What a week. The Fairytale of New York, signed and sealed in utterly dramatic fashion. Captain Donald and his determined twelve will return home as heroes, back-to-back Ryder Cup victors, having conquered team USA and their vexatious Bethpage Patrons in a spectacle of team golf. 15-13 and a historic finish — what a way to banish the disaster of Whistling Straits into distant memory.
This week, it’s a chance to unwind, as the pros head to St Andrews for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, from 2–5 October. This unique competition, running simultaneously as a Pro-Am and an individual Pro tournament, is spread across three prestigious courses: The Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns.
Kingsbarns in mint condition
Perhaps the least well-known, but highly reputable nonetheless, Kingsbarns Golf Links has the potential to provide the toughest challenge for the golfers this week. Golf Today took the chance to catch up with Sean Wiseman, the Caddie Master at Kingsbarns, to find out how the course is looking ahead of the week.
“The course has played quite firm and fast (this summer), due to how dry and hot it’s been. But sometimes that doesn’t contribute to lower scores. Sometimes that just makes it that wee bit trickier”
Stationed seven miles outside of St Andrews, the course stretches along the North Sea coastline. Designed by Kyle Phillips, and playing 7227 yards from the back tees, the Par-72 combines sweeping sea views with undulating fairways, testing greens, and a formidable layout.
Having been closed to the public last Sunday (the 21st of September), Wiseman was full of praise for the course preparations in the buildup to the week ahead: “The greenkeepers have been working quite extensively on it for the last few weeks. The course looks in really good condition: the greens look nice, it’s been a warm summer but we’ve had some rain as well, so yeah, the course looks great.”
The wind will get you
When asked about the challenges posed at Kingsbarns, Wiseman was happy to give his honest assessment: “It’s funny about Kingsbarns – people might think it’s the easiest course out of the three, but if it gets windy, it sometimes becomes the toughest one to score on because the greens are so undulating, and it’s exposed. So if the weather turns, it becomes the toughest one to score on.
“If it’s calm conditions, Kingsbarns tends to produce a lot of birdies, but if the wind is anything more than kind of 15, 20 miles an hour, Kingsbarns will produce the most bogies, because of the greens, and because of the difficulty of the par-3s.”
Whilst the winds look likely to stay below bogey-level on Thursday, conditions are set to rise to a dangerous magnitude heading into the weekend, with Saturday promising peak winds of 28mph in the morning, gusting to 48mph.
If that is the case, the Old Course is the place to be for this week’s golfers, “because they know it so well”, Wiseman noted. “And you can spray it in the Old Course – you can hit it a long way left, you can miss it right sometimes. If it’s windy, you will probably find the most birdies at the Old.”
Signature Holes
Every hole at Kingsbarns provides a slice of paradise, but these three are particularly breathtaking, as picked out by the Caddie Master.
The 12th: Par 5, 606 yards (Professional Tees), 538 yards (Amateur Tees)
One of the two official signature holes. When the pin is located at the back left of the green, golfers are forced to flirt with sand and sea if they dare to go for the green in two strokes. Most golfers lay up down the right side of the fairway, and are left with a wedge onto the 65-yard green.
The 15th: Par 3, 212 yards (Professional Tees), 161 yards (Amateur Tees)
The second signature hole. The breathtaking par 3 can often deceive golfers, with the trees on the left masking any sign of wind. Clubbing up and aiming at the left bunker is the smart play.
The 18th: 444 yards (Professional Tees), 383 yards (Amateur Tees)
The unofficial third signature hole, chosen by the Caddie Master. The Par 4’s approach plays over water, making any result possible at the finish. The left edge of the clubhouse acts as a good marker for the tee shot.
Toughest Holes
If the winds are up, Wiseman reckons that these two holes will take the most victims this week.
The 6th: Par 4, 338 yards (Professional Tees), 309 yards (Amateur Tees)
Wiseman: “The one where Michael Phelps made eagle, years ago. Dependent on the wind direction, that can be a tricky hole. There are so many options on it. You can hit it over the first bunker at 190 for the amateurs – the second one at 220 for the amateurs, or you can lay up. But if the pin position is at the back of the green, it makes it a blind approach. There’s just a lot going on.”
The 4th: Par 4, 425 yards (Professional Tees), 389 yards (Amateur Tees)
Wiseman: “If it plays into the wind, the carry on the bunker becomes really difficult.”
“I’ve seen the winds be so strong that golfers have hit it down the 3rd fairway, on the 4th, trying to take the bunker out of play. Those holes will be quite key.”
Scoring Opportunities
You can expect to see some low scores on these three holes, handpicked by the Caddie Master.
The 3rd: Par 5, 518 yards (Professional Tees), 477 yards (Amateur Tees)
Wiseman: “I’ve seen people get up there (onto the green) in 2, relatively easily.” The tee shot provides an opportunity to rip the driver – anything left of the fairway bounces down the slope and pops out into the short grass, leaving a comfortable approach for the long hitters.
The 16th: Par 5, 569 yards (Professional Tees), 507 yards (Amateur Tees)
It can play quite short with the wind. Lots of room on the left to aim at off the tee. Pin at the front is the most profitable pin location, with a testing bowl at the back left of the green.
The 2nd: Par 3, 200 yards (Professional Tees), 165 yards (Amateur Tees)
Wiseman: “I would say that the 2nd might give you your best chance of making a birdie (for a Par 3), again if the wind conditions are there and playing downwind.” The hole plays downhill – aim down the left side of the green, and kick down to the right.
Headline Acts
So, those are the holes to keep an eye on when you’re watching this week. As for the players, here are the ones to watch…
Professionals
Tommy Fleetwood
Tyrell Hatton
Matt Fitzpatrick
Bob Macintyre
Bubba Watson
Brooks Koepka
Dustin Johnson
Tony Finau
Cam Smith
Patrick Reed
Amateurs
Bill Murray
Wayne Gretzky
Andy Murray
Kevin Pietersen
Ronan Keating
Related: Two LIV Golfers to play the Dunhill Links Championship on the DPWT
