ISLE of PURBECK GC: 2018-19 Winter Tour

[Sean_A]

Situated on a high plateau nature reserve brimming with heather and gorse, Isle of Purbeck GC isn’t in fact on an island. The area is a peninsula in the County of Dorset with Swanage being the largest town south of Poole Harbour.  Very nearby is Corfe Castle which looms over the village of the same name. At one time, Enid Blyton, the famous children’s author who created The Famous Five among many classic literary series, owned the course and it wasn’t unusual to see her walking its fairways. Later, Harry Randolph of Wilkinson Sword fame owned the course, Studland and Corfe Castle; all which were eventually donated to the National Trust. It was during this time the course took its current shape with 5, 6 and 10-16 being built after 1966.  It is thought HJ Stutt and club member P Denness completed the changes.  While the club has long enjoyed an excellent reputation for its beauty, course conditions have not kept pace.  The 27 hole club is now leased by an American couple who have been improving the reputation of the courses by slowly improving conditions.

The opening trio strike many as slow going holes, but this wasn't my impression.  In keen conditions, the sharply downhill, sloping right approach to first green is quite tricky to decipher. 


#2 may strike not one as a moorland/heathland type hole, but its qualities are readily apparent. 


I will, however, concede the third is of no consequence.  The long, uphill 4th is a powerful short hole which required driver on the day.


More to follow.

Ciao

[Peter Pallotta]

Sean, a question (that applies to many courses you've profiled besides this one):
Who plays Purbeck?
I mean: is it (almost) strictly a course for locals, living with 20 kms or so? Or are there in England many more Sean Arble types than I realize, winter-tour-travelling golfers who enjoy trying new courses quite frequently? In other words: with so many high quality (and affordable) members/private courses to choose from and play dotting all parts of England, who is playing a course like this one with any regularity?
P

[Sam Krume]

Peter,In response I do think they get quite a bit of visitor play, being bunched in with Parkstone, Broadstone etc. I think the Bournemouth golf trips are quite big for the tour operators here in the UK, easy to get too and good value. There are a group of 8 of us who play IOP and others in the area at least once a year. Travelling to the region from Surrey in just over an hour makes it a great weekend/short trip away. Much love here for IOP.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Sadly haven’t played but have visited. 


Are you saving the porn shot for last?

[James Reader]

Looking forward to reading what you think of the 5th. Perhaps not the best hole I played for the first time last year but certainly one of the most memorable.

[Pete_Pittock]

The other PP,
If it is in the Confidential Guide, they will come.  I played about 20 years ago. Had played a number of days in the Deal area and was headed to Cornwall. The area of the course was a good layover on the drive, paired with visiting HMS Victory. Only shot is remember was on 13. When confronted with the downhill to a crossing creek I said to playing companions "I didn't come all this way to lay up", and proceeded to bounce one across a bridge,

[Mark_Rowlinson]

England isn't a big country and playing places like Isle of Purbeck from a base in the north of England isn't that big a deal. You get to play Ferndown, Broadstone, Parkstone within a very few miles and there are lots of others further along the south coast that rarely get mentioned. They are not category one courses but they are all in that wonderful second division of hundreds of more than worthy British courses worth a visit if you are in the area. Green fees are comparatively higher than they used to be when I played these places in the 70s, 80s and 90s, but they are still pretty good value.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Looking forward to reading what you think of the 5th. Perhaps not the best hole I played for the first time last year but certainly one of the most memorable.

If that's the one I'm thinking off, I first saw it in a magazine in the early 1980s when I first got into golf architecture and have never forgotten (well almost, I think the tee was high up and the hole dog-legged - not sure if left or right) it.

[Sean_A]

Pietro

Sam is right. Purbeck caters to visitors with its open play policy on weekends.  The price is also right for a guy just taking a day to play golf while on holiday in the area.

Isle of Purbeck Cont.

The opening four holes in no way prepared me for what comes at the 5th.  We now enter the Agglestone Studland Heath where the terrain suddenly becomes sandy and scrubby.  The views over Poole Bay and Harbour are quite a treat as well.  On a high tee, one hits blindy over heather and gorse to the landing zone.  It would seem the club was a bit more thoughtful about the bunker integration because the entire hole visually and physically works.....very, very well.  This is why we have come to Purbeck!






The uphill approach is made far easier by challenging the troublesome right side of the fairway.


Not to be outdone, the three-shot 6th too is an excellent hole.  Shaped like a banana, it pays to keep left in the hopes of avoiding a blind carry. 


Perhaps overly sentimental, but I like it.


Many will be able to reach the green in two, but the risks are high. Below is the uphill approach after a layup.


Looking back to the tee. The cut in on the right is a nifty feature.


We exit the heathland area as abruptly as we entered it.  The next hole plays over wet terrain, it almost feels like recovered swamp.


The 8th offers a curious view from the tee.  One can play as far right as desired, but a push may see the ball disappear.

 
After playing Barton on Sea's 7th the previous day I wasn't expecting to encounter any gargantuan holes for a spell.  However, upon rounding the corner it became clear this hole is not a diminutive par 5.  Playing all uphill for the approach, I could now see why cheating right on the drive would help ease the pain of this 594 yard hole. The one positive is the hole is so long we come back to the heath!  None of us could make out the green. Visually it seemed like the green should run back to front right, yet it ran front to back left.


More to follow.

Ciao

[Mike Sweeney]

Sean,


Do you have your Winter Tours and other indexed on a page that we can bookmark? Holes 5 and 6 are just amazing and England is the last place that topography suggest as an infrequent visitor. I have never seen that area, so thanks for posting.

[Sean_A]

Sean,

Do you have your Winter Tours and other indexed on a page that we can bookmark? Holes 5 and 6 are just amazing and England is the last place that topography suggest as an infrequent visitor. I have never seen that area, so thanks for posting.

Mike

Ran collected my tours on a page in the Best of Golf Section.

Purbeck Tour Cont

Amongst wild country again, we face a short hole whose nature is difficult to discern from the tee.  Many of the greens at Isle of Purbeck run away from play as is the case on this hole. The hole feels quite tight on the tee, but the green is fairly generous.


The long par 4 tenth is a purely execution hole as aside from its natural beauty its straight-forward.


Another short hole, the 11th features a vicious reverse two-tier green. There is a great view waiting to be opened up!


More to follow.

Ciao

[Rob McGuirk]

Sean we played Purbeck about 8 years ago and its a fun course. The only issue was the conditioning with rabbit holes all over the fairways and on the greens surrounds....has this improved?

[Thomas Dai]

Is the course a hilly one to walk?
Atb

[Sean_A]

Rob

I found Purbeck to be in reasonable condition.

ATB

The walk is certainly less hilly than at Welshpool or Cleeve Cloud.

ISLE OF PURBECK Tour Cont

An odd hole, the 12th plays over a narrow knob of a fairway which slides right.  I don't think the landing zone is half the size it should be.  The approach runs blindly over a brow to a green sitting below.  This hole didn't make much of an impression on me.  Playing  much longer than intended due to the contrary wind, nobody could come close to reaching the 13th's crossing stream.  Once in range, the green sits atop a plateau ramped with a steep rise.


Coming straight back on ourselves, the 14th is probably a bit more artistic than the 13th, but no better for it.


The texture of the property is very evident on the short 15th.   


More to folllow.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

Isle of Purbeck Tour Cont

The 16th is a less severe version of the 12th.  Purbeck does suffer from aesthetically indifferent bunkering, but this amatuerish pit is well placed for the wind on the day.  The entire shape of the hole suggests right to left play and a low slinger around the bunker will likely find the putting surface.


Turning for home, the 17th is a good hole with a plateau green.  A missed approach right will lead to all sorts of difficulty. The green is another of interest with a subtle crown in its middle.


Playing over wetter ground, the short par four 18th is a good hole. The small green is a tough target with wind about.


We all assumed this was meant to be a Noddyish statue which indicates winter rules are in play. 


There is a lot to like about Purbeck.  The site is alluringly rustic and there is the All-England 5th.  The par threes are very good and well varied, although the 11th could do with a good tree removal.  A large percentage of the remaining holes are good, solid design without being distinctive.  For me, it adds up to a keeper and I hope to return someday. 2019

Previous 2018-19 Winter Tour visits

Barton on Sea
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,66997.0.html

Stoneham
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,30823.0.html

Droitwich
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,25590.msg475757.html#msg475757

Alnmouth Village
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,65709.msg1599230.html#msg1599230

Seahouses back 9
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,66839.msg1597646.html#msg1597646

Walton Heath Old
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,61415.msg1460548.html#msg1460548

Reigate Heath
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,64197.0.html

Hallamshire
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,66568.0.html

Cleeve Cloud
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49796.0.html

Saunton East
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,51415.0.html

Saunton West
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,66490.msg1587657.html#msg1587657

Aberdovey
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,43564.0.html

Westward Ho!
www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,66480.0.html

Planned Stops

Castlerock Bann 9

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

Thanks for the tour Sean.
Although I didn’t actually play I do recall standing outside the Clubhouse and being rather taken with what lay before me. One of the best Clubhouse views around.
As you say, there does appear a lot to like about the course. Would it be fair to say though, that the bunkering is a bit erratic with some being pretty bland but others rather cool? There also appears to be a couple of wet areas. Are they significant? As to the often highlighted 5th, even without its wonderful aspect and view it would seem to be an excellent hole.
I imagine the course will play really firm and fast and bouncy when it dries out a bit.
Atb

[John Mayhugh]

Thanks for this tour. Just what I needed - another on the "want to see" list.

That 5th green site looks wonderful.

[Sean_A]

Thanks for the tour Sean.
Although I didn’t actually play I do recall standing outside the Clubhouse and being rather taken with what lay before me. One of the best Clubhouse views around.
As you say, there does appear a lot to like about the course. Would it be fair to say though, that the bunkering is a bit erratic with some being pretty bland but others rather cool? There also appears to be a couple of wet areas. Are they significant? As to the often highlighted 5th, even without its wonderful aspect and view it would seem to be an excellent hole.
I imagine the course will play really firm and fast and bouncy when it dries out a bit.
Atb

ATB

For sure the bunkering is hit and miss and at times compromises a lovely setting. 

There are a few wet areas.  I can only assume they dry out quite well in summer because they were quite playable at this time of the year.

Ciao