The first par 3 of your round comes at the 3rd and at 239 yards from the tips it's a tough start
I am in my car driving down the A2 towards Sandwich with the excitement building - Ian Flemming used the name Royal St Mark’s in his gold finger novel and maybe that was to put people off trying to find this Kent jewel and host to the first Open Championship outside of Scotland. Can you guess where I am heading to yet? If you have you can appreciate my obvious excitement.
Yes today I tee it up at Royal St George’s Golf Club host to fourteen Open Championships and one of the toughest courses you are ever likely to play. Jack Nicklaus shot an 83 here in the 1981 Open Championship and Tiger Woods lost a ball on the first hole in 2003 - this is a course that has no respect for reputations and I am not sure you will find a flat lie anywhere on the course and that includes the greens!
I love links golf and the way it makes you think about every shot you play but Royal St George’s is a links course that even on the calmest day still packs a heavyweight punch. But when you putt out at the 18th you know you have played one of the best courses you will ever tee it up on.
There isn’t a weak hole on the course and even the shortest par 4 which is the 361 yard twelfth hole still packs a punch with its five bunkers protecting the front of the green and one at the back, oh and let’s not forget the two bunkers right in the landing that you have to negotiate first.
All the par 3s are great holes and you will love playing every one of them. If you have trouble with your short putts then I suggest you book an appointment with a psychiatrist the day after you play Royal St George’s, that way you can let him know about the many nightmares you had that night, of three foot putts that ended up back off the green. And that you last saw a fellow golfer running along the shoreline towards Dover screaming, “I barely touched it!”
Yes it’s very tough, yes there are lots of blind tee shots and a few marker posts wouldn’t go a miss, but believe me when I say it’s a must play course and I can’t wait for the rematch ¬– well once my psychiatrist says I can have a weekend pass from this special hospital he signed me into.
Between the dunes at the 5th Looking down the 7th holeFairway bunker at the 12th
Looking down on the 6th green with its four bunkers to protect it
