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Michael Latham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Wentworth West
« on: March 11, 2010, 12:51:34 PM »
I had the opportunity today to walk the West course at Wentworth and met Chris Kennedy at a number of points along the way.
I did not have a camera and even if I had i doubt whether my fingers would have worked the buttons. We have had 8 days of no rain but a biting north east wind with ground and air temperatures little above freezing.
The course will be unrecognisable to any one who who knows it from before. The owners mission was to create a difficult course capable of challenge to the pro game and my my how they have gone about it.It is now very very difficult.
Yet for all the changes, to my eye the new course sits well within the old landscape, even the 18th which now requires a high 230+ yard second if they are going for it in two, looks stunning. In construction, Els hit 10, 5 woods and got 7 on the green. I wonder how many will try it in competition.
There are only two maybe three greens which can be reached by a ground ball. Every approach shot will need to go in high to carry the guarding bunkers and deep swales around the putting surface. The greens are generally smaller and although they retain the old, prevailing contour this has been broken by the use of diagonal and lateral ridges.
I suspect the pros are going to find it a minimum of 2  if not 3 shots harder than before and I would expect many complaints about it's severity when the tournament starts in late May. There is no sterner inland test in the UK and to that end the architect and construction team are to be complimented for fulfilling the brief.
I think off 2, I would be happy to break 80 off the medal tees. From the back 85 would be good. I have to confess that I liked it but there are going to be many who will not for it bears no relationship to what went before and is, a pro tournament golf course.
The proving rounds start at the end of this month, 15, 4 balls per day through April. When I go back in April I will take the camera.



James Boon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wentworth West
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2010, 02:32:03 PM »
Michael,

Thanks for the report on how things are going at Wentworth. Its been discussed here a few times already and I think you'll find its not being received well. For me this is because the new course is in no way true to Harry Colts original, even if the club says it is, and with all the history the course has seen, its a shame to make wholesale changes all in one go. Having said that I'm very interested to see how the new course plays when the pros turn up in a couple of months time? Maybe if this was a new course built on such heathland, we would be quite excited about it, but with the history this course has, its a shame its changed so much from what Harry Colt laid out.

For refrence, here are the other threads...
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41136.0/
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,42692.0/
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,41736.0/

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

Mark Chaplin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wentworth West
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2010, 02:45:29 PM »
Cold! Scott Warren and I played a very enjoyable round at Deal today in the chilly North East wind.
Cave Nil Vino

Gary Slatter

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wentworth West
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2010, 03:23:22 PM »
I'm still amazed that people are building courses for one or two weeks of the year.    It's the other 50 weeks with paying customers that should be considered, or is the thinking still along the lines that if the pros play it,  the rest will come ?  Those were the days...
Gary Slatter
gary.slatter@raffles.com

Brian_Ewen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wentworth West
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2012, 09:03:50 PM »
Seemingly changes still taking place at Wentworth, and especially to the 18th.

This photo of an old birch tree getting felled was tweeted today, among a few others.







« Last Edit: January 13, 2012, 09:16:38 PM by Brian_Ewen »

Niall C

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wentworth West
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2012, 06:25:01 AM »
Brian

I take it those last two photos are of a bunker being filled in. Any idea if this is a one off or another overhaul of the bunkers throughout the course ?

Niall

Brian_Ewen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wentworth West
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2012, 11:04:52 AM »
Here's Director of Tour Operations, David Garland, overseeing the levelling of the 18th fairway.

This will allow the players to be more aggressive off the tee, avoiding what would previously have been an awkward hanging lie.





Mark Chaplin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wentworth West
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2012, 11:10:43 AM »
Mr Garland overseeing or checking out the work? Is the European Tour the contractor?
Cave Nil Vino

Mark Pearce

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Wentworth West
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2012, 12:06:15 PM »
We wouldn't want tour players to face the prospect of an awkward hanging lie on the 18th hole now, would we?
In June I will be riding the first three stages of this year's Tour de France route for charity.  630km (394 miles) in three days, with 7800m (25,600 feet) of climbing for the William Wates Memorial Trust (https://rideleloop.org/the-charity/) which supports underprivileged young people.

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