Royal St. George’s

Played 19th May 2025

This was my second time playing RSG and given the first time there was minimal wind, soft fairways and the assistance of caddies, I was clearly lulled into a false sense of security and the confidence I was feeling driving up for my second round was completely misplaced. Playing the second time there had been no rain for almost 2 months, and so the fairways were completely dry, which made both ball striking/wedge play as well as judging distances extremely difficult. This combined with borderline gale force winds produced an extreme test of golf. Being happy with a score of 23 over par is a testament to how difficult the day was, but it was great because it really made the course come alive. It also underlines the beauty of links golf, the fact that the course can take on so many different personalities depending on the conditions.

It was interesting to play RSG shortly after RCD, because despite being both highly ranked it was a very different experience in practice. Whereas RCD was a sensory overload that at times made the golf feel secondary, RSG only provides this at brief intervals, which means in practice you are more consistently thinking about shot selection/strategy.

Notable holes:

Par4 4th: what i found most interesting part of this hole is that despite the infamous towering bunker you have to hit over from the teebox, that isn’t actually the most intimidating part of the hole. The relief you feel after driving over the giant hill is only short lived once you see the green. With the pin position on what feels like a borderline non-conforming part of the green, right on the edge of a giant slope into a collection valley, even being on the green in regulation isn’t protection against a high score (as my playing partner found out with a quadruple bogey despite being on the green in two).

Par4 5th: one of the rare scenic vistas on the course with an elevated tee box overlooking the bay. With the wind coming from the see this completely exposed tee box really makes you feel the wind. Given the perspective alteration of a raised viewpoint, the fairway looks miles long, but in fact the mounds and bunkers are very much in play. Overall I do like the fact that most of the course forces you to think about the golf rather than the scenery, but if there was no scenic vistas like this at all I would feel like it is a shame.

Par5 14th: the only real hole on the course where OB comes into play with a fence on the right side, depending on the wind direction it can play like 400 yards or 650 yards. Given the ditch that runs at around 300yds, and fairway bunkers 80yds short of the green, with the wind and super firm fairways the amount of thinking that you end up doing is probably more than any other hole on the course. The 5 wood was a smart selection for the drive as even that went 250yds, but with the fairway bunker 190yds away, I decided to layup in front with an 8iron, only to see the ball get carried right into the very hazard i was trying to layup 40 yards short of.