We turn up before the clubhouse has opened. Two Americans from Chicago are also here. They are going to play at Gullane in the afternoon and are waiting impatiently before it opens. We exchange links experiences. They have played Royal Lytham earlier in the week. “It’s the best,” says one of the Americans and the other counters with, “That’s because you aced nine.” The guy made a hole-in-one on the 9th at Royal Lytham – larger than life! We get the traditional advice from the pro-shop – the rough is thick, sight along the red and white markers at the 10th as well as the lighthouse on the 15th. The tee at the 1st is at the same height as the restaurant tables in the Lounge and has the gleaming North Sea in the background. A world class beginning. The course hosted the Walker Cup last year and has even hosted the Senior British Open with Tom Watson as winner. It is nine out and nine back. Already at the 1st we get a foretaste of the fairways, which are extremely well-manicured but sloping, narrow, rolling and very difficult to tame. The 2nd is a par 5 where the fairway requires more than we have in the bag this morning - an incredible hole. The 3rd is a par 3 – 200 yards – and we are lucky today because there is no wind or as a groundsman says, “No challenge today.” No challenge!! We search feverishly off the fairway in the unmerciful rough. They actually have a plan here to make the rough playable. One half of LINKS75 gets into stride and pulls ahead. The 5th is a short par 4 that demands milliards-like precision – very imaginative. The 6th is yet another difficult par 5 that offers up a birdie. All the leading holes go through a valley of sand dunes and elephant grass. Is that a gateway to links heaven at the end? The 8th – the course’s signature hole – a par 3 with 10 bunkers angling towards the sea. A birdie – frame it and put it on the wall.
Signature hole no8 at Royal Aberdeen
The 9th is a tough par 4 with a slight dogleg to the right with elevated green. The best outward 9 that LINKS75 has played.
The 10th is a blind approach to the waiting green with a burn out front. The 11th – a par 3 – perhaps the easiest hole. The 12th is a reachable par 5 with gorse along the entire left hand side. Mr J wins 6 and 5. The 14th has a bunkered fairway with a burn straight across and a turf wall in line with the green – superb. The 15th is totally blind so we take bearings from the lighthouse on the horizon. A fantastic green area awaits us, steeply elevated with undulating green and 3 pot bunkers to the right – classic. The hole was partially remade for the Walker Cup 2011 by the one and only Martin Hawtree.
New green at hole no 15, Royal Aberdeen
The final three holes; the 16th a par 4 with narrowed fairway and elevated green; the 17th an amazing par 3 looking straight out towards the sea; and the 18th a long par 4 with narrow landing zone and a strategic hollow in reach of a good drive, and elevated green, where the pro shop and clubhouse in the background await. In our minds we are already standing on the first tee of our next round.
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