Holes that make you hit shots over, well, large holes are ten a penny. Aren’t they?
The 9th at Turnberry, the 6th at Pebble Beach, the 17th on the Castle course at St Andrews – all are rather fine examples of the art.
But even they might tip their hat to 124 yards of brilliance on a course that’s found on the Northumberland coast.
Seahouses is more known for being a tourist hotspot – a gateway to the likes of Bamburgh, Lindisfarne and a host of other treasures in this breathtaking part of the world.
But the golf club more than holds its own in the scenery stakes and the 15th is the pick of the lot.
Known as The Cove, make sure you’ve packed a few extra balls in the bag when you arrive on the tee. For if you reveal any nerves, and any tension in your swing, you’ll be reloading.
The hole is basically played over the rocks to a green that’s slick and tricky to hold. There’s nothing between you and the dancefloor other than the North Sea.
If you’re not confident of finding the putting surface, it’s obviously better to be right than short.
Even that, though, will leave you with a tricky up and down for par.
Now it is known to blow in this part of northern England from time-to-time.
So study the pictures and imagine what you’d do when faced with a breezy crosswind.
I think we all know what the answer is: Panic.
Seahouses was originally a nine-hole layout founded more than a century ago and lengthened into 18 holes in 1976.
Great par 3s are a feature and by the time that you get to grips with The Cove, you’ll have already encountered the equally impressive 10th.
Logan’s Loch, named after the former Northumberland and English Golf Union president George Logan, requires you to ensure your tee shot flies over a former quarry.
With these two tests to overcome, it’s hardly surprising the standard scratch of 68 is hard to beat. It appears the old adage is true: good things do come in small packages.
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Steve Carroll
