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[Ed Tilley]

I had the great fortune to play Royal St Georges on Thursday on a bright and breezy day. I had to go to France to get some wine for a party and took the chance to play RSG on the way. It was the first day of the winter rates of £65 for a round which was excellent value.

I didn't really know what to expect but I would say that everything about the club was first class. The atmosphere of the club was old English money at it's best - there are rules, and as long as you abide by them you will be warmly welcomed. The course was superb - a real mixture of fun and challenge. The front nine was in some huge dunes and was great fun. The back nine was on the more open ground and was a real test. There were some blind shots but they didn't seem unfair - there was plenty of room (e.g. drive at 4th, second to 5th, drive at 7). All in all a privilege to play and right up in the higher reaches of my personal rankings.

Second to the 1st



Drive at the superb 2nd



That swings to the left to leave this attractive pitch over a valley



The attractive short 3rd



The famous drive at the 4th - line over the himalaya bunker



The rollercoaster 4th fairaway with raised rollercoaster green



Great elevated driving hole at the 5th with the first view of the sea



The approach to the 5th through the gap in the dunes - there really is loads of room here.



The short 6th - the famous Maiden



A closer look at the 3 level green



The blind drive at the 7th - a tough carry into a stiff breeze



Second to the par 5 7th



Another blind drive at the 8th although it's pretty obvious where to go



The wonderful 2nd to the 8th green, complete with bird of prey



8th green



9th drive, with power station view!



Second to the raised 9th green



The steep drop off the right hand side of the 9th green



I would say that the front nine at RSG is second only to the front nine at Royal County Down of the courses I've played. Not a weak hole at all.

The uphill 10th hole - only a short par 4 but a really difficult approach downwind.



The long par 3 11th



The short par 4 12th



13th drive



Second to the 13th



The scary drive at the par 5 14th - OOB all the way down the right



Second over the Suez canal



The flat and very difficult 15th



The very steep drop off the right of the 15th green



Thomas Bjorn's nightmare - teh short 16th. This really is a big target and he really had a mental breakdown going at the right pin.



Your correspondent shows Thomas how it's done! You just have to drop a ball in there and have a go at getting it just over the ridge.



The tough 17th



2nd to the raised green



Homeward bound



A notable feature is the changing direction of the holes so that you don't get a long stretch of holes into the wind. I would recommend it to anyone.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thanks Ed happy memories of walking round there at the British Amatuer this summer though I've yet to play it.  The great Pro (forgotten his name again) said come back next year for the day.  £130 and you can go round 3 or 4 times if you start early in midsummer "and you'll want to".

PS I though of adding Sandwich as a fantastic place to retire to.  Canterbury is close for culture and France is also close at hand - for the wine!

[Tom Egan]

Ed --

Your comments were right on and the pictures were exceptional.  You're a great golf photographer!

I took a day to play St. George's about 20 years ago when I was over there to play in a Baltusrol - Walton Heath inter-club match.  I played as a single early on a beautiful October Monday morning.  I was the first player out and only one caddie was available.  Without him, I would never found most next tees from previous greens amidst all the winding dunes, especially on the front nine.

One of the most charming courses I've ever played.  You brought back some precious memories.  Thank you.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Ed --

Your comments were right on and the pictures were exceptional.  You're a great golf photographer!

I took a day to play St. George's about 20 years ago when I was over there to play in a Baltusrol - Walton Heath inter-club match.  I played as a single early on a beautiful October Monday morning.  I was the first player out and only one caddie was available.  Without him, I would never found most next tees from previous greens amidst all the winding dunes, especially on the front nine.

One of the most charming courses I've ever played.  You brought back some precious memories.  Thank you.

Sean, lovely pictures. i think when you all post 'the whole 18' it really gives a great insight. I only ever played it once, well twice we did the day, its one of my favourite favourites. 14th hole looks very different, i know they moved the green but I do not remember the mound just off the tee on the right seperating RSG from princes..is this new or is my memory fading.

[Mark Ferguson]

I had to go to France to get some wine for a party and took the chance to play RSG on the way.

You just have to love this.

Who says England has nothing to recommend her as a place of residence?

[Dan Moore]

Could someone fill me in on which hole is the Sahara hole.  

Thanks.

ps I hope the wine is as good as the golf.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

These are some of the best pictures of Sandwich you will ever see.  They capture the place better than any professional pictures - those blind shots over dunes, the vagueness of the semi-blind holes, those indeterminate holes on which distance is impossible to judge.  And, what fabulous pictures for so late in the year!  

I hope you subsequently bought several cases of La Tache to celebrate the burgeoning of your new career as a golf photographer who understands how to take photographs which illustrate the problems set by the golf course, not the latest piece of glamour.

[James Bennett]

I was fortunate enough to 'visit' Royal St Georges in late April.  Well, wlaking through the middle of the course on the public access track.  Right next to #6 and #7, and views of the Himalaya's.  Thanks Tony.

Here is a side-on photo of the Himalaya's.  They are as imposing on the landscape as the three power generation venting stacks are dominating!

James B

[BCrosby]

Great pictures of a great, great golf course.

It and Deal are a very different kind of links course from those in Scotland. It was a thrill to play them and your pics bring back many wonderful (and some painful) memories.

Bob

[John Goodman]

Could someone fill me in on which hole is the Sahara hole.  

Thanks.

ps I hope the wine is as good as the golf.

"When a name clings to a hole we may be sure that there is something in that hole to stir the pulse, and in fact there are few more absolute joys than a perfectly hit shot that carries the heaving waste of sand which confronts us on the third tee."  
Bernard Darwin

[Ed Tilley]

These are some of the best pictures of Sandwich you will ever see.  They capture the place better than any professional pictures - those blind shots over dunes, the vagueness of the semi-blind holes, those indeterminate holes on which distance is impossible to judge.  And, what fabulous pictures for so late in the year!  

I hope you subsequently bought several cases of La Tache to celebrate the burgeoning of your new career as a golf photographer who understands how to take photographs which illustrate the problems set by the golf course, not the latest piece of glamour.

Mark,

If golf course photography pays that well I may need a career change!

Ed

[Keith Durrant]

Great job, Ed !

Those St George's Cross flags are quite unique.

[Kevin Pallier]

Ed

Thanks for the memories - I loved the contrasting nine's and the P3's are a pretty tough bunch off the plates.

[Philip Gawith]

Thank You Ed - very nice pictures and a reminder that it is time to play RSG again. Mark is right - they make the course look much more enticing/interesting than I recall.

[Marc Haring]

I have already expounded upon the utter delights of a my 72 over the venerable links a couple of years back (and a few other times) so would never be so vulgar as to mention it again. It really is a special place and the pictures capture it perfectly Ed.

My ball close to the hole on #12. Damn……did it again!

[Ed Tilley]

I have already expounded upon the utter delights of a my 72 over the venerable links a couple of years back (and a few other times) so would never be so vulgar as to mention it again. It really is a special place and the pictures capture it perfectly Ed.

My ball close to the hole on #12. Damn……did it again!

Marc,

Thanks for this photo - I didn't really see this hole. I went way right off the tee, and way right with my second. The approach from the fairway looks very appealing - perhaps I'll try that route next time.

Ed