Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 2023 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
2011-06-22 |
133,840,896 bytes |
71 |
7201 yards |
Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
REAL |
LINKS |
Troon HD Tournament final.crz |
Course ID |
Course Key |
dd81c73cfdc8431f918cbc8b33c17a88 |
daea44475531840f9a29e98b1bd8693b |
COURSE NOTES |
Royal Troon Golf Club is on Scotland's Ayrshire Coast in the Town of Troon. It is on the rota for “The Open Championship“ and has held the Championship on several occasions .
Further details of the course and it history can be found on the Royal Troon Web site or “ The Open Championship” Web Site.
The course is an out and back Links with a meander amongst the gorse covered dunes at the far end of the course. The prevailing wind is behind on the outward nine so the inward nine is long, narrow and into the prevailing wind.
|
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description Real, links course |
Location Ayrshire, Scotland |
Conditions Some poor pin positions means that M*/S* is as fast as I'd want to go. But turn
the wind right up! |
Concept 10/10 One of the wildest and purest of links courses, this classic Open venue is the latest in Stewart's prodigious output. Very much a course of
two halves - the first relying on pot-bunker-oriented precision, and the second providing a risk-reward test way ahead of its time - it's one
of the few courses which absolutely must be played under difficult wind conditions to appreciate its sheer genius. Stewart has let the
natural wilderness and strategy do all the talking, but his excellent accompanying documentation is fitting icing on the cake. |
Appearance 9/10 Long experienced in planting of the Scottish gorse and heather, the designer hasn't let us down here, and the construction of the
cavernous and scary bunkers is spot on too - even from the inconvenient middle distances it's impossible to spot where they've been
dropped into the landscape. The whole thing is seamlessly integrated with the panorama, which really adds to the environment. I'm still a
little disappointed with the low-res 2D clubhouse, though. |
Playability 10/10 Playing on Classic Open venues carries its own prestige, but there's much more to Troon than just the name. Blind tee shots are often
a hindrance, but here they are a genuine and valid part of the strategy on a set of holes which reward course knowledge and
prudence. The hole previews are perfectly informative without being overbearing and there's good ambient sound with the rush of the
ocean in your ears. Even when buried in the bunkers, there's plenty of incentive to press on here and achieve good scores. Many of
the pros failed to enjoy Royal Troon - I don't see how the Links golfer could possibly be of the same mind. |
Challenge 7/10 Play with the recommended conditions and you'll be sorry! Troon has clocked up some pretty huge Open scores in the past; the tight
fairways and demanding pot bunkers invariably take a heavy toll. But, with a bit of respect, the course yields birdies - at least a couple
of the shorter Par 5s do. You can't go charging into the course, but play it like the Open winners and a score close to Par might well
result. |
Technical 8/10 Masterful work on much of the course, and a surer hand with water features than we have seen in the past (compare the sea to
Scotland's Finest if you don't believe me). The clubhouse complex is disappointing when it should be a great climax to the round,
though, and some pins are located in places no greenkeeper would conceive of. |
Overall |
Pure links magic from the hands of the best designer of Scottish courses. Tough
stuff, but a fitting tribute to a very clever course. |
44/50 |
Please remember that Clipnote reviews are the opinion of one person and do not constitute an 'Official' Links Corner review of the course. |
This course is available as a FREE download.
|
Download course
|
Please support Links Corner
|