Angus
Carnoustie Golf Links is situated in the town of Carnoustie in Angus, Scotland, on the north shore of the Firth of Tay across the bay from St Andrews. Golf has been played on this stretch of linksland since at least the early sixteenth century. The original ten-hole course was laid out in 1842 by Allan Robertson, assisted by Old Tom Morris, and extended by Morris to a full 18 holes in 1867. The course was substantially remodelled by James Braid in 1926, who lengthened holes, added bunkers, and repositioned many green sites to bring the layout up to championship standard. Prior to the 1937 Open Championship, a local golfer named James Wright redesigned the three closing holes - the 16th, 17th and 18th - wrapping them around the Barry Burn to create what is widely regarded as the most demanding finishing stretch in championship golf.
The Championship Course measures 6,941 yards from the back tees and plays to a par of 72. The terrain is largely flat links ground, exposed to winds off the North Sea, with deep bunkers, gorse and heather lining the fairways, and the Barry Burn snaking repeatedly through the closing holes. The burn must be crossed five times over the final two holes alone, and its presence defines much of the strategic character of the round. Among the most celebrated holes are the par-five 6th, officially renamed Hogan's Alley in 2003 to commemorate Ben Hogan's 1953 Open victory, where two central fairway bunkers split the driving line; the par-five 14th with its famous Spectacles bunkers guarding a blind green; and the par-three 16th, which at 245 yards is often described as the hardest short hole in championship golf.
The Championship Course has hosted the Open Championship eight times, in 1931, 1937, 1953, 1968, 1975, 1999, 2007, and 2018. Open winners at Carnoustie include Tommy Armour, Henry Cotton, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Paul Lawrie, Pádraig Harrington, and Francesco Molinari. The 1999 championship is particularly remembered for Jean van de Velde's collapse on the 72nd hole, when he required only a double bogey to win and made a triple bogey, ultimately losing to Lawrie in a playoff. The venue also forms part of the annual Alfred Dunhill Links Championship alongside St Andrews and Kingsbarns. Two additional courses complete the complex: the Burnside Course, a par-68 layout of around 6,028 yards originally designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas where Hogan famously qualified in 1953, and the Buddon Links, also par 68, opened in 1981.
