Royal Ashdown Forest - English Parkland

[Craig Disher]

Another thread that discussed parkland golf led me to think that perhaps the American and British versions are so different that they shouldn't be lumped together. I had the good fortune to spend two days at Royal Ashdown Forest earlier this month and I can't recall an American parkland course that is anything like it. Another day at the Addington gave me the same feeling.

The fairways are wide - very wide - and the trees are well back from play and only occasionally used for strategic purposes. The fairways were firm and well-sloped so there was always concern about where the ball would go after it landed. The greens were fairly soft - probably due to heavy watering during the hot weather - but still firmer than what is typical in the US.

This picture is of the 1st hole. The fairway must be over 100 yards wide and is shared with the 18th which crosses from right to left. The issue on the tee is how far to the left do you want to play. Anything played to the center or right will finish in the rough. The green is immediately in front of the house in the center of the picture. Since the course has no sand bunkers, hazards like the heather and rough ground in the middle of the picture are typical. They are far worse than sand.



The view from the 7th tee, over the wonderful short 6th hole. This hole doglegs to the right and a shot tight to that side risks some very rough ground and losing sight of the green. Still, there is ample room to move the ball around as long as you're mindful of the severe slopes in the fairway.



The view of the 13th from the tee. The fairway is wide open, uphill and sloped to the right. The dark area across the middle is thick heather. The green is located just below the hole in the tree line.

[NAF]

CDisher

I played RAF a year and a half ago one november with the smell of burning peat in the air and a broody grey sky.. And I had a ton of fun, I doubt much of the country club set over here would like a natural course like RAF.  My favorite part of the course were the sweeping fairways that your pick of #1 and #7 do.  If you have a picture of #17 to show, it really plays off the natural heather and supertanker learching to the side aspect of the fairway.  It was a revelation to me how not having sand hazards and only nature (and good amounts of heather in spots) along with challenging lies can be just as fun as having bunkers.

I do have some fondness for the course also because of the 230 yard par 3 on the back (10 or 11 I can't recall) that I almost aced with a driver.  It was playing into the wind and while it is a pedestrian hole, made it a memorable experience.

[Paul_Turner]

Craig

Thanks for the memories, green fees are pretty cheap too as I remember.  The 1st has a cool sideways tiered green (left to right) as I recall.

NAF

The 11th a pedestrian hole?  Ran will have your nuts!

[T_MacWood]

It looks like the epitome of natural golf. Hutchinson's home overlooked the course...I like the look of the home behind the 7th green. Why aren't there more courses like this...I would assume it would be relatively inexpensive to build something similar?

[NAF]

Paul, it was a heck of a shot I hit there. I can still see Jim Reilly crying after I almost holed it and took the lead in our match. I honestly don't remember anything special about it which is why I labeled it pedestrian.  Actually, I think I was so blown away by how awesome #12 was that my birdie on 11 is just a passing memory..

[Ran Morrissett]

Bunkers are artificial 99% of the time unless you are Bob Huntley and get to hang around CP and holes like 9 at MP week in, week out. Thus Royal Ashdown Forest with its natural hazards is a truly fascinating study for a student of golf architecture.

I suppose if there were 10 other such quality courses around the world devoid of man-made bunkers that perhaps RAF would lose some of its uniqueness, but there AREN'T, so it remains a crucial visit for many who post here.

As Tom M. indicates, so uncluttered and yet, the score always seems to mount....

Cheers,

PS, Paul, you're right, the well traveled NAF should be - sadly - band going forward if the 11th is but "a passing memory"  

[NAF]

I knew I was going to get wrapped over the knuckles by the maestro for that one.  Truth be told, my passing memory was more than that. Upon hitting that tee shot, Jim and I ran into some lost hikers and wound up chatting with them and trying to explain how to get back to the clubhouse.  When it was all over I hit my 2 ft putt into the cup and was transformed by the awesome 12th.  Sometimes Ran, the New Yorker in me just lets things pass by.  It is a fault.

[Mike_Sweeney]

How far is RAF from London?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Royal Ashdown is probably no more than 30 miles south of London.  A few miles further south, near Uckfield, is Piltdown, another bunkerless course worthy of a visit.  There is another fine bunkerless course at Berkhamsted about 20 miles north west of London.  Annually, it hosts the Berkhamsted Trophy, one of the high spots of the amateur golf calendar. always attracting a high class field.  I can think of several other British courses without sand bunkers, but they are not quite at this level.  

You may like to make up an eclectic course consisting entirely of bunkerless holes.  Here are a few classics from the British Isles to set the ball rolling:

1st Royal Liverpool, 4th Rye, 5th Royal Worlington, 7th Royal Ashdown, 11th Ballybunion Old, 17th Wentworth West.  

Mark Rowlinson.