We returned to Goswick for Sunday morning play, and then like that – Buda was over for another year. Participants headed home or elsewhere for more golf. Jason, Tony, & I headed back to Bamburgh for a quick look at Bamburgh Castle. And are we ever glad that we did.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,59502.msg1401735.html#msg1401735 Bamburgh Castle was better than the dumb blonde we were expecting. Or, maybe we all were just intoxicated by the setting. In the tour linked above, Malcom McKinnon described it as sporty, and I agree. If we had any doubts about the trip being worthwhile, they were gone soon enough.
Your first tee shot has to contend with the dinkie.
DSC01906 by
john mayhugh, on Flickr
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
By the time you hit the 2
nd tee and look around, you’re thinking this may be paradise.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
Views of the 2
nd green from the left are postcard worthy.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
A shelf on the left and fall-off on the right make hitting the 4
th green a little more challenging.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
If you like steeply uphill, 220 yard par 3s, here’s a good one. I continue to enjoy seeing how looking at yardages on a scorecard may not tell you much.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
It’s also a climb up to the 7
th green, with the 14
th and a perfectly sited bench in the background.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
Sneak peek of 14 green with the namesake castle in the background.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
From this point, there is quite a bit of up and down to the course. The par 3 10
th has one of the sturdier viewing platforms that I’ve seen.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
Hard to build enough of a tower to deal with the blind tee shot on 10. But bells help.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
Named Lindisfarne for the Holy Island in the backdrop, the downhill 12
th provides views of its own.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
A daunting tee shot for the 150 yard uphill 14
th.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
Is this view of the castle better with or without Jason in the frame?
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
15 plays steeply downhill, with a gully that complicates the tee shot. One more look at Lindisfarne. Next time I’m in the area, would love to explore the island and try to find traces of the old Braid course.
https://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/north-east/northumberland/320-holy-island-golf-club-northumberland DSC01971 by
john mayhugh, on Flickr
Our fun ends with two sub-300 yard par 4s. OOB is a real risk on the 17
th.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
No time to stick around for drinks after the round, but what a place to do it.
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john mayhugh, on Flickr
Visiting Bamburgh Castle will cause you to question the importance of "proper" golf architecture to your enjoyment of the game. The property is a little too severe to provide a great golf course, but the one that is there is loads of fun, and the setting alone is practically reason enough to rave – at least for me. No doubt the course could be improved, but the charm and sportiness of the holes is enough for me. If this is “holiday golf,” I’m all in.
It’s a shame that only three of us played Bamburgh Castle, because I think it would have been a hit. If nothing else, it would be fun to see how many of us admitted to enjoying it. I’m sure to return.