Toughest Holes On The Course At Royal Liverpool Golf Club

Golf Monthly
Golf Monthly
  • 9 months ago
In this video, Neil Tappin and Dan Parker go head-to-head at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
They take on three of the toughest holes on the course, showing exactly what this prestigious links has to offer.
Transcript
00:00 Oh I love the line. This is already one of the hardest golf courses I would think.
00:07 And top it like that. I've drawn a real stinker of a line here.
00:12 I left my gap wedge at home so that's fun isn't it.
00:16 Oh my god. It's easy, it's really easy. Oh thank you.
00:21 Oh god. Chunky town.
00:25 Oh my days. Short of it. It's just going to give me the line.
00:31 I'll be honest, the wind's died. There's no wind and that's why I'm so angry. I feel so beaten up.
00:36 There's not a breeze out here. We haven't pretty much had a good shot of wind.
00:40 So there's time to improve. I've got one of these left. This shouldn't be one of these.
00:54 Okay, so Dan this is the third hole. This is the first of our difficult holes that we're going to play.
01:00 And it usually plays the first here for the members, the usual routine.
01:04 And I'm looking at it and it looks quite generous actually this tee shot.
01:08 So what makes this hole so tricky?
01:10 Well it's only index 13 on the card actually, to your point. It's only just under 400 yards.
01:14 But as you can see, not a very generous looking tee shot. You can't actually see where you're going.
01:18 It's a huge dog leg from left to right. You've got internal out of bounds on that right hand side.
01:23 I thought I'd let you know about that. It's okay, we've been hitting them left so far.
01:26 So we're alright for the time being.
01:28 Where's my left shot getting me?
01:29 Well your left shot will get you in the clubhouse or on the putting green.
01:32 So it's a tight tee shot and a big dog leg. Now I have zapped to the exact point in which you run out of fairway.
01:38 So 223 yards, you will go through this dog leg.
01:41 So you're not going to see a driver on here from us or anyone at the open either really.
01:45 It's going to be a rescuer or wood or something like that. Probably even iron potentially if you hit it long enough.
01:49 So it's a tricky shot and as you approach the green.
01:52 As if that's the billing you're giving.
01:54 Yeah and as you approach the green there's more out of bounds on your right hand side.
01:56 Is there?
01:57 So it's two very precise shots and a really difficult hole I think for us to tackle today.
02:01 Would you like to see who goes first?
02:02 Go on then.
02:03 Which hand is my ball at?
02:05 Left.
02:06 Off you go.
02:08 Well it's slightly down.
02:10 And I'm going to hit that.
02:11 It's slightly down wind. We're not quite sure on the line. We've got the yardage spot on but we're happy with the line.
02:15 You can't go right hand side without going out of bounds.
02:17 That's correct. Just for reference we've played two holes so far. A couple of lefts from Neil.
02:22 And there's out of bounds right. Let's see how we get on. Good luck mate. Play well.
02:26 Oh I love the line. That is super aggressive. A little draw. I could be in trouble here.
02:40 Well done mate. I think we'll find that perfect.
02:43 It started off a little right Dan.
02:45 Yeah but you backed yourself didn't you to hit the little draw.
02:48 Which I've got to respect really. I've gone hybrid. I think it might be too much club.
02:54 I've hit a bit of a fade all day or a push.
02:57 The last tee shots to go by is not too much club.
02:59 Do you want to start it on the out of bounds and cut it off?
03:01 Yeah.
03:02 Probably not. I'm going to start it on where I think your ball is which looks like A1 to me.
03:07 A little baby fade.
03:09 I think it's going to be in that long grass just out to the left.
03:12 Short of it. It's bouncing. I'm going to have a long way in. I'll tell you that much.
03:16 But hey we're in the game. Let's go see where we are.
03:19 Right okay. Not in a bad spot here. Just drifted into the first cut.
03:24 Neil you can see over there. In a good position actually.
03:27 What's the best position for you?
03:29 I'm going to go for the out of bounds.
03:31 Just drifted into the first cut.
03:33 Neil you can see over there. In a good position actually.
03:36 Well done. I thought he'd be a bit further up but he's not.
03:38 Let me just get the yardage here.
03:40 I've got a stinking feeling it's the same shot again you know.
03:43 216.5 yards.
03:46 All of this to the right is now out of bounds.
03:48 That's where the driving range normally is. There's a lot of construction going on there.
03:51 The wind's off the right so I'm not too worried about it.
03:53 And with my little fade I've been hitting.
03:55 I think it's the exact same club again.
03:58 I just hope it sort of trundles up there.
04:01 Front left I'd be happy with I think.
04:03 Get that out of my way for a start.
04:05 I'm going to start on the pin. I'm going to be risky.
04:08 Let's hope I don't do the unthinkable.
04:12 And top it like that.
04:23 At least it's on the straight and narrow hey.
04:25 Let's see what Tappers does.
04:28 Right so I've found my ball here. Perfectly on the middle of this mat.
04:31 No actually we are out anything on the fairway hit from Matt.
04:34 It is middle of May so obviously we're only a couple of months out from the Open.
04:38 And I'm starting to see why this hole is quite tricky now with this out of bounds down the right hand side.
04:44 I've got, laser is telling me I've got 194.
04:48 And it's quite a horrible shot this because the wind's off the right.
04:52 You want to sort of knock it up the right hand side.
04:55 But out of bounds very much in the game.
04:58 194. I think short left is good especially having seen Dan's shot.
05:03 I'll take just short just left.
05:06 I'm going to aim at the flag.
05:08 Hooking.
05:23 Not my most balanced shot but it's somewhere up there.
05:29 So Dan tell me what happened with that one there.
05:32 I think I had a lot going on in my mind.
05:34 It's very busy round here and I was so anxious about pulling it.
05:37 I think I just sort of leant up and out of it.
05:40 It's not the worst tops in my life but I've only got 105 yards in.
05:43 You're still in the game.
05:45 However I'm going to switch my clubs now.
05:47 I left my gap wedge at home so that's fun isn't it.
05:49 What do you reckon hard sand or sort of a chippy little easy wedge.
05:53 When it's easy, bring it easy.
05:55 Oh thank you.
05:57 So 105. I don't know where yours is.
05:59 I think it's scuttled off the left hand side of the green.
06:01 We'll go find it in a minute.
06:03 I'm not going to worry too much about you though have I.
06:05 I need to just get my act together.
06:07 I think so.
06:09 I'm not out of the mat yet either so this should be fun.
06:11 Oh my days. Please get down.
06:21 It's quite low. Very lynx-y shot that one.
06:23 Oh heck this could be a long afternoon Tapper.
06:25 Let's go find out where yours is and maybe I can make it up and down.
06:28 I've drawn a real stinker of a lie here.
06:31 It's in this stuff.
06:33 Without wanting to sound too pessimistic I could hit this out of bounds.
06:38 I need to sort of chop down on the back of this.
06:41 Anyway, good luck.
06:43 Six.
06:46 Six. Stay up.
06:48 Oh it's nice though. It ran out a little bit more than you thought.
06:52 Nice shot.
06:53 Do you know what, I'll take that.
06:58 Get up a bit.
07:00 Okay, well I'm putting for five.
07:03 Can I hold that and get back into it? Let's go have a go.
07:05 Not bad.
07:06 It feels quite big Neil I think. I need to drop this really and put a bit of pressure on you.
07:10 What have you got that for?
07:11 It's for a five. A working man's five I believe they call it.
07:15 You haven't lost the ball yet.
07:16 No, that's true. I've tried my hardest.
07:18 To me this is straight up the hill and for goodness sake just get it there.
07:23 I'll be buzzing with a five here.
07:30 Oh it just broke on me. Just broke on me.
07:33 Six down.
07:34 Well, he says.
07:36 Six down.
07:37 Go on, see if you've got the par put in you.
07:40 So Dan, in the format that we're playing, is this to go one up or is this to go two up?
07:46 I think two up.
07:48 Two up?
07:49 Yeah, I think we're just playing three holes worth of shots.
07:52 That's why it felt quite momentous for me back there just to try and get a five on there.
07:55 It's just for a two shot lead early doors.
07:57 Has my putt made you think any different? The little turn at the end?
08:00 Yeah, it has actually.
08:01 Okay, good. That's what I like to hear.
08:11 Okay, right.
08:12 I thought you deceived me.
08:14 Yeah, good. That's why I was happy about that. Five down.
08:17 I feel like I've got away with one there.
08:19 So which is our next hole?
08:21 We're off to the sixth now, which we'll chat about why it's the hardest when we get there I think.
08:27 Good stuff.
08:33 Right Neil, well done.
08:35 Won that hole with a five.
08:36 What we're doing is total strokes by the way.
08:38 So we're now wandering on to the sixth hole, which is a gorgeous little par three,
08:42 heading back out toward the estuary, the River Thames.
08:46 Why have you picked this one as one of the toughest holes?
08:48 Well, interestingly, on the card it's index 17.
08:51 So another sort of low index hole that we're playing, like the first was.
08:55 Or high index hole rather.
08:56 It's actually played really tough.
08:57 So the 2006 Open, there were nine double bogeys on here,
09:00 and it played as one of the hardest holes of the entire tournament.
09:03 I think the wind must have been tough that day or something,
09:05 because if we look at it here, it's a fairly straightforward looking par three, would you say?
09:10 Looks like a sucker pin.
09:11 What are you thinking?
09:12 174 flag.
09:13 174 flag.
09:14 For reference, in the 2006 Open, it played about 200 yards, hence the double bogeys.
09:18 We're not quite off the back backs today.
09:20 So 174, down out the right, one shot lead, but forget that, you don't want to start.
09:26 I know you can't go, well, it looks like you can't go past it.
09:29 Definitely can't go past.
09:30 One left side, you get 7-iron, one to the left.
09:32 Perfect, sounds good to me.
09:33 Good luck.
09:34 Transit man inbound.
09:37 Let this guy go.
09:39 It's not a good vision to have in your mind, is it?
09:41 Not massively.
09:42 They are building all the opening for structure.
09:45 Yes, give them a B and D on that.
09:48 [music]
09:54 It's not coming from anywhere, is it?
09:57 It's hanging out.
09:58 It doesn't want to come back.
09:59 It's just awful.
10:00 It's gone nowhere as well.
10:01 It might even be short of the, either short or just in the slightly heavier stuff.
10:06 No, I saw the, I got the concept.
10:08 [laughter]
10:09 Trying to use the wind there.
10:11 It didn't really help me much.
10:12 Well, you're in the game.
10:14 Oh, don't say that.
10:15 That's awful.
10:16 I also want to try and ride this wind and hit my fade,
10:19 so I might start it out there and hope for the best.
10:23 Oh, God.
10:36 Chunky town.
10:38 Go.
10:39 I think I've chunked that to the front edge.
10:42 That's on the front edge.
10:43 Could you take a quick moment to say a big thank you to the team at Nikon?
10:47 Nikon are a sponsor of the Open Championship,
10:50 and they have given us the opportunity to play the golf course here today,
10:54 so massive thank you.
10:55 They've also given us, Dan and I, both a different laser rangefinder.
11:00 I've got the Coolshot 50i, really handy when it comes to trying to pick out distances,
11:04 especially when you're playing a Lynx golf course like this that is pretty flat.
11:08 I found it really easy to find out the yardages.
11:11 So, a massive thank you to the team at Nikon.
11:13 All right.
11:16 Nice and smooth.
11:17 Oh, I got underneath it.
11:21 It's fine.
11:23 It's fine.
11:24 It's putting.
11:25 Do you know it's putting, right?
11:26 It's putting.
11:27 It's in three-putt territory.
11:28 Yeah.
11:29 It's Texas wedge all day, this.
11:32 I'm not getting a wedge out here.
11:34 It's long putts.
11:35 Try and get it within a bin lid, a trash can lid,
11:39 as our American friends would say.
11:41 It's a long way away.
11:43 I've not had a distance putt today yet.
11:45 Anything could happen here.
11:47 Keep rolling out.
11:56 Keep rolling out.
11:57 Keep rolling out.
11:58 It's within my large dustbin.
12:02 Very big bin.
12:03 It's a big bin I've got.
12:04 It's an industrial-sized one, that one.
12:05 Very big bin.
12:08 Bit of meat left on the pin, isn't there?
12:10 I thought mine was closer for the record as well.
12:12 So, you know, both playing three now.
12:14 How would you like the pin?
12:15 Yeah, take it out.
12:16 Take it out.
12:17 I like it.
12:18 Don't mind that.
12:19 Right, anywhere.
12:20 I'm going for the dustbin lid as well.
12:21 Another dustbin lid.
12:22 Bigger, smaller than mine.
12:23 Oh, I've pushed it.
12:27 Push.
12:28 Oh, wow.
12:29 That's not good.
12:30 Oh, my.
12:31 That's not good.
12:32 You did say earlier it was in three-putt territory.
12:33 Right.
12:35 What's another thing I was just chatting about with Link's course is
12:37 it seems flat and then there's undulations and just subtle breaks everywhere
12:41 that I don't think you get on your...
12:43 Although I think we're making it look more breakable.
12:46 Remember, Neil, we've got to harness the horse.
12:48 OK, well, did you push yours?
12:52 It didn't break.
12:53 That was awful.
12:54 OK.
12:55 The lesser about that, the better.
12:56 Dustbin lid, come on, Dan.
12:59 At least it's not on YouTube or anything, mate.
13:01 No, my dustbin lid's the hole here.
13:04 Come on.
13:06 Oh, it's just rolled out.
13:08 Just a silly little length, Dan, a silly little length.
13:11 Are we giving putts or do you have to putt that out?
13:14 No, I think we should putt out.
13:15 Yeah.
13:16 I think so.
13:17 Just like the tour pros would.
13:18 Right.
13:19 OK, right.
13:20 We're both playing for our fours here.
13:22 We pitched this as the toughest, but this was fairly innocuous today.
13:25 Oh, well done.
13:32 Oh, well done, mate.
13:33 Well done.
13:34 Well, it's a bogey.
13:35 It's a four.
13:36 It means I can't gain anything on you.
13:39 I've got one of these left.
13:44 It shouldn't be one of these.
13:45 OK, well, a pair of fours.
13:50 I should have put one up on you there.
13:52 You should have done.
13:53 I should have done.
13:54 Oh, well.
13:55 I didn't hit a good shot on that hole until the putt.
13:57 The 14th awaits us next, I think, with a one-shot lead.
14:00 Yes.
14:02 Let's go find out what that looks like.
14:03 OK, so, Dan, we have got the 14th to play now.
14:14 So why have we done this one?
14:16 We've chosen this one because it's a long par four.
14:19 It's a very difficult hole.
14:21 And in the spring meeting here recently, the members,
14:25 this was the hardest hole on the golf course.
14:27 Yeah.
14:28 And it played, I think, it played the average was 5.25.
14:32 Which is on a par four.
14:33 Par four is quite difficult.
14:35 And it is index two as well, isn't it?
14:37 I've got three within my hand just because my driver's not going so well.
14:40 It is two good hits.
14:41 I'm just trying to get myself in play here.
14:43 I'm winding two off the left coming off the estuary.
14:46 I'm going all out.
14:47 All out attack from Neil Taffer with a one-shot lead.
14:49 What could possibly go wrong?
14:50 Cutting up the right-hand side.
14:57 Heading towards that trap.
14:59 Over.
15:02 Over it?
15:03 Over.
15:04 I think that's going to be a good angle into this hole because it does want to squeeze that way a little bit.
15:07 How bad is the bund?
15:08 Over that bunker.
15:09 I don't mind over there.
15:10 I don't mind over there.
15:11 I've got the face of the club on the ball.
15:13 I just feel like with three within my hand now, is it ever going to be enough?
15:18 It's going to be three with three wood for me, I think.
15:20 It really is.
15:21 I'm playing it as a five.
15:23 Let's hope Taffer makes a seven.
15:25 Do a ball.
15:27 Come on.
15:28 Lovely, Dan.
15:37 It's a good hit.
15:38 It's a bit spinny, but it will be in the middle of the fairway.
15:41 I'll tell you that much.
15:42 It's definitely going to be...
15:43 It's not long.
15:44 It's not going a long way, folks.
15:45 I'm not a big hitter, but hey, I'm in the middle of the fairway.
15:48 Let's go have a little look at it.
15:51 This was the hole, Dan, in 2006 where Tiger made a two.
15:56 Yes.
15:57 The fairways were brown and gold.
15:59 It was proper height of summer links gold, wasn't it?
16:01 Not as much as it is now.
16:02 No, definitely not.
16:03 I think it was 206, 209 yards, low 200s, four iron.
16:08 He said it was lucky.
16:09 I think every hole like that is a bit lucky, isn't it?
16:11 It set him on his way to go and win, and it was some shots.
16:14 It's probably one of the most famous holes, I think, here at Royal Lake.
16:17 Do you know what's quite interesting about that was that Tiger...
16:20 I think I'm right in saying that Tiger only hit one driver that week.
16:25 Correct.
16:26 72 holes, and he defeated one.
16:28 I don't know which hole he hit it on, actually, but yes, definitely one.
16:30 You don't know which one, but in the clubhouse here is his two iron
16:34 that he used that week.
16:36 It's an old Nike blade.
16:37 We'll try and get a shot of that two iron to put in the video.
16:40 It's a gorgeous bit of equipment, isn't it?
16:41 It is beautiful, but you just think to yourself, "Gosh, how good must he have been
16:45 to be using that in A competition and B to win the Open?"
16:49 As his stock little finder fairway as well, and still getting it right down there.
16:53 I couldn't help but think that as I was...
16:54 But it just goes to show when it comes to the Leeds golf, at their level,
16:57 it's about controlling the ball far as much as possible.
16:59 Well, shall we see if one of us can hole out quite like that on this hole or not?
17:03 You might need to.
17:04 I don't think we've got it in us.
17:05 Okay, as I suspected, not too far after the tee, span up a little bit into the wind.
17:10 This is an awesome golf hole as well.
17:12 My line from here is a blind shot, and my line is sort of the grandstand.
17:16 The pin is right on the left-hand side when we get up there.
17:19 Probably going to end up short, but I'll end up short right is where I'm trying to get myself.
17:22 I'm just playing this as a five, not sure where Neil is.
17:25 Hopefully, he's got an average lie.
17:27 I'm just trying to get forward, just go forward, and try and bring some half-decent golf to the game.
17:34 Into wind, not far from where Tiger holed out, so that's got to be good vibes, right?
17:39 Yeah.
17:40 Oh, I don't mind that, if I may say so.
17:52 I've actually struck one.
17:54 That could be great, could be terrible.
17:55 I don't know, it's blind, but that's what I wanted to do.
17:57 That was perfect, little fade, hybrid.
17:59 I'm excited.
18:00 I don't know, let's go find out.
18:02 Good shot, Dan.
18:04 Thank you.
18:05 I'm buzzing.
18:06 I'm a bit concerned.
18:07 I've seen the lie, to be honest, I did wish it was in the sand.
18:10 Don't want to be that guy, but I thought it was in the sand.
18:12 We're short of the sand, what have we got distance-wise?
18:15 You've got a much better angle, though.
18:16 We can actually see the green and the pin this time.
18:18 I have got 180.
18:20 I've got 180, and it is--
18:23 It's good, it's turned straight into the wind as well.
18:26 It's 180, it's all into, isn't it?
18:28 It's a funky lie.
18:29 Stop it.
18:30 We don't know where my ball is either, by the way, so I've not heaped too much pressure on it.
18:34 I'm going to hit--
18:35 It was just a good strike.
18:36 I'm going to lay down the shaft a bit on the fore iron, just put it up the right-hand side.
18:39 I think right's the play, isn't it?
18:40 I mean, look at that pin.
18:41 I dug it out of that lie, heading toward two bunkers.
18:51 Short.
18:52 It's short of those two bunkers, and that's going to be an interest.
18:54 That was a stinky little lie for a fore iron, I think.
18:57 Yes, it was a strategy.
18:59 Good confidence, right?
19:01 I'm going to bound up the fairway now, see what we've got going on up there.
19:04 I'm in trouble.
19:05 I've got bad times, very, very bad times.
19:07 Well, it's good for a start.
19:08 It's a good job we missed these two brutal little putt bunkers here.
19:11 I've not got a bad lie.
19:12 I'm more concerned about the fact that you're on the green.
19:15 Just left of the lighthouse, I think, from your angle there.
19:17 I've got a good-looking putt.
19:19 I wouldn't even say you're in three-putt territory there.
19:21 I need to hit a half-decent shot here.
19:25 It's right on my ball.
19:31 It's going to be short of it.
19:32 It's just going to give me the line.
19:34 Actually, it's quite hard for me to describe to you how bad that shot is.
19:39 It's a wheels-off moment.
19:40 It was not a difficult one.
19:42 Oh, dear.
19:45 Oh, no.
19:46 I've had a total nightmare here for two reasons.
19:48 One, I feel it nowhere near the hole.
19:51 No, it wasn't your finest chance.
19:52 50-yard pitch.
19:53 And two, I'm going to give you the line on this.
19:55 You've just given me the perfect line.
19:56 I can't wait.
19:57 I'm not going to spot on it too heavily, but it's going to give me a clue, shall we say.
20:01 If I hold this, the team will break out.
20:04 State of play.
20:05 Yours is for a four.
20:07 Mine's for a three.
20:08 I'm one shot ahead.
20:09 You're one shot ahead.
20:10 We're effectively here for the same.
20:11 I know.
20:12 Down.
20:22 That's down nice and tight.
20:24 It didn't turn, did it, on you?
20:25 It didn't want to turn.
20:26 I would say you've got this to win.
20:30 So I've got a putt to win.
20:32 How do you like it?
20:33 I'll have you sneezing in.
20:35 Sneezing in.
20:36 I like the aesthetic of the flag here.
20:37 Okay, now I'm actually quite nervous, Neil, because I've got something to play for here.
20:43 My short stick isn't my friend.
20:45 That didn't break, did it?
20:47 If you make three here.
20:49 Oh, yeah.
20:50 I'll be pretty happy, let's say that.
20:53 Two ties it and we walk off as friends.
20:56 Right, come on, Dan.
20:58 Come on, Daniel.
21:00 Does it turn?
21:07 Does it turn?
21:08 It doesn't quite turn.
21:09 I didn't get it there either, which is a shame.
21:11 I should have got it past the hole, really.
21:13 I think I got too scared of the three putt.
21:15 Let me tidy up before we start saying anything too far ahead.
21:18 Well done.
21:19 Thank you very much.
21:20 At least one of us made a par.
21:21 Finally, yeah.
21:23 Well done.
21:24 Well played.
21:25 Three over each, I think.
21:26 Not the best golf.
21:27 Brutal golf holes in the end.
21:29 This one especially.
21:30 Brilliant to play.
21:31 Not playing particularly brutal today.
21:33 No, got a little breeze.
21:34 Great weather.
21:35 Warm.
21:36 Cannot wait to be back here for the Open Championship in a couple of months' time.
21:39 It is looking beautiful out here.
21:41 And if they continue to get the sort of conditions we've had and they get a bit of wind.
21:45 Yeah, it's going to be epic.
21:46 Can't wait to see how they handle this.
21:47 It's going to be one to watch and one to remember, I think.
21:50 It's been a privilege to play it.
21:52 Well, thanks very much for watching.
21:53 Hope you enjoyed the video.
21:54 See you next time.
21:55 [Music]