Candidly, I don't have anything new to say about Carnoustie. It is an amazing championship venue as the golf course is an extremely stern test of your game, which is why the locals lovingly call it Carnasty. With that, it should be noted that it's still a ton of fun for average golfers. Just be sure to play the right tees and you'll have a brilliant time walking in the foot steps of the giants of the game.
If you're looking for a thoughtful write up on Carnoustie, I would recommend visiting my good friend Andrew's website. He wrote a blog post in 2016 that is a great read on Carnoustie, the course and a bit of the surrounding history.
A few of my favorite memories
Getting beat up by the course!
Cheesing with my brothers-in-law at Hogan's alley
Double-bogeying the 18th hole (long live Jean van de Velde!)
Seeing the iconic hotel looming in the distance
Grades (where 1 is significantly below average and 5 is significantly above)
Scenery: 4 stars
Design: 5 stars
Condition: 5 stars
Practice Facilities: 3 stars
Experience: 5 stars
Click here for a more detailed breakdown of how I think about course ratings.
Carnoustie is a boat load of fun! Just temper your expectations and try to appreciate the nuance of the course. Oh yeah, don't pull a Jean van de Velde on the 18th like I did. Slainte mhath!
