2nd - The Swilken Burn and the out-of-bounds rough are directly behind the Championship tee, ruling out any extension of its length. The hole remains what was voted by the leading professionals a century ago as being "among the best two-shotters in Britain". The drive is blind over a daunting stretch of whin, and for the first 300 yards further whin on the right punishes a slice. For the professional golfer, a great threat is Cheape's bunker 280 yards up the left hand side, not far from the bend in the wall
at the 17th where the out-of-bounds proper begins. The green has two levels separated by a wicked ridge, with bunkers close along the high left side, and several pot bunkers guarding the lower level on the right. The main Championship pin position is on the top level, and the ideal drive - a blind one - must be close to Cheape's bunker. The green with its two tiers separated by a hollow and a bank, can make 3 putts difficult to avoid. 16th -
Beyond the fence, all along the right-hand side is out-of-bounds. The other great threat, about 180 yards from the tee, is the Principal's Nose bunker withits two "eyes"just beyond. The name may have been applied because of an ugly porch on one of the Principal's house, but it was another principal who played golf - so no firm proof is available. A pot, Deacon Sime, lies just beyond this group. In the rather narrow gap between bunkers and fence there used to be Tam's Coo - and even a Calf bunker! - shallow ones formed by the tethered beasts, but filled in in the 1880s. Nowadays the recommended line in is left of the Principal's Nose, but against the wind this leaves many with Grant's (pot) bunker to clear, in front of the green, with the Wig bunker eating in a few yards further, on the left. The line through the gap between Principal's Nose and fence has been described as "the professional line that only amateur would take"! As with other Old Course greens, there is a long hollow and bank for anything short - three-putt country.
