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Tom Kelly

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Newbury - Newbury & Crookham GC Photo Tour
« on: August 24, 2014, 06:47:31 AM »
I'm planning to play a quick Saturday afternoon round with a friend somewhere near to Newbury in a few weeks/months time. I wanted to take him somewhere decent that has some architectural merit but doesn't break the bank. I had been thinking of courses in the area bounded by Reading, Newbury and Oxford but I don't really know the area too well so was hoping somebody would come up with a few recommendations?

Huntercombe had sprung immediately to mind but at £65 a round on a weekend I think my mate flinch abit....I was thinking under £50 would be a good start.

Cheers

Tom


EDIT - PHOTO TOUR STARTED ON REPLY #12
« Last Edit: October 01, 2014, 10:47:48 AM by Tom Kelly »

Adrian_Stiff

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2014, 10:33:53 AM »
We are currently building a new course 4 miles from Huntercombe, its 36 holes and we are re-doing a nine each year. The other 27 are dogruff, but for your interest you might enjoy playing and looking at the new bits we are doing not sure about your friend.

The Players Club is only 35 minutes from the Newbury junction,( junct 18 of the M4) we got two courses the Codrington and Stranahan. If you wanted to treat your friend I can courtesy you both.

Adrian
A combination of whats good for golf and good for turf.
The Players Club, Cumberwell Park, The Kendleshire, Oake Manor, Dainton Park, Forest Hills, Erlestoke, St Cleres.
www.theplayersgolfclub.com

Paul Dolton

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2014, 11:39:06 AM »
Hi Tom Oxford golf club isn't too expensive but may be busy. It's good ( used to be Southfied ).   It's a Colt and Braid influenced course.                                                                                Hi Adrian where is this new course. Sounds interesting. What is the set up of the club?

Thomas Dai

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2014, 11:48:50 AM »

Hi Adrian where is this new course. Sounds interesting. What is the set up of the club?


I was wondering this too. I did notice on a sat-map a development a couple of miles SE of Huntercombe. Would that be it?

atb

Adrian_Stiff

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2014, 12:38:51 PM »
Yes South East of Huntercombe. Greys Green its called. Its 1x 18 hole course (red) 1x 9 hole (blue) 1x 9 hole (white) all par 3 holes.
Currently we are rebuilding the back nine of the red using all the same corridors, front nine of the red we are changing a few directions.
Will be about 6800 yards when its done, Blue nine will be about 3100 yards so it could play as an interchangeable 27. White nine probably still par threes though a few are up to 250.
I expect Ben will post some pics at some stage, though construction pics never look great.
It will be both a membership club and pay and play, it has a nice practice range, but will not have a clubhouse, just a cabin to pay, buy a cup of tea, bacon sandwich etc.
A combination of whats good for golf and good for turf.
The Players Club, Cumberwell Park, The Kendleshire, Oake Manor, Dainton Park, Forest Hills, Erlestoke, St Cleres.
www.theplayersgolfclub.com

Paul Gray

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2014, 12:46:23 PM »
I've never played it but, save for ridiculously gimmicky fairway lines, I've been told that Newbury and Crookham is quite pleasant.
In the places where golf cuts through pretension and elitism, it thrives and will continue to thrive because the simple virtues of the game and its attendant culture are allowed to be most apparent. - Tim Gavrich

Tom Kelly

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2014, 12:42:29 PM »
Thanks for all the info.

It turns out we are going to be abit squeezed for time so unfortunately I've going to have to turn down your very kind offer Adrian and go for something abit closer to Newbury but I will try to make it down to The Players Club sooner rather than later. Thanks again for the offer.

With time restraints in mind Newbury & Crookham looks like it might be the winner but I've also stumbled across Goring & Streatley Golf Club which isn't far away and is meant to be an old Harry Colt & J.H. Taylor course. It looks fairly plain from the website photos but there are glimpses of some nice features, does anybody know anything about it?

Mark_Rowlinson

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2014, 12:52:38 PM »
Tom,

Yes, I've played Goring and Streetly. So has Sean Arble, I think. He didn't like it, if I remember correctly. I found it rather fun. The start is a little intimidating, climbing steeply onto high ground, before enjoying some good views from that higher ground. You come back down to end the round quite speedily with the opportunity to take advantage of long hitting if you can bring it off, or much egg on face if you screw it up.


Sean_A

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2014, 06:21:57 PM »
As Adrian calls it, Boring & Beastley is okay.  I don't think its worth a drive, but as you are looking for price and a specific location above all else your choices are limited to this type of quality. There is, however, a small handful of really good holes. 

I don't know what the green fee is like for a weekend afternoon, but Frilford may also do.  There is also West Berkshire if you get stuck. 

I guess the original boundary of Oxford is out and thats a shame because I think Oxford is exactly what you are looking for. 

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Ed Tilley

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2014, 12:34:17 PM »
I have played Goring and Streatley on several occasions. I understand it is not everyone's cup of tea but I personally really enjoyed it. Bear in mind that there is a very, very steep hill that you have to negotiate. It is called cardiac hill by the members and they are not joking. Holes 3 and 4 go up steeply, a short par 4 and par 3 that are strong holes. Hole 17 comes straight down and is a bit of a silly hole as the hill is so steep - 250 yard wedge anyone?

Once you get up the top there are some interesting holes and I really enjoy the course - it is flat apart from the steep hill but there is plenty of movement and some great views.

Frilford Heath is too expensive unless you go for a twilight rate. I love Frilford as I was a member for years but they seem to be pricing themselves at a level several notches above the quality of the golf. The massive plus is that it has 3 courses so a 2 ball can be round in 3 hours on a weekend. Check which course is the 2 ball before you play - Red is the best, Green is short and charming, Blue is long and modern so you don't want to play this.

Oxford Golf Club (I struggle to call it this as everyone in Oxford still calls it Southfield Golf Club) is great value and has some very good holes. There's always been something about it that meant I never really appreciated it. Maybe it is that I was a member at Frilford and I always resented paying money to play a course when I was a member of a club with better courses nearby. Thinking about it that is unfair as it is a very enjoyable course with plenty of interest that won't break the bank. However, there are really bad roadworks in Oxford just off the south A34 junction which may effect your plans as this will take a while to get through.

In Newbury itself, Donnington Grove (not Donnington Valley which is rubbish) is a modern course. It was built by some Japanese who spent loads of money in the late 80's / early 90's before going bust. It has some nice holes and is enjoyable but it certainly isn't classic architecture.

I've played both Newbury and Crookham and West Berks in the early 90s when I worked in Newbury. I can remember hardly anything about either which possibly speaks volumes.

Personally, if I wanted to play a great value course within half an hour of Newbury, I would play at East Berkshire near Wokingham which I've played a couple of times and really enjoyed. Nice heathland course with some lovely holes but not the extortionate price tag.

Tom Kelly

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2014, 12:57:02 PM »
Thanks again for the help.

It turns out now we are going to be slightly south of Newbury so Oxford seems off the cards unfortunately. East Berkshire had crossed my mind but not sure yet.

Newbury & Crookham is leading the way at the moment if we can get a tee time based on convenience, cost and that it looks half decent.

Anyone got any reports of Tidworth Garrison? A small Colt course about 30 mins away near Andover.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2014, 12:58:53 PM by Tom Kelly »

Adrian_Stiff

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Re: Newbury Area Reccomendations?
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2014, 07:05:04 PM »
Goring is not so bad really. Boring and Beastly is the local nickname, I only played it once, maybe its the anticipation of a first time course you still enjoy the what's next. I quite liked the easy five at the end. It's a Doak 3 probably so certainly not the worst, but I cant say I remember much of the middle holes other than okay and an easy opener.

Newbury & Crookhan I have not played but heard good things same Tidworth, pretty sure its a Wiltshire course so must be on the Berks border. Donnington Grove looks nice for a newer course.
A combination of whats good for golf and good for turf.
The Players Club, Cumberwell Park, The Kendleshire, Oake Manor, Dainton Park, Forest Hills, Erlestoke, St Cleres.
www.theplayersgolfclub.com

Tom Kelly

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Re: Newbury Area - Newbury & Crookham Photo Tour
« Reply #12 on: October 01, 2014, 09:34:42 AM »
So after abit of deliberation (thanks for the input) due to location and cost last Saturday we ended up at Newbury & Crookham Golf Club on a fine sunny afternoon and had a great time. Here is a quick tour for those of you who may be interested;

Formed back in 1873 the club is one of the oldest inland clubs in the UK, though the present course was later laid out by JH Turner sometime whilst he was the pro at Frilford Heath GC between 1914 and 1952.  It is a fairly short course at just under 6000 yards par 69 set-out on a tight parcel of land next to Crookham/Greenham common. With a mix of heathland, woodland and downland characteristics the course plays on top of and around a hill overlooking Newbury racecourse and the golf course set inside it which is also run by the club. I haven’t seen Frilford Heath where I believe JH Turner did abit of tinkering but from N&CGC it’s obvious he knew abit about what he was doing. It’s not a world beater but with a few really nice little holes and well maintained, for the £30 I paid you really can’t go too wrong.

The club website has the course guide on it and some nice little drone video tours of each hole if you’re interested.

Course Plan


The 1st (387 yards – all distances from daily tees) plays along the top of the hill away from the clubhouse. A fairly straight forward par 4 with bunkers pinching the landing area on the right it’s a gentle opener. Then after nearly teeing off the 11th and 13th holes we eventually found the 2nd as we move into the woods and start to negotiate the hill.

Approach to the 2nd a driveable par 4 (274 yards) slightly doglegging from right to left around the hill and greenside bunkers with nice at-grade green that falls away from the player for the first 2/3 of the green, a common feature at N&CGC. It makes for a tricky chip into the green but the ground was firm and dry enough to run the ball in if desired.



Showing the slope of the green from the left side.



The 3rd (144 yards), one of their advertising favourites is a severe bunkerless drop shot par 3 getting across and down the steep hill quickly and effectively. It’s a pity the hillside obscures the view from most of the tees as it is a pleasant looking hole from further down.



A nice green sloping from back to front.



The inviting tee 4th tee shot (372 yards) asking you to challenge the right bunkers to open up the front to green which again like the 2nd slopes away from the player for the front half or so before rising back up slightly towards the back.



4th Green. The bunkering at N&CGC is really simple but attractive and I think a lot of mid-tier courses could take a leaf out of their book and achieve something similar with abit of work instead of the lifeless round blobs you see at so many places. Though there is still obvious room for improvement in a few places.



The 5th is a straightforward par 4 (348 yards) climbing straight back up the hill with the fairway split by a bank/ridge. The green is quite inventive as a split tier job. It does feel a little bit out of kilter with the rest of the greens though and may be a more recent addition. It also appears to suffer from drainage problems and was noticeably longer and slower than the rest.



The short and sweet 6th (119 yards).



A lovely little par 3 played across the side of the hill to a green benched into it. It’s a pity the sand line of the front bunker isn’t evident from the tee. The rumpled ground to the left can offer some interesting bounces into or away from the green.



The 7th (439 yards) is a fairly plain par 4 back down the hill, another inviting drive. The 8th (419 yards) then work it’s way back up and around the hill and is a seriously tough par 4. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was originally played a as par 5. The tee shot is restricted by trees either side, a sloped fairway and a ditch cutting across at around the 260ish mark.



Then the approach is steeply up and around the hill, impinged by the large tress on the left to a nice and simple at-grade back-to-front sloping affair. A nice par 5 but not sure that is works as a 4. A tough hole.





The 9th (171 yards) is a simple across the valley par 3. Could be spruced up abit with some new cutting lines or the addition of a feature or two to be a really attractive hole.



The 10th (329 yards) was probably my favourite hole on the course. A blind tee shot over a valley to the hilltop on the opposite side, which when reached bends to the right and offers you this great view. Anything too long runs down the opposite side of the hill into the rough so distance control from the tee is paramount. The trees adjacent to the tee and some small trees in the rough prevent you from cutting the corner too much, though I expect some bigger hitting locals aim up there in the hope of getting near the green. The green is beautifully placed into the slope and protected by some attractive hazards.





The 11th (341 yards) is another short-ish par 4, though this one is played along a ridge. A tighter drive than it first appears due to the humpback nature of the fairway leads to another attractively defended green. There are two more unseen bunkers down the left and what appears to be more old bunkers now grassed over to the rear, slightly Huntercombe-esq.



The 12th (280 yards), the third in a trilogy of short fours. One of the downsides to N&WGC is the profligacy of short fours, 5 being vaguely driveable by my count and three of them coming back to back from 10-12, though their variety keeps you interested. Colt-style angled cross bunkers splitting the fairway make you think twice on the tee.



The green is then guarded to by two nasty bunkers on the front flanks.



The 13th (483 yards) plays back across in front of the clubhouse alongside the 1st. It is the first of only two par 5’s both on the back nine. It is very reachable but longer hitters need to keep tight down the left side to avoid running into the trees. Playing to stay atop the hill before a huge valley/swale may be the sensible play.



Otherwise you are left with this view…



It is also worth thinking twice about where the flag/green actually is given both myself and my playing partner played towards the 18th flag by accident, not realising the 13th green was in fact to the left tucked in behind a large tree! The land splitting the two greens is nicely contoured.



The 14th (397 yards) is a solid mid par 4, though with the road running along it’s left side the trees have been left to grow to protect the boundary, impeding the drive and pushing what I assume to be many balls dangerously towards the 16th tees and 15th green. Tight drives down the left are rewarded with a better angle to the green around the bunkering.

The 15th (200 yards) is a stout par with some dead ground short of the green allowing a running approach if the distance is judged well.



16th, the last of the short fours turns left over a valley to a tight approach. Trees protecting the inside of the dogleg prevent the corner from being cut but block out any sight of the green. I’d like to see how the hole would play with the trees cut back and the slope that they would expose used as the hazard instead. Bunkering also protects the green from the tee’s angle.





17th (160 yards) The dreaded ‘signature’ hole is actually rather good. The shortest green to tee walk I’ve ever made leads to this view. The trees could do with being cut back on the left but the bunkering is nice and protects the angled green and the space short of it, creating abit of indecision about the length of shot required.



The road is disguised well from the back tees.



A simple green with some nice banking around it’s back edges.





The 18th (502 yards) completes the round with the longest hole on the course. A drive that again wants to hug the left side impeded by trees leads you to the brow of the hill where the view of what awaits you is revealed. As with 13, leaving your drive abit shorter on the top of the hill may work out best. I hit a great drive only to find myself down in the valley on the left with a restricted view…again.









All in all  a very decent little course. The multitude of short fours mean even the poorest round can be perked up by a birdie or two and make for an exciting challenge, whilst the variety keeps you on your toes. A really warm welcome from both the staff and the members helped too. I’d recommend stopping by if in the area and looking for a game.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2014, 12:35:01 PM by Tom Kelly »

Thomas Dai

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Re: Newbury - Newbury & Crookham GC Photo Tour
« Reply #13 on: October 01, 2014, 12:02:36 PM »
Thank you Tom. Some interesting stuff. I can see why you like the 10th. Firm and fast with no fairway irrigation. Chain saw generally needed?
atb

Tom Kelly

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Re: Newbury - Newbury & Crookham GC Photo Tour
« Reply #14 on: October 01, 2014, 12:12:35 PM »
They have fairway irrigation but not sure how much it is used, the course was playing fairly firm, if a little fluffy in places.

A chainsaw could be useful in a few spots, but overall it wasn't too bad.

Mark_Rowlinson

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Re: Newbury - Newbury & Crookham GC Photo Tour
« Reply #15 on: October 02, 2014, 11:05:30 AM »
Tom, Thank you very much for the tour and commentary.

Peter Pallotta

Re: Newbury - Newbury & Crookham GC Photo Tour
« Reply #16 on: October 02, 2014, 01:54:09 PM »
Thanks, Tom.

I'm reminded yet again that, to paraphrase, as a class the average English course serves its main functions better than any other class of course in the world.

Peter