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Mark_F

Seascale - An underrated gem
« on: August 22, 2004, 05:07:34 AM »
This is a course no doubt familiar to some, being featured in Donald Steele's book.  Mark Rowlinson also has some nice comments in his Times Guide to Golf Courses of Britain and Ireland.

It is somewhat out of the way, I guess - a circuitous route around the Western lakes along those tiny A roads, but it is nevertheless worthy of the journey, as there are a number of first rate holes worth travelling for, and the membership and staff are incredibly friendly and jolly, which of course adds to the attractions.

It also has some of the most contrasting views available in golf - the glory of the Lake District, surely one of the most sublimely beautiful places on earth, the Irish sea, and... the Sellafield Nuclear power station, on whose boundaries two holes nestle.

It is a rather simple course - there is no real artistry as such to the bunkering, and the roughs are left just as they are, dependent upon the weather, the fairways, to steal a line from Mike Clayton, are not perfect, but perfect to play golf from.

It has a number of blind tee shots, which are, perversely, the best holes on the course.  The 4th is semi-blind over a long diagonal series of grassy hummocks into a shallow valley, then up over another slight mound to a green surrounded by six bunkers.

The 6th is a smashing short par five - a slightly uphill, severly left to right sloping fairway is followed by a second, or third, to a left to right sloping green full of subltle pockets and hollows, set against the side of a grassy hill, and three bunkers to the right.

The 7th is another cracking par five, this time back out toward the shimmering sea, with an old-fashioned almost cross bunker smack where a good drive will land.

9 and 10 are a great four and three, in which a meandering yellowish stream - uranium, i guess - abuts the green, but the last few holes are more into the proper dunes.

14 is a lovely short par five to a tumbling hogsback fairway and a bunkerless green on a knoll.

16 is scratch index 1, a 473 yard par four played alongside a sweeping dune, over yet more of that classic hummocky links turf, with a long second up and over a small hill to a blind green.

It's not too long at 6441 yards, and a round can be comfortably had in three hours - even on a Saturday.  Even given the calamity that is the M6, this part of Britain isn't that far from the more familiar golfing territory of Southport - and there is the promise of Silloth on Solway ahead, too.  

Anyone else had experience of Seascale?

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Seascale - An underrated gem
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2004, 07:51:21 AM »
Mark,

Spot on!  It isn't great but it is full of fascination, except the two rather pedestrian holes alongside the Sellafield plant.  Good value, too.