There’s only one word to describe the site of this year’s British Open—daunting. The Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Club is a premier links course and among the toughest in professional golf. It’s hosted 10 Open Championships, two Ryder Cups, and numerous other major tournaments including the Women’s and Seniors Open Championships. This course features one of the toughest finishes in golf, a highly deceptive front nine, and a menacing collection of over 200 well-placed bunkers. This year’s Open winner will need to be accurate, disciplined, and smart.
The Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Club is not your typical Open venue. It’s the only Open course to have three par-3s on the front nine and the only Open course to be surrounded on three sides by houses. Bobby Jones won the first Open championship here in 1926. Other winners at Lytham include Peter Thomson, Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros (twice), Tom Lehman, and David Dual, who won in 2001. An out-and-home links course, Lytham can’t be over powered. Instead, it must be carefully negotiated.
Front Nine Is Demanding
Some consider the front nine, with its three dicey par-3s the more demanding side. The first hole (par-3, 205 yards) provides a good sampling of the dangers ahead. It plays anywhere between a 7-iron and a hybrid, depending on the strength of the wind, and features a green guarded by nine treacherous bunkers. The fifth hole (par-3, 219-yards) demands an arrow straight tee shot to avoid the five bunkers surrounding the green. A stretch of dead ground in front of the green often fools golfers, making the hole appear longer than it actually is.
he ninth hole (par-3, 165 yards) also requires precision. Miss-hit your drive and you can easily find yourself in one of the nine bunkers surrounding the hole. Club selection is critical particularly when the hole is cut to the green’s front. Anything long leaves a treacherous pitch or putt down a green that slopes from the back left corner. Another critical hole on the front is the third (par-4, 478 yards). Among the course’s hardest holes at the 2001 Open, it’s 20 yards longer this year and promises to be just as hard as in 2001, if not harder.
Murder Mile On The Back
Most experts think the back nine is the more demanding of the two sides. This side works back toward the clubhouse with a few diversions here and there. The key is the home stretch, often called Murder Mile. It starts with the daunting 14th (par-4, 444 yards), which is particularly testing when played into the wind. This year it’s even harder thanks to a new fairway bunker on the landing area’s left. The 15th (par-4, 462 yards) is the longest par-4 on the homeward nine and probably the course’s most difficult hole. Then comes the 16th (par-4, 336 yards), Lytham’s shortest par-4 but far from easy. It requires a blind tee shot over a sand dune to a hidden fairway tightened with help from a new bunker on the left-hand side. Miss the landing area and you’re in deep trouble.
The 17th (par-4, 453 yards) was the second most difficult hole on the course in 2001 and will probably be the same in 2012, despite some modifications. The landing area is small and protected by bunkers and dense scrub. But it’s the 18th (par-4, 413 yards) that’s the real killer. Some consider it among the toughest finishes in Open play. It requires an extremely accurate drive to a small landing area. At some points the target area is no more than 20 yards wide. The hole appears even tighter when standing on the tee. The addition of three new fairway bunkers makes accuracy a must on this hole.
Winning at Lytham won’t be easy. You can’t overpower this course. Instead, you must hit pinpoint drives and accurate approach shots. You also must manage the course exceptionally well. Plus, you must avoid the bunkers. Hit into five bunkers during a round and you’ll probably have an impossible lie in one. If you want an up-close look at Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s course, the British Open 2012 website features an excellent interactive course guide, with videos, fly overs, close-ups, and breathtaking photos of the course and its surroundings.
