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Mark_Rowlinson

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British Courses 21
« on: September 17, 2004, 07:36:41 PM »
Cheshire Courses

I am going to be away for a few days, so these are what I might have played had I been here - and had I a deep purse to pay green fees.


Alderley Edge 7th, 473 yards par 5.  This is just down the road - I could walk there in 5 minutes.  A 9-hole course laid out by TG Renouf in the early 1900s.  Renouf was one of the Jersey School (along with the various Vardons and Ray, to name but a few).  He was professional at the Manchester club and taught Fred and Adele Astaire amongst others.  The hole is played from the hill you can see in the far distance down to a valley bottom with OOB on the left and a stream on the right, and a second shot played (blind) over a rise to this narrow, well-bunkered green.


Avro GC.  I think this used to play as the 4th, a 500+ par 5.  The order has been changed, but it is a 9-holer situated at the end of the runway of the BAC aircraft factory at Woodford.  They used to make Lancaster and Vulcan bombers and the lads had this as their playground.  I'm not sure what the shelter on the tee might have been, but it's either a fuel tank or a nose cone.


Bramhall 1st, 400 yards par 4.  I've no idea who may have designed Bramhall but it is a course of about 6300 yards and a par of 70 with lots of little gullies and pits threatening drives and pitches.  This photo was taken just as the rising sun began to lift the frost from the greens about 6.30 am on a March morning.  Its near neighbour, Bramall Park (spelling difference correct), will be a post of its own some time in the future.


Disley 12th, 388 yards par 4.  Cheshire is a county of some geological variety.  Here we are, but a few minutes from where I live, on the edge of the Pennines and the Peak District.  A James Braid course.


Dunham Forest 5th, 387 yards par 4.  To take this photograph I stood on an old Roman hill.  Otherwise it is a post-war course created on the site of a former Italian prisoner-of-war camp in the suburbs of Altrincham.  It has evolved into a thoroughly good and testing course of no known provenance, although I suspect that two of its former professionals had a hand in its development, Dave Thomas and Alex hay.


Heyrose 16th, 237 yards par 3.  This course is typical of so many in the UK, where a farmer has made use of grants to take his land out of agriculture. I have followed its progress with interest as my uncle owns the farm just over the stream to the left of this hole.  When the course first opened so many balls landed in his fields that we didn't need to buy balls for several years!  He started with 9 holes and a portakabin to take green fees.  As the money came in he expended to 18 holes and he built a clubhouse which is used for local farm sales, protest meetings or whatever.  He has not attempted to do more than the budget and subsequent income will allow.  He is still in business where many bigger-budget courses have been through the hands of the receiver.  He has recently created a number of superior greens.  This is a brute of a hole, played from a tee about 100 feet above the green, with the ball having to clear the trees or thread a narrow path through the gap with a stream cutting in from the left, hugging the left side of the putting surface and continuing round the back.

More to follow....

Paul_Turner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2004, 07:47:40 PM »
Great stuff Mark.  One of the big name architects had a hand in Bramhall or Bramhall Park, I need to check my notes.

Nice photo of Bramhall.
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2004, 07:49:32 PM »
Local courses continued...



Knutsford 5th, 139 yards par 3.  Knutsford is a gorgeous little 10-hole course on the edge of Tatton Park, created by a couple of visionary local amateurs by the name of Speakman and Taylor when their original George Lowe course was abandoned following a death at the Hall.  It is not heath-and-heather, but, by golly, it's not far off.  A real gem.  There's also a very enjoyable 9-hole course at Hale which has an aristocratic membership (nobility and judges - that sort of thing).  Sadly I don't hace a decent photo. One day....


Mellor and Townscliffe 12th, 394 yards par 4.  Not a great photo, but you can see that this green can be driven.  The consequences for failure are many.  I once remarked about how fit you had to be to play here and was told that Mellor had a big waiting list - of members waiting to leave!  Not for the unfit, but great fun none the less. No idea of who the architect may be.

More to come....
 

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2004, 08:05:43 PM »
Mark,
once again a splendid selection.
I have some very, very good old friends who live in Altrincham whom I have visited on numerous occasions over the years always sans golf clubs, not realising the possibilities around there. (Sadly, they are of the non-golfing fraternity).
This is clearly a situation I must resolve post haste! Now all I must do is see if they know a few members...

FBD.
The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2004, 08:07:14 PM »
Local courses, yet more


Mellor 12th - for description see above!


Mere 15th, 393 yards par 4.  Rather an upmarket establishment at which the number of blades on your helicopter engine will count for more than your handicap.  It is a lovely course, kept in lovely condition, but it is not in the Sunningdale class (with which it tries to keep financial parity).  It is the work of George Duncan, Harry Quick and Harold Jackson and was subsequently refined by James Braid.  The 15th is the start of a fine finishing stretch with its drive over a lone tree and (hopefully) over a stream to a rising and angled fairway, then up to a hilltop green.


Mottram Hall 17th, 463 yards par 4.  Mottram used to be where all the top European football clubs stayed when they came to play Manchester United.  This 7000+ yard golf course was created by Dave Thomas and I have to say that it has a number of top-class holes.  The front nine runs over flat ground and all golfing interest is cosmetic. The back nine, however, runs over nicely undulating ground and there are some top holes, including this one.  The drive is wicked with a copse on the left, low ground and a pond on the right.  The fairway also turns right and falls away just at the length of a really good drive.  For most of us we have a really song second played over low ground to this green raised on a hillock with high ground to the left, a big fall to the right and a couple of bunkers to boot.


Ringway 7th, 457 yards par 4.  Lots of fascinating longer par 4s on this Harry Colt/James Braid course.  This is one of the strongest holes with a troublesome run in through and over umpteen fairway bunkers.


Romiley 17th, 407 yards par 4.  I have no idea who may have designed Romiley but it is always enticing on its hilly site above Stockport.  It is one of the landmarks I look out for as I land at Manchester Airport.

More....

Paul_Turner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2004, 08:10:32 PM »
Very interesting.  That hole at Mere is enticing.
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2004, 08:20:05 PM »

Shrigley Hall 10th, 306 yards par 4.  A hotel course built around a former monastery.  Where postulant monks once prayed in the chapel nubile females (and males) now desport themselves in the swimming pool.  This is a Donald Steel course with many exciting holes, terrific views, and some eccentric holes.  


Tytherington 9th, 480 yards par 5. The Ladies European Tour had its home here for a while.  It was part of a chain of upmarket public courses but it has recently been sold.  A fairly unmemorable dave Thomas course, but Laura Davies and her colleagues have performed publicly on it, so we musn't dismiss it so lightly.


Wilmslow 18th, 504 yards par 5.  My sons are members here.  I cannot afford to be.  It is a beautifully conditioned course which saw regular European Tour events in the 80s.  It is a 'committee' design: Sandy Herd, James Braid, Tom Simpson, George Duncan, Fred Hawtree, Cotton, Pennick and Lawrie and Dave Thomas.  If only!

I've not included Prestbury,Sandiway or Delamere Forest which I hope to feature individually one day - and I might expand on a few of today's courses.  I did a sort of count and worked out that there are about 25 courses within 10 miles' radius, 50 within a 20-mile radius, and 250 within a 40-mile radius.  

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2004, 08:27:34 PM »
Paul,

Bramall Park (correct spelling) is in Bramhall (correct spelling) and was designed by Mackenzie but found too difficult, so Braid was called in to make it more playable....shades of Sitwell Park.  I used to play there a lot.  More anon.

TEPaul

Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2004, 06:55:20 AM »
You've got to be kidding! Those are about fifteen courses, all of which look interesting, I've never even heard the names of in my life.

Are there any courses that look like that in France? If there are maybe we really can get redanman to move to France!   ;)

TEPaul

Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2004, 06:59:55 AM »
But just from the photos, in my opinion there're way too many trees on that hole at Heyrose, and from just the photos I don't like the look of Avro, Tytherington or Wilmslow.

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:British Courses 21
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2004, 08:01:11 AM »
Tom, Yes, there are a lot of trees on that hole at Heyrose, but he won't have been allowed to cut any down during construction - it's preserved countryside.  Most of the rest of the course is pretty wide open (and rather bland).  Avro is a member-built and run club.  There are two or three quite nice holes on it, and some very plain.  You would not like Tytherington at all, and nor do I.  Wilmslow is actually rather nice, with several holes retaining cross-bunkers.  

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