Nicknamed 'Carnasty' for its brutal closing stretch along the Barry Burn; site of Jean van de Velde's infamous collapse on the 72nd hole of the 1999 Open.
This course is in our GSPro library — pull it up in any bay and play it wall to wall.
No. 18 — HomeSignature
Par 4 · 499 yds
The Barry Burn crosses the fairway twice and wraps the green; leading the 1999 Open by three shots, Jean van de Velde hit a grandstand, put his approach in the burn, waded in to consider playing it, then made triple-bogey seven to fall into a playoff he lost to Paul Lawrie — still cited as golf's worst late-round collapse.
"The Barry Burn snakes through the final three holes and claims cards from complacent players; caddies push conservative, wind-adjusted lines off the tee."
Golf has been played on this Angus linksland since the 1500s; the modern course was laid out by Allan Robertson in 1850, extended to 18 by Old Tom Morris, and toughened by James Braid in 1926. Eight Opens have been decided here: Hogan's only Open in 1953, Van de Velde's 1999 collapse in the Barry Burn, Harrington in 2007, Molinari in 2018. 'Car-nasty' is widely called the hardest course on the Open rota — flat, grey and brutally honest, the Barry Burn snaking through the 17th and 18th like a trap that never stops being set.
Serious golfers who want the Open rota's meanest exam, and history buffs — Hogan '53 and Van de Velde '99 both happened on this exact ground.
The finish is the legend: the long par-3 16th, then the Barry Burn crossing the 17th twice and guarding the 18th green — where Van de Velde rolled up his trousers and waded in. Hogan's Alley, the 6th, still rewards the brave line between the bunkers and the boundary.
Honestly brutal — long carries, deep pot bunkers, burns crossing everywhere, constant wind. Beginners are welcome (it's a public links) but should treat it as an experience, not a scorecard.
In GSPro and superb indoors — the flat terrain renders honestly, and the burns and pot bunkers make it a genuine championship test on a screen. Crank the wind and it's the hardest scorecard in the Clubhouse library; ideal for league finals.
A true public links run by a trust — anyone can book. Roughly £270-320 in season for the Championship Course, reserved months ahead online; the Burnside and Buddon courses are inexpensive same-trip add-ons.
Source: — · high confidence
