Design Notebook: Holding a Funhouse Mirror Up to the Old Course’s Greens

Hello and welcome back to Design Notebook, where we’re officially calling for an investigation of the PGA Tour’s maltreatment of the erstwhile “Western Open.” An outrage!

In this installment of DN, golf architect Clyde Johnson offers some catnip for the geeks: a ranking of the Old Course’s greens as played in the reverse (or clockwise) routing. Consider it a kind of offbeat preview of the Women’s Open at St. Andrews.

Ranking the Old Course’s 11 Greens—In Reverse

By Clyde Johnson

Prior to Old Tom Morris separating the first and 17th greens, in around 1870, the Old Course was played in a clockwise direction, over shared corridors. For the following century the course was frequently played in both directions. This spring, the St. Andrews Links Trust opened up “The Reverse,” or the left-hand routing, for general play.

Somewhat biased by the qualities of the original greens—and influenced by the approach conditions, which are set up for the anti-clockwise layout and largely encourage aerial play—I’ll attempt to rank the world’s best greens when tackled in their alternative direction…

[Editor’s note: Two years ago, Clyde ranked the Old Course’s greens as played in the conventional direction. Today’s piece is a slightly deranged sequel.]

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1. No. 5 / No. 13 – It is not that unusual to see the fifth pin beyond and/or left of the 13th pin in everyday play, so it should be no surprise that this is the green that plays most conventionally in the clockwise direction.

The main difference on the clockwise fifth hole comes in the jeopardy short of the green. A depression filled with heather, marram and gorse sits on the direct line of the approach, and really brings the deep front-left pots into play, regardless of where the pin sits. It would be possible to tuck a pin to the left, while front pins would become trickier with the sharp rise in front of the green sat at angle for those trying to approach in two.

The reversed fifth green (Clyde Johnson)

As for the 13th hole, the approach really depends on which side of the “Coffins” your drive has finished. Finishing left of those, on the shortest route, brings a blind approach over heather-clad dunes, which interrupt the line of play up to the very front of the green surface.

2. No. 3 / No. 15 – The one double green complex that sits more conventionally when approached from the left going out and coming in. With the “Cartgate” bunker dominating the right side of the entrance to the clockwise third green, there will often be a reward for playing close to the boundary on the left. Tilted toward the reverse routing’s direction of play, a deft touch isn’t as necessary.

Coming back, most of what’s ordinarily the third green now tilts toward the line of play, sitting easily on the ground and easy on the eye. On a course that defies it, it is perhaps no surprise that a golfer would embrace something a little more “normal.”

The reversed 15th green (Clyde Johnson)

3. No. 4 / No. 14 – Typically falling away behind a broad shoulder, the raised “Long” green tilts accommodatingly toward the reversed line of play. On the approach to the clockwise fourth hole, you will have to negotiate the step-up at what becomes the front of the green, and a lone pot which deserves more consideration than usual.

The elegantly rippling fourth green always calls for touch and craft, but even more so when it plays as the 14th green, falling and sliding away. There is room to stun one into the fronting slope, but that would require some precision. The impossibly shallow band which connects the green(s) tilts back towards this direction of play, though you’d hope for more help with the tiny but starving “Ginger Beer” bunkers in front.

The reversed 14th green (Clyde Johnson)

4. No. 1 (normally No. 17) – The greatest green in golf! With the jaws of the Road bunker somewhat closed from the reverse angle, in its contemporary version at least, the sense of jeopardy is dampened a touch, but most will still think of this green as the reverse routing’s best. Approaching from closer range eases the sense of trepidation, too.

5. No. 18 – With the widest fairway in golf, the 18th in the left-hand routing is largely like-for-like. Your approach will probably be a club or two longer, with tee shots traveling diagonally across the fairway. This positions the “Valley of Sin” more in the direct line and means that the tiltier right section of the green is more frontal.

6. No. 8 / No. 10 – There would be healthy debate as to which is the better version of the Short hole, though I prefer the variety of the conventional eighth. On the clockwise eighth, however, playing across what’s usually the 11th green brings an otherwise forgotten rugged bank and pot to the fore.

The reversed eighth green (Clyde Johnson)

The drive on the 10th hole is essentially the same as normal, with the fronting rumples and ruffles providing great interest across the breadth of the green. A front pin from this direction would be particularly tricky.

7. No. 7 / No. 11 – Tackling the famous “Eden” green from perpendicular might be more intimidating than playing the typical Eden hole. The putting surface falls away out of sight beyond the treacherously deep “Hill” bunker. As exacting and exciting as that shot is, the variety and strategy of approach pales in comparison to the best par 3 in the world.

On the clockwise 11th, the hunger of the depression short of the green is far from obvious. With a pin on the right of the green, the target, whether short or beyond of an internal ridge, is particularly shallow. The remainder of the green sits relatively open.

8. No. 17 (normally No. 1) – The oft-forgotten upper rear sections of the usual first green are much more prominent in any shots from the opposite direction. A deft touch is required to halt the ball before it releases into the burn beyond.

The reversed 17th green (Clyde Johnson)

9. No. 2 / No. 16 – The second green (normally the 16th) sits uncomfortable unsighted. Broken rumples and a nestled pot guard the line from the central “Cheape’s” bunker, and a drive way out to the right might yield the best angle of approach for those long enough. With all that danger to the fore, it would be easy to run down the three-to four rise which usually fronts the green.

The approach on the clockwise 16th is confounded by a bank of gorse, which would presumably disappear if the Old were played in reverse more often, and a slightly raised winter tee. As it is, a delicate aerial approach is needed.

10. No. 6 / No. 12 – The shallow shelf of what’s ordinarily the 12th green feels a bit friendlier when approached from the reverse direction. There’s a sign of a relic bunker hiding in the rough entrance to the green that would confound things a little. A pin nestled in the low section at the back would be cool, if not near-impossible to finish close to.

My feelings about the clockwise 12th are compromised by a bank of gorse which disrupts the unconventional route. Though a rumpled dune falling into the green would interest, the majority of the action is out front with the hidden swale and false-front.

11. No. 9 – The central pots ask a slightly different question when challenged from the far right. As always with the Old, the answer is dependent on the wind. A “flat” green like the ninth is actually full of confoundingly subtle movement, and more entertaining than most give it credit for.

The reversed ninth green (Clyde Johnson)

Playing the clockwise routing confirms that the Old Course is directionless and emphasizes its unending complexity. Granted, there’s less variety in where you’d want to pin the greens, and the truly world class holes are reserved for the contemporary routing. Yet if the Old were only ever played in reverse, it would still be one of the most interesting courses imaginable. Greatness knows no convention.

Chocolate Drops

By Garrett Morrison

Goalby in Montana: I’m keeping an intrigued eye on Kye Goalby’s project in Twin Bridges, Montana (about an hour and a half west of Bozeman and two and a half hours south of Missoula). Goalby, who co-designed The Tree Farm and has long been considered one of the best shapers in the industry, posted a tantalizing photo of the low-profile, fescue-based course a couple of weeks ago. In the replies, he said, “We are trying to avoid building formal sand bunkers on this project, so we’re using a lot of other ‘things’ to add interest and strategy—and hopefully simplify maintenance a little in the process.” Folks, this sounds like My Kind of Thing.

A Lazy J preview: Yesterday, author Tom Coyne tweeted out a video about Lazy J Sporting Club in South Dakota, his first project with architect Colton Craig. Coyne and Craig refer to their design approach as “folk-style golf architecture,” which they describe as a philosophy “informed by the land” and focused on “inspired use of the geography to help the architect tell a story to the golfer… a story crafted from the unique characteristics of the surrounding area.” I’d be curious to hear how they distinguish this approach from, say, the now-familiar “minimalism” of Coore & Crenshaw and Tom Doak.

Yay wind, yay golf: The weather forecast for this week’s Women’s Open at St. Andrews is looking spicy. Cannot wait.

Getting the Rock Creek reno over the finish line: The National Links Trust, which manages three municipal courses in Washington, D.C., is seeking final approval for a Gil Hanse-led transformation of Rock Creek Park Golf Course. If you live in the D.C. area and support this project, the NLT would like you to sign this petition.

A Course We Photographed Recently

Spy Ring Golf Club (Setauket, NY)—formerly an executive course named Heatherwood, now a nine-hole design by Tyler Rae, reopened in 2024

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Quotable

“St. Andrews is difficult, not because bunkers are placed to catch inaccurate shots, but because the result of a misadventure is to make the next shot infinitely more difficult than it would otherwise have been. No shot can ever be said to be easy on this most subtle of all courses so long as the surface is keen and slippery. Nor on this classic course is there ever any one absolute way open to the hole. To choose a line of play is, as often as not, very much a choice of evils. Each successive shot must be played on its own merits. The subtle folds in the ground short of the greens govern for the most part—especially when the going is fast—the final result, and unusual finesse is needed if the run of the ball is to be accurately judged. For these amongst other reasons St. Andrews is the ideal to aim at in all golf-course construction.” –Tom Simpson and H.N. Wethered