An inspiring tale of one South African’s journey to play golf at all 10 Open Championship rota courses in one trip, writes BRENDAN BARRETT in Compleat Golfer.
One of golf’s charms is that, for the most part, us weekend warriors carry the same equipment, tread the same turf and live through the same range of emotions out on the course as our golfing heroes do. Purists may argue that this would be stretching the point somewhat, since pro golfers have access to far more advanced golf clubs, tee off from parts of the course we wouldn’t dare be seen on and play under extreme pressure for obscenely large amounts of money.
And, of course, they’d be right. Except that in golf, particularly in the United Kingdom, one is able to get as close as one possibly can to walking in the footsteps of the giants of the game.
You can’t, for example, lace up your whites and stroll on to Wimbledon’s Centre Court for a game of tennis, nor can you trot out for a few overs of backyard cricket at Lord’s. Yet you can – for a princely sum, mind you – tee it up at the course where Bobby Jones achieved his Grand Slam (Royal Liverpool), Ben Hogan prevailed by four shots at his only Open Championship appearance (Carnoustie), or where Seve Ballesteros earned his nickname, ‘Car Park Champion’ (Royal Lytham & St Annes).
Consider that for a minute: you can play from the very spots where some of the most memorable shots in golfing history were played. Some of these are even marked with plaques, such as Tom Watson’s winning approach to the 18th at the 1977 ‘Duel in the Sun’ Open and Arnold Palmer’s beautifully wild hack out of the rough at Royal Birkdale’s 15th hole en route to victory in 1961.
For an avid single-figure handicap golfer from Johannesburg, known to his friends as The Good Doctor, the lure of teeing it up on these British masterpieces was simply too strong to ignore. This is a man who last year completed his mission of ticking off all the top 100 golf courses in South Africa – so, in search of a new challenge, a trip further north seemed a natural progression.
Yet rather than select a handful of courses, The Good Doctor set himself the rather enviable challenge of playing a round of golf on every one of the current Open rota courses over a two-week period. Initially, he wasn’t even certain it could be achieved, particularly since the task has been made even more challenging since the recent recall to the list of Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
‘Like most golfers, my group of friends had always had a burning desire to play the legendary courses around the UK,’ he says. ‘Obviously, No 1 on the list was the Old Course at St Andrews, but we kept adding iconic courses to the bucket list. Eventually, a buddy challenged me to tick off all of the courses on the rota – and the rest is history.’
While it is by no means impossible to secure a tee time on any one of the 10 courses that make up the Open rota, it quickly became clear it would be something of a logistical nightmare to hop around three countries while attempting to fit into the strict visitor policies many of these famous clubs impose. For that reason, The Good Doctor opted to plan the trip himself.
‘No doubt it would have been a lot easier had we been able to use a tour operator,’ he says. ‘But they tend to run specific schedules and don’t often operate outside their regions, for example the Royal Portrush option.
‘Muirfield, Royal Troon and Royal St George’s were the most difficult to get on to as they only offer a limited number of slots for visitors. Muirfield is booked up about a year in advance, so in my case it took a number of polite emails followed by a stroke of luck when a visitor cancelled his tee time.
‘Royal St George’s typically only offers twoball tee times, so I had to arrange the entire tour around that slot and accept playing as a twoball. For the Old Course, we entered the ballot system and were lucky enough to be drawn on the first day, which was a huge relief.
‘Royal Portrush, Royal Liverpool, Carnoustie and Turnberry have an effective online booking platform, while Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Annes required nothing more than a quick email to reserve my rounds.’
With an itinerary that was to supposed to take in 12 courses over 14 days, much of The Good Doctor’s preparation centred around the infamous UK weather. Links golf can be tough in decent weather, but it is downright brutal when the wind or rain set in, so he stocked up on rain gear, warm clothing, extra gloves and a few dozen golf balls.
As luck would have it, The Good Doctor’s arrival in the UK coincided with the most prolonged spell of sunny weather in living memory.
‘We were very fortunate,’ he says. ‘Our preparation was for extreme winds and cold weather, but the worst we had to endure was six holes of rain over the 180 holes we played.’
The secret to scoring well at these iconic courses is playing conservatively. True links courses test every part of your game relentlessly, so course management becomes the most prominent part in putting together a decent score.
‘True course management took a while for us Gauteng golfers,’ says The Good Doctor. ‘We are so used to taking the driver out on almost every hole, but we soon learned that keeping the ball in play was the most important thing, as the punishment for any mistake is severe.
‘Wind and the weather are the natural defences for links courses. You can see how the pros can shoot lights out in decent conditions and then struggle to break 80 off the back when the weather kicks in. Just those six holes of rain and wind at Royal Portrush made the course feel like it was at least five shots harder.’
Given the benefit of hundreds of years of history and tradition that the Open rota courses have, one wonders how South African layouts compare to the British experience.
‘Our courses don’t take a step back for variety and conditioning,’ says The Good Doctor, ‘but in the overall experience category we have some way to go. The Open courses are all about the visitor experience and from the moment you arrive you are made to feel special, with little touches such as bag tags, strokesavers and small gifts on arrival.
‘A club like Royal Johannesburg & Kensington is getting there with its new walk of champions, clubhouse upgrades, new cards and the level of detail invested in the visitor experience at the East Course.’
Next on the bucket list for The Good Doctor is a visit to the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach. And you can bet your last sleeve of Pro V1s he will be taking his golf clubs along and ticking off a few American beauties while he’s there.
TOP 10 EXPERIENCES
1. Teeing off early morning at the Old Course, St Andrews.
2. Listening to the bagpipes at Turnberry after playing on a perfect day on the famous links.
3. Walking down the 5th at Royal Portrush and seeing the view over White Rocks near the Giant’s Causeway.
4. Playing Liverpool Hoylake on a pristine day and looking out over the Dee Estuary.
5. Experiencing the buffet lunch at Muirfield with a group of mates.
6. Wandering through the Royal Troon clubhouse and looking at the artefacts, collections and champions’ gallery.
7. Staying at the Dormy House at Royal Lytham and waking up to a perfect day – looking out over the putting green where Ernie Els last won in 2012.
8. Putting for par – and making it – on the 18th at Carnoustie, surrounded by the grandstands for The Open.
9. Seeing the members walking their dogs while playing the 9th at Royal St George’s.
10. Looking for Jordan Spieth’s offline tee shot at Royal Birkdale (it was ridiculously wide).
Given that these courses charge between £180 and £250 (R3 200-R4 500) per round during the shoulder period between high and low seasons, there is no escaping the fact this is an outrageously expensive trip, particularly when one factors in the international and local travel, accommodation, food and beverages.
‘This was a bucket-list experience, so in many ways it was priceless,’ jokes The Good Doctor. ‘Of course it was very costly, but I have so many unforgettable memories and new insights into the sport I love. It’s changed the way I view the game.
‘We prepaid our expenses as much as possible – things like greenfees and accommodation – so it didn’t feel like we were shelling out at every stop. I’ve tried not to look too hard at the overall number, as I think this would bring tears to my eyes.’
FINAL COST
1. Turnberry
Price: £250 low season to £375 high season
Availability: Online, good availability.
The Good Doctor’s tip: Enjoy the halfway house inside the famous lighthouse, including their surprisingly good haggis pie. Make time to listen to the bagpipes at sunset played outside the Turnberry Hotel.
2. Royal Troon
Price: £250
Availability: Moderate. Requires booking on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday as a visitor.
The Good Doctor’s tip: Take a stroll around the clubhouse and appreciate the special collection of Open artefacts and clubs. It was here where Bobby Locke successfully defended his Open Championship title in 1950.
3. Muirfield
Price: £235
Availability: Difficult. Tuesday and Thursday bookings only. Booked up a year in advance – perseverance is key!
The Good Doctor’s tip: Make time to enjoy the range, which is well set out. Take in the clubhouse, with all the traditions and quirks, but be sure to buy your memorabilia from Gullane, just down the road, as the club doesn’t have a pro shop.
4. Carnoustie
Price: £200
Availability: Online, good availability.
The Good Doctor’s tip: Try out the simulator warm-up area Carnoustie has set up. Prepare yourself for the most difficult closing holes in Open golf – named Barry Burn (227m par three), Island (422m par four) and Home (456m par four) – where things can come unstuck very quickly indeed.
5. Old Course, St Andrews
Price: £180
Availability: Entry via the ballot – chances are still good. Alternatively use a tour operator for guaranteed times.
The Good Doctor’s tip: Enjoy the walk around the St Andrews precinct and visit the New/Jubilee Course clubhouse, which has a great view. Make time for some memorabilia shopping and a drink at the Jigger Inn.
6. Royal Portrush
Price: £205
Availability: Online, available weekdays and some slots on weekends.
The Good Doctor’s tip: It’s worth spending some time enjoying this special part of the world, where there is so much to see and take in. Don’t miss out on the Bushmills whisky tour and Giant’s Causeway.
7. Royal St George’s
Price: £190
Availability: Online, selected weekday tee times. Tuesday is the only day that accommodates fourball golf – the rest of the week is typically for twoballs only.
The Good Doctor’s tip: Take in a well-deserved pint on the patio outside the clubhouse after your round and soak up the afternoon sun while you watch fellow golfers finish up.
8. Royal Birkdale
Price: £180 low season, £225 high season
Availability: Online, good availability.
The Good Doctor’s tip: This is one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world – but not when you’re in knee-high rough,
so take an iron off the tee more often than not and keep yourself in play.
9. Royal Liverpool (Hoylake)
Price: £185
Availability: Online, good availability.
The Good Doctor’s tip: If you’ve got time, explore the local region, including parts of Liverpool where Beatles fans can take
in the history of the group.
10. Royal Lytham & St Annes
Price: £205 (accommodation in the Dormy House, including dinner, bed, breakfast and golf, is £236)
Availability: Online request, good availability.
The Good Doctor’s tip: The Dormy stay represents great value. On the course, try to avoid the hundreds of bunkers here or you will be taking sand out of your shoes for the rest of the trip.
– This article first appeared in the July issue of Compleat Golfer, now on sale
