Pennard on the Move

[Sean_A]

I went down to Pennard today.  Lovely weather and just a hint of a bitter breeze.  The course is in fantastic condition.  The ball wasn't rolling 50 yards, but a solid 35-40 roll was the order of the day.  The club must be getting increased cash from visitors because changes are afoot.

The second green is being relaid.  This was always a bumpy green, but quite an interesting little hole.  I have been told that the contours are not changing.  In a way this sems a shame.  Seems a perfect opportunity to introduce a bit of fizz to this green.  Nevermind.

There is a little 85 yardish hole in the practice area which is being used a the temporary ninth.  Not a bad hole at all!  They keep it in excellent condition for a practice hole.  

Bunkers are being redone.  A long overdo job that doesn't really effect play, just stops erosion and looks better.  

There is also a new bunker on #7.  Just short of the green which protects a top left pin placement.  It looks good and is probably quite effective in stopping bombers reaching this hole downwind, but I am not sure about it.  

I am much more impressed by the widened fairway on #12 as a deterent to the big ball.  Essentially, anybody who goes for this short par 4 green and comes slightly off the ball stands an excellent chance of finding himself over the edge and in the pill.  Probably a lost ball.  

The club has also seen fit to raise the weekend visitor green fee to £50!  It is an obvious attempt to cut down the number of visitors.  There aren't many locals that will pay that price for a dry winter game.  

I had a good walk around the land behind #2 tee and right of #3 fairway.  This is begging for a par three course.  In may ways this land is more willd than the rest of the course.  One of you proper archies should call the club and try to pull something off.

Ciao

Sean

[Bill_McBride]

Sean, those changes sound just the right thing.  Just make sure they don't enlarge that little bathtub-sized bunker on the 14th (I think that was the hole!).

The par-3 course would be nice, and probably the best view of any par-3 course anywhere.  Except maybe the Cliffs course at the Olympic Club in San Francisco!

50 pounds for weekend visitors is still far short of Porthcawl, but neither is a bargain.

[Bill_McBride]

Sean, I was just looking at Ran's profile of Pennard and noticed the photo of "McBrides' Bunker" on the 14th hole!  As mentioned above, this is a bathtub sized fairway bunker on the direct line to the directional pole.  I call it "McBrides' Bunker" because both Kathleen and I were in it the only time we played the hole!  We both hit what looked like pretty good tee balls on the line directly to the pole, came over a ridge that made the tee shot semi-blind, and there were both our balls in a bunker that can't be more than 10' x 4'!  

[Tommy Williamsen]

Sean, lucky you.  Pennard is one of the special places in Britain.  Good news about #2.  I don't remember the bunkers as being in need of reconditioning, but then again I was so taken with the place that I probably didn't notice.

When I was last there they were hoping to get some kind of ruling stops the course from being "common land."  They were really irritated by the cattle that "mess" up the fairway and "mess" on the fairway.  Any news about that?

The raise in greens fee is distressing but understandable.

[Bill_McBride]

Sean, as I read it Ran was merely recapping the pros and cons of others; I don't think those were his bipolar thoughts!  I can see where many would find the land too severe, some of those sidehill fairways are hard to find, much less hold!