St Annes Old Links

On Wednesday I played in the Ladies open at St. Annes Old Links, I was really looking forward to another game of links golf have the wonderfull visit to Hillside. I wasnt disappointed although there were big differences.
Whereas Hillside is played for the most part between high dunes, SAOL is very open the dunes are quite small but still have quite an effect on your round if you stray from the fairway. Also the wind, conditions were very benign on Monday but yesterday that was quite a blow, roughly from the North West and the course ran north south. This meant that even when the wind was behind it was still blowing the ball across the fairway.
Although there were some shortish par 4s there were also a couple that were longer than some of Ellesmere's par 5 and both were into the wind, which made them very tough.
The course was in very good conditon, the fairs dry and the grren closely cut and very true, it didnt match the very high standard set by hillside, but nevertheless  I enjoyed the challenge. In honesty I didn't play very consistently, but my putting for once was generally very good.

My round in detail.

Hole 1 318yds par 4 into the wind. An iron off the tee didnt quite reach the fairway but  a 6 iron from light rough found the middle of the fairway about 80 yds from the green, a pitch was just right  of the green, a chip and one putt for a bogey 5.

Hole 2 298yds par 4 wind behind. A good drive left me about 100 yds fom the green, I topped a wedge into a bunker short of the green, got out but didnt reach the green, a chip and a putt for a bogey 5.

Hole 3 136yds par 3 wind behind, I hit my tee shot a bit thin but it skipped over bunkers guarding the green and ran toward the back. a badly judged first put was well short but I holed the putt for a par 3.

Hole 4 324yds pa4 into the wind, reasonable drive but only about 130 yds and to the right good 2nd and 3rd to just short of the green, duff chip into bunker but out and 2 putt for a triple bogey 7.

Hole 5 462yds par 5 into the wind, A decent drive to the fairway but then a thinned 2nd, a good 3rd and 4th to green 2 putts for a bogey 6.

Hole 6 454yds par 5 downwind, A good drive and 2nd left about 150 to the green but a duffed 3rd followed by a 4th that went through the green, chip on and putt for a  bogey 6.

Hole 7 399yds par 4 into the wind, drive just reach the fairway poor second found a mound in the rough, 3rd to fairway, 4th just short of the green, chip and 2 puuts for triple bogey 7.

Hole 8 333yds par 4 wind behind, poor drive didnt reach the fairway, good 2nd and third found green side bunker, despite steep bank above my ball I tried to go for the green ands failed, 2 more to get out and two putts for a triple bogey 7.

Hole9  144yds par 3 wind behind, tee shot ran to back of green, misjudged the slope and was well short with first putt, missed the 2nd so a bogey 4.

After a good start not the best golf but some good putts holed for 50 on the front 9

Hole 10 272yds par 4 into wind reasonable first but poor 2nd found fairway bunker, chipped out then 4th to fringe of green chip on and putt for a double bogey 6.

Hole 11 272yds par 4 into wind not a great drive but a decent 2nd left me 80yds as my pitching ha been poor I tried a bump and run which found the green, 2 putts for a bogey 5.

Hole 12 371yds par 4 into the wind, 3 decent shots to the gree nand 2 putts for a bogey 5.

Hole 13 138yds  par 3 across the wind, A good teeshot ran through the green, chip on and 2 putts for a bogey 4.

Hole 14  329yds par 4 wind behind, drive to the left 2nd found a grass mound on the rough, 3rd short of the green,  bad chip into bunker chip out  and 2 putts for a triple bogey 7..

Hole 15 330yds par 4 into the wind, drive to fareway, poor second, 3rd to just short of bunkers in front of green, bad chip missed the green chip on and 2 putts for triple bogey 6.

Hole 16 130 yds par 3 across the green poor first into rough, 2nd nto bunker chip and 2 putts for a double bogey 5

Hole 17 467 yds par 5 wind behind,  godo drive but a bad 2 second to dune in rough, 3rd over fairway to rough, 4th short of green, chip and 2 putts for double bogey 7.

Hole 18 461yds par 5 wind behind drive to right hand rough,  2nd to fairway, good third to about 50yds, chip and 2 putts for bogey 6.

after a reasonable start some bad holes for a total of 52 back nine and 102 for the round.