Matthew,
Thanks for sharing. Absolutely fabulous looking course and pix. Please pick out one hole that you particularly liked and give more details of the strategy and what was going on at the green end.
It looks like a course that would appeal to a broad range of playing levels.
#17 looks like a daunting hole. What club were you hitting into that green?
Ed,
Sorry about taking some time to answer your question but I've been busy posting my West Sussex pics before I have to go back to work.
I think the 11th was probably a bit of a favourite. The drive is semi blind with the tee being down in the corner of the course. In front of you is a fairway trap on the left which is easily carriable these days. There is another trap which is hidden in behind it another 60 yards or so further up - it appears to have been added recently and I don't see the purpose of it as the hole has more than adequate natural protection from a drive hit down the left. The fairway falls away to the left and in the distance you can see the green perched on the edge of the ridge, protected by a deep trap front left and with a steep fall away on the left.
In many ways, this hole is typical of the design of most holes at Swinley with a "no-miss" side to the green.
The green is driveable in good conditions but with the dew on the ground that morning it was out of my reach. As it was, I hit my drive straight down the middle to within about 35 yards but with the pin tucked left, I faced a very awkward pitch. The firmness of the greens meant that an aerial approach directly at the hole had no chance of getting close. A ground approach could easily have kicked into the bunker, so I took the conservative line a metre or two to the right of the pin. Here, the internal contours played there part - there was a small ridge or knob protecting the hole and my well struck pitch leaked away to the right, leaving me with a 12-15 footer for a 3. I walked off with 4.
The key to this hole is the right hand traps. They will gobble up the slightly errant drive of a golfer trying to get home in one. Equally, for the golfer not trying to drive the green, the key is to drive as close to them without finding them, in order to obtain the best angle to the pin. There is also a bank of heather down the right and another trap on the right about 70 yards out for the conservative golfer who is seeking to lay back to allow a fuller approach.
Anything finding sand or heather right will leave the golfer with a frightfully difficult up and down as the steep bank awaits on the other side of the green.
The green is slightly raised and will repel anything slightly right. There is more contouring in the right half of the green to make chipping or putting more of a challenge.
The green is perfectly positioned on the ridge. It would not surprise me if Colt found this greensite and worked the rest of the routing around it.
The 11th is a hole which has been designed for most golfers to be able to par. However, it tempts the golfer to try that little bit harder and will bring many unstuck. It offers the chance for an eagle or birdie but, equally, the penalty for a poorly struck shot may see a five or six on the card. It epitomises the design features of the course which place a premium on position rather than length and throws in an intricate green complex to enhance the challenge.
As for 17, it's a fantastic par three. There a grandeur in this hole which doesn't come across in most of the others. Don't go left, it's dead. This hole is like many others where there's a no miss side but the opposite side is also protected to put a premium on the conservative shot. This creates angles and you really have to think about what sort of shot you need to play.
I think I hit 4 or 5 iron. It would probably usually be a solid 5-iron for me but I hadn't swung a club for 2 months so I was lacking some rhythm. The conditions were also a bit heavy. You can probably see my ball just short right for an easy up and down.