It’s a shotgun start to day one of the Admirals Cup ProAm and we are in our buggy on the way to the 15th hole. We climb the fairway and jump out, everyone turns to look back down the fairway – you may not have heard that but my jaw has just hit my knees - the view beyond the fairway is out to the glittering blue Atlantic Ocean with the yachts and boats both large and small bobbing up and down.
So many words come to mind and pass because they just don’t really do this moment justice, it’s a moment you truly have to experience yourself. The hole itself is a par 5 of 663 yards from the Championship tee and runs all downhill and you are better off taking a 3-wood or hybrid as you will be getting plenty of run so hitting the fairway is far more important than distance.
But let me put you back into sync and start from the first that is another par 5 and gives you a chance to open up with a birdie. There is more room to the left than you think and if you pick up a little bit of roll that is in the fairway you could be going into the green with an iron.
The second is a photo opportunity but for different reasons, sitting behind the tee is an old stone monument that sits perfectly in its surroundings. The third is a nice par 3 over water, bringing you to the 4th that takes you back towards the mountain which today sees the tip surrounded in mist and is nearly as impressive as those see views.
It is easy to get distracted here with the ocean and mountain views, but the other fun distraction is watching the monkeys at play especially the babies as they play fight and wrestle with each other.
The course is tree and vegetation lined with some wonderful elevated tees offering stunning sea views. The course is a great design and Robert Trent Jones Jnr has done a wonderful job here and it truly has a fitting finale that starts on the par 3 14th that again looks out to the ocean and of course the 15th that leads to another par 3 that again takes full advantage of the ocean backdrop.
The 17th is a tough short par 4 but watch out for the large storm drain that sits right in the landing area, they have used local rocks to help make a practicality into a feature of the course.
If the 15th is the signature hole the 18th certainly comes close with the infinity green that looks like it just sits on the blue of the ocean, it really is a fitting finish to what is a wonderful golfing experience, the design will test your golf game and those views will test your power of concentration.
Great start to a stunning track The 7th Uphill greenOn the beach at the 18th
The Par 4, 13th hole with its ocean backdrop
Looking back up the 15th hole with Mount Nevis as a backdrop
