News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


Adam Lawrence

  • Karma: +0/-0
Burhill Old Course... Park's Missing Link?
« on: July 26, 2011, 04:48:26 PM »
Recently I played the Old course at Burhill Golf Club in Surrey for the first time.

Burhill was designed by Willie Park Jr, and opened in 1907. It has clearly been worked on quite extensively over the years, but I think enough of the Willie course survives to make it interesting.

In particular, there is much about the course that reminds me of Huntercombe. Lots of abrupt pop-up mounding around greens, many grade level greens, lots of slope in those greens (though mostly less obviously bold than Huntercombe). But, of course, it is seven years younger than Huntercombe.

I've often wondered what Sunningdale Old looked like before Colt got his hands on it. Huntercombe provides an obvious comparison, but playing Burhill was especially interesting as it had many of the same characteristics, despite being several years later.

Given its location, Burhill is always going to have trouble attracting attention - it is, for example, only a couple of miles from St Georges Hill. It desperately needs a sensitive touch-up; the vegetation management is not very good, with many wonderful specimen trees choked out by saplings and horrible ornamentals. It is too green and lush, most obviously on some of the bunker banks, which are clogged up with thick ryegrass. But despite all that, I think GCAers would find much to enjoy, and would see the potential. In particular, anyone who loves Huntercombe, I reckon, would find it a worthwhile visit.
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Kevin Pallier

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Burhill Old Course... Park's Missing Link?
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2011, 11:49:39 PM »
Adam

I've played both the Old and New at Burhill and agree with much of what you have to say about the vegetation on the Old. There are some cracking holes in the layout though.

Which one's did you like ? Which one's less so ?

Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back