The Original Cape

Bullhead Bay sits to the right, indifferent to the golfer’s ambition. The 14th is the progenitor of the Cape, a diagonal inquiry into one’s confidence. The calculation is severe: the more water one challenges, the simpler the second shot becomes. To bail out left—seeking the comfort of dry land—is to accept a punitive sentence. From that safe haven, the green falls away, guarded by a road bunker and a contour that rejects a timid approach.

Macdonald claimed this design as a rare original thought, a departure from his imported templates. Though Raynor later refined the green complex to better accept the run-up, the tee shot remains the primary hurdle. It ended the era of steering blindly down a corridor and introduced the concept of the angle, forcing the hickory player to measure their own capability against the wind.

This is no place for the tentative swing. To lay up away from the hazard is to misunderstand the question Macdonald posed. Select a line that causes a tremor in the grip. Strike the ball. If it finds the salt water, it is a sacrifice to history. If it finds the short grass, the walk to the green is one of the finest in the game.