The Open Championship returns to Carnoustie for the seventh time.

Carnoustie has always had a reputation as the one of the toughest venues on the Open circuit and with good reason.

The previous six Opens held at Carnoustie were played over five different decades and in three of those decades (30's, 60's and 90's) it was responsible for the highest winning score.

The last time Carnoustie hosted the Open in 1999 was after an absence of twenty four years and the R&A were unsure as to how the course would stand up to the modern game.

As a precaution they narrowed the fairways and grew the rough but combined with strong winds Carnoustie was nearly unplayable and was dubbed 'Car - nastie'.

The official winning score of 290 was the highest since Fred Daly won the 1947 Open at Hoylake.

It is a course that provides a real challenge with out being toughened up.

Having learnt from the experience the R&A have widened some of the fairways and the rough can be considered light for a links venue.

The challenge Carnoustie presents depends heavily on the wind and the direction has as important ramifications as the strength.

Phil Mickelson who is becoming infamous for his detailed preparations for each major explains: "The game plan changes based on the wind. Each hole goes from a birdie hole to just trying to make a par, based on the wind."

Tiger Woods reveals his strategy: "It depends one hundred percent on the weather." The best example is the sixteenth, a 248-yard par three. Ernie Els says: "Downwind it can be a six iron, anything into the wind a driver."

The weather as ever remains unpredictable but the wind is expected to blow with some strength over the first few days at least.

On Monday it blew it a gale in the morning but the wind was very gentle in the afternoon.

One simply doesn't know the conditions until they unfold on the day and it can make the Open a bit of a lottery. Jim Furyk said: "The conditions will play a huge part that will affect the scoring quite a bit."

There has been a lot of rain in the lead up to the 136th Open Championship and consequently the fairways are relatively soft and the greens receptive. The course is not playing hard and fast.

After a practice round Luke Donald predicted: "It's not going to be too bouncy. The shots aren't really going to get away from you too much."

Furyk agreed: "This is the softest I have ever seen a links golf course in a championship."

To avoid the disasters of 1999 the rough is lighter, noticeably so near the landing areas between 270 and 320 yards on the driving holes.

Aggressive plays and those slightly off line will generally go relatively unpunished but a lot will depend on the luck of the lie. Furyk pointed out: "Two players can hit a ball three or four feet apart and one player might have a really good lie and the other might not have much of play at all.

"There's still a premium of putting the ball on the fairway and being able to control your approach."

The fairways have a staggered bunkering system so players have to think very carefully about where to hit their tee shots.

The greens are generally heavily protected by bunkers and Ernie Els described it as 'Probably the best bunkered golf course that you'll find anywhere in the world'.

In traditional links style the bunkers are deep and Tiger Woods knows it is vital to avoid the sand. "If you miss the ball in any of the pot bunkers off the tee you have to go sideways, if you can. You can't advance it forward," he said.

There are a number of run offs around the greens and with the wind players are more than likely to miss a few greens.

Phil Mickelson likes it. "You have a chance to let your short game make pars for you," he said.

The greens are flattish with some subtle breaks and Tiger said: "They're hard to read." As one would expect they are in excellent condition but not nearly as fast as at Hoylake last year."

Strategy and patience with a bit of luck will be vital this week but the winner will need to play excellent links golf. The key to links golf is quality ball striking and the ability to move the ball in a variety of ways.

Woods is without doubt one of the best at shaping the ball and that is why he is looking for his third Open in a row.

Mickelson feels he can contend at Open venues now he has learnt to drive the ball low.

It is well documented that Jim Furyk missed five cuts in a row before he retrained himself to keep the ball down and move it both ways.

Els, one of the best links players around today, described it best: "This course demands you play many different shots, hook draws and fades more so than parkland courses," he said.

"Good ball strikers have a good time around these courses." Below are the hole averages from 1999:

The course has only been lengthened some sixty yards. The main changes have been to the third, 12th and 18th holes.

The third is sixteen yards longer and a tongue of rough has been added to the fairway at 190 and 250 yards making the tee shot much more difficult.

The already tough par four 12th has been extended 20 yards to 499 yards and will play the most difficult hole on the course despite the absence water or out of bounds.

The 18th has been lengthened by 12 yards and off the new tees will play a tough 499 yards.

The first five holes require a lot of irons from the tee and players who plot their way round can get off to a good start.

The par five sixth hole is one of the most interesting on the course. It may sound relatively innocuous at 578 yards but in 1999 there were only thirty four birdies and no eagles.

It is narrow with out of bounds all down the left hand side. The lay up area is very narrow and some players may still be hitting a long iron for their third shot.

The front nine finishes with a tough long straight par four on which par is an excellent score.

The short par three 13th and short par five 14th give the players an excellent opportunity to pick up a couple of shots before heading home.

Downwind on Tuesday JJ Henry hit a three wood and eight iron to twenty feet and Zach Johnson hit driver, seven iron to three feet on the 14th.

The finishing four holes are some of the toughest in golf.

The sixteenth will be almost unplayable into the wind and the 17th and 18th are fraught with danger.

As we saw in 1999 a three-shot lead standing on last hole of the tournament is not enough.

Expect mayhem over the closing holes on each day.

The course will not be called 'Car - nastie' this year but don't expect anyone to call 'Car - nistie'.