We arrive long before tee-off time to be met by the legend Pat Ruddy in the shop. Coffee and contemplation before preparing ourselves for the European. Once out on the putting green the Starter places a sharp and mighty thorn underfoot of LINKS75. He takes us to the 1st tee and suggests using the white tee. Suddenly we are not alone. ”Where are you from?” we ask our new friend. ”France”. ”OK – red tee gentlemen! ” The Frenchman looks confused until LINKS75 drive two perfect balls into the middle of the 1st fairway – “OK, you can move back to blue if you like” – LINKS75 from TigerTee? European is like nothing else. Pat Ruddy owns and has created the course himself. No members except for those that Pat wants to play there – they pay a nominal annual fee. Maybe LINKS75 will get an invitation? The course is difficult – insanely difficult. All bunkers have sleepers, all fairways are narrow, all greens difficult and optical illusions. In addition, the course has something none of the others have – 20 holes! 7A and 12A are two extra Par 3s – extra in every sense. It was here that Harrington prepared before winning the Claret Jug two years in a row. Everything is immediately difficult. The 3rd is a par 5, which invites us to play but once underway you can see that it must be played with caution. Every hole is a challenge, just as it is written about every hole in Paddy’s own coffee-table book. We change to best ball to get a decent score. The 7th – a par 4 – has been named as one of the world’s best holes, perhaps not the most scenic but certainly an extreme hole that demands more than the others.
Teeshot at no7, European
Our smiles widen, wonderfully delightful links golf in the evening mists between 1896 and today. Pleasure – links delight. The 8th – a par 4 – lacks bunkers but has everything else that a links course should have and is really, yet wonderfully, difficult. On the 10th things start getting tougher and the air feels thinner. LINKS75 has to play at its utmost. It is followed by an dazzling necklace of daunting links holes 12, 12A, 13 and 14. A series of holes that illustrate exactly what Pat Ruddy wants to show the world – links golf demands love, courage and imagination. The 12th is a par 4 towards the sea with traversing bunkers and a green that is 127 yards deep. 12A – a par 3 – bunker-lined green with gorse. The 13th – a par 5 – where three perfect shots still demand putting technique in Luke Donald- class.
13th, European
The 14th – a par 3 – creates as much joy as Christmas Day back in 1971. Some holes have been favoured by respective legends and mean something special. The 17th is played through a valley towards the waiting green. We smile and make birdie – the only one for the day. On the 18th we meet sleeper-lined bunkers and watch as the ball bounces 150 meters to the side. We approach the expectant last green from the other side of a burn. Once inside the clubhouse we discuss links and take away with us lots of golfing literature. Good, better, Pat Ruddy!
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