OLD TOM MORRIS CLASSICS

OLD TOM’S TOP TRACKS

Carnoustie, Cleeve Hill, Crail, Cruden Bay, Dunbar, Forfar, Kirby Muxloe, Ladybank, Lahinch, Leven Links, Lundin, Montrose, Muir eld, Nairn, Panmure, Prestwick, Royal Dornoch, Lindrick, Northampton, West Herts, Rosapenna, Royal North Devon, Royal Cromer, Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Tain, Thornhill

News of the success of his design work at Prestwick soon spread, and before long Morris was engaged in undertaking new designs and modi cations to existing courses all over Scotland, and then further a eld to Ireland, and, eventually, to England and Wales.

Morris didn’t spend much time south of the border, although he did make his way down to the West Country, where his handiwork in the creation of the magni cent links at Royal North Devon is still very much in evidence today, while his legacy is also to be seen at venues from Royal Cromer in Norfolk to Wallasey in Liverpool, and the restored hill-top layout at Cleeve Hill in Gloucester, which is about as back-to-nature a golf course as you’ll nd anywhere in the world.

Given the lack of machinery available for major earthworks in the middlehalf of the 19th century, Morris’s work is renowned for its use of the natural terrain, with little in the way of intervention to the lay of the land as he found it. And with land at a premium, he was also keenly aware of the need to make use of every acre at his disposal, with shared fairways and greens a common feature of his designs.

Elevated tees with views over broken ground, and greens located on raised plateaus or bowl-like hollows surrounded by pot bunkers, are a Morris signature, while an absence of trees or ponds is also a common thread to his courses, preferring instead to challenge a golfer’s strategy by incorporating burns, streams, hedges and walls, the latter of which is very much in evidence at courses like North Berwick, where low stone walls form an integral part of the course’s defences.

In 1864, Old Tom returned to St Andrews at the beckoning of the R&A and made signi cant changes to the Old Course, making it the course we know and love today. He o cially retired in 1903, but the R&A o ered him a consultancy role with a salary for the remainder of his life, which ended in 1908, aged 86, following a 70-year career devoted to the game he loved. His a ection for the game continues to be passed on to future generations through his course designs – a legacy which will never die.

CLEEVE HILL GOLF CLUB is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty at the highest point of the Cotswolds. Cleeve Hill is a rarity where the lands natural features are the main pallet of gol ng creation. The gol ng test comes via the artful routing and all are welcome. 01242 672025 | cleevehillgolfclub.co.uk

FORFAR GOLF CLUB is a fun, friendly and modern golf club with a great historic course. Voted in the top 50 courses in the UK and Ireland under £65 it provides excellent value for visiting groups of any size. Packages with full catering also available. 01307 462120 | forfargolfclub.co.uk

LADYBANK GOLF CLUB measures almost 6,800 yards from the championship tees, making great use of its heathland terrain. It has changed a little over the years, requiring the golfer to display real precision to hit the small and often contoured greens. ladybankgolf.co.uk

892314 | tain-golfclub.co.uk

THORNHILL GOLF CLUB in Dumfries & Galloway is a mixture of parkland and heathland. At 6,102 yards, over relatively level terrain, it provides a good test for all golfers and friendly to mature golfers. Gol ng breaks in on-site accommodation for parties of 4-8 people from £125pp. thornhillgolfclub.co.uk

Matt Fitzpatrick, England’s highest ranked player, talks about winning his rst regular PGA Tour event at the RBC Heritage, the pressures of being a major champion, and why he feels the DP World Tour still has a place in the professional gol ng landscape

How important was it to for you to back up last year’s US Open win with your rst a regular PGA Tour victory? Was there a sense of validation with your win at last month’s RBC Heritage?

Yes and no, I guess. I feel that winning the US Open was probably validation enough that I deserve to be out here, but I’m sure there were people out there who may have felt that Brookline set up for me perfectly, so that I should have won, or whatever, and that I have to prove myself at a variety of venues, but it’s not something that bothers me.

Any time you win a tournament is special, but the RBC Heritage had particular signi cance for me and my family, as we used to visit Hilton Head on holiday when I was growing up and I came