The 17th hole at St Andrews famously requires players to hit their tee shot over the corner of the Old Course Hotel, but organisers of this week’s Turkish Airlines Open have gone one better.
A special back tee on the 16th hole of the Regnum Carya Golf Course has been constructed on the roof of one of the villas at the resort in Antalya, which is hosting the £5.8 million event for the first time.
And here's 3-time major winner and Portugal Masters champion @padraig_h teeing off on 16. #TurkishAirlinesOpen pic.twitter.com/qZuEaz46Fj
— Phil Casey (@pcaseysafc) November 1, 2016
Players will climb 24 stairs to the top of the single-storey building before teeing off on the 432-yard par four, which plays 34 yards longer than from the regular tee.
Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington said: “I like it. It’s a bit of fun and the hole takes it very nicely. I like anything that’s a little bit different and new and it’s certainly at a good time in the round.
Check out the Pro's eye view of the new tee at 16 @T_A_Golf 2/2 pic.twitter.com/NzCfBPQllX
— Nick Dougherty (@NickDougherty5) November 1, 2016
“If it was the 18th tee you might think it was a bit of a distraction at that stage, but on the 16th that’s fine. Let’s go play.”
