Swinley Forest - photos

[John Mayhugh]

During our Buda trip last year, Bob Jenkins & I were fortunate enough to make a side trip to Swinley Forest.  This is one of those courses that prior to participating on GCA, I would likely never have heard of.  Before my visit, I couldn't help but wonder how it would live up to my ever growing expectations.  Put it this way - I'm extremely jealous every time I see someone post on the thread about Gareth's upcoming society day there.  While I sit at home and deal with snow and cold, I thought it might be a good time to post some SF photos and let those guys that haven't been there before see what they have to look forward to.

Since Bob & I drove up from Deal the morning we were to play, we didn't want to risk being late.  We were able to find the course rather easily, though the sign on the side of the road isn't screaming for attention.



The entrance drive is one of those that gives some hint of the seclusion that awaits.





The collection of buildings is as charming as any I've ever seen.  The professional's shop & visitors locker room sit is separate buildings behind the clubhouse.  The professional's house is located in an adjacent compound behind a large hedge.





The rear entrance to the clubhouse viewed from the professional's shop.




A look over at the clubhouse before starting out on the first hole. 



The first hole is a pretty straightforward par four, 389 yards.  There is a small creek to carry from the tee.  According to the club history, Swinley Special, this was actually relocated because Lord Derby's wife couldn't carry it from the tee.  The 18th hole is visible on the right. 



This photo from just short of the creek shows what its original path must have been further up in the fairway.



The fairway bunker on the right is about 290 from the tee.  This hole fits Colt's reputation of letting the player get off to a fairly easy start.



A look back up to the first tee, 18th green, and magnificent clubhouse.



This is from 70 or so yards out.  There is a pronounced slope right to left as you get nearer to the green.  The bunker on the left is well short of the green.



A look at the bunkerless first green from the second tee. 



The second hole is a 367 yard par 4.  A blind tee shot over a heather covered hill.  The bunkers aren't really an issue (even for me) as the carry is only 180 yards.





Looking back towards the tee on the left, with the first green and fairway to the right.  On the far left side, you can see a bit of the 17th green as well. There were a number of spots like this at Swinley.  Even though the course was built in a forest, enough trees were cleared to provide some great vistas.



A carry of around 200 yards is needed to hit the downslope on the other side of the hill.  This is a view from behind the green.



As long as you avoid trouble off the tee, the ditch short of the green really isn't in play. 







The third hole is a short par 4 of 290 yards.  There is a small drainage ditch all along the left side and gorse up the right side.  A well controlled tee shot is a good idea here.



Note how close the train tracks are to the back of the tee.





These were part of Colt's drainage solution one hundred years ago.  Still working.



The front entrance to the green is protected by two bunkers.  Seems that if you went for the green from the tee, these would be tough to avoid.





A look back up the third fairway from the fourth tee.



The fourth hole is a redan-like par 3 of 184 yards.  The par 3s are a real strength of SF.  Lots of variety in green sites & yardages. 


The green is very well (and attractively) protected.  In the second photo, note the slope of the front right part of the green back down the hill.




Don't forget about man's best friend.


Looking back at the fourth green from the fifth tee.  Note the area between the back of the green and the hillside.  From the tee, it looks like a ball slightly long will get held up by the slope, but instead it ends up in a low area with a really tricky shot back to the green that's sloping away. 

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Thanks for posting John.  Those are some great photos.  One of many courses in that area that I hope to see someday.

[Deucie Bies]

Swinley Forest is one of the many great golfing days/experiences I have had.  The toughest (and probably only) 6000 yard course I have ever played!

[Ron Csigo]

Thanks for posting the pictures of Swinley Forest.

John/Deucie - I've never played the course.  Can you tell us what makes the course difficult?  I've been intrigued with Swinley Forest for a number of years and hope to play it someday.  From the pictures, it seems the course rewards placement/position golf and does not allow the player to bomb driver all day. 

[Eric Smith]

Hurry up already, John!

Love that clubhouse scene, ie the courtyard in your pic.

Thanks for the tour.

[Wyatt Halliday]

Praise be to Purple.

The fourth looks really cool, both awkward and exacting.
Thanks for sharing.

[John Mayhugh]

I've never played the course.  Can you tell us what makes the course difficult?  I've been intrigued with Swinley Forest for a number of years and hope to play it someday.  From the pictures, it seems the course rewards placement/position golf and does not allow the player to bomb driver all day. 

I'm not sure I would call SF difficult, but it's not necessarily easy.  Landing areas are, in most places, generous.  Off the fairways you find heather and gorse in many spots, but most of the longer holes one is pretty free to hit driver.  There are a few long par 4s (9, 12, & 15 average just under 450 yards).  The greens are small, reasonably firm and have a lot of movement.  This makes the approaches more challenging, and being able to work the ball a little bit would be helpful.  Each of the tee shots on the par 3s tests you as you will see.

Eric,
The courtyard looks perfect in person.  That cluster of buildings is really cool.

Wyatt,
I do love that heather as long as I don't have to play from it.

Will get some more holes posted soon.

[John Mayhugh]

The fifth hole is the only par 5 on the course and is just under 500 yards.   The bunker on the left is around 240 yards from the tee, with the collection of bushes on the right side a bit further up.  Elevated tee and a pretty gentle dogleg right.


The second shot needs to carry a drainage ditch on the left side of the fairway or a small pond on the right.  If you hit a 250 yard tee shot, it's only around 160 yards to carry the hazards.  However, if you've missed the fairway, you may be forced to lay up. 



In this photo, you can see the ditch on the left side of the fairway.  The edge of the pond is just visible on the right.  Interestingly enough, there is a small area of ground where a ball could roll between both of these hazards.  The ditch is about 100 yards from the green.


This green is well-protected by bunkers.  Another one where you would need to be approaching from just the right angle to be able to run an approach on.


A look at the green & back up the fairway from the 6th tee.


Finally, here's a little different perspective of the hole.  This was taken from the 16th.  The 5th tee is on the right out of view.



The 6th is a 424 yard par 4.  There is more room off the tee than the corridor of trees shown in this photo.  The heather on the left side of the fairway tapers out to provide more landing area, but it does continue all the way up the left side.  Still, the heather is better than the OB  to its left.


Note how wide the fairway actually is.  This is a really cool looking hole as the 6th and 7th both occupy the same corridor.  You can see bunkers for the 7th way up at the top of the hill.


A look back towards the tee.


Seems the left side is OB because of the horse training area. According to the Swinley Special book, this sign went up because some members' dogs were so good at retrieving balls on the other side of the boundary.


This photo of the boundary area gives some sense of what the land must have looked like to Colt. 


Another well-bunkered green.  There are probably ten yards between the back of the bunker on the right and the front of the green.  The 7th fairway rises behind the green.


The 7th is an uphill 400yd par 4.  The back tee is to the right of the 6th green.  The fairway is interrupted around 260 yds from the tee.


These small heathery mounds make for an effective hazard.  There are similar mounds to these on the 9th & 12th.  These were part of the Fernhill fuel allotment boundaries that preceded construction of the course.  As I understand it, the mounds delineated areas that poor people were able to harvest trees for fuel.  I'm glad Colt left some of them in place.




A rather imposing bunker guarding the uphill approach, though the green is some 50 yards beyond it.  A rather nice bit of visual deception that also hides the greenside bunkers from view.  The second photo shows the bunker from the side, taken on the 13th hole.




The green is built nicely into the top of the hill.  This photo is from the right side.


Quite a bit of internal contour and overall tilt to this green.  The view all the way back to the 6th tee.


On to the 8th.  This 146 yard par 3 had a very memorable green site.  Bunkerless, but a severe falloff to the right side and heathery mounds on the left.  The mounds would be far preferable to the OB beyond.




This is what you see if you miss right.


The green from behind.




With one look back from the 9th hole.  This is the right side of the green and the heather beyond it.


The 9th hole is an excellent long par of 434 yards.  The hole doglegs left, with the famed rhododendrons all along the left side.  The bunker on the left is only 200 or so to carry, with the first of the Fernhill mounds around 265yds.  The two mounds serve to effectively narrow the fairway at a desired landing area, so in order to avoid a long approach you need to really be able to shape a tee shot.




From the center of the fairway, maybe 190yds from the green.  The edge of the green is just barely visible on the left side.


A bit further up on the right side near the mounds.


The green itself is small and bunkerless.  The bunker on the left is around 70 yards from the green and helps to keep you out of the flora if you've played a poor running approach.


The green is perfectly receptive to a run-up approach, but falls away on three sides, making it difficult to hold.


From the rear looking back towards the fairway.  Not an easy hole location that day.

[Mark Chaplin]

Great pictures John, it is easy to forget they were taken in late September. 2009 really was THE summer for lovers of fast and firm conditions.
No doubt someone will post some pictures in a couple of weeks to contrast the difference.

Swinley usually requires a letter from Royalty to get a game, now I know why you shared with Bob "the Canadian Royalty" Jenkins.

[John Mayhugh]

Great pictures John, it is easy to forget they were taken in late September. 2009 really was THE summer for lovers of fast and firm conditions.
No doubt someone will post some pictures in a couple of weeks to contrast the difference.

Swinley usually requires a letter from Royalty to get a game, now I know why you shared with Bob "the Canadian Royalty" Jenkins.

I did the heavy lifting on those arrangements, but dropping Bob's name had to have helped.

Firm and fast makes it easy to find the heather.  I guess a side benefit to posting my pics now is that while I am missing out on a great day in a couple of weeks, I can always point to the superior conditions that we experienced.

[Mike Cirba]

John,

This is a tremendous set of pictures and Swinley looks to be terrific.

I particularly love looking at the greensites, from the low-lying, lay-of-the-land ones that seems just an extension of the natural terrain and blend to the fairway to those obviously built up on one side that seem to create interesting strategies and angles.

Thanks for sharing!

[Dean Stokes]

I think I just died and went to golfing heaven looking at those photographs.........that is how I envisage my own golf course when I finally own one

Seriously though. Look at the way the holes turn both ways, the teeing areas, the beautiful rumpled fairways that are in perfect golfing condition and then the lovely bunkers and green complexes. Did I mention the tree lined fairways that frame the holes so perfectly.

Just beautiful.

[Carl Nichols]

Are those cart paths?  I was not expecting to see any. 

[Mark Chaplin]

Carl - there is a better chance of getting free membership with every booking than cart parts at SF.

Playing SF with Bob Crosby earlier last year I asked him on the 16th tee how SF could be identified as a proper golf club. He correctly identified the dog bowl filling overflow from the drinks fountain. Nice to see JM photographing them.

[John Mayhugh]

There were several carts available for rent.  As to whether or not those paths visible in some photos are specifically for carts, I'm not qualified to say.

One thing is for sure - Swinley Forest really changed my outlook on what's possible with a tree-lined course.

Thanks to everyone for the nice comments on the photos.  Will try to get some of the second nine posted tomorrow.

[Deucie Bies]

Thanks for posting the pictures of Swinley Forest.

John/Deucie - I've never played the course.  Can you tell us what makes the course difficult?  I've been intrigued with Swinley Forest for a number of years and hope to play it someday.  From the pictures, it seems the course rewards placement/position golf and does not allow the player to bomb driver all day. 

I was really commenting on the fact that is the only (and therefore hardest) 6000 yard course that I have ever played.  I think the course is very playable and a lower score is possible if you can keep the ball in play.  I struggled with my ball striking during my whole trip and played out of the heather way too much at SF.  Even when I was in the fairway, I would make a mistake on my approach shot.  I did birdie 17 though.  Just to give you an idea, my partner and I halved an alternate shot match earlier in the morning at Woking after we were 6 up with 6 to play.  I lost my swing and couldn't keep the ball in play!  Very frustrating.

[Mark Chaplin]

Many heathland courses have plenty of paths usually made of small stones, ash or cinder. Heather is fairly fragile (unless you have a club in your hand!) and clubs want the golfers to keep to defined walkways to avoid damage.

[Michael Taylor]

Thanks very much for the photos John. I've been looking forward to a quality review of a good Colt course, especially SF as Andrew doesn't shut up about how a Colt course it is. 

That courtyard and clubhouse look the goods!

Just 2 questions..

I don't see the necessity in that bunker on the 2nd hole. It's a 180y carry so it shouldn't trouble you, but it is just there for looks are does it have some sort of function?

And what style of club is SF? I've heard it's intensely private before, but they also allow the public to play. What is the correct answer?

Also the 4th looks like a gem of a hole. I'll comment on the others when I have a bit more time.

Pup

[John Mayhugh]

Just 2 questions..

I don't see the necessity in that bunker on the 2nd hole. It's a 180y carry so it shouldn't trouble you, but it is just there for looks are does it have some sort of function?

And what style of club is SF? I've heard it's intensely private before, but they also allow the public to play. What is the correct answer?

I'm not a Colt expert, but I think Colt used a fair number of carry bunkers that really weren't that tough to carry.  Really weak players would be forced to go around, but I think the bunker was used to add a bit more interest and challenge for the less-skilled.  For a blind tee shot like this, I think it also helps with picking your line of play.

As to your other question, are you suggesting that Bob Jenkins and I be lumped into the "public" category?  Well, I never....

I believe Swinley Forest is still quite private.  They do have some society days, but outside play is rather limited.  I suspect they would be more open to a letter from an American (or maybe even an Australian  ) interested in golf architecture than they would a Brit.  Outside of my GCA friends, I don't know anyone else that's ever heard of SF, so maybe international inquiries aren't all that common.

[John Mayhugh]

Many heathland courses have plenty of paths usually made of small stones, ash or cinder. Heather is fairly fragile (unless you have a club in your hand!) and clubs want the golfers to keep to defined walkways to avoid damage.

If you look at my photo of the first green from the second tee, you can see what sort of material makes up the paths.  Some of the photos from further away make the paths look paved, but they are definitely not.

[George Freeman]

One thing is for sure - Swinley Forest really changed my outlook on what's possible with a tree-lined course.

John,

Thanks for the thread and pictures!  SF was one of the courses that caught my eye instantly when I started lurking on this website a few years ago and practically memorized all the course profiles.  It seems like such a charming, subtle and interesting course.

As to your comment above: could you expound on that?  I assume you're talking from a strategy standpoint?  Were there many different routes to play the holes at SF (as opposed to lots of other tree-lined courses)??

Thanks again!

[Mark Pearce]

Just 2 questions..

I don't see the necessity in that bunker on the 2nd hole. It's a 180y carry so it shouldn't trouble you, but it is just there for looks are does it have some sort of function?

And what style of club is SF? I've heard it's intensely private before, but they also allow the public to play. What is the correct answer?

I'm not a Colt expert, but I think Colt used a fair number of carry bunkers that really weren't that tough to carry.  Really weak players would be forced to go around, but I think the bunker was used to add a bit more interest and challenge for the less-skilled.  For a blind tee shot like this, I think it also helps with picking your line of play.

As to your other question, are you suggesting that Bob Jenkins and I be lumped into the "public" category?  Well, I never....

I believe Swinley Forest is still quite private.  They do have some society days, but outside play is rather limited.  I suspect they would be more open to a letter from an American (or maybe even an Australian  ) interested in golf architecture than they would a Brit.  Outside of my GCA friends, I don't know anyone else that's ever heard of SF, so maybe international inquiries aren't all that common.

Colt probably wasn't designing the course for players all capable of carrying the ball 250 yards.  For a player who drives the average distance (which I think is about 220 yards) then an uphill carry of 180 yards isn't the piece of cake most on here would treat it as.  There's also the fact that in fast and firm conditions a well struck tee shot going just a little left can run down the hill and away to the crappy undergrowth on the left.  It's not always safe to hit driver off that tee (in fact on the 5 or 6 occasions I have played Swinley I think I only hit driver the first time and then learned my lesson.

[Carl Nichols]

Many heathland courses have plenty of paths usually made of small stones, ash or cinder. Heather is fairly fragile (unless you have a club in your hand!) and clubs want the golfers to keep to defined walkways to avoid damage.

Thanks -- I did not know that.

[Mark Chaplin]

Michael - as anyone who has used hickory will tell you the bunker at 180yds would have been a frightening prospect for all but the very best players, similar to the massive bunker on the 3rd at Westward Ho!

There are only a handfull of clubs in the UK that do not accept visitors and they are nearly all new clubs, locking the gates isn't the British way of doing things! Swinley has a number of regular societies usually schools, businesses and old golfing societies. I believe they will allow access to those writing in a suitable manner, I do not know the greenfee though.

[Bill_McBride]

There were several carts available for rent.  As to whether or not those paths visible in some photos are specifically for carts, I'm not qualified to say.

One thing is for sure - Swinley Forest really changed my outlook on what's possible with a tree-lined course.

Thanks to everyone for the nice comments on the photos.  Will try to get some of the second nine posted tomorrow.

I am really hoping and praying that Melvyn doesn't see this particular photo, he will probably cut and paste an "American golf" essay.   When he learns it's Swinley Forest, a top line British club, heaven help them..........