Royal Melbourne Golf Course, Australia

Australia golf course Royal Melbourne, Black Rock, victoria.

The championship course at Royal Melbourne is a composite of the East Course, designed by Alex Russell in 1932, and the West Course, designed by Dr Alister Mackenzie. It was first used for the Canada Cup (the World Cup) in 1959. The club was founded in 1891 and the West Course was laid out by Mackenzie in 1924 - a number of the holes are reminiscent of Augusta. The finishing hole is one of the most demanding par 4s in world golf. The 6th and 14th holes are testing dog-legs which punish anything but the most accurate of club selection. Perhaps the best-known feature of the course is its always lightning-fast greens.

Royal Dornoch Golf Course, Sutherland

Sutherland golf course Royal Dornoch, Dornoch.

The has been said many times that Domoch would have hosted the Open were it not so inaccessible. It was the home of Donald Ross, the great American golf-course architect, and its influence is found in courses throughout the USA. It is a wonderful seaside links with natural plateau greens and the 5th, 14th and 17th are all particularly admired. The earliest mention of golf being played at Domoch is in an account from 1616.