Meyrick Park- A Great Muni

[Paul_Turner]

Just visited this amazing course.  It's a smaller version of The Addington, at 5700 yds, with many exciting holes.  England's oldest municipal course, originally designed by Dunn as two very short courses and then completely redone by Colt and Co in 1926.  Round costs about 15 quid.

For a starter it has, in my experience, the toughest opening hole in GB and Ireland. A 240-250 yard par 3 that is harder than the 13th at Addington, 14th at Portrush and probably the 5th at Pine Valley and Brancepeth Castle's 9th.  

I have lots of pics but will just post the 1st for now.

[NAF]

St. Paul, you slack jawed gawker

That is much browner than when we were there in May!

How did you do with your 1 iron?

[Adam_F_Collins]

That's a beautiful hole!

[Paul_Turner]

NAFFER

Yes, the course was looking lovely.  And I don't think even my very best 1 iron would reach that green.  I only walked it but I reckon a 3 wood.  And that's not even the best hole on the course.  Several are just as good.  

A trip to the Bournemouth courses isn't complete without a round at Meyrick!
 

[NAF]

I reckon a 5 wood Paul..

I'm surprised you didnt go to Isle of Purbeck since we missed it and it is only 30 quid!

That is a daunting tee shot to start off the round. An exclamation point!

I like the ampitheater setting of the green.. makes for a wonderful 19th hole.

Did you see any of the infamous Bournemouth 7 from the bar that night?  Did they want to show you any more tatoos or body piercings?

[Paul_Turner]

Some more pics.  

It is a superb course, but it's still some way from its peak as you'll see with the photo comparison.  Some heather in the old days.  Very little now, although the long grasses are attractive.


Old pic of the 1st.

The second has been redesigned/rerouted and doesn't hold up with the rest of the course.


Comparitively flat long, turning, par 4 3rd.  Good green complex.






Another huge par 3, 4th.  240 yards and a superb hole.




Bunker at the 4th in the old days!  Look above for a comparison. Green has shrunk too.

How much would it cost to tear out that ridge and return the bunker?

[A_Clay_Man]

Paul- Your sharing of these courses is absolutley the pinnacle.
Thank you.

As for what one can tell from pictures..?

The first is an amazing transformation. The trees dictate the shot, without them, the golfer does.

As for the fourth, fuhgetaboutit. It looks like Pebble beach in the early years. What a difference! Can we chalk it up to the American influence, not only visually but from a maintenance perspective?

[Paul_Turner]

Adam

I'm not sure about a US influence??  You have to remember it's a Muni, without much cash.  The bunkers probably shrunk gradually, although I do know they had some work done to them a few years ago.  This situation is pretty much the norm in the UK (look at Sunningdale for example!)...the courses haven't been compromised , through major redesign or tinkering, but they aren't at their peak.

I will stress that even without the natural looking bunkers, holes like the 1st and 4th are superb.  Even with that little pot bunker on the 4th, there are plenty of interesting shot around that green.

[Paul_Turner]

5th Tee.  Hoe turns left.  Drop to the left but can't see because of trees.



5th green.  Used to have visual drop behind.



Rolling par5 6th.



As it was.



Side on of green.  Compare bunkers above.  Big drop beyond.  Still a cool green complex.



Side one of 6th and 1st green showing mound work.

Now we move back into the ravine territory:



7th tee.  Green left.




7th fairway from 8th.  Line of play from left.  That ridge was a long diagonal trap.



Super par 3 8th.  About 190 yds.



Early pic of the 8th.  Building the road, I think.



Side on view of ridge that you have to tackle on the 8th, if you push to the right.



8th green.



Fairway on excellent shortish par 4, 9th.



Closer



]
Imagine the bunkers with sand splashed up the faces!



Knob to knob par 3 10th.  Steep rise at the green front.



Just about driveable 11th (300yds)...in the wood smoke.


Medium par 3, 12th.  Plays somewhat like a redan.



Closer.



As it was!!

[Brian Phillips]

Paul,

You have to bring this book out in the next five years.  The man deserves it.  How can he not get as much recognition than you know who?

I would really loved to know how much 'you know who' learnt from him.

Brian

[Marc Haring]

Great pics as ever Paul.

Played Meyrick way back in a pro-am. I remember it as an excellent test, and a tight SOB. As you say a slightly mini Addington or perhaps a working mans Worplesdon. Much better than Queens Park and less dogs pooh to boot.
Got introduced on that 1st by the starter and decided a snap hook into the trees 50 yards from the tee was a good option. Would have been ok but are 3 double whiskey's at 8.00am de rigueur?
   

[Mark_Rowlinson]

If only we had a few more munis of this calibre in the UK.  By and large the municipal provision is pathetic and the condition of many lamentably underfunded layouts must be enough to put a great many beginners or occasional players off.  In my part of the country there are very few municipal courses, the best probably being Hoylake (the Braid links course opposite Royal Liverpool).  There is terrific character to Heaton Park (JH Taylor) in north Manchester but last time I played the condition was pretty awful.  Also, there are too many blind shots for safety on a public course.  I'll try to get some photos of it one of these days - and some of Colt's neighbouring Manchester, too.

Great photos, as always, Paul.

[JohnV]

This raises the question, what other courses begin BOTH nines with a par 3?  Pacific Grove Muni is the only one I can think of.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Looks like the 6th green was softened?  or is it just the old photo?

That course is one hell of a was...

How much better was it? or was it not (aside from the 2nd)?

[Paul_Turner]

Mike

I don't think the 6th green was softened.  But I do think it has shrunk at the front, like the 4th.

The course is still almost entirely intact in routing, hazards and greens.  It just needs some dedicated tree removal, which would get the support of environmentalists because some rare heathland could be restored.  As for the bunkers?  Well, it would take a skillful local expert to do that.

To my eye, Colt's bunkers here, are just about the perfect measure of ruggedness and attractiveness.  Natural looking but not too fancy or overabundant.

[Andy Levett]

Great pics as always. I should have gone there when Purbeck was shut by frost in February.
Could the first originally have been a par 4? If so, it's ironic how technology has turned a short two-shotter into a great one-shotter. Perhaps the 'have a go if you think you're hard enough' 11th is also a better hole in 2004.

[Paul_Turner]

Andy

No it was always a monster par 3.

A final installment:



More open country at the 13th.



Green approach.  Long is bad.

Now the great 14th.  Which was a celebrated hole, a short par 5.  Choked with trees now, but still an excellent hole.



Tee



As it was.



A whimsical sketch by Charles Ambrose.


Valley fairway


15th approach from wrong side.



15th green.



16th...tee behind and to the right.  Short par 4, can get home with perfect fade.



Tee shot 17th.



Over the ridge.  Further right...worse angle.  Trees protecting 18th tee spoil the hole visually.  18th up the hill.



As it was.


Looking back.

It's a little cramped around the 18th.  I think the tee may have been moved forward.

[Tom Kelly]

Paul,

Is there any chance of posting these pictures again/re-linking them or pointing me in the right direction so I can find them on photobucket  or elsewhere.

I played there last Friday having not heard of the place before and I thought it had heaps of potential so I thought I'd have a quick look for it on GCA. Not expecting anything this thread pops up and from the comments it seems I NEED to see these pics!!!

Cheers

Tom

[David_Tepper]

Is this the place?

http://www.meyrickpark.co.uk/

[Tom Kelly]

Is this the place?

http://www.meyrickpark.co.uk/

David,

Yes that is the place though they have a newer website, but it still doesn't show you much.

http://www.theclubatmeyrickpark.com/course

The undergrowth in the trees has got way out of control and it's almost certain lost ball territory now but there a some really fun quirky holes there just asking to be restored to their former glory. I would love to see the old pics if Paul could re-link them?!

[Mike Hendren]

Come on Turner, quit loitering and step up!

bogey

[Paul_Turner]

Will do Mike.  The pics aren't great though!

[Paul_Turner]

Repaired lphoto links 8 years later.  I guess didn't sell it well though...no GCAer has posted a photo tour since!

[Tom Kelly]

Thanks Paul, I really appreciate it!

The old photos are even more impressive than I expected. I thought the green on 4 looked small now as did most of the current greens, the old pic of 4 looks amazing. The 6th and 14th look great too. It is real shame the trees have been allowed to grow so much along 14. As well as the tightness of the tree line affecting play, the fairway was a bog when I played, the turf clearly got no sun or any decent air circulation. It could be/was a really great hole.

Other than the trees, the only downside to the course was that it's on such restricted land which meant some safety issues. There are a few holes especially 17 and 18 that could do with more land to work with. But for the price they charge you can't complain too much.

Given the price they charge, I can't see a restoration happening in the near future unfortunately.

Do we know how much Colt changed from Dunn's original design? Was the routing retained for instance?

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