British Courses 38

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Ferndown


Ferndown was popular for professional events back in the 50s and 60s and the 1989 Women's British Open was played there (won by Jane Geddes) but it's too short for today's big hitters.  That means it's just right for me.  From the very back it's a 6490 yard trip with a par of 71.  From the yellow, visitors', tees it measures 6210 yards and, then, only two par 4s exceed 400 yards.  Harold Hilton, the great Hoylake amateur, laid it out in 1923.  How much of his work survives I cannot say.  The course is in the suburbs of Bournemouth on the English south coast, so it's a near neighbour of Broadstone and Parkstone and not a million miles from Isle of Purbeck, so there is much good golf to be had in the locality.  It's basically heathland with a fair smattering of trees.  The bunkering is plentiful and visible.


3rd, 414 yards par 4.  A gentle dog-leg to the right with a succession of bunkers on the run-in from 74 yards out.


3rd green.  I wasn't aware of the proximity of the houses when playing here, but the camera doesn't lie, or so they say.


6th, 409 yards par 4.  I thought this was an excellent hole, sweeping gently uphill and to the right over the last 150 yards with these imposing bunkers to be cleared on the second shot - no trouble to you, but no pushover for me.


10th, 485 yards par 5.  There are three par 5s.  Two are under 500 yards and the other is only 510 yards from the very back tee.


11th, 438 yards par 4.  This bunker sits on the middle of the fairway 73 yards short of the green.  There are three bunkers on either side of the long, narrow putting surface.  


18th, 403 yards par 4.  A good finishing hole with an uphill approach to a broad green.  Bunkers short of the green punctuate the run in and give longer handicap players much food for thought.  They are irrelevant to the long hitter, as are many bunkers here.  

It's usually in beautiful condition, even in winter.  If I had to rank the Bounemouth courses I'd plump for Broadstone and Parkstone as equal 1st, Isle of Purbeck just behind in 3rd place (though the situation is incomparable) and Ferndown in 4th, but there's no shame in that.

[Mike_Clayton]

Mark

We played the Hennessey Cup matches there in 1984 - from memory it was not a difficult course but it was a lot of fun.
Great turf and a lot of good holes and another example of just how you could take a golf trip to Britain and play a bunch of wonderful coures no one ever thinks of.

Perhaps more proof the 15th best course in Australia wouldn't get into the top 70 in Britain.

[Sean Walsh]

Mike,

Obviously your comment puts parochialism aside and is perhaps a bit of a reality check for us less experienced Australians on this site.  

If it's not going to put too many noses out of joint for you, would you care to name the ones that might make the top 70 in Britain cut.

[Mike_Clayton]

Sean

I guess the top 15 in Aus.
For me
Royal Melb West and East
Barnbougle Dunes
Kingston Heath
NSW
Royal Adelaide.
Victoria.
Kennedy Bay
National Moonah
Woodlands.
Metropolitan
Peninsula North
Portsea
Newcastle
Kooyonga.

And Elleston but so few get to see it that it does not count.

I played a a lot of courses over there that would give Kooyonga,Portsea and Newcastle a run for their money - probably 50 and I missed a bunch of really good ones.

We have a lot of good courses but there is no underestimating just how much great stuff there is over there.
Even the technologically outdated courses have some  great holes,bunkering and greens

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Mike,

How generous of you to praise British courses so highly!  I think it's the strength in depth that is such a feature of British golf - the 6,000-yard (or less) courses which still give endless fun and fascination despite being hopelessly outgunned by today's big hitters.  They don't even get into the top 250 (if such a list existed) but they're not far behind those in the 100-150 bracket.  Some day I'll try to compile a list - just as a shooting gallery for GCAers.