Where Is The Most Dramatic Golf Hole In The UK?

Golf Monthly

Joel Tadman is tasked with going to play the most dramatic golf hole in the United Kingdom and in the 9th hole on the Ailsa course at Trump Turnberry, believes he has found the perfect candidate!

Transcript

00:00Interesting. So I've just got this very random text from Neil asking me to go and play the

00:13most dramatic hole in the UK. That sounds like a fascinating challenge, one I'm definitely

00:17excited to take on. The big question is, where do I go? There are a few that really spring

00:22to mind, but there's one that's definitely, I think, standing out head and shoulders above

00:27the rest. So I think it's time to pack the suitcase and get to the airport.

00:34Right, so in case you hadn't guessed it, I am at Trump Turnberry, and I think this golf

00:50course, or one of the golf courses here, has one of the most spectacular holes in the entire

00:55UK. I'm really excited to play it. I'm going to be doing that tomorrow. But it's worth

00:58just touching on Trump Turnberry as a resort. As you can see here, I do think this resort

01:02has a lot of wow factor. I've got the spectacular hotel behind me, which really takes your breath

01:06away when you see it for the first time, that slope going up to it. You've got the helipad

01:10there to take someone very important somewhere they need to go. And just underneath that,

01:15just over the road here, we've got this beautiful miniature pitch and putt course, which looks

01:19an awful lot of fun to play. And there is an awful lot of things to do at this kind

01:23of resort. Besides the actual golf courses, there's shooting activities, there's whiskey

01:28tasting, you can do all sorts of fun stuff off the golf course. But of course, it is

01:32the golf that draws people in. And there's three courses here at Trump Turnberry. You've

01:36got the Arran, which is a short, a really fun nine-hole golf course, really tests your

01:40short game, but there are some long holes on it as well. Then there's the King Robert

01:44the Bruce, which is definitely a championship golf course, looks quite tight, a lot of gorse

01:49lining those holes, so it could be quite tricky off the tee. I'm going to be playing that

01:52later on today. But of course, it's the Elsa course, the championship course that everyone

01:57wants to play when they come to Trump Turnberry. And I think one of those holes is the most

02:01dramatic in the UK.

02:03Morning. Today's the day I play the most dramatic hole in the UK, in my opinion. Sun is out,

02:25well it will be, it's very early at the moment. This should be a really exciting day. I just

02:31hope I can do it justice. What makes a hole dramatic? What's the criteria that I'm going

02:37for here? Well, I think it needs to be visually arresting. I think it really needs to metaphorically

02:42make you take a step back and really stir the senses, whether it's obviously what you

02:46see, but also maybe the sound of the waves crashing against the coast, a bit of wind.

02:52I think it needs to be challenging as well. I think it really needs to test all your skills.

02:57And that makes it more satisfying if you play it well, but also lets you off the hook if

03:01you play it badly. So, kind of a win-win situation. But I think I've found the perfect

03:07candidate here at Trump Turnberry. Obviously there's a lot of different candidates I could

03:12have picked. Yes, the 9th hole at Royal County Down, you've got the 18th hole at Trump Aberdeen,

03:18maybe the 16th hole at Royal Port Rush, that Calamity Corner par 3 is an epic hole. But

03:23I think the one that ticks the most boxes for me is this one at Turnberry on the 9th

03:28hole and I'm really excited to show it to you. Come on.

03:47So, two holes in, two bogeys. I think it's always the case when you play these amazing

03:53courses, the occasion often gets the better of you. Very nervy stuff, but I've just hit

03:59it quite close in two on this par 4 third hole. So, potential birdie upcoming.

04:05Well, just absolutely smoked one down the 8th fairway alas. Made quite a few bogeys

04:25and lost a golf ball after that lovely birdie I made on the 3rd. But the anticipation is

04:31really rising now. Walking up the 8th fairway, the lighthouse sweeps into view and the landscape

04:38becomes a bit more dramatic. Hopefully, they'll let me hit a shot off the Championship tee

04:44on this 9th hole. But if not, it will still be a very spectacular hole nonetheless. But

04:50let's see if we can make a par or even a birdie on the 8th and then even better on the 9th.

05:31Bit out of breath, had to dash and hit that shot off that very back tee. Not technically

05:35open, but director of golf let me have a quick hit. Hit it alright, just slightly down the

05:41left. Think it went in the bunker. If it made the carry, it was touch and go. But yeah,

05:47that is a brute into this wind. 240. Spectacular view though, let me show you.

05:55What a hole, unbelievable.

06:10Right, spoiler alert. My tee shot with the driver off the Championship tee did not make

06:15the carry, never to be seen again. And with my proper ball off the members' tees we're

06:22coming off today, managed to 3-puck from the front of the green for a 4. So, not covering

06:27myself in glory, but I did birdie the 8th hole before that and it doesn't really matter.

06:33It's hard not to enjoy your golf when you come into a hole like this. And we've obviously

06:38been blessed with the weather like this, it's unbelievable. There's hardly a cloud in the

06:42sky, obviously it's very windy, but the sun is out. And after all that drama, I think

06:47it's about time we go and visit one of the most spectacular halfway huts in the world

06:52of golf, The Lighthouse.

07:09Got my beef pie.

07:12I'm all over you for it.

07:16OK, so that concludes my playing of the most dramatic hole in golf in the UK, the 9th

07:21hole in the Elston Golfs. Turnberry, dropped Turnberry, unfortunately didn't quite make

07:25a par, didn't quite make the carry with the driver, but it was a lot of fun, hopefully

07:29you've all been coming along for the fun with me. But that's all from me, dropped Turnberry,

07:34see you next time.

07:41Bye.

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