Carnoustie's 15th Hole Comes to Life at Las Vegas Golf Course Royal Links Golf Club

July 18, 2007--When esteemed golf architect Perry Dye was creating Royal Links Golf Club (inspired by the great holes used in the British Open), he and his team spent many days touring every inch of each of the golf courses used in the long history of the British Open rotation. On the trip, he took special note of Carnoustie, site of the 2007 Open Championship. Many players and experts think it is the toughest course used in the rotation, and Las Vegas golfers can experience a piece of the Carnoustie challenge when they tee it up on the par 4, 16th hole at Royal Links Golf Club, a nice replication of Carnoustie's 15th.

Royal Links Golf Club (click here for golf course awards) was built to honor the rich history and tradition of the game of golf. Designed by Dye International, this links-style course features holes inspired by eleven different British Open rotation courses, including the “Road Hole” and “Hell Bunker” from the old course at St. Andrews and the “Postage Stamp” from Royal Troon. Other courses in the loop include Carnoustie, Turnberry, Royal Liverpool, Prestwick, Royal Lytham, Muirfield and Royal Birkdale. Royal Links Golf Club is one of three Las Vegas golf courses owned and operated by Walters Golf.

Monuments were erected at various locations throughout the golf course indicating the spots where great moments in British Open history took place. A Champions Wall is erected near the all-turf practice range honoring American champions of the British Open.

The first Open Championship was played at Carnoustie in 1931, when Tommy Armour, grandfather of Las Vegas PGA Tour pro Tommy Armour III, won the event for his only Open victory. Henry Cotton won in 1937, and the great Ben Hogan won in 1953, marking the first and only time he ever played in a tournament in Great Britain. Gary Player won in 1968 while Tom Watson won at Carnoustie in 1975. And in 1999, the last time the Open Championship visited Carnoustie, Jean Van De Velde collapsed on the 18th hole, recording a triple bogey to fall into a playoff with Justin Leonard and eventual champion Paul Lawrie.

The playoff for the 1999 event started on the 15th hole, a dogleg left, where Lawrie and Leonard made bogeys and Van De Velde made a double. Carnoustie is described as just inland from the North Sea--visible only from the 15th hole--and is the most northerly hole used in the Open Championship.

The official Open Championship guide to Carnoustie offers this advice when playing the hole.

"This is a tough driving hole into a fairway that swings to the left, but throws the ball off to the right. A draw that holds position against the slope of the ground is the ideal tee shot. Bushes, bunkers and rough lie in wait on the right and there is more severe trouble on the other side. The sunken green is bunkered at the front and hidden from the right side of the fairway."

Successfully following the advice will also lead to a good score when teeing it up at Royal Links Golf Club.

Other Walters Golf Las Vegas golf courses are Bali Hai Golf Club and Desert Pines Golf Club.