Carnoustie Course Guide

The opening hole at Carnoustie, ‘Cup’, seems benign at first glance, but has much more to it. Add in any first-tee jitters, and the hole becomes a tricky one to make par on. Out of bounds and a burn lurk to the left-hand side of a fairway that cambers to the right, with a bunker placed in ideal tee-shot range. Find the first fairway on the left side and you’ll have earned a view of the green. If you err on the side of caution, however, a rare blind approach at Carnoustie awaits from the right half, and it’s important to avoid the small bunker hidden on the right side of the green. A par here is a solid opening score. 

The second hole at Carnoustie is a difficult challenge, stretching over 430 yards at full length and with a tricky crosswind commonly felt. Bunkers will find any errant tee shots, and a long green presents challenges of clubbing, in particular on a wet day. Make par here, and you’ll be happy heading to the third hole. 

Jockie’s Burn is a short par-4 at just 325 yards, but requires good positional strategy as well as execution. Players have room to hit their tee shots, but must decide how aggressive they wish to be on this very slight dog-leg right. Fairway bunkers await loose shots to both sides and those who prove too bold could find the burn that cuts in from the end of the fairway. From a good position in the fairway, a short approach yields a good birdie opportunity, but any approach caught slightly heavy will find Jockie’s Burn, which guards the very front of the green. 

Another slight dog-leg follows at the fourth, and players will be looking to pick up a further birdie here. Bunkers are in play with most clubs off the tee, but a good drive up the left will open up the only double green on the course, shared with 14. It’s crucial to again club correctly, and avoid an array of bunkers protecting any loose approach shots to the right or left. A good chance for birdie, however, as players look to find their way under par early on.

Characterised by a two-tiered green, pin placement on this hole can determine if Brae represents a great birdie chance or not. A top-tier pin position adds significant length to the hole, and with a tricky tee shot requiring successful navigation of two bunkers and a ditch at the end of the fairway, it is important to remain focused on the fifth.

One of the most famous holes at Carnoustie, the sixth can be a brutal hole, particularly as it is usually played straight into the prevailing wind. Out of bounds runs all the way down the left, and two bunkers sit in the middle of the fairway. Players can either attempt to go down ‘Hogan’s Alley’, a narrow strip of fairway to the left of the bunkers and tight to the out of bounds, that Ben Hogan famously hit all four days on his way to winning The Open in 1953, or they can bail out to the right-hand side. Choosing the latter option, however, brings more bunkers and rough into the equation, and the lay-up area becomes just as intimidating at times as going for the green. Mercifully a fairly innocuous surface, the green will be out of reach in two for the majority of players on most days. On a still day, the sixth is a good birdie chance, but on a windy day, a par here will likely pick up shots on the field.

Out of bounds continues to run down the left-hand side of Plantation. Longer hitters posses a distinct advantage on this hole, with the ability to potentially carry two dangerous bunkers that await tee shots bailed out to the right. For shorter hitters, a very accurate drive will be required, or a positional play short of the bunkers on the right. If the fairway is found with the tee shot, which is no mean feat, the seventh then becomes an excellent birdie chance.

The first par 3 on the Carnoustie Championship Course is aptly named, but don’t be fooled into thinking 'Short' is easy. Out of bounds is incredibly tight on the left side of the green, and any player who sends the ball slightly left will be praying one of the two greenside bunkers prevents a third shot from the tee. A further bunker awaits short right, as the green sits above the player. A common crosswind adds to the difficulty, and presents a challenge to even the best of ball-strikers.

Like Plantation, Railway has a well-protected fairway with bunkers on both sides. Long hitters may attempt to carry the bunkers and find the fairway beyond, but many players will lay back of the bunker 240 yards down the left-hand side. From there, a lengthy approach awaits, and a back-left pin is highly inaccessible. A front pin represents the best chance to make a birdie on this tricky hole.

Over 420 yards long, South America provides a difficult start to one of the toughest nines in championship golf. Bunkers guard the right side of the fairway very well, and the safe shot, depending on the wind, is a long iron or wood towards the distant bunker. Bolder tee shots will flirt with the right-hand-side bunkers, but will be rewarded with a shorter approach, which is especially valuable on the 10th. The Barry Burn intersects 30 yards or so short of the green, and a tree overhanging down the right side is visually intimidating. Two front-left bunkers make the entrance to this small green very tight, and a regulation par would be a very good result for the players in August.

The par-4 11^th provides some respite after the difficult 10^th, with two options for players off the tee. Depending on the wind and tee placement, John Philp can be drivable, and with a fairly large green straddled by small bunkers on either side, the substantial risk of going for the green can pay off with an eagle. If the tee is back or the wind into, however, players can lay up short of four fairway bunkers and still have a short approach to the green, which slopes from back to front. Approach shots stop fairly quickly, but players will want to leave their ball under the hole for the easiest birdie chance.

After hopefully picking up a birdie on the 11^th, players now move into a three-hole scoring stretch with two par-5s. The first of these is Southward Ho, a hole that stretches over 500 yards at full length, and depending on the wind can offer a straightforward birdie chance or a tricky test to make par. With little wind, players will be able to leave themselves just over 200 yards without bringing any fairway bunkers into play. From there, a wonderful design at the mouth of the green awaits. A narrow ‘T’ shape entrance, with bunkers on both sides, must be accessed to hit the green beyond. The longest hitters will be able to carry onto the green directly. If unable to reach in two, however, players will be able to find a fairly generous layup area and try to make their birdie with a wedge in hand.

Carnoustie’s shortest hole is Whins, a tricky hole whenever the wind gusts. With firm conditions and a helping breeze, accessing any front flag will prove highly difficult, but with a 43-yard long green in an hourglass shape, pin position again will dictate the shot that players will attempt. A devilish front bunker lurks for poorly struck shots, while run off areas to the right and left also possess magnetic bunkers for off-line shots. With a friendly wind and pin, though, players will be looking to make a two on this wonderful Championship hole.

Another famous par-5 on the Carnoustie Championship layout, the 14^th hole can represent a great birdie chance. But, as with every hole at Carnoustie, players must be on their guard. A drive down the right half, avoiding a lone bunker expertly placed on that side, will leave the players with a good angle to the long double green shared with the fourth. However, players will need to avoid the Spectacles, two giant cross bunkers guarding the green. A ball landing in these turns a potential eagle chance into a damage limitation exercise. If a player can’t carry the Spectacles, then a relatively easy layup is an option should they wish to avoid disaster. A brilliant Championship hole that offers the last clear birdie chance at Carnoustie, with quite possibly the toughest closing four holes in golf lying ahead.

Lucky Slap is a brutal hole, and two strokes true to the hole's name may be required to find this putting surface. Often played into the wind and with a narrow drive in prospect, the tee shot may look benign to the untrained eye, but mounds to the left on the seemingly safe side can create irregular stances and make swinging difficult for a highly testing, long approach. Two bunkers and gorse to the right-hand side will gobble up loosely played strokes. If the fairway is successfully found, the player’s job doesn’t become any easier, with a miniscule window needing to be found with a long approach shot. Players who have the luxury to carry two cross bunkers just short of the green still face issues finding the putting surface, with further traps protecting both sides of the green. Par here, and players will have gained on the field.

At 220 yards, Barry Burn is one of the toughest par-3s the competitors at the AIG Women's Open will play all year long, particularly with any kind of wind into, which is commonly the direction of the gale on this daunting hole. A short left bunker is perfectly placed to catch running shots, with a trio of sand traps guarding the right-hand side. A long, thin green awaits, and a shot over the bunker to the left of the surface certainly gives players missing the green the best chance to salvage a score. As is the case on the previous hole and the following two, a par is an excellent score.

The first of two iconic parallel holes, Island is a visually wonderful hole from the tee. For players yet to experience the hole, picking a line can prove tricky in what seems more like an archipelago than a single island which the Barry Burn intersects. The cut-off point from the Burn ensures players will likely be unable to hit driver, despite the significant length of the hole. The best of tee shots down the right will leave a more manageable, if not short, approach, while a stroke down the left, although much riskier and leaving a longer approach, will open up the green. The approach shot is tricky regardless of wind direction, with bunkers seemingly dotted around the entire front section of the green. Finding this putting surface and making a par would again be an excellent effort.

One of golf’s most well-known closing tests, very few holes in the history of the game have provided more drama. The champion of the 2021 AIG Women’s Open will know that no lead is safe until the 72^nd hole is completed. Out of bounds, water and bunkers are all abundant on this hole, and many have fallen foul of all three. From the tee, a driver is likely required to take the Barry Burn out of play short, right and left, but use of that club will bring in three bunkers to the right-hand side and gnarly mounded rough to the left further up. An incredibly narrow gap must be found, and anything less than driver will leave a lengthy approach. Bunkers surround the green, but are in fact a good result for many players, with out of bounds running perilously tight down the left, and the Barry Burn famously short of the green. The player who navigates the closing four holes at Carnoustie best, including the treacherous 18th, will more than likely be the Champion come Sunday night.