National Golf Links Of America
By Chris Mavros, www.Golfadelphia.com
6,505 yards, 130 slope from the Greens (Regular Tees)
Course: In Southampton, NY, or the Hamptons, is the National Golf Links of America, a course designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, with the assistance of Seth Raynor, in 1908. After living over St. Andrews for some time, Macdonald set out to create a golf course in the U.S. that would rival anything you would find in Scotland. He did this through the use of template holes, modeling certain holes existing in Scotland and designing them to fit the landscape upon which the course would be built. The template holes include the Second, “Sahara,” modeled after a par 4 at Royal St. George; the Third, “Alps,” modeled after a par 4 at Prestwick; the Fourth, “Redan,” modeled after a par 3 at North Berwick; the Seventh, “Road Hole,” modeled after a par 5 at St. Andrews; the Eighth, “Bottle,” modeled after a par 4 at Sunningdale; and the Thirteenth, “Eden,” modeled after a par 3 at St. Andrews. I also believe the Punchbowl green on the Sixteenth is a template, but can’t be sure. Regardless, Macdonald and Raynor thereafter took these template holes and used them to design a number of other courses, always modifying the holes to accommodate the existing terrain to make each course unique, yet with the well established framework of each hole intact.
National is one of the best golf courses in the world. Because of my fascination with Raynor and Macdonald, it has been one of the courses I have sorely wanted to play for a number of years. There are a number of courses on Long Island that are well regarded, including Bethpage Black, Shinnecock Hills, Maidstone, Sebonac, Garden City, Piping Rock, The Creek, Friar’s Head and Fisher’s Island (I’m sure I am missing some). Several of these are all-world courses. The soil, the proximity to water, the rolling terrain and the architects involved have made Long Island historically one of the best and prestigious collections of courses in the world. Even though a mere few hours away from me, of course have never set foot on Long Island all these years, until now.
The quality of these courses is paralleled by their exclusivity. Many of them, including National, have limited memberships and are difficult to find a way to play. I was extremely fortunate for the opportunity to play 36 holes at National recently. As I walked around the locker room, trying to find the guest area, the names on the lockers were astounding. Let’s just say many of them were immediately recognizable. Despite the prestige of the club, not once did I feel out of place or unwelcome. Everyone was friendly, down to earth and easy to talk to. To me, that’s a strong indication of a special place.
As for the course, it was as spectacular as I had built up in my mind. There were no weak holes. Each hole had a variety of options and strategy, which means that the course likely never plays the same way twice. The out and back style that is traditionally seen with links courses means the wind comes into play, usually into it on the front and behind you on the back. The closing stretch of holes is probably the best I have played. There are a handful of holes that were simply the best I have ever played. But most of all, the course was a lot of fun. While it is engaging and makes you think how you will attack each shot, you have a blast figuring it out. There is no OB and it’s extremely difficult to lose a ball, which adds to the fun. We heard of some who hit a wayward shot off the First tee playing their second shot off of the clubhouse roof, since all is in play. The terrain, especially coming in from the Fourteenth on, around the bay, then next to it as you climb the Eighteenth, with the water ultimately well below you just off the Eighteenth green, is spectacular terrain. The tranquility and majesty of that area is very special and will remain one of my favorite memories of golf.
As a links course, utilizing the ground is just as important as aerial shots. The green complexes are fascinating, forcing you to consider its undulations and frequently landing the ball away from the hole to get it running towards it. A lot of the fun comes around the greens, where you need to get creative based on your lie and location. For example, the only shot I had out of the narrow bunker on the far side of the Sixth was to get on one knee and take a batter’s swing at the ball. The next time I was in there for the second round, I realized chopping at it away from the hole would make the ball release towards it and was able to get my par. On the Seventh, the pin was at the front of the green with a mound protecting it. The hole was on an upper tier, so anything hit too hard would roll at least 20 feet by, so everyone in my group tried to putt it close, which didn’t work out as well as we thought. I could have stayed at the green from a half a day thinking through the best approach to it. And those kinds of decisions and shots happen throughout the entire round. And if the wind is up, the course gets even more fun, figuring out how the ball will move in the air, then again once on the ground. There’s no restraint or feeling of hesitancy in steering the ball away from the trouble here; the freedom of playing various types of shots on a course with no OB and a lie from virtually anywhere is liberating and links golf at its finest.
After a few swings at the range (the bay is immediately next to you on the left), we met our caddies and were immediately informed of a longstanding club rule; you don’t walk off the First tee until you’re happy with your shot. We took advantage of that breakfast ball and set out on a spectacular day of links golf in Long Island.... Continue Reading Here
6,505 yards, 130 slope from the Greens (Regular Tees)
Course: In Southampton, NY, or the Hamptons, is the National Golf Links of America, a course designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, with the assistance of Seth Raynor, in 1908. After living over St. Andrews for some time, Macdonald set out to create a golf course in the U.S. that would rival anything you would find in Scotland. He did this through the use of template holes, modeling certain holes existing in Scotland and designing them to fit the landscape upon which the course would be built. The template holes include the Second, “Sahara,” modeled after a par 4 at Royal St. George; the Third, “Alps,” modeled after a par 4 at Prestwick; the Fourth, “Redan,” modeled after a par 3 at North Berwick; the Seventh, “Road Hole,” modeled after a par 5 at St. Andrews; the Eighth, “Bottle,” modeled after a par 4 at Sunningdale; and the Thirteenth, “Eden,” modeled after a par 3 at St. Andrews. I also believe the Punchbowl green on the Sixteenth is a template, but can’t be sure. Regardless, Macdonald and Raynor thereafter took these template holes and used them to design a number of other courses, always modifying the holes to accommodate the existing terrain to make each course unique, yet with the well established framework of each hole intact.
National is one of the best golf courses in the world. Because of my fascination with Raynor and Macdonald, it has been one of the courses I have sorely wanted to play for a number of years. There are a number of courses on Long Island that are well regarded, including Bethpage Black, Shinnecock Hills, Maidstone, Sebonac, Garden City, Piping Rock, The Creek, Friar’s Head and Fisher’s Island (I’m sure I am missing some). Several of these are all-world courses. The soil, the proximity to water, the rolling terrain and the architects involved have made Long Island historically one of the best and prestigious collections of courses in the world. Even though a mere few hours away from me, of course have never set foot on Long Island all these years, until now.
The quality of these courses is paralleled by their exclusivity. Many of them, including National, have limited memberships and are difficult to find a way to play. I was extremely fortunate for the opportunity to play 36 holes at National recently. As I walked around the locker room, trying to find the guest area, the names on the lockers were astounding. Let’s just say many of them were immediately recognizable. Despite the prestige of the club, not once did I feel out of place or unwelcome. Everyone was friendly, down to earth and easy to talk to. To me, that’s a strong indication of a special place.
As for the course, it was as spectacular as I had built up in my mind. There were no weak holes. Each hole had a variety of options and strategy, which means that the course likely never plays the same way twice. The out and back style that is traditionally seen with links courses means the wind comes into play, usually into it on the front and behind you on the back. The closing stretch of holes is probably the best I have played. There are a handful of holes that were simply the best I have ever played. But most of all, the course was a lot of fun. While it is engaging and makes you think how you will attack each shot, you have a blast figuring it out. There is no OB and it’s extremely difficult to lose a ball, which adds to the fun. We heard of some who hit a wayward shot off the First tee playing their second shot off of the clubhouse roof, since all is in play. The terrain, especially coming in from the Fourteenth on, around the bay, then next to it as you climb the Eighteenth, with the water ultimately well below you just off the Eighteenth green, is spectacular terrain. The tranquility and majesty of that area is very special and will remain one of my favorite memories of golf.
As a links course, utilizing the ground is just as important as aerial shots. The green complexes are fascinating, forcing you to consider its undulations and frequently landing the ball away from the hole to get it running towards it. A lot of the fun comes around the greens, where you need to get creative based on your lie and location. For example, the only shot I had out of the narrow bunker on the far side of the Sixth was to get on one knee and take a batter’s swing at the ball. The next time I was in there for the second round, I realized chopping at it away from the hole would make the ball release towards it and was able to get my par. On the Seventh, the pin was at the front of the green with a mound protecting it. The hole was on an upper tier, so anything hit too hard would roll at least 20 feet by, so everyone in my group tried to putt it close, which didn’t work out as well as we thought. I could have stayed at the green from a half a day thinking through the best approach to it. And those kinds of decisions and shots happen throughout the entire round. And if the wind is up, the course gets even more fun, figuring out how the ball will move in the air, then again once on the ground. There’s no restraint or feeling of hesitancy in steering the ball away from the trouble here; the freedom of playing various types of shots on a course with no OB and a lie from virtually anywhere is liberating and links golf at its finest.
After a few swings at the range (the bay is immediately next to you on the left), we met our caddies and were immediately informed of a longstanding club rule; you don’t walk off the First tee until you’re happy with your shot. We took advantage of that breakfast ball and set out on a spectacular day of links golf in Long Island.... Continue Reading Here
Course Prints
Prints of all sizes available to Preserved Links Members
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Art Photos
Prints of all sizes available to Preserved Links Members
