It is sometimes argued, even by its admirers, that Royal Co Down would not have so many blind shots if earthmoving equipment had been available to its designer, Old Tom Morris, back in 1889. Well, the machinery was there when I visited Newcastle earlier this week and - dare one say it - greater visibility was the objective.
Though the famous blind shots have been described as charming and eccentric, there is another school of thought which sees some of them, at least, as detracting from a great links. In the event, club officials have decided to bend ever so slightly - with regard to the 545-yard, par-five 18th.
Architect Donald Steel, who recently completed the design of the third 18 at Killarney, was given the contract to upgrade the second course at Newcastle three years ago. On completion of the work to what has since been named the Annesley links, Steel was invited to offer suggestions on how the great Ulster links might be improved.
Main focus of attention concerned the last three holes, which have often been criticised as lacking the quality of the previous 15. Club officers wondered if they might be improved as part of their plans for staging the British Amateur Championship in 1999.
They remained determined, however, that the 265-yard 16th, arguably the finest par "three-and-a-half" in golf, should remain unchanged. But additional bunkers were added to the right off the tee at the 17th and 18th.
The current work owes much to observations on play during the Irish Close Championship, held there in August of last year. "It was noted the way competitors, after driving at the 18th, were walking up to the crossbunkers so that they could see over the hogs-back fairway to the green," said club manager, Peter Rolph.
So, earthmovers got to work on terrain that had been largely untouched for more than a century. And while the hogs back was being softened, our finishing challenge this week was a gentle, drive and nine-iron to a temporary green, short of the crossbunkers. Meanwhile, mounding and pot bunkers are being added to the right-hand side both to improve definition and to separate the hole from the 18th on the adjoining Annesley Links.
"The work started a few weeks ago and we expect to have it finished by Christmas," added Rolph. "With resodding completed, it should be ready for play next Easter."
After a visit to Newcastle, that well known Ballybunion publicist, Tom Watson, described it as: ". . . a tremendous test of golf and the outward half especially is as fine a nine holes as I have ever played." The idea is that on his next visit, he will be similarly enthusiastic about the homeward journey.
`As I've gotten older, I've thought about those champions who neglected to keep themselves fit and how they always paid the price in the end." Gary Player, who is 62 today.
The Swedes, it seems, are determined to make turnips of their golfing rivals (with apologies to the Sun). Whatever happens at Montecastillo this weekend, they can certainly look back on this season as the finest in their short history of tournament play.
There were European Tour victories from Michael Jonzon (Portuguese Open), Per-Ulrik Johansson (English Open and European Open), Joakim Haeggman (Scandinavian Masters), Robert Karlsson (BMW International) and by Jonzon and Anders Forsbrand in the Perrier Pairs.
Then we had Gabriel Hjertstedt becoming the first Swede to win in America, when he captured the BC Open in September. Johansson and Jesper Parnevik made a brilliant contribution to Europe's Ryder Cup triumph. And as they competed in the final of the Alfred Dunhill Cup, Haeggman made history by becoming the first player to shoot 27 for the front nine at St Andrews.
As in other sports, however, a country's sporting strength is measured by the depth of its talent. Which brings me to the final Order of Merit table for the European Challenge Tour. Its list of 99 contains no fewer than 23 Swedes - a representation of 23.23 per cent. And the number of Irishmen? One - Gary Murphy in 66th position.
While our group were driving off the 15th tee at Royal Co Down earlier this week, we suddenly became aware of a commotion to our left. There, up on the tee at the short 14th, was the sort of activity one would associate more with the livelier moments of Riverdance.
"He's holed it . . . he's had a hole in one," a colleague enthused. We later discovered that "he" was Westmanstown 18handicapper Tommy Murphy, who had the effrontery to shoot an ace on his first visit to the holy of holies. By way of further identification, he said that his namesake father was the Irish champion flat-racing jockey of 1978.
Murphy, a garda, was at Newcastle with colleagues from the RUC, one of whom, Ian Hutcheon, proudly signed his card. For the 190-yard shot, Murphy used a four-iron. "He must have hit it well," said local veteran John Boston, now off six. "I hit a three-iron 100 per cent and was just on."
We are informed that speculation was rife that summer as to whether and with whom the lovely Flora might make her move. She was inundated with requests to play in mixed foursomes and had more invitations to socialise than she could accept.
"Towards the end of the summer, three main contenders for her hand emerged . . . In one of those extraordinary coincidences . . . the three swains found themselves on the same line of the timesheet for the President's Prize . . . (and) then decided among themselves that the scores they had that day would determine the order in which they would be allowed a free `run' at endeavouring to get the fair Flora to declare for them."
"May the Best Man Win" is one of 30 short stories in Through the Green, Lightly, a delightful book about golf and golfers, set in Lahinch and written by G A Finn. From Golfinn Publications (021 353464) at £6.99, it is rich in the humour and tradition of a beloved golfing haven. Splendid value.
This day in golf history . . . On November 1st, 1935, Gary Player was born in Johannesburg, the son of a coal miner. In the course of a career spanning four decades, he has gained a unique place in golf for his true grit, consistency and legendary selfdiscipline.
As a teenager, Player spent most of the daylight hours practising out on the course, with the result that he became a very good judge of distance, a fine reader of greens and arguably the best bunker player in the history of the game. Yet on his first trip to Britain in 1955, a well-known professional looked at his faulty stance, overly strong left-hand grip and flat swing and advised him to return to South Africa and get an honest job.
Within 10 years, however, Player captured the US Open at Bellerive to join the elite group of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus as only the fourth competitor to win golf's four major championships. He was also the first overseas player to capture the blue riband of American golf since Ted Ray in 1920.
When asked what made Player so successful, a fellow professional replied: "Oh, he just likes beating people." He had a particularly notable success in the 1974 British Open at Royal Lytham where the big, American ball was compulsory for the first time. And by the end of that year, he became - and remains - the only competitor to shoot 59 in a national championship, while capturing the Brazilian Open.
His last important win was in the British Senior Open at Royal Portrush four months ago.
Teaser: A plays a stroke on the putting green. B, A's opponent or a fellow-competitor, accidentally drops his ball which he had lifted and it falls on A's ball which is still in motion. What is the ruling?
Answer: In matchplay, A must play his ball as it lies (Rule 19-5, second paragraph). Neither A nor B incurs a penalty. In strokeplay, B's ball was an outside agency. Since A's ball was deflected by a moving outside agency, A must replay his stroke without penalty under Rule 19-1b. B incurs no penalty.
In either form of play, B must replace his ball on the spot from which it was lifted (Rule 20-3a). Although the note under Definition of "Equipment" stated that a ball which has been lifted and not put back into play is equipment, Rule 19-5, which specifically applies when a ball in motion after a stroke is deflected by another ball in motion, overrides Rules 19-3 and 19-4 in this case.
