Top 5 Favourites in ENGLAND

[Andrew Bertram]

Swinley Forrest
Royal Birkdale
Royal Cinque Ports
Sunningdale Old
Ganton

After spending 2 weeks in the heath land i am a now a convert to how wonderful the courses are through the surrey area and will no doubt return more than a few times

[Emil Weber]

My list is:

1. St Enodoc
2. Burnham & Berrow
3. Saunton East
4. Royal North Devon
5. Saunton West

'Cause they're the only ones I've played 

[Andrew Mitchell]

My list is:

1. St Enodoc
2. Burnham & Berrow
3. Saunton East
4. Royal North Devon
5. Saunton West

'Cause they're the only ones I've played 

Emil
You need to see more of England than Devon & Cornwall 

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Royal St Georges
Rye
St Enodoc
Ganton
Painswick lol


I have not played the circle around London or the great Liverpool area courses.

[Jon Wiggett]

Alwoodley
Ganton
St Enodoc
Lindrick
Lythm & St.Annes

[Tommy Williamsen]

Wow, it is interesting to see that St Enodoc is mentioned to often.  It is not only fun to play it is a wonderful course.

[Scott Warren]

Tommy,

I am amazed to see St Enodoc in there so much. I honestly didn't care for it that greatly. I'm convinced I missed something, but I thought holes like 3-5, 9, 10, 13 and 15 were a big part of the letdown. Whenever you got on a roll, there was an average hole to slow you up.

Great views, great condition, but too narrow for the level of blindness in many places, IMO, and not enough great land.

[Mark_F]

Great views, great condition, but too narrow for the level of blindness in many places, IMO, and not enough great land.

A bit like NSW perhaps, Scott?

[Bill_McBride]

Tommy,

I am amazed to see St Enodoc in there so much. I honestly didn't care for it that greatly. I'm convinced I missed something, but I thought holes like 3-5, 9, 10, 13 and 15 were a big part of the letdown. Whenever you got on a roll, there was an average hole to slow you up.

Great views, great condition, but too narrow for the level of blindness in many places, IMO, and not enough great land.

Scott, how does the big bunker at St Enodoc compare to the bunker at #4 Royal St Georges?

I'd love to hear a brief comparison!

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Bill the big bunker at RSG is in play off the tee and it impacts the 2nd shot at St Enodocs. Scott, I hope you missed something for to me it is the only real must play in Southern England west of Rye. The clubhouse would give one the feeling you are in the wrong place, but once you clear that dune line at 1 greatness lays before you. Give Enodoc another try, it is special.

[Scott Warren]

Great views, great condition, but too narrow for the level of blindness in many places, IMO, and not enough great land.

A bit like NSW perhaps, Scott?

Have you played NSWGC yet? The corridors are much wider than many UK links (particularly St E). But this isn't the thread for it, Mark.

Tommy,

I am amazed to see St Enodoc in there so much. I honestly didn't care for it that greatly. I'm convinced I missed something, but I thought holes like 3-5, 9, 10, 13 and 15 were a big part of the letdown. Whenever you got on a roll, there was an average hole to slow you up.

Great views, great condition, but too narrow for the level of blindness in many places, IMO, and not enough great land.

Scott, how does the big bunker at St Enodoc compare to the bunker at #4 Royal St Georges?

I'd love to hear a brief comparison!

As Tiger said, carrying the bunker on 6 @ St E is not an option for us mortals, so the key is on trying to play close enough to shorten your approach, but not so close that you can't get the elevation to clear it with your second. It seemed to me the best line was just left of the Himalaya bunker, where there is a second bunker, quite small, that is more of an issue for the drive.

Bill the big bunker at RSG is in play off the tee and it impacts the 2nd shot at St Enodocs. Scott, I hope you missed something for to me it is the only real must play in Southern England west of Rye. The clubhouse would give one the feeling you are in the wrong place, but once you clear that dune line at 1 greatness lays before you. Give Enodoc another try, it is special.

Do you include the London Heathland in that?

[Mark_F]

Have you played NSWGC yet?

No, I haven't Scott.  Aerogard are still working on adding super strength spider repellant to their mix for me, after the horrifying episode I last witnessed in Sydney - i thought it was a naked Greek woman doing yoga on the balcony, until I realised it didn't have a moustache.

The corridors are much wider than many UK links (particularly St E)

Fair enough.

But this isn't the thread for it, Mark.

West Sussex
Silloth on Solway
Burnham
Beau Desert
Sunningdale Old

[Scott Warren]

You've managed to name the four courses in England that I am most interested to play!

PS - you won't get flies as bad on the coast as you will even 2km inland.

[Sean_A]

Well we seemed to have leveled of in the 30-35ish range of courses for England.  I think just about all the big guns were mentioned including a few surprises such as Lytham.  Near as I can tell, Scotland and Ireland have about 21 courses each mentioned with what I think are quite a few surprises so there is quite a difference.  What do you lot make of this?  Is it just down to sheer weight of numbers in England's favour, wider spread of quality or what?

Scott

I am amazed at your comments below about St Enodoc especially given your fondness for Addington.  Though perhaps you didn't care for the wilder side of Addington.

"I am amazed to see St Enodoc in there so much. I honestly didn't care for it that greatly. I'm convinced I missed something, but I thought holes like 3-5, 9, 10, 13 and 15 were a big part of the letdown. Whenever you got on a roll, there was an average hole to slow you up.

Great views, great condition, but too narrow for the level of blindness in many places, IMO, and not enough great land."

I hope you go back and discover what is delicious about holes such as 4, 10, 15 (I didn't quite understand this selection - perhaps you are confusing it with another hole) and possibly even the 3rd.  Which holes were too narrow for their blindness now that you know the story about them?

Ciao

[Mark Chaplin]

Sean,

As a board with a US slant Scotland and Ireland is bound to to well known to a far greater percentage of contributors who often seek out the more diverse courses on their travels there

England although in many respects having a stronger all round set of golf courses, although less wild links courses, is less known to  overseas players. I still think people are missing a trick when they take their 6th or 7th trip to Scotland or Ireland yet have never mixed Deal, Sandwich and Rye with anyone of a dozen of the world's best heathland courses.

Why is this??

Less romance in travelling to England.
Less 4 ball play - between Rye, Sandwich and Deal only 3 days a week.
Less spectacular dunes - althought Rye and Sandwich are pretty rugged in places
Lack of understanding just how good the heathlands are.

[Mark Pearce]

Mark,

I agree with lots of what you say.  However, surely what this thread demonstrates is the variety of English golf.  I'd say that a golfer who had made trips to Ireland or Scotland should head first inland, to Ganton, Alwoodley, Notts, Woodhall Spa or the heathlands of Surrey and Berkshire. The Kent coast is wonderful but it isn't what makes English golf unique.

[Mark_F]

You've managed to name the four courses in England that I am most interested to play!

I would be pretty happy playing the first four only on a trip to England, especially Silloth and Beau Desert, in part because they are located somewhat out of the way, and have a different ambiance to the more popular courses.

Sunningdale Old is a lovely course, but when I last played it in 1996, it was "only" 90 quid - I imagine it is somewhere closer to 200 quid these days, and even with the exceptional exchange rate, that is far too rich. 

Unless I can manage to cobble together a Theological degree in InDesign, I won't be going there again, which is a pity - 3, 10, 11 and 12 in particular are exceptional holes you would never tire playing.

[Mark Chaplin]

Mark Pearce - couldn't agree more, Kent is unique for the lack of travel required to play decent links and world class inland golf. Woodhall Spa is one of my all time favourites but nessles in the middle of nowhere as does Ganton. The North West is great for links golf but lacks depth of good inland golf. Middle England is loaded with some fine inland golf but by definition lacks the links. Only East Anglia has good links and some fine inlanders, Kings Lynn, RW&N, Aldeburgh, Purdis Heath, etc.

[Andrew Summerell]

Unless I can manage to cobble together a Theological degree in InDesign, I won't be going there again,

I can't even do that anymore, Mark. Sad, sad days.

I think their 2 course rate is still reasonable, if you don't mind playing the New. I quite enjoy the New, so it wouldn't bother me.

[Bill_McBride]

Sean,

As a board with a US slant Scotland and Ireland is bound to to well known to a far greater percentage of contributors who often seek out the more diverse courses on their travels there

England although in many respects having a stronger all round set of golf courses, although less wild links courses, is less known to  overseas players. I still think people are missing a trick when they take their 6th or 7th trip to Scotland or Ireland yet have never mixed Deal, Sandwich and Rye with anyone of a dozen of the world's best heathland courses.

Why is this??

Less romance in travelling to England.
Less 4 ball play - between Rye, Sandwich and Deal only 3 days a week.
Less spectacular dunes - althought Rye and Sandwich are pretty rugged in places
Lack of understanding just how good the heathlands are.

Mark, I'm curious about this - do the three clubs alternate four ball days so a foursome of visitors to the region could schedule a four ball every day if so inclined?

[Mark Chaplin]

Bill - No Rye is strictly two ball, Deal allow 3/4 ball on Tuesday & Thursday, Sandwich on a Tuesday. You can schedule Sandwich on Tuesday, Princes on Wednesday and Deal on Thursday.

I know you understand the 2 ball and 4 somes ethos, it doesn't suit everyone but the members of two ball clubs like their sub 210 minute rounds, as I always say there's choices out there so if the style of play isn't your scene don't join.

[Bill_McBride]

Bill - No Rye is strictly two ball, Deal allow 3/4 ball on Tuesday & Thursday, Sandwich on a Tuesday. You can schedule Sandwich on Tuesday, Princes on Wednesday and Deal on Thursday.

I know you understand the 2 ball and 4 somes ethos, it doesn't suit everyone but the members of two ball clubs like their sub 210 minute rounds, as I always say there's choices out there so if the style of play isn't your scene don't join.

I love the a.m. four ball followed by lunch followed by (semi-liquid) foursomes more than anything I can think of, but I have friends who just want to play their own ball and not all singles.

So that weekly schedule is well done sir!

[Paul Nash]

As with other posts I won't mention my home course (Bearwood Lakes) even though it would be in my top 5

Hankley Common
Woodhall Spa
The Berkshire,
Saunton Sands
RSG

[Scott Warren]

Which would you drop to fit Bearwood Lakes in, Paul?

By Saunton Sands, do you mean Saunton East/West?

[James Boon]

By Saunton Sands, do you mean Saunton East/West?

Scott,

I was going to say that but thought it a touch pedantic, as Saunton Sands is the nearby hotel. So I just left it to the newspaper editor to do the dirty work 

Cheers,

James