Hole 6

The turn from the fifth brings the player parallel to the ocean and directly into the teeth of the prevailing wind. The sixth is a one-shotter of 181 yards, situated in the classic mold. The green rests in a natural bowl of dunes, the front visible to the tee, while the rear falls away into shadow.

With the wind pressing against the ball, the front pin becomes a position of peril. The wise play often ignores the flag entirely. The terrain invites a shot played short, running along the firm turf to gather in the bowl. It is a strategy born of necessity, akin to the shots required in the British Isles.

To the traveled golfer, the genesis of this hole is unmistakable; it is a fragment of the Old World transplanted. To those new to the seaside game, the sixth offers a definitive lesson in links golf. It requires a negotiation with the ground rather than a simple calculation of yardage.