In 1930 Bobby Jones won the qualification tournament for the British Open at Wallasey by shooting a 77. He won The Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool. He won the Grand Slam. As usual this week the members give us a serious warning about the rough before we go out. A tough opening stretch among the sand dunes. The 2nd hole, a 441-yard par4, demands the right length and a risky line off the tee. It was here Dr Frank Stableford wandered and day-dreamed up his scoring system in 1931. The 3rd hole – a par 4 – is played slightly uphill into a headwind. The landing area is no bigger than a putting mat in your living room. We hit it and feel that we are in form. The 4th hole is a classic par 5 with the sea to the right and the green 512 yards away, 20 yards below the tee – a birdie. The 5th, par 3, 166 yards straight into a headwind, finishes off the opening stretch.
4th & 5th green, Wallasey
We survive with pass marks. From the 6th to the 10th we walk on flat terrain with high billowing grass. Our home away from home. We reach the green on the 6th, 339 yards – birdie. The 7th – a par 5 is nearly reached in two hitting into a tailwind. The 8th and 10th are slightly easier and provide an opportunity to rest. The 11th once again tests one’s courage and knowledge of the green. The par 3 12th is worth a chapter to itself. A magnificent par 3 that could fill a coffee-table book on its own – quite breathtaking.
Old Glory
The 13th and 14th are two par 5s that demand a lot of experience of links golf – wonderfully challenging. Well-bunkered. Well-cut. Inviting but oh so challenging. Mr L wins 5 and 4. The closing holes are tougher than the opening ones. The 16th, par 3, 193 yards, requires a fade or draw. A delightfully difficult par 3. The 17th, a 448-yard par 4, where we meet the 5th, but angle to the right. The green is framed by skyscraper-high sand dunes. The 18th runs down towards the clubhouse with a fairway that finishes with rough and a one-yards wide path leading to the waiting green. Above, the club’s members sit on wooden benches enjoying the billowing grass, their ale, and the July sun’s warming rays.
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