The port town of Silloth is a rather grim Cumbrian settlement. Yet, the town does have an ace up its sleeve in the Silloth on Solway GC. Hard on the port, one enters the house and upon making way to the lounge we are immediately confronted with a rather determined image of Cecil Leitch in the spot one would imagine was reserved for the queen in years past. The club can be rightly proud of its home town golfer. It was at Silloth that the hard hitting Ms Leitch learned her golf. Cecil made her major debut at the 1908 Ladies Amateur by making it to the semi finals. She dominated ladies golf for a period by the time of her 1928 retirement counted among her triumphs four British, five French, two English and one Canadian Amateur Championships. These numbers would likely be higher if not for WWI.
Harold Hilton challenged any woman to a 36 hole match while giving 9 strokes per 18. The teenage Cecil took up the challenge in 1910. However, the match was over 72 holes; 36 at Walton Heath and 36 Sunningdale. As predicted, Hilton won the first 36 hole day 1 up. However, Ms Leitch won the Sunningdale 36 to win the 72 hole match 2&1. Nine years later Cecil would play a series of challenge matches against male professionals. With the same stroke allowance given as in the Hilton match she defeated JH Taylor, J Braid and H Vardon...the Great Triumvirate! Only Abe Mitchell managed to best Cecil. Mind you, by now Ms Leitch was at the peak of powers. In 1919, writing in the British Vanity Fair magazine, Harold Hilton described Leitch as "a tall, strapping young lady" who "on the links does not look a tall girl, as she is strongly and compactly built and treads the turf like an athlete." The club honours Leitch by naming the first hole Horse-Shoe, after a spot 240 yards down the fairway which Cecil regularly found her drive. Additionally, the handsome club dining room is named after Leitch. Interestingly, there is a competition in Kent called the Cecil Leitch 5 Club which has been going since 1957. Did Cecil Leitch often play with five clubs?
It is natural that we should compare Leitch to to other grand dame of ladies British golf, Joyce Wethered. Bobby Jones thought Joyce was the best player he had seen....high praise considering the company Jones kept. The 1920 English Women's was the first time the two met and Cecil won. It didn't go well for the teenage Wethered in 1921 either. Although holder of the English Women's, Joyce was beaten in the final of the British Ladies by Cecil who claimed her third British Ladies in a row. A few weeks later, the two met in the final of the French Ladies with the same result. Although, this would be the last time Cecil would prevail and her dominace of the women's game was over. In the final of the 1922 British Ladies Joyce crushed Cecil 9&7. After Wethered beat Leitch on her way to the 1925 British Ladies, the two met for the last time in the final of the 1925 British Ladies at Troon. The match went 37 holes with Wethered coming out on top. Both won the British Ladies a record four times. The club honours Leitch by naming the first hole Horse-Shoe, after a spot 240 yards down the fairway which Cecil regularly found her drive. Additionally, the handsome club dining room is named after Leitch. Interestingly, there is a competition in Kent called the Cecil Leitch 5 Club which has been going since 1957. Did Cecil Leitch often play with five clubs?
Pathe video of the 1925 final at Troon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvS1hd33By0
The first order of business is to discuss is the rough. Anybody with experience of the M6 will know that Cumbria is nearly always shrouded in cloud and rain. So yes, the rough will be long and harsh. The heather will be robust and the stuff of dreams for London clubs. Balanced against this premium on accuracy off the tee is a plethora of great shots. From the down n' up fairway of #3, to the squared off and fallaway green of the 4th, to the in search of fairway on the fifth, to the drivable 10th and the extreme plateau green of the 13th; Silloth has it all there for the taking.
The first eases one into the game and rightly so...assuming the wind isn't 30mph. The prevailing wind is quartering against from the left. The club has been cutting back gorse in recent years. However, they haven't replaced the dreadful artificial turf paths.
The obscured approach is to a rather small sunken green. In general, neither the greens nor fairways are overly generous.
Behind the 1st green standing on the forward 2nd tee.
Another modest length two shotter, the second cuts to the right. Perhaps this is the one weakness of the par 4s in general, many are driver short irons for good players. That said, the green sites are often quite different and with punishing rough one doesn't need too many long testing wood shots. The forward tee; the other tees are further back and right, thus creating a dogleg right. In less wind, there is little doubt the angle is better from these tees.
The approach to the sunken green.
Sideview of the green showing the terrain.
Climbing to a high tee we are now confronted with a blind shot lurching downhill and obviously left, but where left one can't tell. Cresting the hill one is confronted with the view below. The direct line to the green is cut-off by heather. One can either layup and leave a longer approach more on equal height with the green or go low and be left with a nasty little wedge. This is a terrific hole which at a moment says hello to the golfer. I believe Dr Mac moved the green to its current spot in 1914.
The 4th tee is above the third green and like the previous hole, features a blind drive to a rather narrow target. Below is the approach.
A look at the green from the 5th tee. To the left the rough is cut well down.
The three shot fifth is most interesting for its in search of the fairway drive. With the wind pushing off the left it is difficult to know the exact line.
The approach plays longer than it looks as the green is slightly uphill with bunkers protecting the landing area. For most, the two right bunkers must be taken on to reach the green in two.
The first short hole at Silloth is for me the best. The ridge connecting between the two bunkers is very reminiscent of Raynor's design style at Yeamans Hall.
The 7th is a climber which takes a bit of local knowledge to figure out. Even though the hole is uphill and without a favourable wind it plays short. The green is located about 40 yards on the far side of a hill crest so the approach is really played to the top with the expectation that gravity will do the rest.
Play is from the right.
Often times it can be the case that while a hole isn't poor per se, it doesn't add much to the course; the 8th is a case in point. That said, the hole is a bit of a break as it flatter.
The finishing hole going out is a teaser par 3 with several bunkers guarding the front and wings. Similar to the 5th and 6th, the tee is on a ridge.
The back nine is away from the sea and in the main plays back to the house. The run of 10 through 13 is a superb mix of thinking man's golf combined with the possibility of expertly contolled brute force winning the day. The 10th is the sort of hole that most will want to bang a driver over a gorse topped knoll to the left and see what gives. It is thought that Dr Mac chose this greesite. The hole is about 250 on this line, but OOB is hard right and there are corner bunkers to be dealt with. There is a very short layup option short of two crossing bunkers which I believe are fairly new, but this leaves an obscured approach with the OOB ever present.
The green is wide open to the rear.
The obligatory, but in this case well out of the way caravan park, creates OOB down the right on the 11th. The hole turns hard right in a similar fashion to Wallasey's 8th and for the first time in the round requires something more than a short iron approach on a par 4....once again...assuming normal wind conditions.
One of Silloth's best characteristics is the mix of rough, heather and gorse. At least in winter, its pot luck if one will pull a good lie off the fairways.
The longish par three, the 12th is a fairly straight away hole, but a tough par nonetheless. Unlike 16, the false front offers a chance to bounce the ball up. The gorse clearance is very evident here.
The singular 13th is an incredible par 5 the likes of which I have never seen before. Hitting back into the wind, the hole is still reachable in two for fairly long hitters, but the margin of error is seemingly less than zero. I can imagine the playing of every shot on this hole being completely dependent on the wind direction. The approach after a layup...if there is serious wind, taking the carry on in two is risky. I knew this green site had no bail out area because its on view from both angles playing previous holes. I therefore decided the only prudent play was a 5 iron with the hope of getting out of Dodge with a five. The break in the fairway helps to create the idea of a do or die style second for anyone who doesn't hit a decent drive. The second-hand astro turf covering the paths is a blight on the course which probably saves on maintenance. Perhaps the club should consider going back to traditional paths on holes where they are prominently on view.
Even for the the short chip I dared not go at the hole!
I can give a pass to the front nine having so many holes play the same yardage because of the variety of greensites, but for me the 14-16 stretch is the Achilles Heel. None of the holes are remotely poor, but none have the pizzaz of the many holes dotted throughout the first 13. The 14th is an up n' over par 5 with a blind green sitting in a low area. Just over the crest of the hill is a break in the fairway loaded with heather. #15 is a good length two-shotter that is hard to make out from the tee. The slightly obscured tee shot is an element of design I enjoy. The approach is also interesting as the bunker shoulder effects the bounce. Do not go long left...the gorse is troublesome there.
The short 16th is perhaps the only hole I didn't think was up to scratch. The plateau green is too severe given it plays downwind a lot.
Offering a fine view from the tee, #17 features a heaving fairway and its a bit of respite on the card. There is a terrific alley on the right which will keep the drive rolling straight at the green. The green is very reachable in two and has a feeding downslope to the surface.
The long approach from the high point of the fairway. The green is neatly tucked into a corner of the property. Just short and right is a pit which will catch out the overly aggressive approach. It pays to stay just inside the left bunker.
The Home hole isn't a bad finish. The fairway bunkers on the right are well placed and the approach distance is difficult to gauge as the green site is slightly below the fairway.
Despite the windy weather, my opinion of Silloth has gone up. The variety of playing between dunes, over dunes and around dunes is satisfying. Even the town seems a bit better! It’s easy to see why the course is highly rated and loved by so many visitors. Even though the course is more well known these days Silloth still represents excellent value. Silloth is most definitely my sort of golf and I would happily return. 1* 2025
Ran's Review.
http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/england/silloth1/Seascale
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60048.msg1419562.html#msg1419562Windermere
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,66099.msg1577955.html#msg1577955Ciao