... under Courses by Country.
Tommy N. once called me, exuberant as ever, praising a Coore & Crenshaw course on Long Island. He went on and on about its merits, ticking one design trait after another. The irony of his effusive praise was that the course wasn’t opening for another eighteen months! Of course, he ended up being right about Friar’s Head but it is certainly an example of being predisposed toward liking something.
That very sentiment was true of me finally seeing Mildenhall last week. I had lofty expectations and happily, they were fully realized as The Sacred Nine lived up to its mighty moniker. Indeed, more than any course/place I've been, it captured the feel that I tried to give my Carthage Club profile found under Courses by Country.
Still, one thing that was different from what I was expecting was the number of super tough half par holes. Joe and I saw ~144 holes on our trip around England and Mildenhall surely possessed at least three of the ten hardest holes (the second, fifth, and eighth). In that regard, this nine hole course trumps the Valliere nine at Morfontaine. Every sort of shot is called for. In order of the first hole through the ninth, I hit during the non-hickory nine approach shots as follows: a chip eight, a three wood, a nine iron, a sand wedge, a six iron, a four utility, a seven iron, a five wood and a pitching wedge. That’s a lot of everything, a concise yet thorough examination!
It is not the easiest course to photograph so it is hard to capture some of its magic via that medium. Far better to read Darwin or Dickinson or Wind as the best writers/critics have all eloquently citied the course’s numerous charms for decades. John Gillum’s excellent centenary club history book hasmuch in it as well, including the recipe for their famous pink pitcher! In fact, some folks came over to my house two nights ago and we downed a pitcher with great success.
Golfers are fortunate how many special places there are to enjoy a game. This is certainly one of them, and it stands out perhaps because it comes in a different size than most. It also stands out because it should, the holes are that good!
Cheers,