Following is an eleven day itinerary of English courses which could be called second tier or even third tier if rankings are to be completely adhered to. I haven’t included any course which is on Top 100 list of England – see link below. There is one exception and that is The Sacred Nine. I can only assume the exclusion of Royal Worlington from the Top 100 is a mistake because it is charitable to do so. One will notice there are no links on the itinerary. This is due to practically every links with any sort of reputation being listed with the allowance of West Cornwall which I might have included if it wasn’t for the logistic difficulty of the itinerary. Some will notice that Colt seems to be heavily represented and that I could have created a tour exclusive to Colt. The sheer number of good Colt courses is an indication of how important he was to the development of architecture and golf in England, but I thought it important to include such courses as Painswick and Huntercombe. There are several courses which I suspect would vie for a spot on this itinerary, but I have not yet had the pleasure of getting to know them. Some of these candidates include Luffenham Heath, Tandridge, Formby Ladies, Burhill, Blackmoor, Knowle Park and Reigate Heath. Brancepeth Castle too might have been accommodated, however, due to its location in Less Any Territory North of Manchester, the course is problematic in terms of the itinerary.
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http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/country5.asp?id=1)
DAY ONE: Fly into Heathrow and immediately drive to Huntercombe. Don’t pass go. Don’t collect two hundred quid. Do stay out of gaol. Play a late afternoon game after getting some kip in your Henley lodgings. Do take the time to wander the streets of Henley (
http://www.henley-on-thames.org/) after golf as the town is as pleasant as any in England. The course is best described as bridge between Victorian and Colt architecture and thus is a one-off. Designed by the great Willie Park Jr at the same time the Old Course at Sunningdale, circa 1901, Huntercombe is just far enough from London to be a forgotten footnote of architectural history.
The second.
The 7th.
DAY TWO: Take another stroll around town before heading off to Huntercombe for another game - the course is that good it deserves a second look. After lunch make the pleasant journey through the Cotswolds via the A44 toward Worcester and eventually Kington. There are plenty of places along the way to stop, but Kington is quite a pleasant town itself. The architecture of the town is quite similar to Henley without any of the London inspired posh. Of course, one can always play Kington if feeling energetic, but it may be best to sleep on thoughts of Huntercombe.
DAY THREE: Play Kington often. This quite remarkable CK Hutchison lay-out eventually wins over even the most reluctant. Mind you, the walk isn’t easy, but one is well rewarded with sublime views of the Brecon Beacons, Malverns and Black Mountains. Quite a short course at ~5900 yards, but at an elevation over 1200 feet Kington instead relies on wind and gravity golf; up, down and across Bradnor Hill to keep the golfer honest. After two or three rounds it is probably best to stay in Kington for the night. I am sure the friendly membership can direct one toward a decent bed and pub. However, if one happens to be keen on a good meal, he can grab a quick shower and make a beeline for Ludlow; one of the great provincial towns for food lovers. There are seven listings in the recent Michelin Guide including three which earned a star.
#8
The 12th.
DAY FOUR: Assuming you woke up in Ludlow with a comfortably full belly, it is but a short drive north on the A49 through the Welsh Marches to the lovely market town of Church Stretton. However, before leaving Ludlow it is well worth the effort to tour the castle (
http://www.ludlowcastle.com/index.aspx) which dates from the 13th century. Church Stretton is a part of Shropshire that is relatively untouristed and will be a welcome relief from the mad scrambling for a good table the previous night. Playing the course is a rather bold suggestion due to the extremely hilly nature of the terrain. However, if one is remotely fit, the walk is doable (even if four legs would be useful) and as at Kington, the views are grand. The golf isn’t bad either! From all the way back the course measures a hefty 5030 yards against a par of 66, easing the pressure of the walk. There aren’t any par 5s and six par 3s dot the landscape. The longest hole tops out at 423 yards. What the vitals don't tell you is the wind can politely be called playful even on a calm day and the elevation change is 450 feet!!! Wild and woolly Church Stretton surely is, but everyone needs their heart to race once in a while if there is any hope of regaining that child-like playful feeling – if even for a fleeting moment or two. The keen may want to play another game and some may prefer exploring the town.
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DAY FIVE: Make for the once great industrial city of Birmingham, “the workshop of the world”. Much of the city is an architectural wasteland due to the quick rebuild programme after being heavily bombed in WWII, however, not three miles west of the city centre is a Colt gem worthy of high praise. Harborne was originally built in a country area more akin to a village than a city, but urban sprawl eventually swallowed the village and the course. High rise flats and noisy environment are much in evidence, but these distractions do little to thwart the pleasure of a game at Harborne. The terrain is deceptively hilly and Colt took full advantage. There are several outstanding holes on the front nine, including the blind drive second, risk/reward creek hole 5th and the knob to knob 6th. After the eleventh the golfer crosses a lane and through a gate. This secret garden includes the remarkable 13th hole with an up n’ over drive. The green rests in a corner and challenges all comers to attempt the brave carry over the valley. In true Colt style and very reminiscent of St Enodoc’s 4th, one can take the more difficult driving route up the right side of the fairway for a more straight on and level approach, but that way lies madness in the form of long grass. Harborne finishes with the final two holes on the house side of the property and the penultimate hole may be the best on the property. It is essentially a longer version of the 5th with a high tee to low fairway over creek to a high green configuration. Two more Colt courses, Edgbaston and Whittington Heath, are nearby if a golfer finds he must or wants to extend his stay in Birmingham. After golf, continue the journey to the surprisingly homey Buxton (
http://www.visitbuxton.co.uk/).
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#17.
DAY SIX: Arise, eat breakfast and tee off at the first opportunity on the opening hole of a Dr Mackenzie delight. All manner of shots and imagination are required to get the most out of one’s score at Cavendish. The routing of the course features several clever changes of tempo and a flow which capitalizes on what the terrain offers. It is surprising very few birdie opportunities exist when we consider the yardage from the back tees is just over 5700 yards. Don’t be taken in by this meagre distance for there are seven holes over 400 yards in length. The casual visitor is most welcome and can play this Dr Mac gem for £30. I am not sure golf gets any better than this for that price. Nor am I sure golf need be any better than this for any price. As Buxton is a fairly well known spa town there are plenty of lodging options to suit all tastes. Spending two nights offers some opportunity to play further games at Cavendish. Of course one could also take in some sightseeing and explore Buxton, the outstanding Peak District National Park (
http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/index/maps/pdmap.htm) or Chatsworth House (
http://www.chatsworth.org/). Other courses of note in the area include Reddish Vale (The Good Doctor) and Prestbury, a rather elegant Colt layout.
The third.
DAY SEVEN: Make your way east toward Mansfield and play Coxmoor. Tom Williamson created a remarkable routing through some very tumultuous land that doesn't in the least tax the legs as many other hilly courses do. It isn't only a matter of short green to tee walks; the course also doesn't incorporate any overly uphill approaches on the two and three-shotters. Granted, just as most good architects would do, the course is eased by a few sharp downhill/uphill par 3s. While the quality of the short holes may suffer a bit because of this technique, the overall routing is a pleasure to walk and play. The little known Mr Williamson achieved the remarkable triple feat of being the pro at Notts for 50 years, playing in every Open between 1897 and 1947 and designing over 50 courses. There surely couldn’t have been many people as devoted to the game as Tom Williamson.
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While in England it is good to remember that one is always a tourist. As such, staying at least one night in a country house hotel is a must. Located not too far out of the way in the Vale of Belvoir is Langor Hall Country Hotel (
http://www.langarhall.com/index.php?pid=1). Langor is more of small country house than a hotel as there are only 12 rooms, but there is still elegance about the building which is distinctly English.
For those wanting to experience another Colt course and more time in England, there is Northamptonshire County GC not too far off the M1 on the north side of Northampton.
DAY EIGHT: It’s a busy day as we have to make our way to Oxford, but not without stopping at one of the most original courses one is likely to find anywhere. Many will be inclined to squeeze in a maximum number of holes for a double loop may not satisfy the hunger for Painswick. The course sits atop Painswick Beacon and provides lovely views up and down the Cotswold escarpment. Numbers don’t really describe Painswick very well, but here goes. The courses measures less than 5000 yards with a par of 67. There are no bunkers except for one near the practice green. The tee marker on the 17th is one yard longer for the daily tee compared to the back tee. Among the many blind shots a few are into and out of a 3000 year old Bronze Age hill fort. There are seven par 3s. There is a stretch of six holes without a two-shotter among them. The 10th sports the smallest green I have ever seen, and by the way this par 3 is blind. Did I mention the many cross-over and shared fairway holes? If you are looking for some insight into what golf may have looked like a century or so ago, look no further. The turf isn’t brilliant, the walk can be quite severe in places, dog walkers and jeans are rampant, but a game at Painswick will never be forgotten. You will be exhausted from the day’s arduous walk, but I suggest making the effort to get down to Oxford (
http://www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.com/) for the night. This will leave more time for exploring this historically rich city.
DAY NINE: This may be a good day for a proper-lie in followed by lazy wanderings. After a bit of a late lunch strap on the boots for a game at yet another Colt gem. Southfield is quite similar in style to Harborne. Colt created interesting green complexes by building up the sites and utilizing some interesting shaping. Much in keeping with the times, the fairways have virtually no shaping except where bunkers are present. While inspecting the club boards I noticed three clubs claim Southfield as its home turf. The oldest, Oxford University GC, was formed in 1875. The course is terribly convenient for student golfers as the spires of the university are not much more than a few miles distant. From the 4th tee Magdalene College and Radcliffe Camera can just be seen across a long valley. Unfortunately, modern expansion has somewhat obscured the view. Oxford City GC (1899) and Oxford Ladies GC (1901) make up the final two of the trio of centenary clubs. Golf was played in the area from as early as 1873. The original course was primarily located in the marshes below the hill on which the course is now located. At some point James Braid was involved in a redesign and then in the early 1920s HS Colt significantly re-worked the course. It is thought some of Braid's work remains, if true, likely in the form of a few fairway corridors. However, it is safe to say Southfield can be attributed to Colt and it is a course he surely would have been proud to call his own. Because Oxford is a wonderful place and very easy to see, I recommend spending tonight and tomorrow night in the city. There are numerous good hotels in and around Oxford including the Randolph and the ever reliable Malmaison, but I am partial to the Old Bank Hotel (
http://www.oldbank-hotel.co.uk/).
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DAY TEN: Rinse and repeat day nine.
DAY ELEVEN: Pack your bags as well as you can. This is the last day of the tour and it is only fitting to finish on yet another Colt course. Camberley Heath is located not far off the M3 just north of Farnborough. True, we must drive by Heathrow and Temple GC, a course which works admirably as a substitute if time is tight, but the journey is worth it. Until having played Camberley Heath, I thought Prestbury was the wildest Colt course I had experienced! Camberley Heath wonderfully rises above the disjointed and sometimes misplaced bunkers and the odd feature or two which rankle. The routing is superb and affords all manner of holes; valley, double valley, up n' overs, flat, side hill - did I miss anything? Camberley Heath demonstrates how deep the quality of golf around London is and that one needn't necessarily pay top whack for interesting, fun, quality golf. If folks do decide to visit Camberley Heath, be sure to take a look at the trophy case behind the pro shop. There is a touching display of Molly Gourlay memorabilia. Several medals, paper clippings, posters etc. are the mainstay of the collection. Sadly, no mention is made of Mrs Gourlay's architectural contributions at Ballybunion or County Louth, but one can't help but be impressed by her career as a golfer.
The fourth.
#18.
Ciao