Carnoustie’s Championship Course is not for the faint-hearted. Often dubbed “Golf’s Greatest Test,” it’s a links layout that punishes weakness and demands total control. First laid out in the 1850s and refined by James Braid, Carnoustie is defined by its brutal finish, clever bunkering, and the Barry Burn – a winding, unforgiving stream that has crushed dreams at The Open. Tom Watson won here. Jean van de Velde famously unravelled here. The closing holes – 16, 17, and 18 – are among the hardest in major championship golf. The course opens relatively gently, but by the back nine it shows its teeth. Narrow fairways, dense rough, and firm greens make scoring difficult even in calm conditions. It’s relentlessly fair but unrelentingly hard. The flat terrain hides deep bunkers and penal run-offs. Wind often howls off the North Sea, and every shot requires thought. If you’re under par here, you’ve earned it. Carnoustie is a pilgrimage for serious golfers – as pure a challenge as the game offers.