MikeRitzGC

RTJ is the original home of The Presidents Cup. The course 30 miles
outside of our nation’s capital hosted The Presidents Cup in 1994, 1996,
2000 and 2005.
I recently returned to RTJ and played a round with the Director of
Golf, Cary Sciorra and one of his assistant pro’s, Mike Mauk. I also visited
with the rightfully proud course superintendent, Scott Furlong.
There have been a few tweaks made to the course since the last
Presidents Cup here. Many fairway bunkers have been moved and/or
extended to counter how much farther players are now hitting it. And, there
is all new, beautiful white sand in all of the bunkers. It makes for a stunning
panorama — the shining white against the surrounding lush green of the
fairways and rough. By the way, that Bluegrass/Fescue rough is thick, long
and very penal. The undulating greens are still perfect and very fast.
During the Presidents Cups, there were rolling at 14 on the stimpmeter.
Every single hole is gorgeous. Every par-four has, at least, a subtle
dog-leg, giving players options as to just how aggressive they want to be.
The par-fives are of the classic reachable, risk/reward variety. Number 14
is one of my favorite par-fives in the world. A group of bunkers guard the
left side on this slight dog-leg left. If you’ve got the gumption and the length
to carry them, you’re left with the chance to get home in two. Ahh, but then
you’re facing a shot with a long-iron or hybrid to a shallow green that is
guarded by a pond that goes right up to green’s front-edge. You could see
threes or sevens here.

Two of the finest par-threes outside of Royal Dornoch are the
bookends for a spectacular three-hole stretch. Number 9 plays between
190 and 200 yards from an elevated tee to a light-bulb shaped green
surrounded by Lake Manassas. It is one of the most beautiful holes you'll ever see.
Ten is a short par-4, dog-leg left with bunkers at the fairway’s corner,
again giving players a chance to either take the risk and cut the dog-leg, or
lay-up short of the trouble. From the forward tees, it's a fabulous drivable par-4.
Then comes another breathtaking par-3. Number 11 can play
anywhere from 190 to 215 yards, across water, to a wide, shallow green
that is perched precariously above Lake Manassas. Any tee-ball that
comes up just a little bit short will — most likely — run down a very steep,
shaved hill, right into the lake.
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club is one of America’s greatest courses,
given to us by one of the nation’s greatest architects.

As the saying goes: “It’s a beautiful day at Pinehurst.” Well, that’s an understatement. The golf is second to none; and the resort defines “the lap of luxury.”

I recently stayed at Pinehurst so I could play Donald Ross’s historic Number 2 for the first time since the stunning restoration by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. I played it exactly one year after Number 2 hosted both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Opens. The only difference from what everyone saw on TV those two weeks was that the course was beautifully lush and green. Yet, incredibly, it still played as the firmest, fastest course I’ve ever experienced anywhere in the world.

Those conditions make Pinehurst No. 2 so demanding. When hitting approach shots into the very firm greens in regulation, the actual landing areas are much smaller than the size of the greens. If you don’t hit your approach into the proper spot, with the proper trajectory, your ball is bound to run off far from the hole, probably off the green.

As all have seen on television, the green complexes at No. 2 are unlike any to be found in America. They harken back to Royal Dornoch, in The Scottish Highlands, where Donald Ross grew up and started his career. False fronts, false sides, false backs. When I played (missing many a green), what struck me the most was how different you must play your pitches and chips around the greens. The ground and grass are so firm, you can actually hear a short pitch shot land on the green.
The entire experience is delightful. It’s not that you must be creative, but it’s that you get to be creative.
Playing Pinehurst No. 2, walking with a caddie, is one of the greatest experiences a golfer can enjoy. The course is gorgeous. Every hole sets up wonderfully from the tee. No surprises — no tricks. Just perfect fairways winding through the tall pines and restored “natural areas.”

Donald Ross considers No. 2 his greatest accomplishment. He loved it so much that he made his home here. The course presents a complete test of the game. In a sense, you’ve got to play each hole backwards. Know where the pin is, then understand what angle you’ll need to approach it. That will then determine where you want to hit your tee shot. To be successful you must think your way around the course. And you will probably hit every club in your bag. It’s no wonder the United States Golf Association has decided to make Pinehurst No. 2 a part of its U.S. Open rotation.

To top it off is the Pinehurst Resort, itself. I was lucky enough to stay at The Carolina Hotel, the centerpiece of the resort for some 100 years. The old southern charm combined with an incredibly professional, pleasant and helpful staff and fabulous food make you feel quite special.

There are now nine courses at Pinehurst. You can fly into Raleigh/Durham and the resort will send a van to pick you up. And once at the resort, a very well-oiled shuttle system can get you anywhere on the property quickly and efficiently. You could easily spend nine days there, play a different course every day and not worry about a rental car or where to eat. Just bring your clubs and a game. And, try to not hold up the group behind you when you stop to take all of those pictures.

World Ranking 31, Scotland 5

Carnoustie does not let you relax. Every shot from tee through green requires planning and execution. If you try to “hit-and-hope” here, your hopes will not be fulfilled.

In essence, you play each hole backwards. Figure out first where you want your approach to finish, then where you need to it your tee-shot to give you a chance to fulfill your 2nd-shot plan. Oh, and you may want to figure out how to best avoid all those bunkers, burns, heather and gorse with your tee-ball.
Golf has been played over the links at Carnoustie since the 1500s, The present course came into being in 1850, when it was designed by golf’s first professional, Alan Robertson of St Andrews. Some 20 years later Old Tom Morris tweaked and extended the course to 18 holes (4565 yards).

The first British Open Championship at Carnoustie was played in 1931 — won by Tommy Armour. Prior to the 1937 Open Championship the final 3 holes at Carnoustie were redesigned by James Wright, a local man, and he produced what has come to be regarded as the toughest finishing stretch in golf. The 16th is a 250-yard par-3. In the 3rd round of the 1968 Open Championship, the hole was playing directly into the wind. Jack Nicklaus, who hit driver, was the only man in the field to hit the green in regulation. In 1975, 5-time Open Champion Tom Watson failed to hit the 16th in regulation in all five rounds he played — including during the Monday play- off win over Jack Newton. In fact, Watson made bogey 5-of-5 times.

 While you’re laboring around one of our game’s most demanding courses, you’ll enjoy the history you’re sharing with so many of the game’s greats. In 1953, Ben Hogan decided to travel to the U.K. for the first time to play in the Open Championship at Carnoustie. He won famously, thus completing the Hogan Triple Crown after triumphing at both The Masters and the U.S. Open that year.

Though the Scots adored the “Wee Ice Mon”, he wasn’t too keen on the course. It was his first, and last, appearance at the British Open. “I’ve got a lawn mower back in Texas, I’ll send it over,” Hogan said after winning.

Jack Nicklaus certainly was not enamored by Carnoustie at first. This is what he said in 1983: “When I first went to Carnoustie in 1967 to play a television match with Arnold and Gary, I thought Carnoustie was the worst golf course I’d ever seen. And by the time I’d finished the Open in 1968, I thought it was the hardest golf course I’d ever seen, but a darn good course, and I really had great respect for it. and the last time I went back in ’75, I had even greater respect for it. Now Carnoustie is one my favorites.”

The 6th at Carnoustie is a wonderful 570-yard par-5 and the home of the very first “Hogan’s Alley.” There is out-of-bounds all the way down the left side; and on the final day (two 18-hole rounds), Hogan decided the best position off the tee was between the OB left and the bunkers that normally guard the left side of the fairway. He started his drive left of the fence and cut it back into play, left of those bunkers. Actually, I should say “drives,” plural. Because you see, as legend has it, in his second round that day his drive at 6 stopped right next to the divot hole where his first drive had ended up in his morning round.

Of course, when you play the 18th, keep in mind the 1999 finish of Jean Van de Velde and his painfully famous finishing triple-bogey that cost him the Claret Jug. If you feel the urge, play the hole with just a 7-iron for your first two shots and see if you can make the double-bogey 6 which would have won Van de Velde the Open.
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World Ranking 87, Scotland 12

You probably, like me, were first introduced to Castle Stuart when it hosted the Scottish Open from 2011 through 2013. It opened in 2009. As I hope you saw on Golf Channel and NBC, it’s where Phil Mickelson won his Scottish the week before he won his British at Muirfield in 2013. Thankfully, the plans are for Castle Stuart to be a part of the new rotation of courses hosting the Scottish Open in the near future.

As beautiful and spectacular as Castle Stuart looks on television, it is even more stunning in person. Again, I can only gaze in awe at the job Mark Parsinen (Kingsbarns’s creator) did in crafting this course and property. Of course, he was not alone in sculpting Castle Stuart. 2016 Olympic Golf course designer, Gil Hanse, is the co-course architect on the letter head. Castle Stuart’s General Manager, Stuart McColm played a major role in crafting the course and all of the immaculate grounds and stunning clubhouse. Stuart paid such incredible attention to detail — even making sure the clubhouse’s over-hangs were “just so”, to make sure a setting sun doesn’t keep you from enjoying the panoramic view of The Highlands and sea after your round. He also serves as a most gracious host.

Like Kingsbarns, and unlike the old, historic links courses in Scotland, Castle Stuart has a wonderful practice facility and a clubhouse with a modern pro shop, impressive locker room and a restaurant/bar serving great food and some rare brews and single malts.

A major part of the “Castle Stuart Experience” is the caddies. They are true professionals and greatly enhance your game and entertainment.

Castle Stuart, like Pebble Beach and Royal Dornoch, is one of those courses that leads me to tell people, “If you don’t play golf, you’re missing out on some of the most beautiful spots in the world.”

Castle Stuart has been praised as “the greatest modern links course.” I’ll go one step further and call it one of the world’s greatest links courses, period.

Like any true links, it’s firm and fast, bordered by the sea, buffeted by wind, encouraging you to play the game on the ground. American-style golf won’t suit you here. Just ask Phil.

Six holes run right along the shore of the Moray Firth. Another two abut Castle Stuart Bay. The sea and the Highlands are visible everywhere, with views of the Kessock Bridge and the Canonry Lighthouse. And, of course, there’s Castle Stuart, itself — it serves as the stoic background to the beautifully framed par-3 4th.

The course is challenging, but fair to all handicap levels. Just don’t fool yourself by playing from the wrong set of tees. Remember, tee it forward. One of the wonderful characteristics is that you can see the expanse of every hole from the tee and understand what your options are and what is needed to be successful.

For example, if you want to try to reach the par-5 2nd in two, your best bet is to hit your drive to the plateau on the upper left side of the fairway. If you want to play it as a three-shot hole, hit your tee ball to the hollow on the lower right side of the fairway to set up an easier lay-up shot with your second. And, of course, try not to be too intimidated with your approach — as you look at a green that seems to be hanging precariously over the very edge of the sea.

The 3rd hole is one of the coolest drivable par-4s you’ll ever play. It’s 305 from the tips, 266 from the tees most will play. As you stand on the tee and look at a plateaued green that looks like a sliver, with the beach to the right and pot bunkers short, you might re-think your decision and put the driver back in the bag. But, hey, what the heck — how often are you going to be here — go for it!

This course offers you things you will rarely see anywhere else — you’ll be gawking at the infinity green at the 7th that appears to flow to the Moray Firth hundreds of feet below. By the way — WAY over there is Royal Dornoch.

Dunes, gorse, heather, pot bunkers, beach. Choke down, hit it low, keep it out of the wind. Enjoy one of the finest links experiences you’ll ever have.

World Ranking #6, Scotland #1

The great golf wordsmith, Herbert Warren Wind wrote of his first trip to Royal Dornoch in the June 6, 1964 edition of The New Yorker: “It is the most natural course in the world ... no golfer has completed his education until he has played and studied Royal Dornoch.”

Dornoch is about a 40-minute drive north of Inverness, the Capital of Scotland’s Highlands. A drive of nearly four hours from St. Andrews — and well worth it.

The clubhouse and the first-tee sit high on a ridge, the curving bay of the Dornoch Firth and the North Sea below. The first eight holes follow the ridge, around and down. Then you turn in the opposite direction and play along the sea through the 16th.

The views from every hole are, well, breathtaking. Royal Dornoch is even more spectacular than Pebble Beach. And, it’s a better golf course — more challenging, more demanding, more innovative.

The original 9-hole course that is part of today’s current lay-out was opened in 1877. Nine years later the Club invited Old Tom Morris to survey the links. He massaged the original nine, and then three years later, Old Tom built the second nine, completing the 18-hole course we all can play today. He incorporated the doglegs he had invented at The Old Course and created green complexes that were unlike any others in the world. Of course, now the greens of Royal Dornoch are copied everywhere. They were the first “upside down saucers,” with not just false fronts, but false backs and sides, as well. Old Tom built the greens atop natural plateaus. Hitting these greens is quite the challenge, especially when the course is firm and fast and the wind is blowing. Oh, by the way, that’s just about always.

The greens at Donald Ross’s Pinehurst Number-2 are mole hills compared to those at Royal Dornoch.
It is no coincidence that we see much of Royal Dornoch in many of Ross’s designs. He was born in Dornoch in 1872. He would grow up playing golf at Dornoch before becoming its head greenskeeper and then its professional. It’s that background and influence that Ross brought with him to the States.

Above all else, Royal Dornoch has the best group of par-threes in the world. Holes 2, 6, 10 and 13. Not one of them is longer than 184 yards, even from the tips. More evidence a hole does not need to be long to be challenging. The second will serve as an example. It’s 184 from the Blues. The green is 41 yards long, sloping from front to back. And it’s a plateau with steep fall-offs to both sides and the rear. Then there are two steep bunkers guarding both the front-left and front-right. I was lucky enough to just miss the right-hand bunker. But then I had to try to figure out how to get my ball on a green that was ten feet above me. Options: pitch it into the bank, hit the lob-shot of my life onto the surface, putt it. I opted for putting with a hybrid and was lucky enough to make what was voted as “The up-and-down of the week.” Yahoo!

I’ve played two-thirds of the top 100 ranked courses in the world. And after my experience at Dornoch, I make it my number-one.

By the way, be weather-ready when you play Dornoch. When we teed off on one it was a beautiful 70 degrees, with sunshine and a 15-mile-per-hour wind. When we turned along the beaches of the North Sea at the 12th, we were overwhelmed by pouring rain and a wind of 35 mph. Yes a 3-and-a- half club wind! Well, we wanted a full Scottish experience; and we got it?

I want to thank my caddy for telling me at the first tee that I wouldn’t need my umbrella or waterproofs. So he took them out of my bag and left them in the locker room. Thanks Tom.

That leads me to the downside of our Royal Dornoch experience. Only one of our four caddies was a true professional and the other three were of little help. Unless you can get a guarantee from the caddy-master that yours are experienced professionals, I would advise you to opt for a push-cart and a course guide. This was the only place in Scotland where we didn’t have the very best carrying our bags. Also, don’t expect much from the restaurant and bar in the clubhouse. Poor service and mediocre food.

Royal Dornoch is clearly a place to go just for the golf. And as far as that is concerned, there is no place as good.

Ranked 50 in the World, #6 in Scotland

Kingsbarns should be familiar to those who are fans of Golf Channel’s coverage of The European Tour. It is one of three courses (St. Andrews Old Course and Carnoustie) that have been host to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship since it began in 2001. It’s a mere 12-minute drive from the town-center of St. Andrews.

The stunning golf links at Kingsbarns weren’t built until 2000, but once you’ve seen and played them, you’d swear they’ve been there since the Kingsbarns Golfing Society was formed in 1793. Even more amazing — virtually all of this property was shaped and planted by man. It looks like a perfect Scottish Links course that was shaped by nature and sheep hundreds of years’ ago. Kudos to developer Mark Parsinen, who saw some amazing potential when he first glimpsed at this land; and then realized it with the help of golf course architect Kyle Phillips. Parsinen wanted to create the perfect Scottish Golf experience. He succeeded.

Kingsbarns is one of the most beautiful courses you can ever play. Holes 2, 3, 12,15, 16 and 17 are laid out right along the shores of the North Sea and the Firth of Tay. The sea is visible from every hole and the wind it produces is felt on every shot.

The entire property is immaculate, from the modern driving-range to the brass flagsticks on the practice putting green. The Pro Shop offers some beautiful clothes. The restaurant and bar provides a perfect spot to unwind and debrief after your round. My ravenous partners swear the nachos were the best they’ve ever had. Nachos in Scotland!

The course was pristine — in as good a condition as any P.G.A. Tour course I’ve visited. The caddies were fabulous. And then there’s Kingsbarns’s Chief Executive, Alan Hogg. He seems to be everywhere to make sure everything is perfect for his guests. Alan was last seen with eight cell-phones at his feet as he took group pictures of two foursomes who just had to have the picture on each and every phone. There were smiles all around.

You will love playing this course. It is welcoming to all skill levels. Wide enough and approachable for the high handicapper from the forward tees. From the tips, it’s all the course any scratch golfer can handle. You are required to think through every shot; and there are so many options on every shot — from your tee-ball to a green-side pitch. It’s firm and fast with humps and hollows and heather and gorse.

The greeting in the Kingsbarns course guide reads: “In addition to enjoying our Worldwide Top 100 ranked course, we hope lifelong memories of our comfortable, friendly and attentive service complete your ‘Kingsbarns Experience’.”

Ahhh. What an experience it was.

Ranked 7 in the world, 2 in Scotland.

Mecca.

The birthplace of our game. The one course all golfers must play before they move on to the 19th hole-in-the-sky.

This might sound strange (consider the source), but The Old Course at St. Andrews might be the most under-rated course in the world. Yes, it’s ranked seventh globally and second in Scotland, but many reviewers say The Old Course is great because of its historical significance, not because of its lay-out and design. I beg to differ.

I’ve now been lucky enough to play The Old four times; and every time I play it, I appreciate it even more. It is truly a great trak. Every single shot requires your full attention. There are so many subtleties that come into play on every hole. Bunkers to avoid, angles to take, which side of which mogul to hit off the tee, where to land your approach so it bounces to the green, not the gorse. How do you keep your approach shot below the hole so you won’t putt your ball off the green? You will use every club in your bag over the 18 holes at The Old Course — to me a sign of a truly great course.

There’s The Principal’s Nose, Spectacles, Bobby Jones’s Bunker, The Road Hole Bunker, The Valley of Sin, The Swilcan Bridge ... so many bunkers ... so many places you have seen on TV or read about ... and now you’re playing there, yourself. This is where Bobby Jones got his second Open Championship win in 1927 ... Snead won at St. Andrews in 1946 ... Peter Thomson won his 2nd of three straight Opens at The Old in 1955 ... Jack won here twice ... So did Tiger. So much history here and now you’re playing there, yourself.

Undoubtedly, you will play two of the most nerve-racking shots of your life at St. Andrews. You will definitely feel the first-tee jitters as you start your historic round in front of the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse. As nervous as you might be at this mythical course, remember the first fairway is 140 yards wide! Worry about your second shot when you need to clear the Swilcan Burn.

Your nerves will be tested at the end of the round, as well. Expect to play the 18th hole in front of a crowd. Scots love this game they invented; and they will stop and watch anyone play it. The 18th green at the Old Course is almost always surrounded by the good people of St. Andrews. After all, they do own the course.

If you want to guarantee a tee time at The Old Course, my advice is to do it close to a year in advance. Head to www.standrews.com to get started.

When you play any of these wonderful courses in Scotland, make sure to take caddies. They will certainly help you navigate these mysterious links; and most will share quite a bit of history, peppered with a few salty jokes.

Three of my mates and I recently had the golf trip of a lifetime in Scotland -- six courses in six days. Our first stop was historic North Berwick and its West Links. This was, absolutely, the perfect course for our first day. After flying over-night from the States into Edinburgh, we certainly weren't ready to play a beast of a course like Carnoustie.
North Berwick is steeped in history; and provides a wonderful challenge. It's not exceedingly difficult, but it does make you think and execute on every single shot. You're also, more than likely, going to hit every club in your bag -- some from spots you only see in Scotland. The West Links at North Berwick is a course ranked 65th in the world and 9th in Scotland. It is deserving of both.
North Berwick is one of the birthplaces of our game -- golf has been played there since the early 1600s. But alas, the current West Links is a mere baby. The course you play today was officially opened on Saturday, April 23, 1877 -- shortly after co-designer Old Tom Morris put his finishing touches on the links.
The setting along the Firth of Forth is spectacular, with views of the islands named Bass Rock, Craigleith, Lamb and Fidra. (sound like good names for whisky, don't they?) And with its seaside setting, you're guaranteed to encounter plenty of Scottish wind -- great fun.
The course is not very long -- just 6464 yards from the tips. You don't need driver on several holes, but there is plenty of trouble to avoid: steep pot-bunkers, heather, gorse and the beach. On the par-4 14th, known as Perfection, I was anything but. I ripped a drive towards the left side of the fairway, too far left. As my ball went bounding across the firm fairway, towards the sea, my caddy said: "I believe you've run out of Scotland." Indeed.
There are many memorable holes at North Berwick, including one of the greatest par-3s in history -- the 15th, REDAN. It is the original -- sloping severely from front right to back left with two cavernous bunkers guarding the front of the green. It is a hole-design that has been copied many times.
My favorite hole would have to be the short par-4 13th. 374 yards from the back tee. It seems simple enough until you reach your drive and see what lies ahead .... a four-foot high stone wall, hundreds of years old, guards the green. If you can rid yourself of the visual intimidation, it's really not an insurmountable challenge. If. This has got to be one of the coolest holes in the world.
Make sure to take a caddy. And enjoy the incredible hospitality from the clubhouse to the pro shop. When you visit North Berwick, you'll realize the people of Scotland are as wonderful as their courses.