2024-25 Winter Tour: Agreeable ALNMOUTH GC

[Sean_A]

Alnmouth GC shares its history with the Village Club in that the club originally played over the “Downer” links before Willie Park Jr added nine holes around 1905 which was known as the “Upper” links. After HC Colt redesigned the course in the late 1920s a new club was formed which played over the Foxton Hall estate. A few years later the Village Club was formed which continues to play the nearly original (thought to be) Mungo Park 9 hole “Downer” links. The 18-hole Colt course looks over the North Sea and receives the full brunt of a fresh sea-breeze. However, the turf is parkland despite the being sea-adjacent.



There is no messing about at Alnmouth. The opener is a long par 4 with a blind approach. Like many of the fairways, there isn't much featured...just the land as it was found. Once at the green the story changes.


The downhill pitch of the fairway continues through the green.


There is no let up on the 2nd.  Play traverses along the side of the hill over a rig & furrow fairway. 


We then cut up the hill for the approach. A bunker is placed on the ideal line. It would take my best to reach this par 4 in two.


Not overly long, but the tee shot on the three-shot 3rd bangs into an upslope...flat bellies have a significant advantage.  I am not sure about the rough so close to the fairway bunkers. Perhaps its to prevent lost balls left?


Again, the line of instinct down the left is compromised by rough.


Despite the decision to grow rough up the left the thoughtful bunker placement makes this a good par 5.


Alnmouth is relentless, another big two-shotter, this time playing directly toward the sea then turning sharply left. I am generally not keen on big holes with hard doglegs and the 4th didn't disabuse me of that notion. Onto the 5th, a short hole on the sea. Anytime there is a raised green on a windy site one knows par is a tough get.  The 2nd green is on the right.


More to follow.

Ciao

[Niall C]

Sean


Looking forward to the rest of the tour. From what I've seen so far some of the bunkers look as though they might have had a bit of a make-over relative to some of the plainer edged greenside bunkers. I also note your comments on the par 4's being hard to reach. You generally don't get that on an older course. Have they had a gca recently I wonder ?


Niall 

[Sean_A]

Sean

Looking forward to the rest of the tour. From what I've seen so far some of the bunkers look as though they might have had a bit of a make-over relative to some of the plainer edged greenside bunkers. I also note your comments on the par 4's being hard to reach. You generally don't get that on an older course. Have they had a gca recently I wonder ?

Niall

I assume an archie recently ran through the place, but I don't know who or when.

Alnmouth Tour Cont

6 also hugs the coast and is another ruthlessly long par 4. The green is mildly interesting, but nothing special. A shortish two-shotter, the 7th legs right. Its easy to get caught too far right for the approach.




The short 8th is hole which very much looks to be by the hand of Colt.


I was confused by the 9th. From the tee it isn't clear where the fairway is. The bunkering doesn't set the hole up in a traditional manner which outlines the fairway or offers guidance. I took a line a good 25 yards right of where I wanted to be.


In this photo it is easier to see that I was approaching across the line of the green. Given the upslope short of the green it doesn't leave much space to hit a green running away from play. This is quite a clever hole.


More to follow.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

ALNMOUTH TOUR CONT

A dead straight hole, the 10th doesn't hold much interest. The short 11th continues in the same direction and over the same, flat, featureless ground. We shall skip ahead to the 12th, a short par four ripping abruptly right. The hole doesn't give anything away on the downhill tee shot. If we are well away off the tee the green can be seen for the approach. Weaker drives are met with contempt.


Walking forward we can see that approaching blind is not ideal.


Looking back toward the tee.


More to follow.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

ALNMOUTH TOUR CONT

A short three-shotter, the 13th plays around bunkers set into a high bank and are deceptively difficult to carry. Get past these bunkers and the downhill hole is fairly easy.


A few shorter par 4s play on the high side right of the 13th. The sharply uphill 14th is the better effort of the two, but neither are wholly satisfactory. We make the run for home on the ski-slope 16th, another shortish par 5.


OoB troubles the entire right side of the hole, but so much as to cause too many problems in earning a par. Thus far, the back nine has been decidely inferior to the front nine.


The 200 plus yard 17th doesn't add much to the course. Yes, its ostensibly difficult due to the yardage, but not overly interesting.


The home hole is much more like it. Bunkers create a driving pocket which is tough to discern until further up the fairway.


The approach is more straight-forward, although the slightly raised front and front to back slope can elicit over the green shots. Foxton Hall makes for a handsome background.


The opening stop of the 2024-25 Winter Tour wasn't all that was hoped. That said, there are several good holes and the the walk is fair. Alnmouth is a course that may well fit in as a tour filler....not necessary golf, but decent.  That said, I would much rather play the Downer Links of Alnmouth Village.  2024

Planned stops on the Tour

Winterfield
North Berwick
NB Children's Course
Weston-s-Mare
Westward Ho!
Ludlow
Cleeve Hill

Ciao

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thanks, I've long been curious about this one.


 What is the turf and soil i.e. how do you think it will drain in winter?


Presume it's the 15th you can see from the village course?


The whole thing reminds me of Royal Belfast, another course I've had similar views of many times. Despite both being Colt, with added nice vistas,they don't generate much local enthusiasm.


The dormy house looks good and the reasonable rates seem to suggest a good base for a Northumberland tour.

[Sean_A]

The 16th runs past the Village 6th. I think that volcano green played from a tee which was on the 16th.

The turf is ok, it was holding up in early winter. There property is hilly enough to run water away from playing spots, but it must get a bit sticky in deep winter after frost melt.

The standard summer fee of £85 is not good value imo, but you are right, its location places it well for a trip. Although I would rather stay in the village or Alnwick.

Ciao

[Jason Topp]

Thanks Sean.  I wondered about this one when playing the Village course. 

[John Mayhugh]

SeanThanks for the tour.
Is it the 16th that you see when playing the 6th at Alnmouth Village? That hole didn't make me think about hopping the fence.

[Mark Pearce]

Interesting.  I have lived up here 27 years and played Alnmouth once.  Despite having a reciprocal arrangement available for most of that time.  On my one play, I thought it was very average.  It's a 40 minute drive but if I'm going to do that, I think there's more fun to be had at the Village, or I'm going to go 20/30 minutes further to Goswick, Bamburgh or Dunstanburgh.


Nothing in Sean's tour suggests to me that I have seriously misjudged it.

[Niall C]

I haven't played Alnmouth but did stop off on the way to the Village course to look out at it from the car park. As Mark describes it, it looked distinctly average however Sean's photos would make me think again about playing it, if it wasn't for the relatively hefty greenfee.


Niall

[Sean_A]

SeanThanks for the tour.
Is it the 16th that you see when playing the 6th at Alnmouth Village? That hole didn't make me think about hopping the fence.

Yes, 16 can be seen from Village 6.

Mark, I agree, the Village course is more to my liking. That said, the Upper course is better than average. However, my biggest issue is the green fee. We were on a cheap deal so it was fine. I wouldn’t pay the rack rate and that is why I never visited until recently.

Ciao