scotland	3
Furry Creek	Furry Creek	British Columbia	0
Motutara	Rotorua	New Zealand	0

The Old Course (In) - St. Andrews

After heading out for the first nine holes, you turn around and head back in for the next nine.

Bobby Jones is the name of hole 10, a drivable par 4. At just over 300 yards, you have the option of laying up short of three bunkers on the right edge of the fairway or taking the driver straight at the hole. The tee box is offset to the left of the fairway, which makes the direct line all carry.

There are quite a few humps and hollows around the green, including the false front in the middle.

The view from the left shows how there's an upper and lower tier to the green. The false front is the darker depression to the right side of the photo.

Hole 11, High (In), is a par 3 that plays towards the Eden Estuary. When on the tee, you need to wait for players in the fairway on hole 7 that are playing to the green to the right.

The Strath bunker guards the front pin positions while to the left and hidden a bit by the mound is the Hill bunker. While the green is large, picking the correct club is necessary as the green is deeper directly behind the Strath bunker and narrower to the left and right.

Heathery (In), otherwise known as hole 12, tees off next to the Eden Estuary. It's the closest you'll get to the water on The Old Course.

The hole is a short par 4 of just over 300 yards. All of the danger is hidden as the Stroke bunker is in the dead center of the fairway about 160 yards out. Two other bunkers are further up, just over 200 yards from the tee where the fairway narrows. A lone bunker about 15 yards short of the putting surface protects the front section of the green.

When the pin is back, as it was in this photo, there's a tier about 20 yards deep in the green that needs to be dealt with. However, going too deep can be an issue as another tier falls off to the back.

Hole 13, Hole O'Cross (In), has a tee shot that's not well defined. The visible bunkers are The Coffins, which are just over 200 yards from the tee. There's a high patch of rough narrowing the right side the fairway and the Cat's Trap bunker cuts off the rest of it at around 270 yards. Playing just shot of the Cat's Trap will leave you about 140 yards to the green.

The green is wide and very deep, with the green at well over 60 yards from front to back. This view is from the right of the green, with the Hole O' Cross bunker in the foreground which is almost 30 yards from the front edge.

The second par 5 on the golf course is probably the most famous of the par 5s. The 530 yard Long has Hell Bunker looming on the second shot.

The line off the tee is the church tower, the tallest landmark to the left. If you carry The Beardies, you'll end up in the Elysian Fields. From that point, you have around 200 yards to carry Hell Bunker, which can be seen in the middle of the photo.

Short and right of the pin are more mounds you need to deal with but the green is large and relatively flat.

Cartgate (In), is hole 15. The drive is towards the church steeple in the background, in between the two mounds known as Miss Grainger's bosoms. The Sutherland bunker is to the left and lies in wait for a mishit pulled drive.

The view at the green shows the Cartgate bunker, which guards the pin position for hole 3, Cartgate (out). Once again, the green is rather large, with some undulations that might affect long putts.

Corner of the Dyke, hole 16, plays out towards the Old Course Hotel. The tee shot needs to avoid the Principal's Nose and Deacon Sime bunkers that are 215 to 260 yards away.

The approach also has a few bunkers to avoid, with Grant's and Wig bunkers guarding the left edge of the green.

The green has a big tier about 13 yards from the front edge, and the back of the green blends into the 17th tee. At 42 yards deep, there is plenty of room to avoid the slope if the pin's in back.

The 17th hole is probably the most famous on the course. Your drive needs to be aimed between the Old and Hotel of the Old Course Hotel.

If you pull that off, you'll land in the narrow strip of fairway left of the Road on the Road hole.


The approach needs to avoid the Road Bunker, which looms ominously to the left of the green. Bail out too far right and you'll have the following shot.

While this doesn't look too difficult, the Road Bunker is just beyond the pin.

Behind the green, workers were setting up bleachers for the Dunhill Links tournament. The front part of the 17th green is the safer play, however you'll need to traverse another steep slope while avoiding the looming crevasse.

The home hole is called Tom Morris as he created the green. It's also one of the prettiest tee shots you'll ever hit.

Stop by the Swilcan bridge for the obligatory photo.

Assuming your drive avoids pedestrians and the occasional car on Granny Clark's Wynd, you'll need to hit a precise approach over the Valley of Sin but short of the white OB fence.
The Valley of Sin is deep and wide with the left edge 17 yards from the front.

Back pin positions don't have much room before the OB fence comes into play. There weren't many tourists milling around on the day of my round, but Old Tom Morris's shop and house watched me tap in for a par.

The Old Course is an amazing experience. I'm glad my wife and I had a chance to make the pilgrimage and spend a few days in St. Andrews.