One of the greatest thrills in golf is going for glory on a short par four. Fortunately for visiting golfers, Scotland has dozens of heart-stopping examples to choose from. Here, the College Links Golf team selects five of our favourite drivable par fours . . .
Third hole, Castle Stuart, Highlands
Castle Stuart, on the shores of the Moray Firth in the Scottish Highlands, is generally regarded as one of the finest courses to be opened in Europe this century. It’s certainly a big favourite of College Links Golf (and our clients, too). One of Castle Stuart’s big successes has been to incorporate a sense of fun in its layout without ever offering anything less than a serious challenge to good golfers.
This design philosophy is perfectly displayed at the third – a par four that is set up to tempt the confident golfer to have a crack at the green. The hole traces the shoreline of the Moray Firth, culminating in a narrow, bunkerless green with water to the right and rear. Miss right from the tee and your scorecard will get messy. A miss to the left can be salvaged but the green slopes towards the shore and only a delicately-played recovery will hold the surface, which is only 14 paces across at its narrowest point. Tremendous fun.
Home, West Links North Berwick
The closing hole at North Berwick invites comparisons with the 18th at the Old Course in St Andrews (see below) for some obvious reasons; both share a fairway with their respective opening hole, both are bunkerless, both have out-of-bounds to the right, both can be reached with a well-struck tee shot and both bring the round to an end in the heart of a charming Scottish town.
There are significant differences, however. North Berwick’s 18th tee is elevated high above the fairway and green, which magnifies the impact of any wind on a high-flying tee shot. The green itself is built in the ‘upturned saucer’ style which became a feature of Donald Ross’s work in the United States, most notably at Pinehurst Number two. Only a purely struck shot will hold the putting surface, with anything less likely to result in a testing pitch to the raised green.
Lundar Law, Elie, Fife
The 10th at Elie, named ‘Lundar Law’, is a classic links-type risk and reward hole. The blind tee shot must carry a steep hill at 190 yards. After that, a huge amount depends onto bounce of the ball. The small putting surface is protected by a bunker on the left but all the trouble on this hole lies beyond the green, where a shingle beach and rocky shore provide a picturesque but potentially ruinous out-of-bounds.
The green itself slopes markedly from front to back, so any putt for an eagle is no gimme here. The 10th is one of several interesting and unusual short par fours at Elie – one reason why this charming links just 20 minutes’ drive from St Andrews is such enormous fun to play.
Home, Old Course, St Andrews
After the unique terrors of the 17th hole, an Old Course golfer steps on to the 18th tee and surveys what appears to be the easiest par four in golf. Following the ferocity of the notorious Road hole, the challenge seems incredibly straightforward. The fairway is more than 100 yards wide and flat as a pancake. There are no bunkers. And in favourable conditions the green – an enormous, inviting target nestling next to the junction of two St Andrews streets – is within range of a well-struck tee shot. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, plenty, as it turns out. The pancake-flat fairway is hiding a secret defence. The ‘Valley of Sin’ – a deep hollow which is barely visible from the tee – runs across the front of the 18th putting surface and will swallow any drive that is remotely short. Getting up and down in two from here doesn’t look particularly taxing, but this final sting in the Old Course’s tail has been stumping golfers for centuries – and all in full view of hundreds of passing townsfolk on the sidewalk a few yards away. When the pin is placed near the lip of the valley (as it usually is during Open Championship Sundays), getting an approach within gimme distance requires exquisite touch. It’s not uncommon for a golfer to reach the fringe of the 18th with a drive but then make bogey without hitting another truly bad shot. This perfect example of the subtle design that has helped the Old Course to bewitch visiting players for centuries.
Denty Den, Kings Course, Gleneagles
The 14th at the Kings Course is a sporty challenge; a blind par four that is well within range of a well-struck tee shot. What makes it unusual is that the ‘safe’ option of laying up can be just as problematic as going for the green. A ridge some 200 yards from the tee is pitted with devilish cross bunkers, each deeper than a man is tall, is the cause of the problem for the conservative player. Picking a patch past these sand traps still leaves a tricky pitch to a raised green. It’s better to just go for it. Choose a line over one of those ridge-set bunkers (the second trap from the left is most locals’ recommendation) and send a tee shot soaring in the general direction of the putting surface.
The green is wedged in a narrow dell, surrounded by bunkers, heather and pine trees. Cresting the ridge and seeing a tee shot nestling near the flag in this idyllic setting is one of the real pleasures of Scottish golf.
