Knox opens his eyes to Lahinch’s unique blind holes

The Dell

Defending champion Russell Knox wouldn't change Lahinch's crown jewels for the world.

The Scot expects players to moan about the blind approach to the Klondyke (fourth), followed swiftly by the blind par-three fifth (the Dell) but he's ready to embrace those iconic, 19th-century challenges with a smile on his face.

"Four is probably the smallest fairway I've ever seen out of any hole anywhere in the world," he said with a big grin, describing the narrow chute that is the fairway at the Klondyke.

"But it does all kick in from the hills. But I mean, hit over a mound to a hole where there's out of bounds right behind the green, it is what it is. It's a cool hole.

South of Ireland champion Caolan Rafferty putts at the Dell

"Back in the day, I played similar holes at courses I grew up playing. But you wouldn't even go up to the top of the hill when you were a junior. Oh, just hit it over the rock, there you go, just get it down there, and get on with it. So it's all about your attitude and just how you go into it."

Host Paul McGinley has had the Tour installed a video screen at the Dell so the players on the tee and the fans sitting in the stand behind can see a possible hole-in-one.

"All of those things were done to mitigate the fact it is a blind shot," McGinley said. "And one of the thrills of having a hole in one is to see the ball actually go in.

"You obviously don't see it with the Dell, but you can now this week, all the players will. If you have a hole in one, they'll see it on the screen right beside the tee box.

"So it's just one of those things we tried to add to make it a little more exciting, spruce it up a little bit around that hole. I'll be pretty surprised if there's not a hole-in-one on the Dell this week, really surprised."

As for the Klondyke, which is a par-five for members and visitors, Knox admits he climb the big dune that blocks out the player's view of the green rather than rely on his caddie for the line.

"Never listen to your caddie," he joked. "I think all the players will go up, and take a look, to give yourself a reference.

"I hit the first one like 50 yards right today, so I probably should've walked up."

Lahinch underwent a major revamp in 1999 and Knox agrees that the club and course architect Dr Martin Hawtree made the correct decision to leave Lahinch's iconic fourth and fifth holes unchanged.

"That's what makes this course different," he said. "If those holes were just flattened and it was normal and then it would maybe just be another links course.

"And so every challenge a course can get, a chance to be a little different, something that you remember. Like, everyone who comes here will say, 'Remember that par-3 that you hit over the mound?' Those are things that people talk about.

"And it's probably one of the reasons why I imagine this place is very familiar for tourists to come, and a lot of Americans, they love that stuff."

"I think they did a great job not changing those holes. And, yes, there will be a lot of criticism this week, the blind par-3. But there will be a lot of people who love it.

"And I'm definitely going to be one of those people that enjoy playing it. And even if I play the hole terrible doesn't mean they're bad designs; they're just different, and you've got to embrace that challenge."