Your best eclectic 18 holes from lesser known / lower ranked courses

[Ed Tilley]

During a quiet period over Xmas I started to put together a list of the best 18 holes that I’d played. I soon got bored as we can all put together a list with 1. Machrihanish, 3 RCD, 11 Ballybunion etc… I then started to put together a list from non top 100 courses which was much more interesting. Criteria for me was England and Wales only (I’ve barely played any non “big” courses in Scotland / Ireland), non top 100 per the top100golfcourse.co.uk site, 1 hole per course only, no set number of 3s, 4s etc. and no real thought for routing – I currently finished with a par 3 for example. Emphasis is on fun, and, where possible, scenery.  Obviously your criteria may be different from mine! I have sort of arrived at a list – although later holes still might change. I was umming and ahhing about whether anyone would be interested but I thought I’d post anyway. I know Sean has done something very similar in the Best of Golf section – I looked at his after I’d finalised my list – we only have one hole the same although we both have a different hole from Perranporth. First 6 below:  

1st – Saunton West 343 yards par 4 (Devon, SW England)

I always like a nice gentle start. This is only an iron and a flick but the green site is very attractive and there’s enough trouble to make you wary.










2nd - Huntercombe 429 yards par 4 (The great county of Oxfordshire, SE England)

I’m no massive fan of Huntercombe – a comment likely to get me expelled from this site. However, the course and holes just seems too claustrophobic to me. My game is not straight enough to really enjoy a round there. However, the 2nd is an absolute cracker – one of the very few holes with a real sense of space. Beautiful views and the most natural of hazards.








3rd - Tenby 381 yards par 4 (Pembrokeshire, SW Wales)

Into the beautiful part of the world that is Pembrokeshire. Only 381 yards but stroke index 1 which gives an indication of the difficulty of the hole, particularly the green which slopes severely from back to front. A lovely hole curving from left to right through dunes and over rolling ground.







4th - Ilfracombe 75 yards par 3 (Devon, SW England)

No that is not a typo. This really is only 75 yards from the tips. Unfortunately, I only have very small photos of this hole which don’t show what a tricky little blighter this is. Ilfracombe is an exposed cliff top course which is normally very windy. This hole has a big grassy pit in front of the hole with a grassy bank at the back. The green sits between the two. It is wide but only a few paces deep making judgement of distance vital – not the easiest task in breezy conditions despite the length of shot. A smaller scale, in every way, version of the 13th at Tralee.






5th - Isle of Purbeck 404 yards par 4 (Dorset, SW England)

I initially had the 5th at Beau Desert in my list but soon realised there was no way I could leave this hole out. One of the most scenic holes in Britain, overlooking both Poole harbour and a sea of undulating gorse and heather that should get any self respecting architect excited. The main thought that occurs is why more of the course was not buit on land like this as there was clearly plenty available. A wonderful natural hole.














6th – Windermere 351 yards par 4 (Cumbria, NW England)

Lovely Windermere in the Lake District, arguably the most beautiful part of Britain. The course is short, natural (not a single bunker), undulating, and a lot of fun. The 6th is the most difficult hole on the course. An intimidating blind drive over all manner of trouble, although there is a bit more room than there looks – not difficult as there doesn’t look like there is any room. The second, if you can find the fairway, is much more straightforward and to a raised green.





I’ll post more later.

[Garland Bayley]

I would have put the 4th from Tenby in, instead of the 3rd.

[Ed Tilley]

I would have put the 4th from Tenby in, instead of the 3rd.

The 4th at Tenby was on my shortlist - but I couldn't have both and the 3rd fitted better with other selections.

[Ed Tilley]

7th - Westward Ho! 400 yd par 4 (Devon SW England)

 

A much discussed course on here. 7 is not one of the more famous holes on the course but I love the open drive followed by turning left to a beautifully sited green over the rushes.

 



 



 



 



 



 



 

 

8th - The Oxfordshire 341 yard par 4. (Oxfordshire SE England)

 

Having risked expulsion from the site with comments about Huntercombe, it is almost inevitable with inclusion of this hole from the Oxfordshire. An early 90s Rees Jones design this really could be in Florida rather than Oxfordshire. However, if you can't enjoy the 8th then you really are a bit of a golf snob - and I'm sure there aren't any of those on this site. An iron up the fairway followed by a hugely fun approach with water on 3 sides. My only problem is this hole is called "Risk and Reward". However, the carry off the tee to the green is over 260 yards so not many are really going to take on the risk.

 



 

 

9th - Beau Desert 263 yd par 4 (Staffordshire, Central England)

 

The only hole my list shares with Sean Arble's. I love a good short par 4 - I'd have 3 or 4 on every course. This one is a real cracker with plenty of trouble for the wayward aggressive shot.

 













 

10th - Mullion 384 yard par 4 (Cornwall, SW England)

 

3 consecutive holes in Cornwall, working gradually up the county. Mullion is the southernmost course on the British mainland being less than 10 miles from Lizard point. It is a great favourite of mine as we used to spend a week nearby on the Helford river every April when I was younger. Mullion has a handful of excellent holes and is in a beautiful spot. The pick of the holes are the tough 7th and the incredibly scenic 10th. A long iron to the top of the hill leaves an exciting approach to a green with a sheer drop off to the beach right.

 



 



 



 

 

 

11th West Cornwall 362 yard par 4



I do love an approach shot to a green only partially visible through a gap in the dunes. The 5th at Royal St.Georges is possibly the most famous but the 11th at West Cornwall is a fine example and an excellent hole.

 



 



 

 

12th Perranporth 317 yard par 4



I bow to no man in my love for Perranporth! Frankly there were at least 5 holes I considered putting in this list. The 12th gets the nod partially because it allowed me to choose other good holes in the 18 but mostly as it is a fantastic short par 4. Driveable, but real possibilities of losing a ball. The pictures don't show the true extent of the dip in the fairway. Needless to say the views are amazing.





 



 



 



[/quote]

[Garland Bayley]

Interestingly you choose one website member's most hated hole on the face of the earth. 

I like the 12th too. Nearly birdied it the only time I played it on my own ball.

[Ryan Coles]

Good stuff Ed. Nice to see a bit of SW bias.

I forgive you for including Perranporth. Just spent another 15 minutes looking at the approach to the green, fruitlessly trying to comprehend a solution.

Mullion looks like it could be the last of the hidden gems. How does it compare to Thurlestone, Ed?

I don't understand why some on here don't like the Oxfordshire. Nit pick at the Berkshire and Sunningdale for being tree lined. Well folks, Head to Thame, your tree-less heaven awaits. I'll catch you up.

[Garland Bayley]

...
I forgive you for including Perranporth. Just spent another 15 minutes looking at the approach to the green, fruitlessly trying to comprehend a solution.
...

My handicap runs about 20 or so. I have played the hole twice. Once was greensomes, and I didn't get to hit the approach. The second time on my own ball I ran it on to 12 feet or so. Can't quite understand your difficulty.

[Duncan Cheslett]

I would have put the 4th from Tenby in, instead of the 3rd.

Nah.

The 4th is pure quirk, with blind tee shot followed by blind approach.

The 3rd is pure class.

Ed, I take it that the classic 13th at Reddish Vale is a shoo-in as your next choice?   

[Tony_Muldoon]

One of the most Joyous threads for a long time. Great presnetation thank you Ed.

I love all the ones I've played and the first 3 get you off to a cracking start.

Tell me more about Ilfracombe. North Devon is on the short list for a GCA visit in March 2016, would this gang enjoy the whole course?

Interestingly Purbeck and that area is also on the short ist of 3. See if you pick the other area.

One could question if Huntercombe and Westward Ho are lesser known, but hey it's your rules.

The card is looking eccentric. Only one par 3 and all the longer Par 4's playing downhill, I think you need a mixed up finish with a few bangers in there.


Mostly though I applaud the choice from the Oxfordshire. I haven't played there but I can see you like a fun hole and you've just picked another. 

Paul: The Oxfordshire has a reputation for the least natural course imposed on the British Landscape.  Comments along the lines of - like the Manitobe, should only exist in Florida.   I have turned down an invitation but I know many like it and I think its because it looks like a course off the telly.  Ed's choice has made me more likely to accept if I'm ever assked again.

[Ed Tilley]

Good stuff Ed. Nice to see a bit of SW bias.

I forgive you for including Perranporth. Just spent another 15 minutes looking at the approach to the green, fruitlessly trying to comprehend a solution.

Mullion looks like it could be the last of the hidden gems. How does it compare to Thurlestone, Ed?

I don't understand why some on here don't like the Oxfordshire. Nit pick at the Berkshire and Sunningdale for being tree lined. Well folks, Head to Thame, your tree-less heaven awaits. I'll catch you up.

At Perranporth you've just got to accept the madness and enjoy the ride. Completely unfair but who cares - an exhilarating place. I could have put in 2,4,5,6,12,13,14,16. Are any of those "great" golf holes - probably not. Are they great fun - definitely.

I have only seen some of the holes at Thurlestone, albeit probably the best ones. However nothing I saw there would tempt me to play it instead of Mullion. Mullion is a much more natural course. It really is the only course I know of  that is well worth playing but hardly known on here. It is at least as good as West Cornwall in my eyes. A long way down though.

[Adam Lawrence]

WOW! at that hole from Purbeck. How have I not seen that before? Must get there pronto.

Ed, your comments on Huntercombe are interesting. I am also crooked as crooked can be, but I love the place (it is true that I have always seemed to play well there) and haven't ever found it too claustrophobic. The tee shot on the sixth scares me, but that's because of the road. Like you, I love the second - though I don't know if I could call the ditch a natural hazard!

[Thomas Dai]

Very nice Ed. Some most interesting selections. I go along with the 3rd over the 4th at Tenby, good as the 4th is. That's an damn fine looking hole from Mullion. Is the course worth travelling to play or just one to add on if you're already in the area?

The interesting selection (so far) for me is the 9th at Beau Desert, a course I like very much.

This hole to me doesn't quite work these days. I'm sure it did once upon a time but now few players really challenge the green from the whites, and all my play has been from the whites, so a 2-putt birdie or a complete screw-up treble etc from missing the green in an awkward spot is much less likely.

Seems like every time I've played the hole the players in front, my group and the players behind all seem to end up with a 60-10 yd pitch from a severe upslope to a semi-blind or even totally blind green.

There's not much variety in the outcome from the tee. Not enough risk and with the severe uphill landing area not much hope for reward by bouncing a tee shot up to the green either. I'd like to see the hole play to a shorter yardage, so more folk can potentially take the green on, possibly make a 2-putt birdie but also have the significant risk element re-introduced as theses days I'm not sure there's a risk element.

Good thread though.

Looking forward to seeing your remaining hole selections.

Atb

[Ed Tilley]

One of the most Joyous threads for a long time. Great presnetation thank you Ed.

I love all the ones I've played and the first 3 get you off to a cracking start.

Tell me more about Ilfracombe. North Devon is on the short list for a GCA visit in March 2016, would this gang enjoy the whole course?

Interestingly Purbeck and that area is also on the short ist of 3. See if you pick the other area.

One could question if Huntercombe and Westward Ho are lesser known, but hey it's your rules.

The card is looking eccentric. Only one par 3 and all the longer Par 4's playing downhill, I think you need a mixed up finish with a few bangers in there.


Mostly though I applaud the choice from the Oxfordshire. I haven't played there but I can see you like a fun hole and you've just picked another. 

Paul: The Oxfordshire has a reputation for the least natural course imposed on the British Landscape.  Comments along the lines of - like the Manitobe, should only exist in Florida.   I have turned down an invitation but I know many like it and I think its because it looks like a course off the telly.  Ed's choice has made me more likely to accept if I'm ever assked again.

Hi Tony,

Ilfracombe could best be described as cheap and cheerful. It is very up and down but only a few interesting holes. The 4th impressed me greatly because I looked at the card and thought it would be a joke. However, in the wind it plays harder than all the other 3s on the course. The course is certainly not in the same league as Saunton or RND - however it is much more scenic than either. If you want a bit of fun in a lovely setting then go for it.

I've got 2 3s and a 5 to come (in the last 3 holes!), and a long hole that I think you will appreciate very much, albeit downhill. I was very close to including the 12th at Pyle & Kenfig to get another 3 but went against it in the end.

With regard to Mullion, I wouldn't recommend a trip down exclusively to play it. It is a long way down - 90 minutes or so from St.Enodoc and an hour from Perranporth. However, if you're down in West Cornwall it is definitely worth seeing. A real lovely spot and course.

Ed

[Tom Kelly]

I think The Oxfordshire is better than alot of GCA folk would expect. Yes the greens were perhaps abit too receptive though not soft under foot, you could really stop a ball with a well struck shot but I've never played an inland course that is so effected by the wind and there are some really fun/tough holes there. It could beat you up on the wrong day but I thoroughly enjoyed the few round I've played there.

8, 10, 15 and 17 all stick in my mind.

[Ed Tilley]

The final 6. Difficult to get good pictures for some of these I'm afraid. Interestingly (to me!), 13 and 14 were the only holes that went straight in and never changed. Must be the Welsh in me coming through.

13th – Nefyn & District 405 yards par 4 (Gwynedd, NW Wales)

One of the most spectacular holes in golf. AN absolutely exhilarating tee shot. Bite off as much as you dare. You can bail out safely right but this obviously leaves a much longer and more difficult approach. Scenically it doesn’t get much better in golf than this spot. For me personally it also brings back fond memories as we spent holidays there 5 years in a row when my girls were small.












14th – Clwb Golff Aberteifi 452 yards par 4 (Cardigan golf club, Ceridigion, W Wales)

Cardigan golf club lies at Gwbert on the Ceridigion / Pembrokeshire border in west Wales – the other side of the estuary is Pembrokeshire. A thoroughly enjoyable and natural place, this is the stand out hole and is a beautiful beast. A massive drop from the tee means your ball stays in the air forever against an amazing backdrop. A very tight drive with gorse left and OOB right. The second shot continues downhill (usually into the wind) and opens up compared to the drive. Tough but exhilarating.






15th – Frilford Heath (Green) 410 yards par 4 (Oxfordshire, SE England)

Frilford Heath near Abingdon in Oxfordshire is the club I grew up at – and I hopefully will shortly be a member at again. There are 3 courses with the Green being the shortest and, in my opinion, the best. The 15th is a lovely hole. It has tall trees and OOB all the way down the left of the hole. There is plenty of room right but the green, and particularly the bunker short and right, rewards an approach from the left half of the fairway. The approach can be very difficult to judge, particularly in firm conditions, due to the “bump” short of the green. A tough 4 despite the only medium length.

 

 


16th – Fulford Heath 167 yards par 3 (Worcestershire, Central England)

Only two letters different from the 15th but a very different hole. An intimidating tee shot over a large pond through mature trees to a green well above the tee shot. There’s actually a lot more room than appears from the tee but this is an excellent mid length par 3. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any decent photos.




17th – Falmouth 526 yards par 5 (Cornwall, SW England)

Back to Cornwall again for the only par 5 on my course. Falmouth is a clifftop course and, in truth, is pretty average. It does have wonderful views, however, and the 17th is a cracker. It measures 526 yards to a sloping fairway from left to right, with the last 150 yards playing uphill to a raised green with trouble aplenty around.






18th – Rolls of Monmouth 226 yards par 3 (Monmouthshire, SE Wales)

A Rolls-Royce finish to the round. Literally, as the manor house is the former home of Charles Stewart Rolls, co-founder of Rolls-Royce. A par 3 finish is not ideal but this requires a long well struck shot over water with the Manor House as a fantastic backdrop. A 3 is always nice to write on the card on this hole.






So there we have it. The routing is not ideal – 14 par 4s in the first 15 holes but I think it would certainly be fun.

[jeffwarne]

Fantastic stuff Ed

[Thomas Dai]

Six more fine ones Ed.

I was pondering the 18th at Rolls of Monmouth for Ally's modern water holes thread. A fine hole and a fine course too, for a modern! Nice the way the grass is cut to fairway length short of the stream so that lesser players can lay-up if they wish - unusual to see this on a 'par-3'. Pretty slopey green too, not too easy to make an up-n-down par-3 if you go long. The 16th at Fulford has I recall a very nice-evil green. There are some other fine holes there, the  par-5 10th comes to mind with it's raised and ridged cracking green. 15 at Frilford Green, my favourite Frilford course too, plays quite awkward, what with that nice little 'bump' you mention and downslope at the front of the green. Little 'bumps' like this are rather nice,  simple features but effective. An understated hole on initial appearance, one that it would be easy to be overly casual about.....until you take a 5 not a 4! Nefyn in the North gets most photos for scenic Welsh golf but Cardigan shows how lovely the West Wales coastline can be - the courses at St David's City and Newport Links, the Original Braid-9 - also highlight this.

You've put a lot of effort into this thread. Well done and thanks for sharing.

Atb

[Tony_Muldoon]

Front    2987 par 35
Back      3249 par 35
Par 70   6236yards

11 par 4’s in a row. Some kid of record!

Looks fun and third on the short list North Wales, might include Nefyn. So extra points for the hat trick.

If the oil price keeps falling I’ll go halfers with you on a helicopter for a day?


edit see below.

[Ed Tilley]

I did say at the start I was ignoring routing issues I did think about putting in 12 at P&K and replacing 2 at Huntercombe with 2 at Perranporth - I would be simply unacceptable to me to have no holes from Perranporth on this list! That would add an extra 5 and an extra 3 and break up the run of 4s.

BTW - I think it is par 35 on the back - 2 x 3s and 1 x 5. I'm not going to check your yardage addition! A very definite South West bias on this course - largely because it's easy to get to from Oxford and so that's where I've played most.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Fascinating - an interesting subject and some fun holes. Thank you.

[Garland Bayley]

I would have put the 4th from Tenby in, instead of the 3rd.

...
The 4th is pure quirk, with blind tee shot followed by blind approach.
The tee shot certainly was not blind for me. I suppose if you hit it monstrous distances and can reach the valley, it would be blind. It seems to me that if you can hit it those distances, you have a very strategic choice to make. Lay back with the tee shot so the second is not a big up and over, or hit it as far as possible so the second is a shorter shot. But, then is the second really shorter in that case? Are you trying to carry it to the green in that case?
The 3rd is pure class.
Except that with the wind that was there when I played the first day, the green was too steep to keep balls from rolling off. Kind of goofy golf class.
...

[J Sadowsky]

Saunton West and Westward Ho, the lower half of Golf Monthly's UK & Ireland’s Top 100 Golf Courses 2015/16.  You must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel here!