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Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
BRITISH OPEN '25: A trivia quiz covering more than a century of golf
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — How well do you know British Open history? Try this quiz: 1. What was the first trophy given to the British Open champion? a.) A championship belt b.) A claret jug c.) A silver sword 2. Who holds the British Open record for largest margin of victory? a.) Old Tom Morris b.) Louis Oosthuizen c.) Tiger Woods 3. Who was the first Irish golfer to win the British Open? a.) Shane Lowry b.) Padraig Harrington c.) Fred Daly 4. Who has won the British Open on the most links courses? a.) J.H. Taylor b.) Peter Thomson c.) Tom Watson 5. Who is the oldest player to win the British Open? a.) Stewart Cink b.) Old Tom Morris c.) Roberto De Vincenzo 6. Who has the lowest round in British Open history? a.) Rory McIlroy b.) Xander Schauffele c.) Branden Grace 7. Where was the first British Open that was not in Scotland or England? a.) Royal Porthcawl b.) Royal Portrush c.) Portmarnock 8. Seve Ballesteros is the only British Open champion to accomplish which feat? a.) He won the claret jug on a Saturday, Sunday and Monday b.) He was penalized two shots in the final round for being late to the first tee c.) He broke par in the final round without hitting a single fairway 9. Who is the player with the most runner-up finishes in the British Open? a.) Harry Vardon b.) Jack Nicklaus c.) Greg Norman 10. Who was the first British Open champion to win outside of Britain? a.) Shane Lowry b.) Max Faulkner c.) Richard Burton 11. Which links course has held the British Open the most times? a.) St. Andrews b.) Prestwick c.) Musselburgh 12. At which British Open links did Sam Snead arrive by rail and think it was an abandoned course? a.) Prestwick b.) Royal Cinque Ports c.) St. Andrews 13. Who was the last player ranked outside the top 50 in the world to win the British Open? a.) Brian Harman b.) Ben Curtis c.) Darren Clarke 14. Denny Shute achieved what feat in 1933 that has never been matched by another British Open champion? a.) He played the final round as a single b.) He shot the same score all four rounds c.) He won after making the cut on the number 15. In the famous 'Duel in the Sun' at Turnberry in 1977 between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, which player had the 36-hole lead? a.) Raymond Floyd b.) Ben Crenshaw c.) Roger Maltbie 16. Who holds the 72-hole scoring record at the British Open? a.) Tiger Woods b.) Henrik Stenson c.) Collin Morikawa 17. Who is the first player to win the claret jug in his British Open debut? a.) Ben Hogan b.) Tom Watson c.) Old Tom Morris 18. Who was the first player from Dublin to win the British Open? a.) Padraig Harrington b.) Christy O'Connor Jr. c.) Ben Hogan Answers 1. a 2. a 3. c 4. c 5. b 6. c 7. b 8. a 9. b 10. b 11. a 12. c 13. c 14. b 15. c 16. b 17. a 18. c (Dublin, Texas) ___ AP golf:
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Best golf courses in Co Down: Bucket list courses and hidden gems from Royal County Down to Belvoir Park
Bucket Lists Is there a greater bucket list course in the world than the Championship Links at Royal County Down ? Augusta National, St Andrews and Pebble Beach might have something to say about that, but it is the sort of international company that this links in Newcastle keeps. Judged to be the best golf course in the world by Golf Digest and often topping lists as the best course in Ireland, Royal County Down is the perfect mix of scenery, prestige and course configuration. [ Fairways to Heaven - Ireland's Ultimate Golf Guide Opens in new window ] The design is attributed to former Open champion Old Tom Morris, but it has been refined by a dozen architects in the past 120 years, most recently by Donald Steel. Like St Andrews and Lahinch, the course is in a seaside town, in this case Newcastle, and when tournaments come the town is taken over by golf. Rory McIlroy has called it his favourite course in the world, although he has had some bitter experiences as a professional there, losing by a shot last year in the Irish Open and missing the cut in 2015, shooting an 80 in the opening round. When the wind blows and it gets wet, it is a beautiful but brutal test, even for the world's best. A view of the 486-yard par four ninth hole on the championship course at the Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, Co Down. The club assumed the number one spot from Portmarnock in this year's Golf Digest Ireland top 100-ranked courses. Photograph: David Cannon/Getty Slieve Donard provides the backdrop to a course where the remarkable ninth hole is one such stunning vista. The tee box sits below the crest of a fairway, where there is a view of the golf course with the sea to the left, the back nine and the clubhouse to the right, the mountain and the Slieve Donard hotel ahead. It is a very difficult hole, but the score barely matters for most golfers who are lucky enough to grace Royal County Down. The Annesley Links is Royal County Down lite, a much shorter course with no par 5s, but still carved from the same beauty and physical features. Mackenzie and Ebert carried out a significant redesign in 2015, adding three new holes. With reduced yardage also come reduced green fees, so it is well worth a play. Royal County Down Golf Club, 33 Golf Links Road, Newcastle, Co Down; 02843723314; golf@ ; For a taste of the drama of Royal County Down at a fraction of the price is Ardglass Golf Club , where a supremely scenic front nine stands out. Ardglass has one of the best openings to a course on the island, where you are left thinking 'how have they made a hole here?' The second, called Howd's hole, is one such example. A 167-yard par three, it is played across a rocky inlet to a small, distant putting surface, where the punishment for pulling your tee shot short and left is clear for all to see. Ardglass Golf Club, 4 Castle Place, Ardglass, Co Down; 02844841219; info@ ; Hidden Gem The most easterly golf course in Ireland, Kirkistown Castle Golf Club is one of the better-value links experiences on the island. Situated on the Ards Peninsula, it is easily accessible from Belfast. An old-school links design from James Braid, the old mill is in view on the second, 12th, 15th and 16th greens. The signature hole is the par 5 10th, called 'Long Reach', fittingly named as, with the green on top of a hill after a gradual ascent, it will require a few clubs more from your yardage to get it pin high, especially into the wind. Kirkistown Castle Golf Club, 142 Main Road, Cloughey, Co Down; 02842771233; office@ ; Honourable Mentions Belvoir Park is a top-quality parkland designed by the esteemed Harry Colt, designer of Wentworth and Sunningdale. The course has been largely unaltered since it was first built and should be part of a Belfast golf itinerary. Belvoir Park Golf Club, 73-75 Church Road, Newtownbreda, Belfast; 02890491693; info@ ; Colin Miller of Australia tees off at the Royal Belfast Golf Club, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Photograph: Hamish Blair/Allsport Royal Belfast is the oldest golf club in Ireland, established in 1881, and another Harry Colt classic, where panoramic views of Strangford Lough make for a pleasant round. Royal Belfast Golf Club, Station Road, Craigavad, Co Down; 02890428165; admin@ ; Clandeboye Golf Club in Bangor has two great parkland courses on the property, the Dufferin and Ava, and the Dufferin stands out for its yellow gorse and lake views. Clandeboye Golf Club, Tower Road, Conlig, Newtownards, Co Down; 02891271767; office@ ;
USA Today
06-05-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
A golf course designed by Old Tom Morris saved after a ‘Herculean' effort by its members
A golf course designed by Old Tom Morris saved after a 'Herculean' effort by its members The unique King James VI Golf Club was designed by the famous course architect and is located on Moncrieffe Island in Perth, Scotland. It is believed to be the only self-contained inland island golf course in the world and is not far from the city centre. The historic course suffered serious damages during Storm Babet in October 2023 when winds ripped a 120 foot wide hole in the island's flood defences. Only the flags of some of the holes remained visible with the bulk of the island under three feet of water, and when the floods eventually receded only nine holes were left playable. Staff feared the club would close completely if the flood banks could not be repaired properly with silt washed on shore from the River Tay leaving a lot of the course buried. It seemed unlikely the original Old Tom Morris layout was going to be recovered but a repair job costing £75,000 (nearly $100,000) and a lot of effort from hard working club staff and members means the course is set to reopen fully. Even the rebuild took an extra effort with the position of the course meaning equipment could only cross to the island during low tide between April and September. Club captain Scott Fenton admits the importance of the golf course was not lost on members given how many others are under threat or have closed such as Hirsel and Caird Park. How bad was the damage and what did membership do to help? He said: "The initial breach to the flood banks was about 15 feet wide, but it eventually expanded to 120 feet. "The ninth and tenth hole were completely wrecked - we were down to nine holes for more than six months then managed to reopen those two holes but as short par threes until we were able to get them repaired and reopened to their full length now. "Before this happened we had managed to more than double our visitor numbers - we had lots of people who wanted to come and play such a unique and historic golf course and as a club we were really on the up. "Obviously with the issues we had visitor income dropped right off and it made it really difficult for the club. "But our members stuck with us and the work they put in was Herculean. They were out clearing the holes by hand, even when they kept getting flooded over and over until the flood defenses could be rebuilt. "Every time we asked they would come and clear debris and then a high tide would come in and we'd be back to square one. It was nothing short of soul destroying but they stuck to the task and for that we are eternally grateful. "We had to completely rebuild the flood defenses that had been swept away, all in all it cost about £75,000, a lot of money for a golf club. "Visitors who come here are always impressed with the course. It has a great backdrop with the river surrounding us and the hills towering over us to the east. "It is a great course to visit and we definitely want to get the word out there that we are back to the full 18 and in great condition for the summer season ahead."
The National
30-04-2025
- Climate
- The National
Historic Scottish golf course rescued after huge flood shut it down
The King James VI Golf Club, located on Moncrieffe Island in Perth, flooded in 2023 after Storm Babet and has been rescued following an 18-month, £75,000 rebuilding plan. It was initially left under three feet of water after the storm tore a 120ft hole in the island's flood defences and, although the water was drained, the club feared closure due to the extent of the damage and several other Scottish courses shutting down recently. Club captain Scott Fenton said: 'Before this happened we had managed to more than double our visitor numbers – we had lots of people who wanted to come and play such a unique and historic golf course and as a club we were really on the up. "Obviously with the issues we had visitor income dropped right off and it made it really difficult for the club.' Only nine holes were playable after the flood and repair time was increased due to the island's location, with supplies only able to reach the club during low tides between April and September. Opened in 1897 and designed by architect Old Tom Morris, it's believed to be the only self-contained inland island golf course in the world and staff feared the reinstatement of the original layout would be 'impossible'. Fenton called the efforts of club members who assisted in repairs 'Herculean', saying: 'They were out clearing the holes by hand, even when they kept getting flooded over and over until the flood defences could be rebuilt. "Every time we asked they would come and clear debris and then a high tide would come in and we'd be back to square one. It was nothing short of soul destroying but they stuck to the task and for that we are eternally grateful.' King James VI Golf Course is now operating all 18 holes and is in 'great condition' for the upcoming summer season.
