David Cannon
David Cannon
David Cannon
Jon Cavalier/@LinksGems
Rye Golf Club: Old
Rye, East Sussex, England • Private
Overview
Rye Golf Club put a young Harry Colt on the map—his work on the riveting linksland on the English Channel was his first design, sparking a career as one of the great architects of the classic era. Rye starts with the course’s only par 5, and though the total yardage is just north of 6,500 yards as a par 68—it’s one of the most difficult “short” courses ever presented, especially given an omnipresent wind. Rye has long been considered the toughest par 68 on earth. This ranking confirms that. During World War II, the Royal Army built pillboxes and buried fuel storage tanks on the existing course—and some small, concrete guard posts still stand to this day. Architect Guy Campbell reclaimed the course in 1946, using a bulldozer to create new holes—moving much of the course south toward the sea. To play such seemingly natural holes as the par-3 seventh on Rye's rolling links today, you'd never suspect it.
