Tropicana September-October 2022 #144 The Home Issue

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 TROPICANA JOURNEY CLUB
Michele Thomson plays her
third shot at the 14th hole
from under the face of the
"Hell" bunker on the Old
Course at St Andrews
58
OLD COURSE, ST ANDREWS IN SCOTLAND
One of the most notorious golfing hazards in the
world can be found on the long 14th hole of the
Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, the world’s
oldest golf course where the first documented
rounds of golf here date back to 1552! Dubbed
“Hell”, this expansive bunker may be found lurking
in a depression approximately 100 yards before
the putting area. The Entertainment and Sports
Programming Network (ESPN) once said of the
course, “No other golf course has as many famous
landmarks as (the Old Course) St. Andrews, its 112
bunkers and endless hills and hollows have been
cursed for centuries, and many have their own
names and legends.” Reports say that the bunkers at
St Andrews are one of the course’s most important
defences, but they also serve as landmarks to
be noted and avoided for successful Old Course
navigation. Apparently, Tiger Woods did not find a
single bunker during the four days of competition
in 2000 and went on to win by eight, with a record
total of 19-under-par. It was a notable achievement,
as avoiding the 112 sand hazards surrounding St.
Andrews needs a combination of clear thinking,
strategy, and accurate hitting. Throughout the
years, the Old Course bunkers at St. Andrews have
determined the outcome of numerous tournaments.
Players have won Opens by dodging them as well as
THE COUNTRY
CLUB IN
BROOKLINE,
MASSACHUSETTS,
USA
The US Open this year
was held at The Country
Club in Brookline for the
first time in 34 years. The
course at this historic location
presented several obstacles to all of the
golfers participating in the tournament. The
Country Club golf course has narrow landing
spots and thick, lush rough surrounding the
greens, according to a report, but there is one
area that presents the greatest challenge. “It’s
the small, tilty greens. I mean, they are tiny,” said
well-known American golf architect, Gil Hanse
during an interview with The Fried Egg podcast
when he was asked what makes The Country Club
challenging. The 122nd US Open, held in June and
won by Matt Fitzpatrick, was unlike prior events
held at The Country Club, as Gil spearheaded the
restoration effort beginning in 2009, just as he
did at Southern Hills. The Championship Course
has had hundreds of trees chopped down, the
greens have been enlarged, and the short, par-3
12th that is notoriously difficult has been added.
Chris Naegel
plays a second
shot from the
rough on the
tenth hole during
round one of the
2022 US Open
at The Country
Club in Brookline,
Massachusetts
falling victim to their sandy grasp.