Royal Liverpool: Flat, Tight, High Rough, OB And Pretty Neat

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Pretty much every mark against a golf course is contained in that headline, and yet it's hard not to be charmed by this links. I've heard from trusted sources that Royal Liverpool exudes a singular beauty without all the tournament infrastructure, if nothing else for the sheer flatness of the terrain.

First, the quibbles: internal OB, as I write in this Loop item, is an undesirable hazard and seems even sillier when there is tightly mown turf on the property immediately beyond the boundary line. I suspect if the modern ball carry distance was in proportion to the architecture, marking this as internal OB would not be necessary.

The rough is a bit much in spots (Luke Kerr-Dineen demonstrates) and the course overall is surprisingly pretty soft, as several players noted today in press conferences. We'd heard in the run-up it could be nearly as firm and fast as last time, just greener. Howver, unless things bake out the next two days, the firmness won't happen but according to Tiger, the green speeds are getting there.

As for the positives, the routing ingeniously uses what few distinctive features exist to full effect, offering a lovely walk with constant changes in direction. This helps each hole stand out on ground where it's hard for individuality to shine. The par-5s are loaded with character and looked to me to be the strength of the course even though the internal OB is a big part of two of them.

And isn't it fun to see a major played on a course with four three-shotters instead of two converted to get the winning score higher?

I wondered how the shifting of the holes which turns the normal 17th and 18th into The Open's first and second would play. Would it be like shuffling the end of Abbey Road, scrambling the masterful sequencing of Golden Slumbers-Carry That Weight-The End? Actually, the routing shift is a stroke of brilliance. Well, unless The Open is lost on an internal OB shot when the ball could have been found and played.

Above the par-5 fifth, one of four charming three-shotters at Royal Liverpool (click to enlarge)