I have just returned from a visit to the Heathland belt of London and played:
Swinley Forest
Woking
St. George's Hill
Woking
West Sussex
Sunningdale Old
For those of you who want to play firm and fast and have each hole pique your interest I would book a ticket to London. Go to Waterloo Station and then get the train to Woking. Without an irrigation system that almost cost them their fairways a few years ago, Woking is just that right shade of green and brown which makes it play considerably shorter than its 6400 yards but oh so fun. The greens putted as well as any of the above courses running about 9 or 10 on the stimp and really made for a challenge as every approach had to be bumped up to the pins. A well struck ball with backspin that was pitched had a chance to stay on the greens but you really had to have Tiger-esque height making instead for lots of runup 7 and 8 irons.
The 4th at Woking was a bit different than I remember it. This is the hole with the principal nose bunkers about 230 yds right down the line of play. Before when I played the hole you had three choices depending upon your game. You could drive right of the bunkers (making for an easy runup shot of 100yds if the pin is front), you could layup before the bunkers with an iron and thus have a longer iron into the green or drive long and left of them. This last option is now penalized as the course has grown rough there and removed that option. Speaking to the head pro after he did not seem to approve of the rough being put up as well. Why remove optionality?
Swinley Forest-This was my second trip here and I must say it was even more magical and glorious than the first. First to arrive at a course of this magnitude and have it all to yourself in its regal setting is a joy I can only liken to playing Cypress Point and being first out. The heather was in full bloom which made the setting the finest of all heathland courses but the playing characteristics were not as firm and fast as Woking. In fact the greens were the slowest of all I encountered on the heath. Probably running about a 5 which made them confounding. I guess I am just so used to American fast greens like I have at my home club. There have been a few changes I noticed at Swinley. First the redanish par 3 4th is having its green redone and the front of the green is being lifted up. The work has just been done and how it will change the playing characteristics remains to be seen for another visit. There have also been trees cleared from the backdrop of the wonderful par 3 8th. This was NOT the club's idea but I believe a local developer who is working on property ajacent to the hole. There also seems to be a new bunker approx. 230yds on the left side of #18. While still maturing, it just doesnt look right on the hole as its shaping is out of character despite some heather growing on top of it giving it a decent look.
The best part of Swinley remains the vistas. They are as inspring as any in golf especially when the heather is that distinctive shade of purple set against the sun setting on an August night. My favorite vista on the course remains the one up the 6th and 7th holes. I have never seen but pictures of Pine Valley but a round at Swinley will look awfully PVish in spots. A few other observations: I believe Ran thinks the 1st at SF is the weakest link on the course. I must take some exception though as it has one of the best greens on the course. Colt built some great falloffs, most notably in the front. The par 4 9th also surprised me as it was much stronger than I remember and has become one of my favorite par 4s on the heath.
St. Georges Hill-Doak believes this is the best of the heath. While I could sing this course's praises til I am blue in the face, I cannot concur. Oh sure it has the best 1st and 10th holes you will ever see. The 1st being uphill over a valley to a fanastic green that sits in a saddle with a massive hump of heather to its right and no bailout room left and the 10th a semi Alps hole with a fantastic ridge blocking out a mid iron second shot to all but the best placed tee shots with a tier separating a very large and hard to read green. And the par 3s, well many have seen pictures in Doak's book of the all world 8th (in the club house are magnificent pictures of what the hole looked like years ago) and the wee pitch 11th to a green that sits on a knob is also spectacular. So where am I going with this. I love St. George's Hill..the holes are all solid, the expanse of the course and vistas wonderful but for some reason that I can't put my finger on it is not my favorite on the heath. It played the slowest of the heathland courses as it is irrigated and had the best conditioning except for Sunningdale. Still, I found myself mid way thru the round wishing I was playing Woking. Maybe it is just the cunning-ness of that layout which I hold superior.
West Sussex-To an unbiased eye this could be the best heathland course although it lies 60 miles south and abuts the South Downs. At West Sussex, the heather is the most abundant, the sand whiter and the course has everything but a strong par 5. Of all the heathland courses this one had the right temperature porridge. It played hard and fast, the vistas where magnificent, the greens challenging and the strategy abundant. There are some great holes here: the back to back par 3s #5 and 6 as well as the wonderful green complexes at #13 and #16 (sitting in an amazing natural setting-see Ran's writeup) that may be the best on the heath. West Sussex is simply a must see on any heathland tour.
Sunningdale Old-nothing new here. Great conditions, great greens and good fun. Playing the bottle hole (the 12th) a second time makes me realize how all world of a par 4 it is. Play this hole and compare it to NGLA's and I think unlike the redan you will find this superior. The greens at Sunningdale putt the most American-style of any course I have played in the UK.
So overall a magnificent trip. If you want firm, fast and fun, head to Woking. If you want sweeping vistas, beauty, and a course to yourself head to Swinley Forest (if you can get in!). If you want a hidden gem that I think may secretly be the best, head over to West Sussex. And if you want to play 27 holes without an indifferent one among them (and see some 5 million quid homes) head over to St. George's Hill.
If you want a classic top 50 course go over to Sunningdale and count the Bentley's in the parking lot on your way to the first tee. I missed the Addington on this trip which I also adore. There have been some changes to the course I understand that have been highlighted here.
I also saw but did not play the Burma Road (Wentworth West). I am in no rush though, the course has little heather and does not look as fun to play as its peers. It almost looks like it has been american-ized.
For an inland golf tour you can't really beat London. All of the courses are a train and short cab ride away. I hope to see if the Sandbelt down in Oz compares to the heath in 2 months. Stay tuned.
NAF