Now for the last 3 holes, 2 crackers and an unfortunate anti climax…
Hole 16 “Southgate”A 300 yard downhill par 4, played over plenty of rough ground and also another public road.
If a player chooses to play safe and lay up short of the road, there is a small landing are, frames by 2 trees atop large mounds, seen here from the left side of the fairway
This is one hole where it defiantly seems easier to try and get close to the green as there is much more room past the road
This photo from back right of the green shows how the green is cut into the slope
Hole 17 “Graveyard”Typical of Painswick’s character in that the yellow tees are 1 yard longer than the whites which at 364 and 363 respectively. The steps are to give a view of the fairway over the hill
A blind drive and probably one of the craziest you will ever come across…
Because as you reach the top of the hill the full extent of the hole becomes clear! Firstly, the sixteenth has crossed us from left to right, secondly a stone wall forming out of bounds on the left (beyond these is the graveyard), thirdly the hole doglegs to the left slightly around the graveyard and lastly not just one public road, but two that cross just on a good length! I wonder how many cars get hit on this course?
A drive up the left flirting with the OOB and the cross roads leaves this view of the green
A drive further right, onto what the clubs website refers to as the cricket pitch (?) leaves a much better approach
Looking back at the landing area and its many hazards
Approach to the green, with the green this time cut into a left to right slope
Looking back from behind the green
I’ll be interested to hear what everyone makes of this hole. Part of me really loves it, but the problems are obvious and in today’s litigious society it surely won’t be long before something changes or perhaps as Robin writes in GA vol 3, the whole course gets closed which would be a great shame!
Hole 18 “Homeward Bound”120 to 140 yard par 3 to finish and as Adrian has pointed out, this is a relatively new hole, and to me just doesn’t sit well with the rest. A large tree to the left is the main hazard
Just short of the green showing it again cut into a left to right slope
Looking back towards the tee
So the second nine is a little more conventional in its ordering and balance, though the par goes as follows: 3, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3. This all adds up to 2,271 yards par 32 and a total of 4,831 yards par 67.
I’m with Tom in that the only indifferent hole on the first nine was the seventh, as its never struck me as anything special. However, I look at the photos I took, it doesn’t look too bad so maybe it just suffers as some of the others in those first nine holes are so special, and I need to give it another chance? The second nine though does suffer a little more perhaps as for me the tenth is just another version of the fifth and the eighteenth is a week hole with very little of the character of the 17 holes before it. I think if the tenth was the only blind short par 3 to a small green then it would be a great little hole, its just that with such variety on the course I’m not sure there is room for 2 holes so similar? And the last, well what can I say, maybe if they have another go at a change it will be third time lucky?
Anyway, glad you guys have enjoyed the photos so far and thanks for your kind words! Hopefully these last few finish it off nicely?
Tom is right. I should have pointed out on the photos of the tees for the fourth and thirteenth that you do find yourself in a face off, almost playing chicken with any golfers coming the other way! As I mentioned with the eighth and ninth, I’ve never seen many other golfers on the course but this was one of the places I have and it was certainly disconcerting at first!
Adrian, thanks for a bit of history on the developments of the course. Sounds like the old fourth par 3 was a great little hole. I’ll have to try and have a look for it next time I’m there. Yes, fifteen really does need some trees cutting back and as Robin says, hopefully the chainsaw will be out this winter! Lastly, I’ll message you about sending you copies of the pictures.
Cheers
James