Ogilvy On Lytham: "It is a sort of 'non-seaside' links."

Geoff Ogilvy on playing Lytham in 2001 and other memories of the place he first saw in 1996.

Still, while the first nine at Lytham is no pushover, it is the back nine that sticks in the memory. The six-hole string of par 4s heading home, after the potentially card-wrecking par-3 12th, is a stretch any golfer will be glad to play even par if the prevailing breeze is blowing. I know that to be true. In 2001 I was back at Lytham, this time to play in the Open. I missed the cut, but I recall enjoying the challenges presented by that tough inward half.

Gary Player Interrupts His Memories Of Lytham To Advocate Spending Money On Kids Instead Of Changing Golf Courses

Gary Player files a lovely Observer remembrance of his win at Lytham, though it is short on details about nearly losing his ball on 18--that is peppered with anecdotes and tips on playing the course.

Included is this nice little sidetrack of a rant.

They have made deeper and more riveted bunkers on the 2nd and other holes at Lytham, although the fact they have to do that concerns me on a wider scale. Lytham is hosting the greatest golf tournament on earth and they have to change the golf course.

It is happening everywhere, at the cost of hundreds of millions of pounds. And why? All that needs to happen is that the ball needs to be slowed down in the professional game. They shouldn't have to make changes to these great golf courses; money wasted on that should be spent on youth, the trustees of prosperity.

Tiger Ably Describes Rough "Almost Unplayable" In Spots; UK Papers Declare His Shock, Horror And Sadness!

Last night I read but could not post Bob Harig's story catching up with Tiger Woods following his Sunday practice round at Lytham.

Tiger described what he saw:

Woods noted that the rough is more difficult than he remembered it at Lytham, likely due to the prolific rain the area has seen. "In some places, it is almost unplayable,'' he said.

Nonetheless, Woods was thankful to see the course on a relatively nice day, with the sun shining and the wind blowing.

Yet The Guardian described Woods as "shocked," the Daily Mail says Woods "fears" the hay, the BBC says he is "questioning" the tall stuff, the Mirror says he was less than "polite," while the Telegraph offered the more modest suggestion that Tiger is "keen to avoid" the rough.

Photos Surfacing Of Horribly Overgrown Open Championship Rough

Actually they are on the Open Championship Facebook page. Thanks reader Joel for spotting them.

Sadly, this lower image did not include a caption. I'm sure we can help them, no?

Scottish Tabloid Shocked Trump International Tee Sheet Is Not Booked Dawn To Dusk

The Daily Record's Jamie Milligan is shocked to learn that Trump International is not fully booked out in its opening week and is not as "exclusive" as billed because he was able to sneak on from the beach and play a hole.

They were also offered early-morning and late-afternoon slots for all of the opening week and next weekend.

A round on the 7400-yard, par 72 course costs £150on weekdays and £200 at weekends.
People living in Aberdeenshire can play at a discounted rate of £120during the week and £160 on Saturdays and Sundays.

One golfer who called to book said: “I was keen to play the course to see what all the fuss is about.

“I asked when the first available tee time was and I was stunned to be told I could play at the grand opening. They offered me a tee time for four people at 3.15pm on the opening day.

“I was also told I could get early-morning slots at 7.30 and 7.45 for any day this week.

“I was really taken aback. I was expecting to be told it would be some time after Christmas before I could get a round there.”

Photos: Castle Stuart Sunday

Jeev Milkha-Singh won the Scottish Open in a playoff and gained a spot in next week's Open Championship.

"Hoping I'll finish top three or top-5 and take the confidence from there," he said after his round, completed 90 minutes before the final group.

With more wind Sunday the golf course played much more difficult, an early 67 allowed him to catch Francesco Molinari, who he eventually beat in a playoff.

It was an eye-opening weekend for me, as I could not be more impressed with the European Tour-run event. A nice-sized gallery turned out Sunday and the overall flow and operation were seamless despite the one-lane roads leading to the course. And as for Castle Stuart, it exceeded my expectations in every department. No hole better captured the essence of strategic tournament play than the 12th, featured in two images below. Also included are some shots of the excellent village on site for shopping, eating, wagering and promotion of local golf elements, highlighted by the Scottish Golf Union's outreach efforts. No mention of core values anywhere, either.

Lytham here we come!

 

Update on 2012-07-15 22:41 by Geoff

**John Huggan saw a big difference in the setup of Castle Stuart this year compared to last year. And he didn't like what he saw. And I must say, compared to early photos I had seen of the course, the defined fairway and rough look was a shame.

And yet, when the European Tour's finest -- plus welcome guests like Phil Mickelson, Kevin Na and John Rollins from across the pond -- returned to the Inverness area for the second year in succession, they arrived to find Hanse's concepts diminished by a narrowing of the fairways, the growing of rough and the addition of length on many of the holes. Clearly, the low scoring in 2011 -- when Luke Donald won the weather-shortened championship with a 19-under par aggregate for 54-holes -- had convinced those in charge that the course was "too easy." And that something had to be done to make it "more difficult."

Trouble is, all of those changes to the course made little difference to the proliferation of red numbers on the scoreboard. Like every links, Castle Stuart needs hard, fast conditions, firm greens and at least a breeze to make it play its best. So it was that, in almost perfect scoring weather, eventual runner-up Francesco Molinari of Italy led after three rounds on 17-under par.

Scenes Of Inverness, 2012 Scottish Open

I don't think I've quite adequately captured the lovely setting that is Inverness during the Scottish Open, but I can highly recommend this as a great base for someone visiting this area to see Dornoch, Castle Stuart, Nairn, Lossiemouth, Fortrose, Rosemarkie and the many other underrated courses (some mentioned by Gil Hanse in our Q&A). And for non-golfers, you are at the hub of many great sightseeing and outdoor sporting activities as Inverness is the gateway to the Highlands.

You'll find plenty of outstanding Bed and Breakfasts (I highly recommend the centrally located Craigside Lodge), numerous fine restaurants of all varieties and one fantastic pub that was a hub for golf fans (Castle Tavern).

Included here are scenes of the Inverness Castle, Castle Stuart and city: