Royal Lytham & St Annes is a particular plot of {golfing} land.
On the one hand, it’s a curiosity on the Open rota since you can’t see the ocean from it – the property sits alongside the railway with housing throughout.
However don’t let that idiot you that this isn’t a real hyperlinks or an impressive take a look at.
Of all of the Open rota programs it distinguishes itself with the numerous bunkers which might be in play and virtually appear to suck in any stray or errant pictures.
The greats have lifted the Claret Jug on this Lancastrian course: Bobby Jones in 1926, Bobby Locke and Peter Thomson within the Fifties, Bob Charles and Tony Jacklin within the Sixties, Gary Participant in 1974, Seve Ballesteros in 1979 and 1988, Tom Lehman in 1996, David Duval in 2001, and Ernie Els in 2012.
It’s a roll of honour that tells you a lot concerning the want for supreme ball hanging, the flexibility to know taking part in within the wind, and a beautiful quick recreation.
The course is famed for its uncommon par-3 1st gap, but in addition the magical 5 holes that observe to make up the primary half dozen.
The par-3 twelfth was stated, by Jack Nicklaus, to be among the many hardest quick holes in golf. It’s adopted by 5 par-4s that take a look at the resolve of any golfer who takes them on. They tack throughout the course earlier than heading up 18 in the direction of the well-known previous clubhouse.
However on the far finish of the course, across the flip, there have been modifications.
Final week’s Lytham Trophy was gained by the Frenchman Hugo Le Goff in sensational fashion. He carded a closing spherical 66 over two-and-a-half hours earlier than the pre-final spherical leaders and everybody else didn’t match his clubhouse goal.
However the championship was additionally the primary reveal of these renovations which could show very important to the membership’s probabilities of internet hosting one other Open – and Golf365 was the one media there to take photographs of these modifications.
Membership secretary Richard Cutler stated: “The modifications have been centred round shifting the par-5 eleventh gap to create house for a brand new main championship observe space.”
That has lengthy been deemed an issue with the course when it comes to internet hosting an Open – there’s restricted house and an Open calls for huge spectators villages, hospitality venues, media and participant constructions, and observe amenities.
In strolling the course prior to now most would have struggled to see the place house could possibly be created – the brand new plan has executed a terrific job.
The par-5 seventh and par-5 twelfth all the time travelled in reverse instructions however whereas there was thick gorse and bush between them it was now been cleared. That has allowed for the dunes to be revealed which can present very important free move of spectators.
Bizarrely, ‘Huge’ Sam Allardyce might help us out right here. His buddy was out on the course and confirmed us this picture to reveal how that gorse and bush (over Sam’s proper shoulder) has disappeared. Thanks, Sam, for responding on WhatsApp to say we might use the picture!
The seventh has additionally had a giant mound to the fitting of the placing floor eliminated, with the inexperienced moved to the fitting. It’s now a smaller goal for the lengthy gap.
Then we come to the massive change.
As a substitute of being a canine leg round that eliminated bush, the eleventh now sits parallel to No.7, however taking part in to the unique inexperienced. That has created house the place the previous fairway sat and extra gorse was eliminated.
This overhead map explains. The crimson is the brand new fairway, the orange the driving vary and observe space.
Our picture from the brand new eleventh tee shouldn’t be the very best – it was troublesome to seize the truth. However you possibly can see that the brand new gap is straight, see the work happening on the previous fairway, and maybe see that the brand new gap appears to be like great.
The previous gap was very flat and had a contact of parkland about it. This new gap appears to be like superb nevertheless it additionally sits into the linksland prefer it’s all the time been there.
There are different modifications. The quick eighth caught lots of handicap golfers out. They might spray tee pictures onto the railway line and into homes. Mounding and two new bunkers on the fitting have created a visible which takes that feeling away off the tee.
It additionally makes the tee shot for the elite golfers a extra attention-grabbing prospect. The protected lay up leaves an extended method to the excessive inexperienced.
After which there’s the par-4 tenth. It had a big mound on the left which has been eliminated to create a sandy waste space that gives a visible, however fairway has been narrowed and the take a look at is harder from the tee.
The elite golfers have been going left much more typically than is typical at a Lytham Trophy.
All in all, the modifications have been getting rave evaluations. Maybe the 2 weakest holes on the course – 8 and 11 – at the moment are as sturdy as the opposite 16.
Royal Lytham & St Annes is prepared for subsequent 12 months’s AIG Ladies’s Open – and perhaps for an Open sooner or later.
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