News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


Philip Gawith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« on: November 04, 2007, 02:50:04 PM »
This is a fun second division heathland course in a stunning setting overlooking the South Downs. The nearest course of repute is Royal Ashdown Forest - which I have not played so I can't compare the two, but Mr Doak gives RAF a 7 and CB a 4 which tells you something.

The club's greatest claim to fame is that Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame was captain in 1911! The club was opened in 1895 so belongs among the centurions in England. There is not enough interest in the bunkering and the greens for it to be a truly top notch course, but it is a natural lay-out that uses the lie of the land to create interest and worth a visit if in the neighbourhood.



The first - relatively straightforward opener, slopes from right to left - but out of bounds in the form of a public road behind the green affects the approach shot.



The approach on the 2nd - where you tee off high above, and the hole turns sharp right to left.  A good drive still requires a medium iron second.



View from behind 2



The first short hole - uphill 3rd where you can't really see the green to judge distance. Would profit from some more cutting back of the trees.



The 4th - relatively straightforward two-shotter



The 5th - good looking par four. Difficulty lies mostly in judging distance to very elevated green.



View from behind the green on 5.



The best hole on the course I think - the par 3 sixth over a large crevice ( a WW 2 bomb crater). A redan type hole, you can go the heroic route (about 190 yards slightly uphill) or come in from the right using the lie of the land.



The approach to the par 5 seventh - the hole is blind on the second shot unless you are on the far left, so it tends to encourage laying up and playing as a full three -shotter.



The drive and pitch 8th



And then the dog leg, uphill 9th




This heather feature in the middle of the 12th forces to you to lay up with the drive and leaves a long second in..



Approach to the par 5 14th with some of the Downs in the distant background



The 15th is a shortish par four wrapped onto a strong left-write slope. If you keep your ball high you are rewarded with an easier second.



Like this....



The 16th takes you back uphill...



Nice shot over the Downs, with 5th green in the foreground.



The last short hole - 17. Good looking hole - as with the 3rd, you can't see too much of the green as you are teeing off well below.



View across the first capturing the clubhouse behind the 18th green.



Jason McNamara

Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2007, 03:33:55 PM »
Brilliant as always, Philip.

Would you say the fairways at CB tend to be a bit more canted than some of the other area fairways, or is it simply a function of the selection of photos and/or my lousy eyes?  Pics I've seen of RAF and Piltdown don't seem to have the same tilt in their fairways.  (Same with Pulborough for that matter, though I realize it's a bit farther away.)

Mark Chaplin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2007, 04:16:10 PM »
Jason - there is barely a flat lie at CB. Provided it isn't a very dry year when it can be v difficult to hold some of the fairways CB is a fun place to play. I cannot think of many flat holes at RAF either.

The one issue that can cloud a round at CB is the fact the course is on common land and can get very busy with "passers by".
Cave Nil Vino

Philip Gawith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2007, 07:29:58 AM »
Jason - I have not played at RAF and Piltdown ( so many courses....!) so not qualified to comment. Certainly the use of the slopes is a big part of the strategy of the course.

Interesting re Mark's comment - there were not too many around when I played. Huntercombe is also common land and you have walkers crossing a couple of holes, but they are seldom much of a factor. Crowborough being the scenic place it is you can imagine it gets more traffic.

Adrian_Stiff

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2007, 10:48:23 AM »
Nice pictures Philip, it looks avery nice course.
A combination of whats good for golf and good for turf.
The Players Club, Cumberwell Park, The Kendleshire, Oake Manor, Dainton Park, Forest Hills, Erlestoke, St Cleres.
www.theplayersgolfclub.com

Michael Wharton-Palmer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2007, 11:23:12 AM »
Phillip
Thanks for the photos, brings back memories of county golf back in the mid 80's.
I cannot remember who we were playing that day, but do remember what a fun course it was and great food afterwards.

Philip Gawith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2007, 11:26:03 AM »
Michael, anything that draws you out of your relative seclusion has to be a good thing!

Andrew Mitchell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2007, 12:50:47 PM »
Great photographs as ever Philip.

Keep 'em comin'  ;)
2014 to date: not actually played anywhere yet!
Still to come: Hollins Hall; Ripon City; Shipley; Perranporth; St Enodoc

John Mayhugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #8 on: November 05, 2007, 01:10:49 PM »
Nice pics.
I really like the 17th.

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #9 on: November 09, 2007, 01:52:34 PM »
Seeing those autumnal pictures brought back the smell of log fires I can remember from when I first played there. I also played RAF for the first time in the autumn and I can almost smell that too!  

Great photos. Do get to RAF - you'll get some fabulous photos.

Mike_Cirba

Re:Crowborough Beacon (pictures)
« Reply #10 on: November 09, 2007, 09:52:20 PM »
Philip,

What a wonderfully natural, understated golf course!

I'd LOVE to play there, I'm sure.    

Thank you very much for posting all of the pictures that you've been doing.   I can tell you from this side of the lake that it's most appreciated.  

Of course, the pictures looking nothing like Cascata, so I'm not sure what to say about that.  ;)

Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back