Royal
County Kilderry was released in April
2002 and saw a return for Mike Jones to
the traditional links style course. This
design moved away from the rugged
Scottish shores to the Irish countryside
where the surrounding farmland created a
very different feel to the cliffsides of
Ayrshire Dunes. This course showed a
touch more colour, as much as a links
course will really allow, with yellow
gorse, white flowers and purple heathers.
It was a softer approach too, more
strategic in its lay out and was
eventually significant in design terms
too when its 2003 update added fairway
blending techniques to create dry looking
mounds and worn grass effects. It is also
remarkable for its five par 3 holes, all
of which are really high quality and very
memorable complete with stone walls,
train tracks, a winding creek and a huge
guarding bunker adding thier mark to each
of these holes. Finally this was the
first course to contain a properly
designed railway track which backs the
7th and 8th greens and still remains one
of my all time favourite course features.
Four
Favourite Holes
Hole 1
- This is the opening view of the course
and one that really defines Royal County
Kilderry, with its rolling grassland and
farmland over to the left and with gorse
bushes in the foreground. This par 4 is
454 yards and is an early test for you.
You may well decide to play safe and
short of the pot bunkers to try and avoid
an early disaster, but the long approach
then left can present its own
difficulties. For its view over the whole
course alone it is not a hole you will
quickly forget.
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Royal
County Kilderry (1st hole)
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Hole 7
- Holes 7 and 8 run alongside an old
railway track and either could have been
selected as they are both excellent
designs. The 7th is a short par 4 at 346
yards where the tee shot isnt overly
difficult as long as you avoid the large
collecting bunker to the left. Take a
chance and drive far enough to the corner
and you will leave a short iron or wedge
shot into the green with a clear view of
the 3 guarding bunkers and the tracks
behind the hole. A hole with a realistic
birdie chance.
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Royal
County Kilderry (7th hole)
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Hole 11
- Another excellent par 3 and despite a
large green it remains one of the more
scary tee shots on the course due to the
deep creek which runs acorss to the hole
and envelopes the left hand side. Also
this green has a steep ridge so the shot
distance is critical as well. This is the
only time that water comes into play at
this course, a far cry then from Pacific
Breaks. This is a lovely hole and at 213
yards is one where you will feel a little
more nervous at the tee, and in the wind
can be especially nasty.
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Royal
County Kilderry (11th hole)
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Hole 13
- The hardest hole on the course, where
you play an adjoining fairway with the
2nd, the first designed in the game. This
is a longer par 4 at 471 yards, with the
added trouble that at the key driving
distance are a series of beautiful pot
bunkers, which if you land in will almost
certainly cost you a shot. Laying up
short of these hazards will leave a long
approach where even more bunkers await
your ball around the green. Walk away
with a par here and you should feel quite
pleased.
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Royal
County Kilderry (13th hole)
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Royal County
Kilderry is from my most intense playing
period and remains one of my favourite
venues in the game. On its release it set
another new design benchmark,
particularly for links courses, and
whilst it has been surpassed since in
visual terms, it still has a certain
charm for those who were there for its
original release. It is still a great
strategic venue, but arguably now seems a
touch on the easy side and on a good day
you can really score low here. It does
however have some great hazards to keep
you on your toes and you must avoid the
fairway bunkers at all times. It won the
2002 Course of the Year award beating off
stiff competition.
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