Woking and West Sussex course profiles are updated with photos

[Ran Morrissett]

Paul Turner recently returned from England and has shared the following dozen or so pictures that capture some of the beauty and charm of these two heath gems.  Golf on sub 6,500 yard courses remains alive and well, at least in the UK.

[Jim Reilly]

Good stuff Ran!  And well done Paul, your pictures capture the heathland experience well.

RT and I are heading out to Woking on Tuesday.  I'm very anxious to see the course.  I played St. George's Hill again last Wednesday and it renewed my belief that, with the possible exception of Swinley Forest, it is the class of the Heathland courses.  Woking and West Sussex being the last two top flight contenders I have yet to see.

Ran,

Why don't you have a course profile on St. George's Hill?

[Ran Morrissett]

Jim,

We don't have course profiles on St. George's Hill (as well as The Addington!) because we don't have any photos.

Jim, if you could oblige with some pics, we would love to add both those courses.

As for SGH vs West Sussex, how about a Friday Night match fight card for those two Jim? I think that you may just find that West Sussex edges it out based on the strength of its holes in the middle of each nine.

Cheers,

[Jim Reilly]

Oh sure Ran, tell me that when I have Woking scheduled for this Tuesday instead of West Sussex.  Okay, I will find a scanner and scan the some pics for you (I really need to get a digital camera).  

I really should add photos to the course comparison.  I think a great strength of St. George's Hill is first, its greens, second, its fairway contours, and third its use of its rolling topography.  I would like, for example, to get a pic from the bottom of the chasm on number 8 at SGH to give some perspective to the depth of its bunkers.  I also need to take some photos of the Addington, but it is only about 20 minutes from me so I should be able to get out there.

I tell you what I'll do.  After Tuesday, I'll put Woking against St. George's Hill and West Sussex will get the winner in a grudge match.  I will add some photos too to increase the enjoyment of the folks at Ringside.

[Paul Turner]

I've got some photos of The Addington, which I'll send on.  Another great sub 6500 course.

Still haven't got to St Georges Hill, is it turning into a bit of a golf factory?  They couldn't take me and my Dad because we were only a two ball!

[Jim Reilly]

Paul,

You've got to be kidding.  Every time I've been out there, the place has been a ghost town.  The Green 9 appears to get even less play than the original 18.  I liked it as it has a different feel than the other two 9s:  shorter and tighter with some wonderful green complexes.

[Ran Morrissett]

As much as I like West Sussex, Woking, SGH and Royal Ashdown, none compare to the sense of adventure at The Addington. Jim, you mention topo at SGH - how about at mighty Addington!

Paul, how do your pics look from there - given its dramatic qualities, I would think it would photograph well.

[Paul Turner]

I'll send them in about 30 mins.  They look pretty good, even if it was a bit of a dull day, like at West Sx

[Jim Reilly]

Ran,

Don't make me choose between the Addington and SGH; that's a Sophie's Choice.  Agreed that the Addington is a magical ride (heck, I'm one of its biggest supporters), but SGH is on pure heathland, where the Addington is not.  As my friend RT is fond of saying, "the answer is in the soil".

[Paul Turner]

Jim

I reckon The Addington had in the past a much more heath feel (although I do like its "jungle" feel now, it fits the ravines and bridges!).  In Mackenzie's "Spirit of St Andrews" there's a pic of the 12th which is almost totally open, far different from today's look.

[Ran Morrissett]

But Paul, surely The Addington was never an open heath in the true sense of the word? Isn't its close proximity to London removed from the pure heath belt?

[Paul Turner]

Yes it is removed from heathland belt, but the photo suggests that the course did have an open heath quality:

Compare that photo with Tom Doak's one in The CG!  Also, in the clubhouse there was a photo of the now defunct Addington New; the 18th hole and it too was open.

There was once much more heathland within London and the following links are an audit of what remains (not a lot  ).  Which includes Aber's The Addington and Coombe Hill courses.  Blimey, there's even a bit of heath in Barnes Common which just over the south bank of the Thames!
http://www.lbp.org.uk/haheath3.htm
http://www.lbp.org.uk/haheath1.htm
http://www.lbp.org.uk/haheath2.htm

It's an interesting write up.  And I know that Russell Talley is planning to get his hands muddy with some heathland conservation work.