Player after player has said this week that the deep rough and narrow fairways, combined with a fierce wind, mean a winning score of above par is not only possible but highly likely.

	Greg Norman says 16-over could be the winning score this week.

"We are not worried about what scores they do because this is a very difficult course," said Bonallack. "Scores are only relative and par is a notional figure."

It will certainly be notional for large numbers of the Open field.

Former winner Mark Calcavecchia said this week everybody is going to be making bogeys. "The trick will be to stay away from the doubles and the triples," he said.

The 1989 Open champion said the average score might be 80, which he described as "pretty silly."

Sweden's Per-Ulrik Johansson described some of the narrow fairways as "ridiculous," while Phil Mickelson said he had never seen fairways as penalizing.

"You might as well stick red hazard posts down them," said Mickelson.

But such comments cut little ice with chairman of the championship committee Hugh Campbell, who insisted the aim of the course was to test, not embarrass, the players.

"We set out to give them a tough test, but the weather has chipped in," he said. "After a wet spring we have had some warm spells and the heavy rough has appeared very quickly. I would feel seriously guilty if we had set out to grow wheat fields on the edge of the course, but nature has been the dominant factor."

Campbell said the course had not been set up with weather conditions in mind, but the strong winds forecast merely add to what was already a fearsome challenge.

"They are playing probably the hardest championship golf course in the world," added Bonallack.

"It is a bit of a culture shock when you come to a course as difficult as this, and when the wind blows the scores will be high. But the players recognize that and I think they actually enjoy the challenge."

Campbell said one of the aims was to present the course as a very good test of driving, but when he was told defending champion Mark O'Meara used his driver just three times in his Wednesday practice round, he adjusted his view to "a test off the tee."

Australian Greg Norman said "brute" was the most polite description of a course he thinks takes away every player's strengths.

"If you're long you can't use your driver, but if you're short you are still faced with a near 7,500-yard course," said the two-time British Open winner. "It's so hard I think the fans won't be able to comprehend it. I just hope it doesn't backfire on the R&A."

Norman said par should be 8-over and that a total winning score of 300 was quite possible. But Bonallack was unconcerned.