My first visit to St Francis Links and it was in magnificent condition. The greens were recovering from hollow-tining in preparation for the summer season. For the first time they had been overseeded with bent grass. The course layout and design among the dunes is excellent, with a stunning variety of different holes. What’s impressive about the design is that you play 6 holes downwind, 6 holes into wind and 6 holes crosswind in prevailing conditions. Even on a calm day the links is demanding with its large sloping greens. Course management is key, particularly with several risk-reward opportunities. I found the par-4 eighth a visually intimidating tee shot playing it for the first time, and this visual component applies to several other tee shots when not knowing the course. But the landing areas for tee shots are more generous than they look. The slope of the green on the par-3 17th will provide many with their best opportunity to have a hole-in-one.
