The Addington - English Parkland II

[Craig Disher]

I expected to be a little put off by the Addington after hearing that maintenance was often left to chance and that the management could be a little quirky. There was no reason to worry. It's worth visiting as much as Ashdown Forest.

The very short (135 yards) 11th. The edged bunkers and flashed sand are typical.



The par 3 13th at 230 yards.



Bunkers 30 yards short of the 18th green with the clubhouse and pro shop (completely empty) behind.

[Mike_Sweeney]

I have always been intriged by this course since Paul Turner's comparison to Yale. Thanks for the pictures.

[RT]

Craig,

Thanks for these summertime pics.  The maintenance question ballon has to some degree been much overblown to the detriment of the architectual qualities-routing of this very 'unique' Surrey-greater London based golf course.

RT

[Scott_Burroughs]

For an aerial view of The Addington, here's the link to the AOTD #312 thread:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=913

[Dan Grossman]

Craig,

I have been intrigued by the Addington ever since I got
my copy of Doak's Confidential Guide where he lists it
in the Gourmet's Choices.  Everything else I have read is
always very complimentary.  Are there specific things which
you really liked about the Addington on which you can elaborate?

[Craig Disher]

Dan,
Setting aside the golf, I enjoyed the walk-in-the-park sensation. The holes wind through English arcadia. The woods are a mixture of mature birch, oak, ash with the forest floor covered with bracken. It would be a wonderful walk in and of itself and probably glorious in the fall.

The holes have great variety and I enjoyed the surprise every time I went to the next tee or over the next hill. The hazards (and the patches of heather - which are worse than the sand bunkers) were not numerous but efficiently placed. I did play the course when it was forgiving - the rough was almost non-existent, the fairways were rock-hard and the greens were relatively soft. But fashioning shots as one would on a links was fun. There are substantial elevation changes and deep ravines everywhere on the course so where the ball would go after it landed was always a concern.

I didn't much like the short par 3 starter but the rest of the holes were keepers. Even the 14th, one of the weaker holes, opens to a spectacular view of London some 10-15 miles away. The 12th and 13th (following the tiny 11th) are just great holes. After feathering a wedge on the 11th, I had to blast 3 shots, the last 2 over huge ravines, to get near the greens on 12 and 13. I thought it was a great arrangement of holes.

The clubhouse, very comfortable inside with good views of the 2nd hole, looks like a road works warehouse from the street. Just a long, low brick building with absolutely no character. I thought it added to the charm and made a statement about the Addington - it's a GOLF club.

One beef - there is no drinking water anywhere on the course. I played on a hot day and finished my bottle of water about 4 holes into the round. I'm fit enough to survive but others may have problems on a warm day.

[Ran Morrissett]

Dan,

The Addington's appeal for me lies in the strength of its holes. Though I'm sure it must have some, the 1st holds little interest. However, after that, hole after hole after hole all the way home is very good (2nd, 3rd, 4th) to unique as they play around/over ravines (7th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 16th, 17th) to all-world (13th) with no weakness or let up. The 18th may be considered a conventional golf hole as its over the only flat bit of property but thanks to Abercromby's routing over the rest of the ruggged property, holes 2 through 17 laser themselves into one's memory bank forever.

Hole for hole, there are very few inland courses (15 or less) in the world that can stack up with The Addington.

Cheers,

[Dan Grossman]

Thanks Craig and Ran.  Very helpful.  

[Paul_Turner]

Ran, please do good by old Aber and write up a profile on his beloved Addington (use Craig's fine pics).  

Not sure if I was the first to liken the course to Yale (might have been Darren K), but the similarities are in the severe terrain, lack of fairway bunkers and scruffy maintenance.

One aspect that's often overlooked at Addington, are the interesting greens.  There's plenty of contour in them and they fit the course perfectly.

Anyone played Coombe Hill?  Another Aber design.

PS Tom MacWood has an article by Darwin that states that Colt was involved  in the design.  But it's difficult to detail because the clubhouse burned down in the '50s

[James Edwards]

I think a high fade is in order at 13, don't you think?  I can't see those bunkers on the left catching many shots, with the firm first bounce.

Interestingly all 3 holes have different styles of bunkering.

[Paul_Turner]

The bunkers on the left at the 13th have been spoiled, from a visual perspective, I'm sure the sand was splashed much higher up when Aber designed the course.  But it doesn't matter too much because they're saving bunkers: if you pull your shot, pray that you end up in 'em.   The bunkers on the 18th are great; these and the super green, make the hole.

[Darren_Kilfara]

The Addington is a golf experience which I can safely say is unlike any other in the world. The golf course itself is unique and quite excellent - Ran, I don't know why you're so down on the first, which would be a fine uphill par 3 anywhere else on the course except as an opener - but above and beyond that, the place reeks of antiquity, like your grandfather's drawing room. The clubhouse is an amazing place which seems to be stuck in a 1950s time-warp; the old bat who runs the property keeps her peacocks on club grounds, where they can often be seen strutting around the parking lot or the grass next to it; and as Paul mentions, the maintenance practice of the club takes you back to, shall we say, a more primitive age. For some reason, both times I've played The Addington, it's felt as though I've snuck onto the course while it's been closed. All of which is my way of saying: get thee to The Addington. It's worth seeing, in more ways than one. (Or two or three.)

James, if you've got a 220-yard high fade in your bag, more power to you, because that's roughly how long the 13th hole is. You're right, it does set up more nicely for a fade, but it's not THAT easy...

Cheers,
Darren

[James Edwards]

Darren,

I most definately do not (underlined) have the 220 yard soft high fade in my bag.  

When we play Macrihanish (and Machrie if you can join me hopefully) in October together, you will see my pull in all it's glory - hopefully not off your wonderful 1st hole.  

Paul,

I agree, I can imagine the sand alot higher like the 11th and posing a much more severe challenge to find the green.