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Ran Morrissett

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Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« on: October 06, 2011, 01:05:52 PM »
... 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.  8)

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,
« Last Edit: October 06, 2011, 01:08:18 PM by Ran Morrissett »

Bill_McBride

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2011, 02:31:32 PM »
Is it possible you could share that recipe?   Sounds interesting...   ;D

Ben Sims

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2011, 10:10:36 AM »
March of 2008, I was on my first longterm deployment as a C-17 First Pilot.  The runway at Incirlik, Turkey had closed and in the their infinite wisdom, Air Mobility Command decided to stage combat operations out of....RAF Mildenhall?!  That's six hours to Iraq, 9 to Afghanistan.  Long days for our crews were ahead.

As luck would have it, I was chosen by the commander to be on staff for the first couple months of the deployment.  This would mean that I'd only fly one mission a week, spend the rest of my time crunching production numbers and classified tactics briefs.  Which also meant a lot of time in the local area of Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmonds, Newmarket and Cambridge in the evenings or a spare day.

I had started lurking here a few months prior to that deployment and had seen some of the Courses by Country.  One night in my room, I found this writeup on a course near Mildenhall called Royal Worlington & Newmarket.  Google maps had it at 4 miles from the runway! Surely I could get a round in there.

At the little watering hole off base called "Bird in Hand", that served a really good meat pie and really awful room temperature cask ale, I started a conversation with a local about golf.  Soon I had an invite to join him at Royal Worlington & Newmarket.

Two days later, I had completed a quick 9 holes at the golf club and scurried back to the base.  I had no idea the quality of course I'd just seen until months later when I was back home on housing tracks in Northern California.  Indeed, I really didn't understand how influential the course was on me until this past year of seeing and studying golf architecture.


  
« Last Edit: October 07, 2011, 10:13:00 AM by Ben Sims »

John Mayhugh

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2011, 12:35:49 PM »
Updated photos are very nice. Thanks.

Bart Bradley

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2011, 09:44:37 PM »
Ran's write up, as usual, does a wonderful job of showing some of the highlights of the course.  He did not emphasize the amazing simplicity of this jewel.  The place seems to have been put together effortlessly.  Isn't it wonderful when something so difficult can be made to look so easy by the very best.  We would live in a better world if we all could play the game we love on courses like this one.  Can't wait to get back there and do it again.  I admit that I am completely jealous that my friend Joe got back to the Sacred Nine on two trips in the same year.

In case you have any doubts, the Sacred Nine is a must see.

Bart

Jud_T

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2011, 07:46:15 AM »
Ran,

Thanks for this!  No matter how good, any nine holer will unfortunatley fly below most folks' radar these days.  Definitely on my short list.
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Mark_Rowlinson

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2011, 02:42:26 PM »
Great tour, as always, Ran. Glad you agree with my thoughts about the place - I love it. There are a few complementary photos on http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,48309.msg1087362/topicseen.html#msg1087362

Mark.

Paul_Turner

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2011, 11:26:04 AM »
Standing on the 1st tee is every flag visible?  Perhaps not the 4th, but all the rest?
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Tom_Doak

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2011, 07:58:00 PM »
Paul:

Have they thinned the trees between #4 and #6?  I don't think you would have seen the flag at 3, 4, 5 or 6 when I was last there.

Paul_Turner

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2011, 03:44:35 PM »
Tom

From memory I think 3 and 6 are beyond that tree line sufficiently so they aren't blocked.  The trees behind the 5th are only one tree deep so I'm pretty sure you can see the flag between gaps in the trunks.   I think the 4th is too low to see.

Maybe someone who's been there more recently can confirm.

In think the next best 9 holer in England is Leckford in Hampshire: a downland course.
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Paul_Turner

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2011, 03:48:58 PM »
Just checked through Ran's pics and this one shows that the 5th flag should be visible.  Maybe top of the 4th flag stick as well?

can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Tom_Doak

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2011, 11:10:35 PM »
Paul:

The trees are much thinner than my Kodachrome slides from 1982!

I have never heard of Leckford, Hampshire ... learn something new every day.  Is it really better than Reigate Heath?

James Boon

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ...
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2011, 01:40:43 PM »
Ran,

A great update of the Sacred Nine profile! I hope you have a few other profiles to show us from your trip?

Paul,

A look at the aerial photograph, and from memory of my round there last year, I'd say every flag would be visible apart from the 4th, as its down in that hollow. Never the less, 8 of 9 flags visible from the first tee, would be unique I imagine?

Tom and Paul,

To add to the "best nine hole" debate, I've always been a fan of Charnwood Forest very near to me, a James Braid course. I don't know the others you mention, but Reigate Heath certainly looks to have a chance of challenging RW&N for the title?

Cheers,

James
2023 Highlights: Hollinwell, Brora, Parkstone, Cavendish, Hallamshire, Sandmoor, Moortown, Elie, Crail, St Andrews (Himalayas & Eden), Chantilly, M, Hardelot Les Pins

"It celebrates the unadulterated pleasure of being in a dialogue with nature while knocking a ball round on foot." Richard Pennell

Paul_Turner

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Re: Updated Royal Worlington & Newmarket profile is posted ... New
« Reply #13 on: October 15, 2011, 09:16:57 PM »
Tom and James

The 9 hole debate.  Charnood Forsest...the few photos I've seen and it looks like a must play.  Volcanic outcrops and all!

Re Leckford and why it isn't well known:  This 9 hole course was one of the only truly private courses in the UK.   Back in 1929, Colt designed it for "Mr John Spedan Lewis" and it really was off limits unless you worked for the firm "John Lewis".  If you didn't know a member...you couldn't play until relatively recently.

I liked the course because it has good detail work and uses the land well.  The two opening holes route along a shallow valley remind me of the openers at Ashridge...you have to place your shot or else it will bounce of the valley ridge into a bunker.

Not as pretty as Reigate but longer and I think tougher (about 6500 for 18).

Pics of Leckford
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,16516.0.html
« Last Edit: October 16, 2011, 07:35:47 AM by Paul_Turner »
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

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