Walton Heath Old - Hole #2

[Pete Buczkowski]

Hey Guys!  While I haven't played much golf lately, my mind often wanders over to the great country of England to recall some fond memories.  I was very fortunate to add many UK courses to my played list this year - the Royals, Formby, Hillside, S&A, Alwoodley, Ganton, and Woodhall Spa.  Some excellent golf indeed! For my $$ and time, nothing beats the UK for great golf experiences.

I actually enjoyed each of those courses as much or more than my day at Walton Heath.  However, what really struck me about that course was #2 on the Old.   It feels like a true one-off and is the moment I knew the day would be great.  For those who haven't played it, let me set the stage...

The first hole is a long par 3 played over relatively flat ground with a couple houses left and behind the green.  While a challenging opener, it is isolated from the rest of the course and doesn't give a real 'preview' of the round.  However then you cross the road to #2.  Fronting the tee of the 475 yard par 4 (440 from members tee) is a wide open field where members can practice hitting a couple pitches or iron shots - it feels 150 yards wide.  The drive plays downhill towards the trees that surround the course boundary.  A perfect tee shot may find the valley, leaving an uphill shot to the green up against the boundary trees, with heather encroaching from the right.  I don't remember much about the green contouring other than the green site was fantastic.

WH Hole #2 as seen from the fairway

For those that have played it, what are your impressions of the hole?  I never hear anybody talk about any WH holes besides 16-18 but I think #2 was the finest hole in the complex.

PS Life is going well for us...had daughter #2 back in August...will have the 2 year old on the links this winter!

[Pete Lavallee]

Pete,

My impression was that if you don't bust your drive, your playing a long shot with a hybrid or fairway wood off that downslope shown in the right corner of your picture; a difficult shot indeed.

[Tony_Muldoon]

ON the composite / Ryder Cup course this is the first.

I think I’ve related on here before watching Gary Wolstenholme play this in a  playoff that got him to the US Open at Torrey Pines in 2008.  It became sudden death matchplay for the first reserve position.  He hit his drive to the downslope and then a young pro hit it 30 yards further to the upslope. Wolstenholme hit a wood to 18’, the pro drained his 25’ putt for birdie and then Wolstenholme matched him.  The green is like most at WH relatively flat.

A lovely hole but it wouldn’t be my choice there.

(to finish the story they then both birdie 18 on the new, both par the second on the Old (Wolstenholme form the rough on the left) and the match was decided on the 18th new when Wolstenholme birdied it again. Seems like he’s a total wanker, but with cojones.)

[Dan Boerger]

A very close friend lives in Surrey and we've played Walton Heath numerous times (old and new). I really enjoy the courses. If forced to choose, I might select the new course -- to me it seems a bit more intimate. Very fair test of golf, and until Tony mentioned it, I didn't think of all the fairway swales that come into play.

[Mark Chaplin]

The main difficulty on the 2nd Old is hitting it far enough left to avoid being blocked out by the trees. In the summer a 3 wood should get to the bottom of the hill leaving an uphill medium/long iron shot. Anything short has a downhil fairway wood with the trees down the left sode pretty close to the green.

Not the most pleasant of holes but one of the tougher pars at WH.

[Pete Buczkowski]

Thanks for the thoughts and stories.  It's the tee shot that most appealed to me.  Love the open space off the front of that tee and the sweeping fairway down the slope towards the treeline.  Perhaps I was smitten by the morning light and the apparent width off the tee (though one side definitely preferable).  Certainly an uncomfortable 2nd shot if you don't execute the drive appropriately.

Is the downslope as severe if you lay back off the tee?  We always talk about which side of the fairway you should prefer but rarely how long you should hit it.  Similar to #10 at Shinnecock in that fashion, except a much longer shot.

[Ken Kearney]

to finish the story they then both birdie 18 on the new, both par the second on the Old (Wolstenholme form the rough on the left) and the match was decided on the 18th new when Wolstenholme birdied it again. Seems like he’s a total wanker, but with cojones.)


Hey Tony... whats with the above??? Poor Gary !!!!
I had a good laugh to myself... first time I have laughed out loud in a long time... brings back memories of many battles with Gary... and I mean battles...

KK

[Tony_Muldoon]

Ken I should add that I don’t know the guy but...

Search through the back pages here and you’ll find the opinion of a GCA member who caddied for him. At Walton Heath that day my friend talked with his caddy, neither seems to have a good word...

I’ve been to the US qualifying at WH several times and it’s a lovely day of how pro golf must have been 50 years ago with big stars, small galleries on a great course.  I followed Gary round as he plays a game that I can relate to. My best shots fly like his, not Tigers.  The previous year he’d also been in the playoff (after 36 holes) but not successful.

As he walked off the course for the final time he was directly ahead of me and was approached on the walk back to the clubhouse by Ken Macpherson the newly retired Professional and now Ambassador of the Club.  He wouldn’t know my name but every time I’ve been there he’s treated me like the proverbial long lost friend, a genuinely nice guy.

I overheard the following conversation.

Ken “Congratulations Gary, particularly in light of last year you must be very pleased.”
Gary “Why?”
Ken “Why? You’re the first alternative, first alternatives always get in.”
Gary “Doubt it”
Ken “As far as I can see you’ve pretty much achieved what you came to do.”
Gary “Can’t see the point”
Ken “Sudden death and you held your nerve, Well Done”
Gary “Even if someone drops out it will be too late to arrange anything.”
Ken “Excuse me Gary, I believe I saw the Captain waving to me way over there”.




I played Porthcawl last month. Cojones.

[Ken Kearney]

Tony,
That might sum him up ok...
He is carving out a successful professional career now. The boy can really manage his game.
I havent played Porthcawl for many years... wonderful course.
Didn't somebody do some remodel works at WH in the last few years... was it the 2nd hole on the new course?? I may be wrong on this...


KK

[Brian_Ewen]

Its funny, but over the years I have never really experienced much English golf snobbery that so many talk about .

Well apart from the day I met that W*nker Wolstenholme !

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

There was a thread on here this summer (i think) about changes that will effectively make #2 the opener, as the plan is to sell the property that includes the clubhouse and current par 3 opener.  http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,44742.0/

Has that been done yet? 

[Kevin Pallier]

For those that have played it, what are your impressions of the hole?  I never hear anybody talk about any WH holes besides 16-18 but I think #2 was the finest hole in the complex.

Pete

I like #2 but prefer #5 moreso - you'd go a long way to find a green like it.

[Scott Warren]

WW Jr:

The changes won't make #2 the opening hole, they will make it the 4th.

The plan is to sell the plot of land the clubhouse and 1 Old are on and build a new clubhouse up behind the green for 15 Old and tee for 16 Old.

So the course will begin with 16-18 Old and then continue from what we know now as 2-15, with the extra hole gained by re-routing what's now the 12th so it plays back up past the 11th tee and then a new hole will play down to what's now the 12th green.

Pete:

The 2nd is a favourite of mine. I love how the grade-level green blends into the fairway around the top of the hill, making it really tough to feel where the green starts or how far back the pin is from down the bottom or even half-way up the hill, and then there's that great trench that flanks the left of the green, making for a tough chip.

It's pretty representative of WH Old, IMO: Not flashy or obvious, but filled with subtle challenges and requiring solid, well-placed shots. Often when I have sat down to make a list of my favourite 18 holes from GB&I, I end up not including one from WH Old, yet it's one of my favourite 4-5 courses over there - it's that kind of place.

[John Mayhugh]

It's pretty representative of WH Old, IMO: Not flashy or obvious, but filled with subtle challenges and requiring solid, well-placed shots. Often when I have sat down to make a list of my favourite 18 holes from GB&I, I end up not including one from WH Old, yet it's one of my favourite 4-5 courses over there - it's that kind of place.

Great description of the course.  A few photos from the 2nd.  I've been meaning to do a photo tour of the course but can't seem to find the time.







Looking back towards the tee.



The green.  I loved the way it just melts into the fairway.  Not much room to miss left!