The Biarritz swale in the middle of the 12th green, with the par-5 eighth on the left.
THE ORIGIN OF BIARRITZ GREENS
steep banks on either side of the green, so any ball missing the target will roll a long distance away. A front pin will likely prove the most difficult to judge with the false cape at the front funnelling balls back into the front bunker, and a slope into the swale in the middle of the green.
and named “the Biarritz.” With a deep swale in the middle of the green it made for a controversial putting surface. It is typically used on long par 3s, with hazards on either side of the green. It’s remarkably rare, the best versions being in the United States, although it is making a comeback with modern designers in different shapes and forms, as on the second green at Zimbali on the KZN North Coast. At Durban CC’s 12th there are
This quirky green design on DCC’s Prince of Wales originated from various sources. A par 3 at the Biarritz Golf Club in France dubbed “the chasm,” the Valley of Sin at No 18 on the Old Course at St Andrews, and the “Gate green” on the 16th at North Berwick’s West Links. It was adopted by the famed American course designer CB Macdonald as a template to a hole
Click here to read the article
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 89
MARCH/APRIL 2024
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting