As a Macdonald and Raynor fan, I was very keen to see the original redan and it was indeed a treat to see. Many have said that the fourth at National is a better hole and I have to agree. The redan at National is better defined which adds to the uniqueness of it as it is even harder to make the correct play away from the flag when it is right there in front of you.

But the redan is not the only hole at North Berwick that reminded me of National. The cape tee shot on the second is clearly similar to the the fourteenth tee shot at NGLA. The par three sixth is reminiscent of many Macdonald/Raynor short holes and its fronting bunker immediately reminded my of the great bunker in front of the bottle hole at National. Of course the routing is out and back as well. Whatever it is, these two courses are two of my favorites and it is simply because they are a blast to play.

You can find the front nine here and my interview with course manager Stuart Greenwod, here.

ONE OF THE MANY BUNKER STYLES AT OLD MAC

In the second part of my interview with Jim Urbina from this past February out in Bandon, Jim talks about the bold features that the team incorporated into the design at Old Macdonald. The greens are some of the wildest that I have ever seen on any golf course. The sixth hole at the National Golf Links of America is one of the craziest in golf and it would struggle to stand out if it was on Old Mac. Jim points out that this boldness in contour was very much something that they wanted to do from the beginning. These contours, combined with the size and scale of the green, are probably the most striking features of Old Mac. (video after the jump)

The other thing about Old Mac that really jumps out at the first time visitor is the eclectic bunkers. Jim talks about the thought process that led to this look. The idea was to take things back to the game’s roots in links golf and show the various types of ways that early bunkers were created and formalized. At Old Mac, this means that there are bunkers that are small scrapes, revetted, wrapped with sleepers, grass faced, natural blowouts, and the more typical Renaissance Golf style. The result is a little jarring at first, but as the bunkers weather they will start to come together as a more cohesive group.

For the first part of the interview with Jim Urbina see here.

THE BIARRITZ AT MID OCEAN

In the second part of my interview with Norman Furtado, he discusses the course’s push-up greens. They switched the greens over to Tifeagle a few years ago under the advice of Patrick O’Brien of the USGA. I was somewhat surprised that Mr. O’Brien did not suggest the replacing of the greens with USGA greens. (Video after the jump).

As Norman explains, the amount of surface drainage on Mid Ocean’s greens sheds water before the greens can become soggy, causing problems. Building greens in this manner would obviously be cheaper and lead to more interesting contours, but the trade off is that if they are maintained at too high a speed, they become unplayable. Superintendents on courses with steep, contoured greens are constantly balancing on a high-wire trying to please players and members who want high green speeds but also want to finish their rounds.

The greens at Mid Ocean are an absolute pleasure to play. Greens like the fifth are contoured to effect strategy going all the way back to the tee. Accurate and decisive play is rewarded with easier putts, while indifferent play is met with putts that challenge a players imagination and skill. It would be hard to ask for anything more.