On the 1st tee, Kraftwerk accompanies our drives and on the horizon there are white smoke and chimney stacks en masse – like a Pink Floyd dream. Dr Mackenzie made improvements to the course in 1925 and today there are 22 holes and three routes – we are playing Brabazon. Tough tees and blooming fairways. In front of us a 4-ball drives long with accompanying tattooed biceps. We start with four straight pars and the chimney stacks are our best friends – gigantic sighting markers in the distance. Did Dr MacKenzie foresee this when he designed the course looking into the future. Maybe he even drew up the plans for the factories. The 3rd hole – “Doctor “- is a salute to the past, incredibly good with a series of sodded bunkers.
Doctor, Seaton Carew
We continue through the outward nine towards the chimneys and turn at the 8th with a plugged ball – curtains!! On the 9th we suddenly have the sight of the beach, the town and elephant grass. After just half a hole we are already missing our industrial links and sighting markers bellowing smoke. On the 10th towards the beach, where families are on their way to a Sunday dip, we find not two balls but three. Someone has placed someone else’s ball between ours – but whom? Dr MacKenzie? The 11th is a blind test of character over and endless thicket towards a perpendicular fairway. Courage and sighting marker – we are lacking in both and hit too hard over the fairway into the waiting rough.
Industrial Links, Seaton Carew
The 12th and 13th, run into each other between the vegetation and then we are thrown out into the open. With our backs to the chimneys we make our way home on the 16th, 17th and 18th. A finish arm in arm with Kraftwerk and the start at the 1st – classic industrial links.
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