Hole 10
Par 4
441 | 424 | 403 | 362 yards
An intimidating tee shot with a fairway turning left away from the tee, and the landing area hugged by hills on all sides.
Chris tees off on the 10th. He was a very steady player, whom seldom found trouble around the course. This was only the second time golfing in about 8 months and his last round was here at Lahinch. Strange, since he lives in Wisconsin.
A better shot showing the aiming line of the hole. A right-handed draw would be ideal on this hole. If played straight, the pink colored house is a good line.
Walking onto the fairway, you can see the fairway is pretty wide. That is a good thing for if you stray off of it you will find a tough side hill lie in some of the thicker grasses on the course.
The goat from the 8th tee decided to find the leeward side of the hill and was chilling out on the left side of the 10th fairway while we played up.
The approach on your second shot is to an elevated green protected by a large shelf in front of the green, with 3 deep bunkers flanking the hole. Another bunker sits left of the green.
An extra club is needed to reach this green. If you can't safely reach here in 2, the best play is to hit short of the bunkers and leave a safer chip up onto the green. While it looks like there is a back stop to use, there is actually a false back to the green.
A view from behind the green shows the contouring of the green, as it falls off to the right and rear of the hole. To the left of the green is that deep bunker.
Hole 11
Par 3
170 | 156 | 141 | 105 yards
Hole 11a - 138 | 134 | 131 | 123 yards
Normally, this hole plays as a longer hole with no room to miss, making it another tough par 3. Playing again back into the winds with the ocean in the background, choosing the proper club here is not as simple as you'd hope.
For our round we played the alternate 11th hole, the 11a. This normally is a hole played in the winter months only but we got the chance to experience this shorter hole.
The hills in the foreground hide the trouble waiting near the green. Behind each of the hills is a deep pot bunker protecting the front corners of the green. Again played into the wind, the best play is to take extra club here and try to use the hill behind the green to kick the ball back onto the green. This takes the bunkers out of play and allows you to work the ball back left towards any pin location.
You can see short of the green, the hole falls off into a collection area between the bunkers. This may be smallest green on the course at only around 20 yards wide.
One more view of this green, taken as you leave for the 12th tee.
Hole 12
Par 5
577 | 514 | 494 | 460 yards
The longest hole on the course, the 12th stretches along the entire length of the northern border of the club. To the left is the Inagh river.
Straight ahead your view is dominated by the towering remains of Dough Castle. The Castle originates back to the mid 1300s when the O'Connor clan built the first fortress here. None of that castle remains. Instead what is ahead of you is from the 1500s. The castle suffered not from the ravages of war but from poor planning. Being built on the sandy soil that makes it ideal for golf courses, made for a poor foundation for a building and it suffered collapses numerous times until it was left in ruins. Dave, our playing partner's caddie said they used to practice wedge shots as kids through the various windows of the ruin.
To your left your view is dominated by the sandy beach and the wind pickets, erected to attempt to hold back the shifting sands from encroaching on the course. The fairway off the tee has also suffered damages and is currently under repair.
Lahinch's primary concern is to ensure it is in great shape for the annual amateur tournament held here. To that end, they are willing to effect the playing experience the rest of the year to ensure the course is ready for the tournament. Understandable, and really not that big of deal when we played.
From the tee, the castle is a good aiming point. The best line is 10 yards right of the castle.
Apparently the sands don't normally stretch this far inland but the winds have pushed the beach inland and caused the green on this hole to need to be rebuilt several times over the last few years.
The bridge you see in the distance actually has 5 arches, but the 2 to the right have been completely filled in with sand blown in.
Lisa tees off from the forward "tees". The tee box had been closed and they actually had a matt to hit off, but Lisa chose to tee the ball off the ground.
Modified rules and penalties are posted near the damaged fairway areas.
A view of the hole, turning left as it follows the curve of the river.
The green is protected from long shots in by a series of 3 bunkers crossing short of the green. The best place to hit here is between the left 2 bunkers where a deep swale collects shots short of the green. If you are not aggressive, the second shot can be played to whatever distance you are comfortable approaching from. Very little trouble is present on the hole away from the green.
A view of the sweeping 12th from the 11a tee box.
Another shot of the approach into the green and the bunkers protecting the front.
Played more conservatively, you can lay up short of the bunkers and still have an easy chip over them to the length of the green. Ensure you hit long enough to avoid the elevated face of the green. Obviously, also avoid going right into the single green side bunker.
Lisa hits in from very near one of the front bunkers.
The Old Course Part 1
The Old Course Part 2
The Old Course Part 3
The Old Course Part 5
The Old Course Part 6
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