The tenth continues the trend of long par 5s - 565 into a good wind. The second is tricky because the hole bends significantly right (tempting one to play right), but bunkers also guard the right side of the fairway. The designer does this on a few occasions; blocking out the shorter line to the green and leaving the longer and better angle line undefended. I sort of like the reverse thinking if used used sparingly and the shorter line is an actual temptation. Below is the approach.
The short 11th is alright, but one can see like much of the course, the bunkering just doesn't look right aesthetically or from a placement PoV.
Things get very interesting from the 12th in. This is a difficult hole to gain access to the green for the second as the turn left is very sharp and not well defined. The approach must carry a cross hazard to a green running hard back to front. #13 is a very good par 3. The green is two tier with the higher part on the left. Accessing a left hole location essentially requires a draw unless one wants to flirt with the trees hard down the right.
The following hole uses water from tee to green down the left very well. Its a short two-shotter with a fairway sloping toward the hazard. From the back tees the large tree comes into play.
I like the approach to the peninsula-like green very much. The left is a better angle to approach this hole location, but water looms over there.
#15 is another shortish par 4, but a hazard blocks the way to the green. I usually don't like this sort of hole, but this one is good. The hazard is blind from the tee, but many players know if they catch the drive there is a chance it could find the hazard. So, using the age old adage of if "you are gonna lay-up, lay-up", many guys hit iron and leave themselves an uncomfortably long approach.
The 16th turns back on #15. It is a long par 4 moving quite a bit to the right. Considering how much mounding was used, a great many of the tee shots are not very well defined. I think this is an indication of how sharp the turns are. It seems as though many trees were later planted to create some definition. It is not a look I find appealing. The penultimate hole is another sharp legger to the right. Water guards the left.
The approach is attractive.
The best long hole was saved for last. This par 5 is a double dog leg diving down then back up. The drive is quite tough unless one draws the ball.
Finally, we are seeing some of the mounding used to house bunkers - these look far better and are much more effective than most of the bunkering. These bunkers are also very much in play for the guy who gets greedy with his lay-up.
We finish with another tricky, two-tier, plateau green. Unfortunately the view is marred a bit by the clubhouse - again.
Even though I like the back nine much more than the front, there are far too many aesthetic issues and architectural styling which don't set well with me. It is a great pity because this is a beautiful property which reminds me a lot of Bearwood Lakes, but Hawtree's effort far outshines The Warwks. Even with all my criticisms, probably my biggest disappointment about this course is the archie didn't take many chances. He delivered a course we have all seen umpteen times - tisk tisk. For this alone, I can't find it in myself to recommend The Warwks. If you are touring the area and want a quick game without much travel, either think twice or go to Stratford.
Ciao