8th Hole : Old Course : Royal Troon Golf Club PAR 3 Hole Overview Originally called "Ailsa" because there is a perfect view of the rocky islet of that name, from the tee. The smallness of the putting surface accounted for the current name when William Park writing in "Golf Illustrated" said, " A pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a Postage Stamp". Much has been written about the famous eighth hole at Royal Troon, aptly named the "Postage Stamp". The tee is on high ground and a dropping shot is played over a gully to a long but extremely narrow green set into the side of a large sandhill. Two bunkers protect the left side of the green while a large crater bunker shields the approach. Any mistake on the right will find one of the two deep bunkers with near vertical faces. There is no safe way to play this hole, the ball must find the green with the tee-shot. Many top players have come to grief at this the shortest hole in Open Championship golf.

Hole Stats British Open: The shortest hole can lick the best | Sport | The Guardian The shortest hole can lick the best Only 123 yards long, Troon's 8th looks easy but is feared by all, writes David Davies Tuesday 13 July 2004 19.47 EDT First published on Tuesday 13 July 2004 19.47 EDT Share on Messenger Close The Postage Stamp, the 8th hole at Royal Troon, is the most famous, or infamous, short hole in Europe. It is the Penny Black of the album and, given any weather, it morphs seamlessly into a penny dreadful. It is only 123 yards long, the shortest hole in championship golf, and as a player, even a quite ordinary player, stands on the tee there appears no good reason why the green, carved out of sandhills front, left and back, should not be hit. It is an enticing prospect and one that has lured many a great player to destruction. No one who has played the hole faces it with equanimity, for they know that to miss that tiny putting surface is to face a bogey - or much, much worse.

It was Willie Park Jr, winner of the Open in 1889, writing in Golf Illustrated, who said of the reconstructed 8th in 1909 that it had "a pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a postage stamp", and so it has been called ever since. It is dangerous not only because the green is difficult to hit but also because it is difficult to hold, and anything less than a well-struck shot is likely to run off into one of the five cavernous bunkers that surround it. And they, emphatically, are not places to be. Some of golf's greatest names have been licked by the Postage Stamp. Tiger Woods, in contention in the 1997 Open after a 64 on the Saturday, took six and was not heard of again, and when, in the 1989 Open, Greg Norman got round in a then course-record 64 to get into a play-off, guess where he dropped his only stroke? It has been ever thus. In 1923 Walter Hagen contrived to take five at the Postage Stamp and finished second to Arthur Havers - by one shot.

The 1973 Open became a battle between two playing partners, Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller. Miller hit his tee shot at the 8th to four feet. He was so pleased that he could not resist a triumphant glance at Weiskopf, he of the fragile temperament. But it was to be Big Tom's year, the year he finally realised his talent, and he put his tee shot inside Miller's. Both men birdied and Weiskopf went on to win his only major. Roberto de Vicenzo finished second in the 1950 Open at Troon and it was a shot he hit at the 8th that led to a change in the rules of golf. He plugged it in one of the bunkers and so impossible was the lie that he exercised his right, at that time, to declare the ball unplayable and, with no penalty, go back to the tee. He then almost holed his next tee shot and putted out for a three. Not fair, howled the golfing world, and the rule was changed. That the 8th is memorable goes almost without saying.

John Beharrell, then an 18-year-old amateur, later to become a distinguished captain of the Royal and Ancient, was playing in the 1956 Amateur championship and, even 48 years later, can recall his semi-final match against the fine Scottish golfer Reid Jack. Jack was one up after seven and Beharrell hit his tee shot into the front bunker. The assumption was that Jack would go two up, but Beharrell holed from the sand and was instead all square. He went on to win that match and the title. In 1973 another golfer holed from the sand for a birdie two - Gene Sarazen, appropriately enough the inventor of the modern sand wedge. But more remarkably Sarazen, then aged 71 and celebrating the 50th anniversary of his first Open appearance, had holed in one in the first round and completed two playings of the 8th without using his putter. The wind tends to be either in your face or across from the right and, if strong enough, can mean playing a punched five-iron.

Recently, at a Royal Bank of Scotland company day, Sandy Lyle and Jack Nicklaus stood on the 8th tee and played the hole with a succession of clients. During one blustery spell Nicklaus said to Lyle: "I think I'll just punch something in low." He chose the five-iron, and shanked it. Lyle was proud that after standing there for the best part of five hours he had nothing worse than a four. In fact many players would sell their souls for a bogey at the 8th. For instance, the championship record for the highest score at the Postage Stamp is held by a man who, quite remarkably, is not even famous for it in his own country. A recent questioning of most of the current German golf writers revealed that they had barely heard of Hermann Tissies and had no idea whether he was alive or dead. But in 1950 poor Hermann ran into the Postage Stamp at its stickiest. His tee shot found a bunker, his recovery found another and then yet another.

He took five to get out of one of the bunkers and, as is the way of things when you are taking 15 at a hole, he finished by three-putting. Merciful anonymity cloaks Tissies, but that cannot be said of one of the BBC's excellent team of reporters covering this year's championship. In fact, the corporation will have on hand someone with extensive experience of the horrors of the Postage Stamp. Maureen Madill, twice a British champion, was playing in the Helen Holm event, one of the important stroke-play tournaments of the year, and was one of the favourites. She reached the 8th in good order, but bunkered her tee shot. There followed a mixture of sand shots that either found another bunker or obdurately stayed in the one they started in. As time went by and as Madill criss-crossed the green on her way to a 13, her caddie became increasingly agitated. Eventually, as the groups behind began to build up on the tee, she could contain herself no longer. "For heaven's sake," she cried, "pick it up, dear, pick it up.

You're holding up the whole course." "Thank goodness she was out of range of my wedge," says Madill now, "or I wouldn't any longer have a mother." Tales of the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon for the 145th Open Championship comment TROON, Scotland -- The problem with such a short, seemingly simple hole is getting yourself to believe and understand that it is more than just that. Such an easy shot awaits, especially for a seasoned player who could accomplish the feat blindfolded. There is no menacing creek like the 12th at Augusta National. There is no water that surrounds the green like the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. There is no water at all, save for the Firth of Clyde, which borders the course and can be the source of fiendish winds. The green sits just 123 yards away -- it might play less than 100 yards one day this week -- and would appear to offer a respite from the rigors of Royal Troon, where the 145th Open begins on Thursday.

It is the shortest hole in the Open golf course rotation -- and among the shortest in any championship endeavor -- a mere pitching wedge or even a sand wedge shot for most of today's professionals. But, of course, there is a story that accompanies the par-3 eighth at Royal Troon, a hole known as the Postage Stamp. Others refer to it as the "wee beastie.'' During a practice round prior to the 145th Open at Royal Troon, reigning U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson took a swing at the eighth hole, better known as the Postage Stamp. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images The par-3 eighth has an elevated tee shot over a gully to a 30-yard-long green that is just 10 yards wide. It is ringed by five bunkers and flanked on the left by a rough-covered hill with the sole purpose of sending balls veering into the sand. Those obstacles are a mere annoyance to pros who should have no trouble finding a green from such a short distance. But what makes the hole so troublesome is the wind. On a calm day the hole is routine, but then again, how often are there such days in a Scottish summer?

"It's a special hole the way the short par-3s of this world are special,'' said Colin Montgomerie , who grew up on the course and will compete in The Open at Troon for the third time. "You play a hole like Oakmont's eighth at 300 yards, and the expectation is low. There's never been a decent par-3 over 200 yards, in my opinion. "(At) 123 yards, the expectation raises dramatically. You are on that tee and you are a professional golfer. It's your job and you are expected to hit this green at 123 yards. You could throw it on, really. And that's why it's difficult. "Whenever you are expected to win something or do something, it's always more difficult to achieve. And that's why the hole is fabulous, because you are expected to hit the green, and everyone knows you are.'' The putting surface on the eighth hole at Royal Troon is surrounded by trouble, including the infamous Coffin Bunker. Stuart Franklin/Getty Images The hole got its name after Troon (it became Royal Troon in 1978) underwent several changes in 1909.

Previously, the hole had been longer, requiring a blind tee shot over a large sand hill to the left of the present green. When the course was shortened, bunkers were added, leading to the name coined in a 1922 Golf Illustrated story in which the described the eighth green as a "putting surface skimmed down to the size of a postage stamp.'' That same year, the Coffin Bunker was added to the front right of the green. It is tucked into a hill and was placed there to keep players from landing their ball short and letting it roll on. Rory McIlroy found the Coffin Bunker in a Tuesday practice round and said "it took me five or six goes to get out of it. That didn't go too well.'' During a practice round last week, Henrik Stenson suffered a similar fate before finally kicking his ball out. Stories are aplenty. Twelve years ago -- the last time the Open was at Royal Troon -- Ernie Els aced the hole during the opening round on the way to a playoff loss against Todd Hamilton .

In 1997, when Justin Leonard won here, Tiger Woods -- playing only his third major as a pro -- had gotten into contention with a third-round 64, only to have his chances undone by the Postage Stamp a day later. Woods buried his tee shot in a bunker, blasted over the green, then needed a chip and 3 putts for a triple-bogey 6. The same year, Englishman Steve Bottomley took a 7 the first day and a 10 the second en route to missing the cut. "It's an easy hole, really,'' Bottomley said. "Somehow, I let it ruin my tournament.'' In the first Open played at Troon in 1923, defending champion Gene Sarazen missed the cut after shooting 85. Fifty years later, at age 71, the Squire returned to Troon, and added to his legend at the Postage Stamp. During the first round, Sarazen aced the hole. The following day he found a greenside bunker, but holed it for a birdie 2. So he played the hole in a total of 3 strokes over two rounds.

"For many years, the Postage Stamp hole had haunted me; I feared it, so when I walked onto the tee and faced the wind, I must admit I was somewhat nervous," Sarazen later wrote. "I selected my 5-iron as I was determined not to be short. Editor's Picks Jordan Spieth calls his withdrawal from the Olympics "probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life." 2 Related "When the crowd roared and I realized the ball was in the hole, I felt there was no better way to close the books on my tournament play than to make a hole-in-one on the Postage Stamp and call it quits.'' Herman Tissies might have had similar thoughts, although for different reasons. The German amateur needed 15 strokes to play the Postage Stamp in 1950 when trying to qualify for The Open. After hitting his tee shot into a bunker, Tissies then sent his next shot rolling across a green into another bunker. Same for this third. When it was over, Tissies had been in three bunkers, the first one twice.

He hit five shots in one of them before finally reaching the green with his 12th shot -- from where he proceeded to 3-putt. Montgomerie noted that with the prevailing wind, the first seven holes play downwind. Then you come to the eighth, and for the first time, you are into the wind. "It doesn't matter what standard of golf you are, it's different, it's change," he said. "You haven't done this for two hours, then suddenly you have this shot into the wind and you're thinking. Self-doubt comes in, and hesitation. It's a great hole, great hole. "It's drama.

If you do happen to miss the green, well, game on, you know?'' The Open 2016: Licking Troon's Postage Stamp - CNN.com Royal Troon set to host the 145th Open Scottish course has held Open nine times Troon is home of the famous par-three Postage Stamp eighth hole (CNN) When Tiger Woods faced down the famous "Postage Stamp" eighth hole on the final day of the 1997 Open Championship at Royal Troon, he did so with high hopes of challenging for the second major of his then fledgling career. The 21-year-old recent Masters champion, who had carded a course record-equaling seven-under-par 64 a day earlier, was looking to hunt down leaders Jesper Parnevik and Justin Leonard. Yet those ambitions soon lay in tatters as the American succumbed to one of links golf's most infamous par-three tests, recording a three-over-par six to drop back. 'The Postage Stamp' eighth hole at Royal Troon.

Although the shortest hole on the Open circuit at just 123 yards, many of the game's best have been unable to cope with the deep bunkers and unforgiving winds that often swirl around the narrow, tempting putting surface of the Postage Stamp. "There is no doubt, it is our signature hole," says Royal Troon captain Martin Cheyne. "People will sit in the bar here, sit in the clubhouse, and talk about how they played (it)." Read More Other greats to stall here include Walter Hagen, who carded a final-round double bogey to finish one shot behind Arthur Havers in 1923. And as Greg Norman advanced to a playoff with eventual winner Mark Calcavecchia in the 1989 Open, the only place he dropped a shot on the final day was, of course, the eighth. Royal Troon will be the venue for the 2016 Open Championship. Yet there are a lucky few who can say they have licked the Postage Stamp. Gene Sarazen recorded an ace here at the 1973 championship, 50 years after he first graced the Open.

Ernie Els also notched a hole-in-one here in 2004 -- although he ultimately fell just short that year, losing in a playoff to Todd Hamilton. 'A test of links golf' At a meeting of golf writers earlier this year, Open organizer the R&A revealed it has the option of reducing the length of the Postage Stamp to as little as 99 yards when the championship returns to Royal Troon this week. A wire camera will also swoop between tee and hole enabling television viewers to see action unfold on the Postage Stamp like never before. But the 145th version of the world's oldest golf tournament will be about more than just the drama provided by a solitary par three on a course that is 7,175 yards long.

According to Royal Troon head professional Kieron Stevenson, the wider course remains a "proper test of links golf." The unique challenge that players face at Royal Troon's Postage Stamp hole - Golf Digest The unique challenge that players face at Royal Troon's Postage Stamp hole By LinkedIn 2016 Getty Images TROON, Scotland — The Postage Stamp, also known as the 123-yard eighth hole, is always a default story when the Open Championship comes to Troon. It’s the shortest hole on the Open rota, and the shortest that will be played in any major championship this year. It possesses a deep history and guarantees moments of delight and disaster, not to mention stunning topography that makes it by far the most scenic hole on an otherwise dour links. So far this year, it’s also been a pivotal one. Phil Mickelson’s two birdies—both after superbly wrought wedge shots that threatened the hole—have provided the margin between leading and trailing after 36 holes. “I just love that hole,” Mickelson said on Friday. “It’s a hole you’ve got to be very cautious on, and as the pin gets further back, I’ll be more cautious.

But I just felt like the conditions were right. I kind of saw the shot the last two days and I got a little bit more aggressive to that pin than is probably smart, but it’s paid off.” On the other extreme, Bubba Watson, who started the championship five under par through seven holes, made an unplanned visit to the infamous Coffin Bunker that caused a momentum killing triple-bogey 6 on Thursday. “I hit one bad tee shot all day and it was just at the wrong hole,” Watson lamented. “It cost me dear. I love the golf hole, but it has been killing me all week, even in practice.” RELATED: Our writer makes the LONG walk to the short par-3 eighth at Troon Perhaps that’s the best definition of a great hole—one that inspires love even as it wreaks havoc. The architecture is both harmonious and clearly defines (and encourages) the ideal shot. The green sits just to the right of an immense sand-dune hillock and is framed by five bunkers, two of which will catch just about any ball that rolls off the step slope on the right.

The 420-square-foot green would, according to Golfbidder, require 81,290 actual postage stamps to cover. But it’s still extremely small, only 12 yards wide at the front and 10 yards wide at the back. “Challenging a player for his precision as opposed to solely length is a lost art. The Postage Stamp is a perfect example." —Phil Mickelson But like any temptress, it’s also scary. The short shot must be threaded through a narrow channel on the left center of the green, so that the natural slope won’t take it off the surface to the right, where big numbers can lurk. Too far left, however, brings in the Coffin, which can evince even bigger numbers. In many ways, golf’s shortest holes (those 155 yards and shorter) are a course’s most memorable. They have the most colorful names; Troon’s eighth is also known as “The Wee Beastie.” All levels of golfers can play them with a sense of hope as the best chance on a championship course for a 2.

Ross Kinnaird/R&A Among the Postage Stamp hole's challenges is avoiding the treacherous Coffin Bunker. They are often, too, the most aesthetically pleasing. Because they are small, the design features are more concentrated, creating a composition that is easier to see all at once. We know ones made famous by big events. At the top end of yardage at 155 yards is the 12th at Augusta National. Then there’s the 17th at TPC Sawgrass at about 145 yards. But others less accessible are arguably greater masterpieces, among them the 15th at Cypress Point (143 yards), the 10th at Pine Valley (145 yards) and the seventh at Pebble Beach (109 yards). Lesser known but possibly even better are the 15th at Kingston Heath (155 yards), the 15th at Los Angeles North (145 yards), the fifth at Bandon Trails (124 yards) or the rock-walled third hole at Ventana Canyon (107 yards).

When you hit a good shot on these holes, you feel as if you are painted a mental image comparable to master water-colorist Harry Rountree’s classic rendition of the Postage Stamp. Like the tee shot on the 18th hole of the Old Course at St. Andrews against the backdrop of the R&A clubhouse, it stays in the memory. Of course, all that romance goes out of the Postage Stamp in the heat of competition. At his first British Open in 1923, Gene Sarazen made a double-bogey 5 at the eighth to lose the claret jug by a shot to Arthur Havers. In his 50thand final British Open at age 71 in 1973, Sarazen made a hole-in-one with a 5-iron. Still, he said he’d always be haunted by the Postage Stamp. RELATED: A hole-by-hole tour of Royal Troon When Greg Norman shot his course-record 64 in 1989 but lost in a playoff, the eighth was the only bogey on his card. In 1997, Tiger Woods took a triple-bogey 6.

“You could throw it on, really,” says Colin Montgomerie, who grew up at Troon (although he didn’t get a chance to play the Postage Stamp until he was 18). “On paper you think of it as a birdie chance, but it’s a potential card wrecker. Always was and always will be.” The week before the Open, while playing in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, Mickelson captured the longing many of today’s best players have for holes that demand touch and feel more than power. “Challenging a player for his precision as opposed to solely length is a lost art,” said Mickelson. “The Postage Stamp is a perfect example of how you can challenge the best players in the world. I would love to see that implemented more.” If he can hold his lead for two more rounds, almost necessarily with continued good play at the eighth, that view will gain even more currency.

Royal Troon Golf Course | Signature Golf Holes | Signature Golf Holes Par: 3 Stroke Index: 18 The shortest hole in Open Championship Golf with a very small and narrow green, protected on all sides by deep bunkers Golf Course Information for Royal Troon Golf Course ID: 6183 Type of Golf Course: Traditional Scottish Links Holes: 18 Yardage: 6641 Medal : 7175 Championship Par: 71 Address Line 1: 2 Craigend Road Address Line 2: Troon Scotland Course - Royal Troon - Premier Golf Scotland Courses Royal Troon Royal Troon Golf Club (ranked #44 in the world), located on the West Coast in Ayrshire, is one of the most famous clubs in the world, and is part of the Open Championship "rota". Founded in 1878 by 23 former members of Prestwick, the club's first clubhouse was a rail car, expertly run by George Strath, who also served as greenskeeper, instructor and clubmaker, all for 1 pound per week!

Troon first hosted the Open in 1923, and since then has hosted tournaments won by the likes of Bobby Locke, Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Mark Calcavecchia, Justin Leonard and Todd Hamilton in 2004. The 2016 Open Championship will be staged at Troon. At 6664 yards long and a par of 73, Troon features the 6th (577 yards), and the 8th (126 yards "Postage Stamp") as the longest and shortest holes in Scottish Championship Golf. The Postage Stamp was the hole where an aging Gene Sarazen had a hole in one during the 1973 Open. World War II took its toll on the course, because several of the holes were used for grenade practice, and the beach was rehearsal ground for "Operation Overlord", the 1944 invasion of Normandy.

So prominent were soldiers on the course, that special rules were derived for this troublesome period: 1) In competitions, during gunfire or while bombs are falling, players may take cover without penalty for ceasing play; and 2) a player whose stroke has been affected by simultaneous explosion of a bomb or by machine gun fire, may play another ball from the same place. Penalty: one stroke! The second course, the Portland Course, is a fine test at 6274 yards, and available to anyone who has paid the green fee for the championship course on the same day. Take time to visit the Men's Bar and Guest Dining Room, where a buffet, soup and sandwiches are available. There is a nice guest changing room, with showers on the left, as you go through the entrance. Ladies are restricted to the coed dining room at the east side of the clubhouse. Green fee includes a round on the Portland course, which you can play or discard.

(Excellent practice facility on site) (7,067 yards – par 72) The 5 Most Famous Holes of Scottish Golf Courses First Days of Golf … » The 5 Most Famous Holes of Scottish Golf Courses I guess I will surprise no one if I confessed that Iain’s latest post about the “ First Day of Golf…” got me running to my stamp albums to see if I could find some stamps featuring Scottish golf courses. You can imagine the smile on my face when I stumbled upon a Great Britain First Day Cover commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the world’s oldest known golf club – the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Scottish Golf Courses – First Day Cover – Issued by Great Britain (1994) .The Scottish Golf Courses featured on the set of five stamps are: – The Old Course at St. Andrews“I fell in love with it the first day I played it. There’s just no other golf course that is even remotely close.” Jack Nicklaus “Without a doubt I like it the best of all the Open venues. It’s my favourite course in the world.” Tiger Woods The Old Course is the Home of Golf where golf was first played 600 years ago.

It remains a real test of golf for today’s champions. The fabled original links course is synonymous with The Open Championship which it has hosted more times than any other venue and will host for a 28th time in 2010. Despite its reputation and status, it is a public course and is one of seven public courses at St Andrews Links. ( Source ) – Murfield’s 18th Hole: One of the great finishing holes in golf. Two bunkers cut into the fairway on the left side as the fairway reaches it’s narrowest point, but any tee shot hit too safely to the right is threatened by more sand on that side. ( Source ) – Carnoustie’s 15th hole “Lucky Slap” “Lucky Slap”, the 15th hole, is a 460-yard par four, where the fairway slopes from left to right into the path of two waiting bunkers and the approach shot must avoid a cluster of three bunkers sited to the right of the green.

Hardest par three in golf; downwind it is difficult, into an easterly wind it is practically impossible” ( Source ) – Royal Troon’s 8th hole It is known as the “Postage Stamp” hole because it is the shortest hole (123 yards) and the most slippery, like the gum of a stamp 😉 “A pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a postage stamp” was how Willie Park Jr, Open winner in 1887 and 1889, described Royal Troon’s eighth hole, then called Ailsa. Since then, the philatelic moniker has struck fear into the hearts of visitors to the course and is one of the three most famous par three holes in the world, alongside Augusta’s 12th and the 17th at Sawgrass. ( Source ) – Turnberry’s Ailsa 9th hole.“The ninth hole (known as Bruce’s Castle) is Turnberry’s signature hole, it is one of the most photographed holes in world golf. The remote tee is set on a high rocky outcrop jutting out over the sea.

From the tee you drive across the corner of the bay on to a narrow fairway when the wind is gusting you will need to be at your very best to find the fairway. ” ( Source ) Muirfield Golf Course – GB 1994 Postage Stamps Carnoustie Old Golf Course – 15th hole -GB 1994 Postage Stamps Royal Troon – Scottish Golf Courses – GB 1994 Postage Stamps Turnberry Golf Course – GB 1994 Postage Stamps .================================== Trivia Time Which Golf Course is officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the “oldest golf course in the world”?......Answer: Musselburgh Links Old Golf Course. Hope you enjoyed reading this “wee” post on the most famous holes of Scottish golf courses as much as I enjoyed writing it. Topical stamp collecting is such a great way to storytell and to share knowledge. I love it! Talk soon, Golf Tip: What is a “Postage Stamp” Green, and How Do You Play It? Questions Golf Tip: What is a “Postage Stamp” Green, and How Do You Play It?

The eighth hole at Royal Troon Golf Club on Scotland’s west coast is a tiny par 3 of just 123 yards. In fact, it’s the shortest hole on any course in the Open Championship rotation. But this diminutive one-shotter plays much tougher than its yardage thanks to a very small green surrounded by several cavernous bunkers. The hole’s appearance reminded the great Willie Park of a postage stamp, and a colorful term was born. A “postage stamp” green is typically found on a short par 3, and sometimes par 4s and 5s, where the golfer must play a very accurate wedge or short iron to hit and hold the putting surface. You’ll no doubt come across a “postage stamp” green every now and then – the iconic seventh hole at Pebble Beach, a 107-yard par 3, is another example – so keep these things in mind as you prepare for the shot: Aim for the center of the green: It’s almost never a bad idea to play toward the middle of the green , since you’ll usually finish within 40 feet of the flag. It’s an even smarter play on a “postage stamp” hole.

For one thing, the green’s miniature size means any ball in the center should be within 30 feet of the cup, and possibly quite close. For another, the green’s center is farthest from those troubling bunkers or rough which ring the “dance floor.” In other words, don’t get greedy. The safe play will still give you a decent chance at birdie. Hoist the ball high: The smaller the green, the more risk of bouncing over it. To hit your wedge or short iron with extra height, simply move the ball an inch forward in your stance. For example, if you typically play these shots with the ball centered between your feet, move it an inch toward the left (lead) foot. This will effectively add loft to the club for a higher launch and softer landing. Careful not to airmail it: Assuming the green tilts from back to front, as most do, the last place you want to miss is long – especially if there’s sand or thick rough back there. When caught between clubs (a pitching wedge and gap wedge, for instance), take the shorter one as long as you’re comfortable of reaching the front of the green.

Hitting it with a nice, full swing will also generate the extra height needed to stick the landing. You may never have the good fortune to play Royal Troon or Pebble Beach, but odds are you’ll find yourself staring down a “postage stamp” clone sooner or later. Take the proper approach and you’ll have a great chance to lick the little monster. Share This Site > Buy One or a set 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 PW,GW,SW,LW Free online fitting. Postage Stamp includes 'scary little shot' at British Open Postage Stamp includes 'scary little shot' at British Open At 123 yards, Postage Stamp is short but tricky surrounded by five cavernous bunkers. Post to Facebook Postage Stamp includes 'scary little shot' at British Open At 123 yards, Postage Stamp is short but tricky surrounded by five cavernous bunkers. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

4 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Postage Stamp includes 'scary little shot' at British Open Steve DiMeglio , USA TODAY Sports Published 2:17 p.m. ET July 13, 2016 | Updated 4:00 a.m. ET July 14, 2016 Jason Dufner of the US plays of the 8th tee, the hole a par 3, is 123 yards long and known as the 'postage stamp' during a practice round for the British Open at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, on July 12, 2016. (Photo: Peter Morrison, AP) TROON, Scotland — At the heart of Royal Troon’s ancient land is a petite patch of ground that has stood the test of time, weathered the harshest elements blowing in off the Firth of Clyde and delivered a history rich in tales of triumph and tragedy. In these parts, many a local has called this terrain the "wee beastie," for its mere 123 yards can make one’s skin crawl.

Playing from an elevated tee box over a gully to a tiny green carved out of a sand hill and surrounded by five cavernous, deep-faced bunkers, it is short in size but massively tall in stature. On the scorecard it’s the eighth hole. In the hearts and minds of golfers the world over, it is the Postage Stamp hole, so deemed by William Park Jr., the British Open champion in 1887 and 1889, who while working for Golf Illustrated wrote of the green having “a pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a Postage Stamp.” While it’s the shortest hole in the British Open rotation, this storied, wind-swept par-3 will create plenty of consternation for the players in the 145th edition of the oldest championship in golf beginning Thursday. Colin Montgomerie is at home at Royal Troon for Open “There will be carnage, plenty of carnage. Count on it,” Graeme McDowell said. “You can chip a 6-iron to get there, you can hit a wedge. If the wind is howling, all sorts of numbers are going to be recorded on that hole. “It’s brilliant.

And it’s dangerous.” Four-time major champion and 2014 Open winner Rory McIlroy won’t argue with his fellow Northern Irishman after playing the Postage Stamp on Tuesday. McIlroy’s tee shot found the bunker appropriately called the Coffin. “I took an 8 or a 9, so that didn't go too well,” he said. “Took me five or six goes to get out of (the bunker). There is a lot of sand in the bunker. So when the ball just trickles into the bunkers, it doesn't go into the middle. “That lip there is basically vertical, so it sort of just stayed there. And every time I tried to get it out, it would go back into the same spot. ...

“If you make four threes there this week, you're probably going to gain a bit of ground on the field.” The Postage Stamp as much as any hole on the course plays to Royal Troon’s motto of “Tam Arte Quam Marte.” That’s Latin for “As much by skill as by strength.” Here at the course’s signature hole, brains trump brawn as players are at the mercy of the wind, the bunkers and the minute putting surface that narrows severely in the back of the green. “In a day where every player tries to hit it long and far, it tends to be the holes where you have to hit it short and straight that provide the undoing,” said Golf Channel analyst Frank Nobilo, who finished 10th in the Open at Troon in 1997. The eighth was the ruin for Tiger Woods in 1997. After a brilliant 64 in the third round, Woods’ quest for the Claret Jug collapsed in a bunker en route to a 6. In 1950, German amateur Hermann Tissies wrecked his scorecard with a 15. There has been brilliance, as well.

In 1973, at the age of 71, World Golf Hall of Fame member Gene Sarazen, playing in his 50th Open, aced the hole using a 5-iron. In 2004, Ernie Els made a one using a pitching wedge. Just as you often do at the famous seventh hole at Pebble Beach or the 12th hole at Augusta National — where Jordan Spieth’s pursuit of a second consecutive green jacket ended when the hit two balls into Rae’s Creek in the final round this year — many a player hits their tee shot on the Postage Stamp and prays. “The hardest thing about the eighth is you can't get the ball on the ground,” three-time Open champ Nick Faldo said. “You can't run it in. It's an air shot played downhill, and if it's playing into that real blustery right-to-left wind, the golf ball can just go anywhere. “So it is a scary little shot.” No one in this week’s field has hit the scary little shot more than Colin Montgomerie, whose World Golf Hall of Fame career began at age 6 on the children’s course at Royal Troon.

One of the special qualities of the hole, he said, is the yardage, which directly impacts the 6 inches between your ears. “At 123 yards, you are on that tee and you are a professional golfer. It's your job and you're expected to hit this green at 123 yards,” Montgomerie said. “You could throw it on, really. I wish I could. And that's why it's difficult. “Whenever you're expected to win something or do something, it's always more difficult to achieve. Always. And that's why that hole is fabulous, because you are expected to hit the green, and everyone knows you are. ... “It's drama. If you do happen to miss the green, well, game on, you know? Drama unfolds from then on, depending where and what lie you're in.” Now add the wind. The first eight holes go out away from the clubhouse, and players have the prevailing wind at their backs, providing the best chances to score. The next 10 holes come back toward the clubhouse and into the wind, forcing the players to hold on for dear life. “It's the first shot you've got into a wind,” Montgomerie said.

“It doesn't matter what standard of golf you are, it's different. It's a change. You haven't done this for two hours. Then you suddenly have this shot into the wind and it becomes, yeah, you're thinking and you're of two minds, and self-doubt comes in and hesitation. It's just a great hole, a great hole.” PHOTOS: THIS WEEK AT THE BRITISH OPEN

Question: The Postage Stamp is the shortest hole on which Scottish golf course?
Answer: Royal Troon