[Tommy Williamsen]

Delamere Forest Back nine

The back nine is shorter than the front nine by some 250 yards.  The front nine has five par fours over 400 yards.  The back nine has none.  What it does have are some of the most interesting holes on the course.  The front nine is built on long sloping hills.  On the back nine the terrain is more undulating and Fowler used the land ingeniously. Again, thanks to Mark Rowlinson for taking the pictures as we played.

The back nine begins benignly enough with a 378 yard par four that goes up a hill to plateaued green.  You can either fly or bump it onto the green that slope from back to front.  



The 11th is a straight away par five that goes up and then down to the green.  My playing partner reached the green in two.  The second shot is over a rise and then trundles down to the green.  For mortal like me it takes three shots but the third is a short pitch,



 View from the 11th green back up to the top of the hill from where the second shot is hit.





View of the 11th green from the right side.



12th green site of the 149 yard par three.

 

 Thirteen is one of the shortest of the Par 4 holes but not one of the easiest, the green is protected by three bunkers across the front, one to the left and the ground falls away to the right and back.



14 is a fairly short Par Four from a Tee, set at an angle to the fairway over the hill to a small landing area, this leaves a short iron into the green.  The ground around the green is humpy bumpy interesting.



15 may be the most unusual hole of the course.  It is 300 yards long over a large gully to a raised green that actually sits in a hollow.  It is not drivable but requires a short iron off the tee.  In the winter it is played as a par three from the back of the 7th tee.  I think it makes for a much better hole.



Second shot.  A short iron to a blind green.



16 is a two hundred yard par three over a pond that really does not come into play.  I don’t have a picture from the tee but this is the green




18 is a reachable dogleg par five dogleg to the right.  A good chance to make a closing birdie before you retire to the comfortable grill room or the terrace.

Second shot



Now to the wonderful clubhouse and a drink, a sandwich and grumbling about tee shots hooked, second shots pushed, and putts missed.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Tommy

I would be willing to bet you that flat bellies can take their driver right over the top of the trees on the left for a go at the green.


 I think you are correct, though it makes me sick to think they they can hit it so far.
Thanks for posting Tommy!

Ciao

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Tommy - I've been away, hence no response. You must now have played most of Fowler's UK courses (certainly RN Devon, Beau Desert, Bull Bay) and I bet you've played the Berkshire. What I keep finding with his courses is that they are so individual. There seems to be no trademark. I played Delamere Forest with Sean Arble and Philip Gawith (and Sean knows Beau Desert better than anyone), and I think, while they loved the place there was some disappointment at the small area of the greens and the lack of interesting contour in comparison with BD. Certainly some of those who played Delamere at the time of the Hoylake BUDA seemed slightly disappointed.

There are further pictures of Delamere on Frank Pont's excellent web site.

[Bill_McBride]

Tommy - I've been away, hence no response. You must now have played most of Fowler's UK courses (certainly RN Devon, Beau Desert, Bull Bay) and I bet you've played the Berkshire. What I keep finding with his courses is that they are so individual. There seems to be no trademark. I played Delamere Forest with Sean Arble and Philip Gawith (and Sean knows Beau Desert better than anyone), and I think, while they loved the place there was some disappointment at the small area of the greens and the lack of interesting contour in comparison with BD. Certainly some of those who played Delamere at the time of the Hoylake BUDA seemed slightly disappointed.

There are further pictures of Delamere on Frank Pont's excellent web site.

Only disappointed by a direct contrasting of the individual green contours at Delamere vs those at Beau Desert.  Delamere Forest is a really solid course with a couple of funky holes thrown in.  The greens could use more contour and we were speculating about whether some green chairman with a bad putting stroke had mandated a flattening programme at some point.  

[Tommy Williamsen]

Mark Rowlinson wrote, Tommy - I've been away, hence no response. You must now have played most of Fowler's UK courses (certainly RN Devon, Beau Desert, Bull Bay) and I bet you've played the Berkshire. What I keep finding with his courses is that they are so individual. There seems to be no trademark. I played Delamere Forest with Sean Arble and Philip Gawith (and Sean knows Beau Desert better than anyone), and I think, while they loved the place there was some disappointment at the small area of the greens and the lack of interesting contour in comparison with BD. Certainly some of those who played Delamere at the time of the Hoylake BUDA seemed slightly disappointed.

I felt the back nine was a lot stronger and more interesting than the front nine.  I thought Fowler did a great job routing the back nine.   I also like the openness of the course that allowed the wind to make a difference.  I think when the wind is up it can be a tough test.  

Mark, I think I have played most of Fowler's English courses.  Yes I have played The Berkshire's Red and Bleu and Walton Heath Old and  New as well.  The only two course that were similar were the two at the Berkshire.  Even The Old and New at Walton Heath were different from each other.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Sean, I have to say you have a strong case.  The front nine is more difficult.  The first three holes are a stern "hello."  I love nine.  I did the land on the back nine better and the way Fowler routed it.  I thought the driving more interesting than the front, where all you had to do was bang it.  You may have a better recollection than I do.  It was in the middle of my ten day 36 a day marathon.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Sean, I have to say you have a strong case.  The front nine is more difficult.  The first three holes are a stern "hello."  I love nine.  I did the land on the back nine better and the way Fowler routed it.  I thought the driving more interesting than the front, where all you had to do was bang it.  You may have a better recollection than I do.  It was in the middle of my ten day 36 a day marathon.

Tommy

I spose you are right about the driving on the front 9.  It is banger golf except for 8 & 9.  Distance helps on 8, but judging the cape aspect of the drive is far more important.  9 can be a layup or hit into a valley for a closer but more steeply uphill approach.  The Back 9 has several holes in which driver doesn't automatically feature.  I think the real difference for me si the start to the front.  I like the first and think #s 2-4 are every good holes.  I wish the shorter holes were more evenly dispersed because the 9s to seem a bit unbalanced.  

Ciao

You're right about the balance.  I wonder what a different routing would have wrought?

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