By Will Pearson, europeantour.com
at Gullane
Ahead of the much-anticipated Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, europeantour.com hears why former champion Edoardo Molinari believes host venue Gullane Golf Club to be the best links course outside The Open Championship rotation.
The Italian, who won his maiden European Tour title in this event at Loch Lomond in 2010, returns to the East Lothian venue almost two decades on from travelling here as a fresh-faced 17 year old for his first experience of golf in the sport’s motherland.
“It was back in 1998 and we played at Gullane as the second course for the Amateur Championship at Muirfield and then a month later we played the European Boys Championship here too,” recalled Molinari during his practice round ahead of the main event on the east coast of Scotland.
“I have great memories of being here and the realisation of how difficult it was to play on a links course for the first time!
“It was a completely different world; I’d never seen bunkers like this, fairways this firm and rough this thick so it was a totally new experience and something that was very helpful going forward.
“I remember most of the holes from that year. I remembered it was a very good design and I think it will be a very good test for the players this week.”
I believe it to be the best links golf course that is not on The Open Championship rota.
Edoardo Molinari
Formed in 1882 upon land on which golf had been contested for at least two centuries previously, Gullane Golf Club lies above the far-reaching Firth of Forth just a mile from 16-time Open host venue Muirfield in a patch of ripe golfing territory known as Scotland’s Golf Coast.
This week playing as a composite course with 16 holes from Gullane No.1 and two from Gullane No.2, the club becomes the 19th to host the revered Scottish Open and Molinari clearly holds the place in the highest regard.
Overview
“It’s a very good golf course and a very fair golf course,” the Turin native continued. “It’s quite flat in front of the greens and the fairways are quite flat and not as many humps and bumps that we often see on links courses.
“It’s definitely one of my favourite links courses for lots of reasons. I think being very fair is a big thing because sometimes you play some links courses that are a bit too tricky but this is just right.
“You get great views from some of the holes and it is a very good design so considering all three of those things I believe it to be the best links golf course that is not on The Open Championship rota.”
The wind
“A lot depends on whether the wind blows or not. If it is then you have some really strong par fours in the middle of the round and there are only two par fives so not a lot of birdie chances there. Obviously if the wind doesn’t blow then that is different because the course is playing quite soft and it will be relatively low scoring so a lot depends on the weather conditions.”
Greens
“The greens in general are quite flat and quite easy to read and then there are two or three of them in the beginning of the round that are very slopey so you have to be careful with them but I think overall they are quite true with great surfaces to putt on.”
The best view
“The 11th tee is spectacular. You’ve got this long straight par four in front of you and then when you look right it’s just sea everywhere – it’s a great view.”
Key Holes
The first
“I like it a lot. It’s a par four with no bunkers which is quite rare on a links course but it has a very narrow green and especially when it plays into the wind it can be very tricky.”
The eighth
“A par three going down towards the sea, it has a lot of bunkers around the green and it’s a slopey surface and although it’s not long it’s very difficult.”
The 11th
“A great par four and a great golf hole. Picturesque and extremely tough when played into the wind.”
