[Ben Stephens]

HUNSTANTON - North Norfolk’s Championship Links Course from a spectator’s view

I recently went to Hunstanton/Brancaster to participate in the Grafton Morrish Old Public Schoolboys tournament which to be honest is probably a poorer version of the Halford Hewitt (at Deal) As I was a reserve for the first round of matches due to uncertainty of my fitness (back injury) so I ended up as an spectator on one of my favourite courses to play links golf as this course off the championship tees (a shade over 6900 yards) really suits my game as Boony would testify.

Unfortunately I could not take photos of Brancaster as I was competing for the Plate. Brancaster is absolutely awesome created by a one off designer J. Holcome-Ingelby who was the then 'current champion golfer' and captain of Hunstanton in the early 1890’s. I hope to be back there to take photos.

Outside of St Andrews, Hunstanton is the only other course that has the 1st tee literally in the clubhouse bar. The 1st and 2nd holes are linsky and play the inner part of the dunes. The 3rd to 5th holes tend to be more parkland the fairways always seem to be greener and flatter but these holes are not easy – 2 long par 4’s and a medium par 3 where hitting the green is vital.

It goes back to links land on the 6th onward to the 18th. The 6th is a fantastic short par 4 to a raised plateau green on top of a dune a two or an eight are easily possible. The 7th is a great par 3 which tests the nerves which demand a committed shot. 11 is probably one of the best bunkerless par 4 I have played – playing 440 yards the tee is on top of a dune down to a rumpled fairway to a natural flowing flat green with a run off on one side and rumple rough on the other. Holes 12 to 14 play across the dune ridge. Hole 15 plays into a natural valley that it could be either a short par 5 or a long par 4. Hole 16 is a par 3 – where one of the most amazing golfing stories ever witnessed here (see below). Hole 17 is a tough par 4 dogleg right whose fairway slope from left to right off the dune ridge. Hole 18 is a formidable finish to a rumpled fairway over a gigantic fairway bunker. Both 17th and 18th greens are similar as they have a steep run off of the right of the green.

Bob Taylor’s miracles on the 16th in the 1974 Eastern Counties foursomes competition. As Bob is from Leicestershire he was my county junior organiser/selector about 15 years ago and still playes to a creditable 7 handicap. He had 3 hole in ones in a row on successive days on the same hole – the 16th which has been recently commemorated by a plaque on the tee – the original plaque was on the bench. This feast will never be matched again even though his playing partner still owes him £1 million on a bet they made before the 3rd hole in one!  A great golfing story!    
   

 

Hunstanton is currently undergoing some course improvements under the supervision of Gordon Irvine (GCA member) who has been brought on board as a consultant greenkeeper and Martin Hawtree. Some bunkers have been redone and others relocated. There is a proposal to move the 1st tee towards the right nearer the pro shop which I initially don’t really agree with but will wait an see. Maybe Gordon can elaborate a bit more on GCA about the proposed improvements.

The course has a reputation for having the fastest greens in England – which was the case in April but not in October due to the fact they had a big tournament the week before the Grafton Morrish that they raised the green heights and made it bumpy which is rare here.

Enjoy the pics!

Cheers
Ben


View to clubhouse from dune ridge located between the 1st and 18th holes


Hole 1 – tee shot right in front of the clubhouse


Hole 1 – side view from dune ridge between 1st and 18th holes


Hole 1 – rear view


Hole 2 – view to fairway from rear of 1st green – tee is about 60 yards back on top of dune ridge


Hole 2 – approach to green


Hole 2 – rear view – ditch at rear of green having the flag at the rear would be an interesting proposition!


Hole 3 – approach to a green that slopes front to back on a natural slope


Hole 3 – rear view


Hole 4 – view from tee


Hole 4 – (and 14th) from 5th tee on top of dune ridge


Hole 5 – view from tee


Hole 5 – view to green from fairway


Hole 6 – view to green from left fairway bunker


Hole 6 – approach to green from right fairway bunkers


Hole 6 – view of front of plateau style green whose greenside bunker is about 12ft deep!!


Hole 6 – side view from dune ridge between 7th and 9th holes


Hole 7 – tee shot – view of large bunker fronted by railway sleepers makes the green looks longer from the tee


Hole 7 – side view from top of mound in between Hole 7 and 9 shows how deep and how close to the green the gnarly bunker is.


Hole 8 – view to fairway from dune ridge between 7th and 9th hole


Hole 8 – approach to raised green



Hole 9 – view from left fairway bunker


Hole 9 – view from rear and 10th fairway is left in the background


Hole 10 – view from dune ridge in between Hole 7 and 9. This is the flattest fairway on the whole course but has one of the most interesting greens


Hole 11 – view from 10th tee shows how naturally wild the course is


Hole 11 – view from rear of green


Hole 12 – tee shot over the dune ridge where Holes 13 and 14 also crosses



Hole 12 – closer view of dune ridge


Hole 12 – view to green from 7th tee


Hole 13 – fairway showing how much the dune ridge comes into play on tee shot


Hole 13 – view to punchbowl green from fairway – 2nd shot has to carry a series of small dune mounds


Hole 14 – like the 12 has a blind tee shot over the dune ridge but it is a 225 yard par 3! Like a shallower version of the Alps at Prestwick


Hole 14 – view from 4th green which shows how close together the two greens are!


Hole 14 – view from other side with 4th green in background


Hole 15 – tee shot the tiger line is over the right bunker to get the ball into a valley like fairway


Hole 15 – view to fairway from dune ridge


Hole 15 – view back to tee from fairway – was this a double fairway or a large natural grass bunker?


Hole 15 – approach to green


Hole 15 – rear view of green


Hole 15 – side view of green from dune ridge


Hole 15 – view from 2nd fairway


Hole 16 – view from tee


Hole 16 – closer view of green from tee – all bunkers recently renovated by Hawtree


Hole 17 – view to tee from fairway which runs alongside the dune ridge


Hole 17 – view to green from fairway


Hole 17 – rear view of green


Hole 17 – rear side view of green showing the severity of the slope if the green was missed to the right


Hole 18 – rear view of green


Hole 18 – rear side view of green like the 17th has a severe slope if the green was missed to the right even though the 18th green is wider than the 17th



 

[John_Conley]

How big are the holes on this course?!  Three days in a row!  Amazing.

Thanks for sharing the stories and photo essay.  Are Brancaster and Hunstanton at all similar?

[Ben Stephens]

How big are the holes on this course?!  Three days in a row!  Amazing.

Thanks for sharing the stories and photo essay.  Are Brancaster and Hunstanton at all similar?

John

Brancaster and Hunstanton are completely contrasting links golf courses. Brancaster is definitely more quirky, has more blind shots, crossovers and more world class holes. Hunstanton is more straightforward championship links course. Brancaster has the marshland running by one side of the course and the soil is different its peaty on the front nine and very sandy on the back nine. Hunstanton is more consistent sandy subsoil on most of the holes apart from 2 to 5 which seems to have more clay underneath.

If there was one GCA pilgrimmage Brancaster is a place to must see and play because the course will disappear due to rising sea levels in the next 30 or so years. The longest hole playes 490 yards and the shortest plays  120 yards its so much fun and challenging at the same time. Everytime I go there it gives me goose bumps! its probably my favourite golf course in the world and has the best spike bar of any clubhouse that I have been to!

Hope BUDA goes to Brancaster sometime in the future so many GCAers do not miss out a opportunity of playing a wonderful course. Tom D gave it a Doak 7. I keep thinking it has been underrrated!

Cheers
Ben

[Jamie Barber]

I've played both courses once; Hunstanton in the winter and Brancaster in early summer. I'd like to see both again but what really made Brancaster special for me was its remoteness (and that fabulous spike bar).

Out of curiousity, which holes do you consider world class? I enjoyed the course, but in my (uneducated) opinion I thought 16-18 at Hunstanton was probably the best stretch on either course. Although overall I thought the course was excellent, I don't really recall one "wow" hole at Brancaster. Perhaps I'm an ignoramous

Is it really likely Brancaster will disappear? If you find my photos on the thread from a year or two back you can see how close the club house is to the sea, but I thought with the money that must be there maybe the members would try to save it.

[Kevin Pallier]

Ben

I love the quirk of Brancaster and Hunstanton makes a very decent weekender. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Bob Taylor's feat is amazing - it'd be interesting to know how many hole-in-one's he had in total ?

[Ben Stephens]

I've played both courses once; Hunstanton in the winter and Brancaster in early summer. I'd like to see both again but what really made Brancaster special for me was its remoteness (and that fabulous spike bar).

Out of curiousity, which holes do you consider world class? I enjoyed the course, but in my (uneducated) opinion I thought 16-18 at Hunstanton was probably the best stretch on either course. Although overall I thought the course was excellent, I don't really recall one "wow" hole at Brancaster. Perhaps I'm an ignoramous

Is it really likely Brancaster will disappear? If you find my photos on the thread from a year or two back you can see how close the club house is to the sea, but I thought with the money that must be there maybe the members would try to save it.

Jamie


I have played Hunstanton in both Spring and Autumn. The wind directions are completely different in the Spring the front nine is into a headwind (the second is brutal 570 yards into a 25-30 mph wind???) then in Autumn the back nine is into a headwind (making 17 and 18 very difficult long par 4’s) The 11th hole is a world class bunkerless par 4 played off a raised tee.

World Class Holes at Brancaster for me is the 3rd and 8th  

The 3rd is a dogleg right par 4 where the marsh comes into play on the drive and the second shot is blind – the best route in is to hit further right than you think because if the ball is hit left it is impossible to get up and down.

The 8th is probably the best and most strategic bunkerless par 5 under 500 yards in the world this is where the marsh exerts the most influence as a hazard on any hole on the course. Also if the ball is hit too far left of the green it means a very difficult downhill chip. This is one of the most natural looking holes in the world.

Great Holes – 1, 4(Short!!!), 5, 6, 9, 12 and 14  

There are not many weak holes even though some would say 17 and 18 are. I think they are subtle and great finish to foursome matches. How many places have a 100 yard wide fairway on the final hole!!!

Money cannot beat Mother Nature – the rising sea levels even if it is half a metre would definitely flood the 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 17th and 18th holes due to the holes being on a low level by the marshes. The earliest prognosis is that it will be flooded in 2020 but most say in another 30 years time. So it is a question of when it will happen.


Cheers
Ben

[Ben Stephens]

Ben

I love the quirk of Brancaster and Hunstanton makes a very decent weekender. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Bob Taylor's feat is amazing - it'd be interesting to know how many hole-in-one's he had in total ?

I will try and ask Bob that question if I had the opportunity to meet him again

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thanks Ben, Hunstanton was one of my fist ever forays onto a links course.  Opening day of the 2004 Ryder Cup.

Fr the first 5 holes I wondered what all the fuss was about and then it seemed to change character completely.  Hard to write the first holes off on the basis of that one visit but the rest left a strong impression of how good links golf could be. Plenty of variety and fun to be had.

A most welcoming place. We turned up in alight drizzle and were invited into that wonderful room. We were told the Women's county squad was about to go off and were asked if we'd care for teacakes.  The lady behind the bar said if we didn't fell like playing because of the rain no one would insist on us honouring our booking.  There was a small commotion as a few older guys moved closer to the window.  “Here she is” and a rather shapely blonde (despite the raingear) came to the tee. She striped one down the middle to much gentle chortling and comments “Poetry in motion.”etc.

The rain stopped we went out to play.  A near perfect day on the links.
I believe Braid had a hand in the bunkering.  Indeed after the round we started talking (err more listening) to an Octogenarian member who told us all about his sporting life, ex county cricketer apparently.  When I finally managed to ask a question about Braid he said he remembered his father talking about his visit and then promptly changed the subject again.


The next two BUDA seem set.  I think this pair would be an ideal venue but it seems to hinge on people accepting that play at Brancaster would be foursomes all day (enquiries have been made).  Wouldn’t bother me at all, in fact it would add to the local character that makes each one special in its own way.  But it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.



Thanks for the report, I long to get back.

[Sean_A]

Ben

Thanks for the pix.  They serve as a reminder to get back out there.  I wasn't terribly impressed during my few days there as the greens were dire.  Hunstanton is a very friendly club and wouild be a great venue for the BUDA. 

Ciao

[Ben Stephens]

Ben

Thanks for the pix.  They serve as a reminder to get back out there.  I wasn't terribly impressed during my few days there as the greens were dire.  Hunstanton is a very friendly club and wouild be a great venue for the BUDA.  

Ciao

Sean,

With Gordon Irvine on board on a consultancy basis and with the upcoming course improvements the future should be bright for a BUDA there in 2013 at the earliest. I have played their greens when it had billard table like surfaces - it has just gone off the radar in the last 5-10 years. I think the club is going in the right direction. Yes it is a very friendly club which is perfect for the social part of BUDA  

I am sure I can convince the secretary to allow us to play the Chapman format there as well as threeballs.

Cheers
Bne

[Ben Stephens]

From Golf World Top 100 booklet

RESTORING HUNSTANTON

Hunstanton may have only gone up one place in the last two years, but look for a bigger leap from this Norfolk masterpiece in future rankings. In 2009 the club undertook to update the course and early signs are that the improvements are going down well. It’s a five year plan which started at the beginning of last year, and so far about 30 per cent of the work has been done. ‘You can’t stand still,’ says secretary Bob Carrick. ‘Tees and greens wear out, equipment changes and new design ideas evolve. We had a presentation to the members this May and early responses from our visitors to the changes have been wonderfully positive’

Martin Hawtree has been hired to do the changes and so far 18 tees have been ‘laser-levelled’ and some of the more severe revetted bunkers have been altered. Already in the past two years, some 35 bunkers have been updated, and if all goes well, all the changes should have been implemented by the end of 2013.

‘We have brought in Gordon Irvine in as our Head Greenkeeper’ says Carrick, ‘and so we have changed the whole way we maintain the golf course. Martin Hawtree, whose father, came to Hunstanton in the 1960’s, has done outstanding plan for the course. He believes in smaller bunkers, but bigger catchment areas, so that’s where much of the work is being done.’

Hawtree wants to move the tee on the 1st to the right which will change the angle of the approach into the 18th. He has also proposed new tees on the 2nd, 10th and the 17th holes. At the par 3 16th, all seven bunkers were dug up and removed and six new ones replaced them. It’s an ambituous plan and they deservce all the success they get.

[Ben Stephens]

Hawtree Sketch of new 16th from Golf World

[Ben Stephens]

Dear GCA,

Bob Carrick, secretary of Hunstanton Golf Club has notified me that Gordon Irvine is not the Head Greenkeeper as it was written in Golf World's top 100 courses in GB & I booklet. This is an error by Golf World. Gordon has been brought in as an consulting greenkeeper like he is at other courses such as Deal, Littlehampton, Luffenham Heath and Wellingborough.

Here is a link to Gordon's website - http://www.gordonirvinemg.com/

Cheers
Ben

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()