THE LUFFENHAM HEATH - Rutland's only Colt course in Autumn

[Ben Stephens]

THE LUFFENHAM HEATH (1911) – Rutland’s only Colt course

Here is a hidden Colt course in my backyard – I have lived in Rutland, UK for over 25 years and I was a member at Luffenham Heath for 2/3 years through my association with my old school golf team. The course was originally designed by Harry Colt with further modifications by James Braid in between two world wars. There is a drawing of the original layout in the clubhouse.

Most of Colt original layout remains and appreciable changes to the course layout were avoided until they were enforced from an unexpected source. World War 2 demanded food for Britain and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries insisted in 1943 that Luffenham Heath should be ploughed-up to help the war effort. Diplomacy prevailed and the damage was limited to the top 60 acres of land on which holes 9, 10 & 11 were then played.

The land lost to the plough has never been re-instated as part of the course but by the end of 1946 an 18 hole course was back in play with a re-arrangement of holes 9 & 10 and new holes for 11 & 12 The course has remained in this layout ever since apart from cosmetic changes made over the intervening years by C K Cotton, Donald Steel, Cameron Sinclair and most lately by Martin Hawtree which was an extensive refurbishment to take the course up to 21st century standards.

The course has 5 different set of tee to cater for all members. It measures 6563 yards par 70 off the championship tees with a SSS of 72.

All Hole yardages from the medal tees.

FRONT NINE – 3032 yards par 35

HOLE 1 – 360 yards par 4 SI 10
Medium length par 4 into the prevailing wind. Harry Vardon hit his ball OOB in an exhibition match with James Braid shortly after the course opened


Hole 1 – view from tee


Hole 1 – view from fairway


Hole 1 – Chocolate drop mounds right of fairway


Hole 1 – closer view to green from fairway


Hawtree’s revamped bunkers – a style thats repeated throughout the whole course


Hole 1 – rear view


HOLE 2 – 412 yards par 4 SI 4
Medium/long length par 4 into prevailing wind.


Hole 2 – view from tee

 
Hole 2 – view from fairway


Hole 2 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 2 – greenside grass bunker


Hole 2 – rear view


HOLE 3 – 358 yards par 4 SI 8
Medium length uphill par 4


Hole 3 – view from tee
 

Hole 3 – view from fairway


Hole 3 – autumnal shadows


Hole 3 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 3 – rear view


HOLE 4 – 393 yards par 4 SI 14
Medium length downhill par 4 with new fairway bunker on right by Hawtree original fairway bunker is further right and now a grass bunker. Hawtree added a new greenside bunker short left of the green.


Hole 4 – view from tee


Hole 4 – view from fairway


Hole 4 – closer view to green


Hole 4 – view of green from 5th tee


HOLE 5 – 154 yards par 3 SI 16
Short par 3


Hole 5 – view from tee


Hole 5 – view to front of green from grass bunker


Hole 5 – view to side of green from 6th ladies tee


HOLE 6 – 490 yards par 5 SI 2
Short par 5 where drive is crucial – has to hit fairway for any chance of getting onto the green in 2


Hole 6 – view from tee


Hole 6 – Boony in a fairway bunker – note the steep face that Hawtree has added


Hole 6 – view from fairway


Hole 6 – view to front of green


Hole 6 – another grass bunker short of green a feature of Luffenham


Hole 6 – rear view


HOLE 7 – 372 yards par 4 SI 6
Medium length uphill par 4. This hole was nominated in my dream 18 of out of the courses I have played in a earlier GCA thread – these photos show why


Hole 7 – view from tee


Hole 7 – view from fairway


Hole 7 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 7 – greenside view from 10th tee


Hole 7 – rear view


Hole 7 – view of green from 10th fairway showing the severity of the slope there are four flat areas and it looks like a four tiered green.


HOLE 8 – 320 yards par 4 SI 18
Short par 4 with a new green recently added by Hawtree – old green in front of new green now converted to fairway. Personally I preferred the old green and it was a good drivable short par 4. The new green looks different to rest of the Luffenham greens making it a bit out of character.
This used to be Hole 12 on the original Colt/Braid layout it was a par 3 then.


Hole 8 – view from fairway


Hole 8 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 8 – looking back to tee from old green location


HOLE 9 – 173 yards par 3 SI 12
Medium length par 3. This was the 11th green on the original Colt/Braid layout. The green used to be accessed from the left side of the current configuration.


Hole 9 – view from tee


Hole 9 – rear view










 


.

[Ben Stephens]

BACK NINE – 3386 yards par 35

HOLE 10 – 377 yards par 4 SI 9
Medium length par 4 dogleg right. This is the second of the 2 new greens that Hawtree have added. This is more in keeping with the rest of the course than the 8th.


Hole 10 – view from tee


Hole 10 – dip in front of tee


Hole 10 – view from fairway


Hole 10 – closer view from fairway


Hole 10 – rear view


HOLE 11 – 432 yards par 4 SI 3
Long par 4 first of two successive holes added to course in WW2. This is the flattest hole on the course.


Hole 11 – tee shot


Hole 11 – view from fairway


Hole 11 – view of front of green


Hole 11 – rear view


HOLE 12 – 168 yards par 3 SI 17
Short medium par 3 - second of two successive holes added to course in WW2


Hole 12 – tee shot


Hole 12 – rear view


HOLE 13 – 481 yards par 4 SI 1
Long par 4 dogleg left. The hardest hole on the course tee to green to a flattish green which is like an extension of the fairway.


Hole 13 – view from tee


Hole 13 – view from corner of fairway


Hole 13 – view from right of fairway


Hole 13 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 13 – rear view


HOLE 14 – 366 yards par 4 SI 15
Medium length par 4 slight dogleg right. Fairway bottlenecks in the landing area for the big hitters. The green was being verti drained at the time so we had to play to a temporary green.


Hole 14 – view from tee


Hole 14 – view from fairway


Hole 14 – closer view to front of green


Hole 14 – looking back to the bottleneck part of the fairway


HOLE 15 – 393 yards par SI 5
Medium/Long par 4 uphill. Best par 4 on the back nine. It was made more memorable due to the fact that Boony hit his greenside bunker shot here straight in the hole!


Hole 15 – view from tee


Hole 15 – view from fairway


Hole 15 – another view from fairway


Hole 15 – view of revamped fairway bunkers


Hole 15 – closer view from fairway including large short bunker


Hole 15 – view to front of green


Hole 15 – green


Hole 15 – rear view


HOLE 16 – 416 yards par 4 SI 16
Long/Medium par 4 downhill.


Hole 16 – view from tee. I have always disliked the patch of gorse blocking the view to the fairway. I believe they should move it to either side and open up view to fairway which I believe will dramtically improve the overall apprearance of the hole.


Hole 16 – view from fairway


Hole 16 – view from right fairway bunker


Hole 16 - closer view of green


Hole 16 – rear view


HOLE 17 – 201 yards par 3 SI 11
Long par 3 – what a dramatic penultimate hole. This is a great par 3 and Hawtree did not touch the bunkers. This is one of the best retained original holes at Luffenham.


Hole 17 – view from tee


Hole 17 – closer view towards green


Hole 17 – short grassy bunkers


Hole 17 – grassy banks above bunkers. Boony showing how difficult this shot is!


Hole 17 – view to front of green showing how much slope there is from left to right



Hole 17 – rear view


HOLE 18 – 552 yards par 5 SI 13
Long downhill par 5 back towards clubhouse. Difficult two tier ‘sideways’ green


Hole 18 – view from tee


Hole 18 – view from right of fairway


Hole 18 – fairway cross grass bunkers. These bunkers were originally sand bunkers but filled in by Hawtree but these grass bunkers are just as effective as the sand ones.


Hole 18 – closer view from fairway


Hole 18 – view to front of green


Hole 18 – rear view


Here’s another picture – there are a number of members at LHGC that have black labradors which are allowed to walk with their owner around the course


View of black labrador walking on Hole 8 from 12th green.

It strucks me that Luffenham Heath is often better looking back towards the fairway from the back of every green. If they had retained the original Colt layout I believe it would be a better course instead of feeling a bit cramped around Holes 7,8,9,10, 11 and 12.

Look forward to your comments re: LHGC

Cheers

Ben

[Paul_Turner]

Ben

I'm not sure this is a Colt course?  He lists "North Luffenham Hall" but I think it might have been a different course?  I'd like to know, if you want to dig deeper.

Nice photography! 

[Ben Stephens]

Paul,

I have always thought it was a Braid course but to my surprise its actually an early Colt layout modified by Braid in between 2 world wars. Here is the info re: Colt on the club's website:

'In 1909, Lord Willoughby de Eresby first proposed the construction of a golf course on 250 acres of land known as South Luffenham Heath. At the time Sunday shooting was under threat and it was necessary to find diversionary entertainment for his visitors to nearby Normanton Lodge ( the remains of which now overlook beautiful Rutland Water, formed by flooding the Gwash Valley in 1975). Local dignitaries supported the idea and, more importantly, so did his father Lord Ancaster on whose land the golf course was intended.. Membership was to be encouraged and it was hoped to persuade the London & Great Eastern railway to halt at adjoining Fosters Bridge to allow golfers from Peterborough or Leicester to disembark. This request failed but, for a while, the course became an unscheduled stop with members climbing up or down the embankment on ladders. Members eventually had to travel by pony & trap from nearby railway stations. At the time, Harry Colt was helping with the design of Woodall Spa in adjoining Lincolnshire. As Lord Willoughby was President of that Club also, Colt was doubtless persuaded to have a look at the new venture. Funded by the Ancaster estate, Harry Colt was subsequently commissioned to design and supervise the construction of the course.

Colt, although qualified in law, increasingly turned his attention to course management and design and rapidly became one of the most sought after course architects of his time. Although an early collaboration with the more widely acclaimed Alistair MacKenzie was short-lived, his partnership with Charles Alison resulted in course design which is still in evidence today at many famous courses world-wide including Rye, Alwoodley, Sunningdale, Wentworth, Stoke Poges, Swinley Forest and, Luffenham Heath.

The course was opened in 1911with a celebrity match, witnessed by over 1000 spectators, between James Braid and Harry Vardon, both eventual winners of 5 Open Championships each. Vardon’s opening drive cleared the course boundary, the Morcott to Ketton road and landed in the adjoining field. Braid’s afternoon 72 remained a course record for many years and remains a very respectable score indeed; given driving rain, a course measuring only a little less than 6000 yards and the equipment of the day. Braid eventually turned to course design and his appreciation of the course must have been sufficient to persuade him, between the two World Wars, to return and advise on changes that were needed.'

Cheers

Ben

[Tom MacWood]

I believe Tony Muldoon found mention of Colt working with Lord Willoughby around that time - the course was called South Luffenham Heath originally. If I'm not mistaken Jack White was involved too.

[Ben Stephens]

Paul and Tom,


I have been digging the history archives - there is a connection between Lord Willoughby de Eresby, 2nd or 3rd Earl of Ancaster and North Luffenham Hall. The course is actually in the grounds of South Luffenham Heath. Also Colt must have implied that South Luffenham Heath was part of the grounds of North Luffenham Hall because it was under the ownership of Lord Willoughby.

The best way to find this out is in to contact the club archives to find out how much of it was actually Colt's work.

Cheers


Ben

[Tom MacWood]

I was under the impression North Luffenham Hall was a different golf course. Colt never listed Luffenham Heath (or South Luffenham Heath) as his design, and I suspect the reason is Jack White deserves the credit.

[Ben Stephens]

Tom,

I have never heard of Jack White - did he work for Colt? I initially thought it was all Braids work but according to club it was initiated by Colt - we need to find a bit more evidence of Colt's involvement at LHGC. Braid played the course against Vardon and liked it so that he came back and made a number of suggestions to the course.

North Luffenham Hall is in the middle of North Luffenham village so one assumes that in 1909 the Hall and the surrounding countryside, including South Luffenham Heath (1 to 2 miles away from North Luffenham) was then owned by Lord Willoughby. The railway goes past the course by the current entrance where Lord Willoughby intended to have a station so that golfers can stop by to play the course.

Also, Edward the VIII then Prince of Wales played the course a number of times

Cheers

Ben

[Tom MacWood]

Ben
Jack White was the professional at Sunningdale when Colt was the Secretary. He dabbled in design over the years, and I recall finding one or two courses he designed that Colt lent him a hand.

[James Boon]

Ben,

Thanks for posting these pictures, whoever designed the course   

For me 2, 3 and 7 make good use of the rolling landscape, and 17 is a great penultimate hole.

Cheers,

James

[Tony_Muldoon]

I believe my original attribution was from the clubs website, this is what I wrote.

“The course goes back to 1911 and was originally a Colt/Alison design. However the Club gives the credit for today’s course mostly to Braid.  CK Cotton and Martin Hawtree have added detail since the last war.”

They appear to have done more digging since then and revised the website?
http://www.luffenhamheath.co.uk/Course/history.htm


However one slight problem with their new version is that according to Richard Latham’s “Definitive Guide to ...Woodhall Spa”, Colt's first visit there wasn’t until October 1911 for two or three days.  Is their a date for the opening match?  


More work needed.



Back to the course.  I think it’s a great place to play Golf and only just below the likes of Alwoodley, Sunningdale i.e. the very top tier of Heathland golf.

For those who think that all the holes in the golden age are 'found'. here’s a look at the back of the magical 7th.
 


Thanks for a wonderful reminder Ben; hopefully we can tee it up there together one day.  I’m just wondering about the turf? Although it’s undoubtedly fine and ideal for golf being free draining etc.  I got the impression that, rather like Thorndon Park, the ball doesn’t run out here like it does on some Heathland tracks?  I’m sure it they’d had some big name tournaments in the past this would be rather better known.


PS what is it with Rutland?  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutland ) not any more.

Contact address

The Luffenham Heath Golf Club
Ketton
Stamford
Lincolnshire
PE9 3UU

[Ben Stephens]

Hi Tony,

Would be happy to play with you anytime at LHGC - in the summer months when dry - the fairways and greens are bone dry so the course plays linksy.

Luffenham Heath is in Rutland - if you see on Google Maps there are county boundaries on it.

Rutland has been a county again for just over 10 years but they havent changed the postcode - we Rutlanders are still protesting as the west area of Rutland inc. Oakham and Uppingham has still got Leicester postcodes - LE15 and the east area of Rutland has a Peterborough postcode but in Lincolnshire area, thats why LHGC's address is based on the postcode PE9 - postcode number for Stamford area. We r still after a 'RU' postcode!

I have lived in Rutland for over 25 years and played for Leics and Rutland Boys golf team. Luffenham Heath is affilated to the Leics and Rutland Golf Union. I used to be a member of Luffenham Heath and there logo is an upside down horseshoe which is the emblem of Rutland.

Cheers


Ben

[Paul_Turner]

Tony

Your photo reminds me of some reverse angle pics of Manchester GC.  Another graceful old course from about the same time.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Hi Tony,

Would be happy to play with you anytime at LHGC - in the summer months when dry - the fairways and greens are bone dry so the course plays linksy.

Luffenham Heath is in Rutland - if you see on Google Maps there are county boundaries on it.

Rutland has been a county again for just over 10 years but they havent changed the postcode - we Rutlanders are still protesting as the west area of Rutland inc. Oakham and Uppingham has still got Leicester postcodes - LE15 and the east area of Rutland has a Peterborough postcode but in Lincolnshire area, thats why LHGC's address is based on the postcode PE9 - postcode number for Stamford area. We r still after a 'RU' postcode!

I have lived in Rutland for over 25 years and played for Leics and Rutland Boys golf team. Luffenham Heath is affilated to the Leics and Rutland Golf Union. I used to be a member of Luffenham Heath and there logo is an upside down horseshoe which is the emblem of Rutland.

Cheers


Ben

Rutland it is then.

[Tony_Muldoon]

I was under the impression North Luffenham Hall was a different golf course. Colt never listed Luffenham Heath (or South Luffenham Heath) as his design, and I suspect the reason is Jack White deserves the credit.

Tom it would be interesting to hear more about Jack White.

This is what I know.

during the period between 1894 and 1912, only White, Herd, Hilton and Massey were able to win the Open Championship at a time when the great Triumpherate had a stranglehold on it.  He won at Sandwich in 1904.

He was a renowned putter and the nephew of Ben Sayers and the professional at Sunningdale form the start 1904(?) until1926 when he left under a cloud. The same problem, drink manifested itself over the years.

In February 1909 he was reported by a member and on 06 03 09 the Secretary reported he had gone home to Scotland for 3 months. - Although he returned at the beginning of May.  July 1910 he was again suspended “sent back to the inebriate’s home for 3 months...he was told it was his last chance”.


I find it hard to see Colt as secretary or the Committee offering him assistance to take further leave of absence or agreeing to work with him for course design.  Interesting to hear what else you know about his activities.


White did serve during the war but was discharged and went back to the club in 1916 and died in 1949.

[Sean_A]

Luffenham doesn't strike me as a Colt course unless Colt was there very early in his career.  Either way, I don't think Colt would have called for that bunker scheme.  There are one heck of a lot of bunkers left and right of greens - not nearly as imaginative as Colt usually was.  

Ben

Thanks for the pix.  It reminds me a ton of a slightly flatter Northamptonshire Co GC.

Ciao

[Tom MacWood]

~

[Tom MacWood]

Tony
I don't know that much about White's architecture. Probably his most famous design is West Hill, but even that attribution is little sketchy. He designed a course at Chertsey (1907), I'm not sure the name of that course, and he extended Seaford in 1908. I believe there was another course he did that Colt was involved with but the name escapes me. It sounds like he had some personal issues that may explain the involvement of others in his designs.

[Emil Weber]

Cheers Ben, thanks very much for posting. Luffenham Heath looks like a great course except I can't see the heather .

[Ben Stephens]

Thanks Emil,

Here is some info regarding the heath from the club's website

In addition to man-made changes, nature has had a profound effect over the years. The original open heath-land, cropped by sheep and deer, has gradually converted into coppices of hawthorn, gorse and heather, still surrounded by glorious scenery. Oak, birch, ash, pine and larch trees have matured from saplings to give parts of the course a woodland feel although a large number of mature elms were lost to the ravages of Dutch elm disease in the early 1970’s. The course remains delightful with its infinite variety of holes in memorable settings. The opening and closing holes are built on free draining limestone which encourages the growth of fine calcareous grasses. The result is fairways to equal the best, encouraging accurate iron play onto fast, slick greens. These grasses are of National Botanical importance and the entire course was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1973. It is currently managed in agreement with Natural England to ensure the propagation of rare flora and fauna. The course teems with discreet wild life with the occasional red kite wheeling overhead and nightingales trilling in the evening sun alongside the 18th fairway. Rare plant species include alkaline heather, clustered bellflower and pyramid orchid. Marbled white and the almost extinct black hairstreak butterflies have found our blackthorn to their liking and roe and muntjac deer sometimes halt play as they meander across a fairway

Sean - I have played Northants County a number of times - there are some similar course features such as grassy hollows and mounds. Greens on both courses have a similar look. I would have assumed that it was Braid not Colt that added those bunkers left and right of the greens later.

Cheers


Ben

[Eric Smith]

Thank you for the tour Ben.

I can't help but imagine that these fronting features, which are fantastic looking btw, were made by giant moles from land of the lost. 



How far is Luffenham Heath from the golf course you designed at Rutland Water?

[Ben Stephens]

Eric,

I feel these mounds are nearly 100 years old and I believe this is common with courses built in the 1900 - 1910's. They are a great hazard for the duff shot! When LHGC plays firm the best shot on this hole is to just land over these mounds on the left side as the slope is quite severe from left to right. The 4th Hole has a similar feature as well.

LHGC is 2 to 3 miles away from Rutland Water via North Luffenham and Edith Weston.

Cheers

Ben

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thanks Tom that's another eye opening find.

West Hill needs investigating, only been once but in todays state I much prefferred it to Worplesdon.

Tony

[Sean_A]

Thanks Emil,

Here is some info regarding the heath from the club's website

In addition to man-made changes, nature has had a profound effect over the years. The original open heath-land, cropped by sheep and deer, has gradually converted into coppices of hawthorn, gorse and heather, still surrounded by glorious scenery. Oak, birch, ash, pine and larch trees have matured from saplings to give parts of the course a woodland feel although a large number of mature elms were lost to the ravages of Dutch elm disease in the early 1970’s. The course remains delightful with its infinite variety of holes in memorable settings. The opening and closing holes are built on free draining limestone which encourages the growth of fine calcareous grasses. The result is fairways to equal the best, encouraging accurate iron play onto fast, slick greens. These grasses are of National Botanical importance and the entire course was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1973. It is currently managed in agreement with Natural England to ensure the propagation of rare flora and fauna. The course teems with discreet wild life with the occasional red kite wheeling overhead and nightingales trilling in the evening sun alongside the 18th fairway. Rare plant species include alkaline heather, clustered bellflower and pyramid orchid. Marbled white and the almost extinct black hairstreak butterflies have found our blackthorn to their liking and roe and muntjac deer sometimes halt play as they meander across a fairway

Sean - I have played Northants County a number of times - there are some similar course features such as grassy hollows and mounds. Greens on both courses have a similar look. I would have assumed that it was Braid not Colt that added those bunkers left and right of the greens later.

Cheers


Ben

Ben

Braid has the mistaken reputation of bunkering in that left/right style, but I have never seen evidence that he relied heavily upon this trait. In fact, I would say the opposite is the case, but that doesn't mean Braid didn't do these bunkers.  It is interesting that Braid also did bunker work at Northampton Co GC.  One can see how much wider the course was because some of the bunkers have now been abandoned. 

BTW Do you reckon Colt did this mounding work?  I ask because I have seen very similar mounding at Whittington Heath and a course in Scotland which Bonnar showed pix of one day.  Both of these courses had Colt work on them, but I don't know if Colt just incorporated these with little or no touch up.


Looking at pix of Harborne I can see some similarity, but LH's mounding looks a bit crude.  Its hard to really focus on the mounding because of the bunkering - which doesn't do the look any favours.


Ciao

 

[Ben Stephens]

Sean,

Next time I am up at Luffenham Heath, I will have a closer look to a drawing of the original layout drawn up before World War II. It will indicate where the bunkers were then and whether they were on both sides of the green. If not it could be the work of Cotton or Steel after World War II. The Hawtree bunkers some of them are in the original locations and others are in new locations so that LHGC is up to 21st century standards according to Hawtree.

Cheers

Ben