Mersey paradise

By Dave Tindall Last updated: 21st October 2009

There is nothing firmly in place yet to get the Open back to Hoylake but after lifting the claret jug there in 2006 Tiger Woods was in no doubt that Royal Liverpool deserved another crack.

Woods said back then: "Well, I think it's a very fair golf course. You can play it so many different ways and it lends itself to a bunch of different styles, but ultimately it's fair. It's not tricked up at all. Quality golf shots hit around this golf course, you're going to give yourself plenty of opportunities."

Oh, before I go on, which is it: Hoylake or Royal Liverpool? Even the club wasn't sure how to promote itself when it staged the 2006 Open until someone came up with a solution. Ring the R&A and see what it says on the claret jug the last time it staged the tournament in 1967. The answer: Hoylake.

Both names are still interchanged but for the sake of brevity I'll go with Hoylake.

To be honest, the name wasn't important as I prepared to tee off. No, all I was thinking was 'wow', I'm about to play my first round on an Open venue and one which is the second-oldest seaside links golf course in England.

I was actually very, very familiar with the first hole - despite it being played as the third when Hoylake staged the 2006 Open.

The 410-yard par four which doglegs sharp right was the subject of a special spread bet three years ago and I had walked the hole several times at the request of a couple of punters who had bought the quote (i.e. predicting lots of bogeys, doubles or worse) due to the out-of-bounds running all down the right of the hole.

I got a decent tee-shot away with my hybrid but, wary of avoiding the trouble right, I pulled it a fraction into the left rough. It left me a good 220 to the hole so I eased a safe one down the middle in the hope of making a pitch and putt for par. It didn't work out that way though. I made a double bogey six.

A good up and down at the par four second gave me my first par and after a seven (not helped by a three-putt) at the par five third I then experienced a couple of glorious moments which make this game so worthwhile.

Firstly, I stuck my five-iron to a foot (honestly, see gallery!) to the par three fourth and tapped in one-handed for a birdie two and after three scrappy shots left me over the green at the fifth I chipped in from about 40 yards for an unlikely par and a second successive net eagle.

Helped by a tap-in par five at the eighth (Bobby Jones took seven here on the way to his famous Grand Slam in 1930) I completed the front nine in 45 shots - hardly amazing but very, very pleasing for a 22 handicapper on such a great course.

Hoylake is mostly a flat course but the ninth to the 12th are set amongst the dunes and provide some excellent views - as does 13 which is played from an elevated tee with five bunkers dotted around the green waiting to gobble up anything wayward.

Ah yes, bunkers. I just couldn't avoid them on the front nine and won't forget my first experience of trying to play out of a pot bunker.

My approach to the third had plonked straight into one of the left-hand traps and plugged. When I saw the fried egg I'd created my heart sank. A potential card wrecker so early in the round.

However, the positive voice in my head quickly stepped in and reminded me that here I was on a beautiful day playing one of the great courses. What had at first appeared a huge problem suddenly became an opportunity... the chance to escape from a pot bunker - a genuine, bona fine hazard rather than a bit of decorative sand that you find on so many US courses which are designed to look good in overhead shots from a blimp.

As I stepped down into the bunker and looked confused, one of my playing partners, Mark Townsend from National Club Golfer, advised that I closed the clubface and smashed down hard a couple of inches behind the ball. Close the clubface? That seemed counter-intuitive in my eyes but I did as instructed and, hey presto, the ball popped out onto the green and ran on nicely to about 12 feet of the hole. Good times - until I three-putted!

With barely any wind at all and the rough down (I didn't lose a ball!) I kept it steady over Hoylake's long, flat and tough closing stretch which goes par 5,4,5,4,4 and played those last five holes in four over.

A second 45 meant it was a round of 90 (my stableford score was a healthy 40) and I was pretty chuffed with that despite it being probably the calmest and sunniest October day on record in these parts!

My Skycaddie also told me I'd taken 32 putts and again I was pleased with that as I did struggle at times with pace. Often I thought I'd hit it deadweight only to see my ball drift four, five or six feet past, a common occurence on slippy links greens.

An air of quality surrounds Hoylake - from the handtowels in the toilets embossed with the club logo right through to the course itself.

"The Hoylake Golf links can be, beautiful, uplifting, awe inspiring and, on occasion, soul-destroying" it says on page one of the Strokesaver guide and I'm glad I finished the day concurring with the first three.

I'd read before that Hoylake can look underwhelming on first view but while it's admittedly flatter than most classic links, that helps give it a character of its own.

Like Tiger, I sincerely hope that the Open goes back there sooner rather than later.

Hoylake line-ups:

Team 1:
Phil Craghill (GMS)
Mark Townsend (National Club Golfer)
Ben Evans (Golf Business Development)
Dave Tindall (Golf365)

Team 2:
Charlie Grimley (England's Golf Coast)
Michael McEwen (Bunkered)
Matt Nicholson (Golf News)
Chris Jones (Golf World)

Winners (and now £20 richer): Team 1

Dave Tindall