Only three English golfers in history have won both The Open Championship and the US Open: two are from Jersey, and one used to live there.
We’ll start with Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. When talking about golf on this island and its rich heritage, it is frankly impossible not to speak of this pair, which hailed from the ‘Jersey School’ of pro golfers.
Although they weren’t members of Royal Jersey, the club founded in 1878 and given its Royal Warrant from her Majesty Queen Victoria a year later, Vardon and Ray largely learned to play the game on this most stunning links.
They won nine majors between them. Vardon had six Claret Jugs to his name before he died in Totteridge Lane in Whetstone, 250 miles from Le Chemin au Grèves where you find Royal Jersey.
The third of these three Englishmen went on to establish his legacy in the Ryder Cup, as well as the majors. Tony Jacklin, who lived on the island during the 1970s, won The Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 1969, and the US Open at Hazeltine in 1970.
I visited Jersey during its most special weekend in May – Liberation Weekend. But even without the loud and proud festivities that marked 81 years since the surrender of German occupying forces at the end of World War Two, the embrace of history and the aftermath of the war is tangible in everyday life.
The remnants of the German invasion are evident on the first hole, where you’ll see two gun emplacements. You would honestly be hard-pressed to find a better opening hole anywhere in the world. You can see it in the picture at the top of this page.
With the backdrop of Mont Orgueil Castle and the distant French coastline, you begin your round by threading the needle between one gun emplacement on the coast and a large fortification to the left.
Advertisement
It’s a par 5, so while your straightest tee shot under first-tee-shot conditions is essential, an iron might not hurt here, although accuracy is still the aim of the game for the rest of the hole.
The first four holes provide a unique test and combination – par 5, par 3, par 5, par 3. They hug the coast where you are most exposed to the sea breeze. The 1st hole might meet the eye a little better, as the 3rd is fun, undulating but that little bit more blind as you approach the putting surface.
The 2nd hole isn’t intimidating at first glance. It can play as short as 112 yards, but any strike that falls left, as mine did, will leave a near-impossible up and down for your par, as mine was.
The front nine grows greener as you venture deeper into the course, and inland. You are taken further down La Rue à Don by Gorey Common, and tempted for an early pitstop at the Stuart Spiral Ice Cream Van just over the fence by the 7th tee.
There are three par 3s on the front nine. The 8th hole is surrounded by bushes, trees and a couple of properties. This is the shortest one with a max total of 126 yards, which you perceive to just require a flick of your wedge. But, given the elevated tee box, it isn’t that simple.
A little like La Moye Golf Club on the island, too, holes 10, 11 and 12 run parallel to each other, sending you up, then down, then up again. On a hot, baked day like the one I was privileged enough to enjoy, I played them in their truest, firmest links form. With strong winds thrown into the mix, it was of vital importance to prevent your ball from bounding into the countless sand traps in this stretch of the golf course.
Much like the first four holes, the last four are fun, but challenging too. You are presented with back-to-back par 3s on holes 15 and 16, something unique in itself. Both play to a similar length – hole 16 is a little more forgiving with a wider, flatter putting surface at the end of it.
After you’ve negotiated these, you are sent back up the hill, towards the blue sky spreading across the top of the blue sea. The 17th and 18th ask different questions. 17 wants you to play a fade down a fairway that snakes from left to right, whereas the 18th says a fade could be bad – very bad. The biggest hitters could drive this green, but should show caution and aim left, as the hole is aching to pull your ball away and bounce it down the right rough.
Not only are you treated to a beautiful coastal links when pitching up at Royal Jersey, but you briefly enter the community of the island, both in the clubhouse and out on the fairways. Dog walkers line each hole, as well as lovers of great scenery and mid-afternoon strolls in the sunshine.
Some kind passersby helped us navigate the 3rd tee shot, with it being blind, and we were greeted by the wet licks of sweaty dogs around our ankles. These few moments set the tone for what felt like playing the game in the middle of a public maze.
Not many golf courses achieve that charming status. Royal Jersey is full of that charm, along with a true links test and a golfing experience on the coast that you will never forget.
NOW READ: Carnoustie – home to one of the great closing stretches in golf…
Advertisement
NOW READ: How La Moye in Jersey recovered from wartime destruction to become a stunning clifftop course
Have you ever been to play golf at Royal Jersey, or Jersey in general? Tell us on Facebook!
Advertisement
