This year's British Open features a course that's among the most challenging and the most spectacular in memory. The re-designed Turnberry promises to hold your attention throughout the tournament and to provide the dramatic finish that all golf fans crave from a Major. In other words, the course will offer numerous golf lessons for those players looking for golf tips on how to lower their golf handicaps.
Whoever wins this year's Open, however, must battle the wind, the addition of 20 new fairway bunkers, added length to what was among the shortest of Open venues, and some remarkably difficult greens. In short, Turnberry offers plenty of opportunities to score as well as plenty of death traps where things can go horribly wrong. Accuracy off the tee is this year's watchword.
The Wind Could Factor In
The wind could factor in at Turnberry as it has in other British Opens. Take the first three holes. They work back and fourth parallel to each other, ensuring that at least one of these holes plays into the wind, whichever way it blows. Players must keep the ball low in these strong wins, just as I explain in my golf tips.
The course then runs along the shoreline from south to north. The prevailing southwesterly winds should help the golfers playing this stretch. But the course then turns back inland, constantly changing in character and direction. Thus, golfers who tend to get off to good starts could be hampered by the wind, while those who tend to finish strong may be helped by the wind.
The new bunkers may also be a factor. Twenty new one have been added to the course. Three new fairway bunkers on the first hole will make birdies hard to come by while a new fairway bunker added to the 12th hole makes it particularly challenging. Course length could also be a factor at Turnberry, which is a new challenge for this course. Though once a relatively short Open course, Turnberry extend over 7,200 yards, although the final yardage for the 2009 Championship is yet to be confirmed.
The bunkers tighten up the course considerably, with many driving areas now invaded by sand at the 280-yard mark. But it's the changes to the last three holes that may provide the most dramatic moments in the tournament. It's here that the biggest changes have been made.
The 16th, once a straightforward and relatively short par-4, has been extended and its fairway moved to create a more challenging approach shot to a green that's protected by a deep burn. Accuracy is the key on this hole, which doglegs right. The tee shot must be aimed up the right side. Otherwise, you'll run into deep trouble. Bunkers wait to catch those players not accurate enough to find the fairway from the tee. A watery grave awaits those who take on too much.
The 17th hole, one of the course’s two par-5s and often seen as an excellent eagle opportunity, extends to around 560 yards. The tee-shot is the key here. A good drive provides players the chance to reach this pin in two. The drive must favor the left half of the fairway as any drives leaking right could land in a well-placed fairway bunker. For those not going for the green in two, the lay up shot is an option. But it has to be precise, as there are three hazardous fairway pot bunkers awaiting errant shots.
The 18th is significantly tougher, with the tee having been moved from the right of the 17th green to the left. As a result, the hole becomes a classic risk versus reward tee-shot. Players must decide whether to take on the dogleg or lay up. It’s a long carry over the three fairway bunkers at the left corner of the dogleg. Even a well-struck tee shot that slides to the right finds the gorse. In review the hole's changes make it a tough right-to-left dogleg that's likely to spark plenty of final hole drama.
Overall, the course promises excitement and entertainment. The new Turnberry will challenge even the best golfers and provide golf lessons and golf tips for players of all golf handicaps. And while the changes made to the course may not produce another classic match, don't be surprised if they generate one of the most dramatic finishes in Open history.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.
