The Addington 12th and 13th Back to Back Terror

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

Paul
Thanks for sharing your photos. The course looks like it might be a winner after the first play - lacking that Fazio subtlety. I'm wondering if London might not be the best location in the world for those who love golf architecture?

[laun (Guest)]

Noel,

The tree on the 10th has been removed - not without controversy.

[NAF]

Laun,

That is horrible!  ..Somewhere Tom Doak is crying along with the others here who have played the hole.  I remember cursing because it played with my mind as I teed off but that was a large part of the fun of the hole.  My lasting memory of it will be the giant tee shot you hit over it and then you had to run back to get your 3-wood you forgot.  What a shame.  There are a lot of other trees there that need to be pruned before that one.  It made the hole very strategic indeed and still allowed you to play around it if you didn't want to challenge the direct line.  

[laun (Guest)]

I don't think removing the tree has changed the hole very much- it's just made it easier.

On Paul's photo from behind the 9th you can see the 10th fairway on the left (and the edge of the now ex-tree). The heather on the far side of the ravine, just left of the bridge, is the perfect line from the tee. Left of this the carry to the fairway is shorter, the bank much less steep and no heather so balls can run up and perhaps reach the flat ground; the downside is you have to flirt much more closely with the left greenside bunker.

It was pretty much the same before but more intimidating.

[Paul Turner]

Here's a photo of the 10th. Unfortunately, I took it from the from the forward tee.  The back tee is to the right, slightly uphill and back maybe 40 yards(?).  So you used to see just the top half of the tree, sticking out of the ravine... Tom Doak's gum drop description.



I agree with Laun, it's still an excellent hole (just not quite as unusual).  One of the best greens too; if I remember correctly, doesn't it slope right to left and slightly downhill, after the rise in the front portion?

Laun

Are there any other tree clearing plans?  Or heath preservation?  It's easy to see the how bracken is choking the heather in some of those photos.