The 8th at RCD is a relatively flat hole, working back toward the Mountains of Mourne. The perfect shot shape off the tee is left to right, with the left hand side of the fairway opening up. However, the entrance to the green is pinched first by two bunkers and then, further up, two dunes. At RCD the tee ball is the most important shot. If a player can drive the ball into the fairway, he then can control his ball and attack the hole. However, if the fairway is missed, the rough is unbelievably punishing and control over the ball is suddenly gone. Hazards like the bunkers 80 yards short of the green and the two dunes are now in play, and an RCD beatdown of the golfer is usually the result, as GPW so convincingly demonstrated during his round.
The narrowness of the fairways and the deep bunkers are the primary defense at RCD. However, some of the course's greens are raised subtly and offer a second line of defense. Again, shots played from the fairway have a chance at finding the putting surface. However, since the rough is so juicy, shots struck from the rough are probably going to be played at a lower trajectory and will come bouncing into the green. More likely than not, these types of shots will feed off the putting surface into collection areas. The second picture is taken directly behind the 8th green, and shows the slopes falling off the green on all sides.
The final picture is taken from the right side of the green. This picture shows how significantly raised the green is. Even through the 8th is well inland, the bay can be seen from just about every hole on the first nine. As RCD proceeds to put a beatdown on the golfer, at least you are surrounded by glorious scenery.
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