Walton Heath Bunkers

[Paul_Turner]

Herb Fowler's Walton Heath is one of the oldest of the heath courses around London.  Below I've posted some photos of some great bunkers from both courses, I love the crusty old look of these.  

If the bunkers are on flat terrain they appear to be built very simply: just dug with the earth piled up to make the face.   Other bunkers are set into natural rises.  The new Coore/Crenshaw course apparently has bunkers reminiscent of this style.


Double facing bunker on the 10th New


"Push Up" bunker at 11th New.


12th New


4th Old


5th Old


Great green complex 5th Old.  Bunker with beauty spot!


7ft Deep bunker at 16th Old

Photos: Jeroen Pit (Thanks!)

[Jeff_Lewis]

Those would never have made Doak's list!

[ian]

I played there on my trip through Scotland and England and considered it the weak course on my trip.....until I played it. It is one of my favourites of the whole trip. The bunkering and extensive heather is fantastic. My favourite bunker is on the left of the great par 3, 11th.

[TEPaul]

Coore & Crenshaw certainly did a tribute to the heathland look in the bunkers they did at Hidden Creek but they don't look much like the Walton Heath bunkers despite the fact that both have that old fashioned architectural look of popping out of the flattish ground.

But the Hidden Creek bunkering is different in that the grassing is much longer and basically more rugged looking.

The Walton bunkers in those photos are fantastic in look particularly whatever it is that inhabits their surrounds!

Would you look at that first photo! It looks like someone drapped a wet fur coat and hat over the top of the bunker! And look at the second to last photo! What's that dark furry looking thing up near the face! What's that made out of? It looks like an animal you wouldn't want to get near! Maybe it is! Great stuff though!

I sure like the old fashioned look of those bunkers and many of them sure look different one from the other, just as if they'd all evolved in who knows how many different ways!

[quest]

When did Fazio finish this bunker restoration? It sure looks good!

[TEPaul]

TomF finished his restoration of the Walton Heath bunkering when the club failed to ask him to do it for some amazing reason!

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

Paul
Excellent photos. I especially like the serpantine bank on 10-New. How does the New compare to the more famous Old?

[TEPaul]

I didn't read the text on the photos that carefully. Who did the double facing bunker on #10 New? And what's the meaning of Old and New at Walton Heath anyway?

[Paul Turner]

Toms

That double facing bunker is a weird and beautiful one.  It's actually a par 3, and lies somewhat short and to the left of the green!  

Tom P

There are two courses at Walton Heath, the Old and New.  The Old is much more famous and I get the impression that the New is overlooked.  When various Pro events and a Ryder Cup were played there, they used a composite course which used a 3 holes from the New.

I have only played the Old, but I got to see quite a lot of the New during a round and it looked very good.

And Tom Paul, that growth is of course heather, since it's a heath course.  I guess the bunkers must have evolved since the Old course is nearly 100 years old.  I'll try to find some old pics.

The bunkers look somewhat different from those Fowler built at another heathland 36,  Berkshire (Red and Blue).  There he used a more lacey edge.