fbpx
The Belfry Brabazon

Great holes in Golf: 10th, The Belfry (Brabazon)

Architect Tom Mackenzie on this teasing 311-yard par 4
 

There are so many Ryder Cup memories from The Belfry and many of them centre on the tantalising 10th hole. It is hard to find the right balance when creating short par 4s like this.

Slightly too tough and no-one takes the gamble. Too easy and there is no choice to be made. It is just right here though.

The cautious play down the left leaving a twitchy pitch across the water to a narrow and sloping green – no guaranteed birdies on this route. The bold or the foolhardy are tempted to have a go at the 250-yard carry with water lurking short and all along the left and a wooded bank and a line of bunkers to the right.

It is a narrow margin for error but eagles are there for the taking but bogeys or even worse can result. What else can a short par 4 do?

The Belfry

The Ryder Cup suited the hole perfectly, especially in the fourball matches or when players wanted to make things happen.

Who can forget the roars that followed Seve and Sam Torrance drilling their power fades and taking on the heroic carry from the tee in the ’85 matches. [course id=26715]

There was great criticism of Torrance in the 2002 round of matches for stretching the hole to its limit at 311 yards, and rightly so. The move nullified the excitement, with Sergio Garcia the only man brave enough to attempt the enormous carry, only to see his ball fall agonisingly short.

A hole such as this one must be set up in a way that takes advantage of its attributes – a miniscule target at the end of a tempting short 4 where the rewards and penalties are poles apart.

Pros are always more cautious in strokeplay events so the hole came to life in the Ryder Cup, just as its designer Dave Thomas intended.

Latest Posts

st andrews tee times

Courses and Travel

The days (or nights) of queuing up for a tee time at the Old Course are over

Read full article - The days (or nights) of queuing up for a tee time at the Old Course are over
st patricks links

Courses and Travel

Classic course: St Patrick’s Links, Rosapenna

Read full article - Classic course: St Patrick’s Links, Rosapenna
Muirfield

Courses and Travel

How much is too much to pay for a round of golf?

Read full article - How much is too much to pay for a round of golf?
St Andrews

Courses and Travel

I shudder to think it – but I might never play the Old Course again

Read full article - I shudder to think it – but I might never play the Old Course again
Goswick Golf Club

Courses and Travel

The perfect golf trip on a budget? Here’s where our experts say you should go in 2024

Read full article - The perfect golf trip on a budget? Here’s where our experts say you should go in 2024
You can retrace this Open champion's famous steps

Courses and Travel

You can retrace this Open champion’s famous steps

Read full article - You can retrace this Open champion’s famous steps
Royal County Down

Courses and Travel

‘It’s not going to stop’: Expect to pay even more to play GB&I’s top 100 courses

Read full article - ‘It’s not going to stop’: Expect to pay even more to play GB&I’s top 100 courses
Turnberry

Courses and Travel

Could new changes to Turnberry get it back on The Open rota?

Read full article - Could new changes to Turnberry get it back on The Open rota?
Amendoeira Golf Resort

Courses and Travel

Amendoeira Golf Resort: Tour-Level Golf and Stunning Architecture

Read full article - Amendoeira Golf Resort: Tour-Level Golf and Stunning Architecture