Something unique at Royal Adelaide GC

[Scott Warren]

Plenty of great golf courses are flanked by a rail line - this one has it running right through the middle, separating the 1st, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th from the rest of the course and passing just metres from the clubhouse.

But it's a feature rather than a distraction as only one diesel train passes through every half-hour. This taken from near the 14th tee, looking back across the tracks to the 13th green.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgLpKwmtSAE

Some pictures, too.

The famous short par four 3rd hole, which has received some modest attention from Renaissance Golf Design since it began consulting at the club. It was interesting to visit when I did in October, as the areas of the course that had been made wider (such as the 3rd hole on the drive and left of the greenside ridge in the picture below) were noticeable - the newly-shortened grass having not yet blended in with what was always fairway. It was eye-opening to see the significant difference just a little more space can make.


The slightly uphill mid iron to the false-fronted 6th was one of the shots I most enjoyed on the course. Looks great, lots of shotmaking options and the green is deceptively tricky to recover to. This shot shows of really well the darker sand native to the site.


The brilliant approach to the 11th green.


This photo shows two things - the open, windswept nature of the property, and the jarring Peter Thomson bunkering plonked either side of the 18th fairway.

[Mark Pearce]

Lundin Links still has vestiges of the railway line that split the course, removed, presumably, by Dr Beeching's axe.

[Thomas Dai]

Tenby is split by the railway as well, although most folk seem to hold no fondness for the 3-holes on 'the other side'.
ATB

[AJ_Foote]

When playing a match, the railway line at RAGC also separates basic respectability from humiliation.

If one has copped a bit of a flogging, some consolation can be had in the refrain "at least I made it past the railway line".

Of course, the consolation for not making it past the railway line is that the 13th green is located conveniently close to the bar.

Andrew

[Philip Gawith]

Scott does the timing of this thread suggest you were at the Test?

[BCowan]

Thanks for the photos, it looks great.  

    There is this idiotic mentality in the US to pooh pooh seeing parking lots from first tee, railroads, roads, telephone lines, highways, exc.  I think the rail adds character and is just fine.  Glad you don't worry about small things in your neck of the woods.

[John Mayhugh]

The famous short par four 3rd hole, which has received some modest attention from Renaissance Golf Design since it began consulting at the club. It was interesting to visit when I did in October, as the areas of the course that had been made wider (such as the 3rd hole on the drive and left of the greenside ridge in the picture below) were noticeable - the newly-shortened grass having not yet blended in with what was always fairway. It was eye-opening to see the significant difference just a little more space can make.

Did you call and get approval to mention RGD in this post?  
Not surprisingly, the work undertaken looks good.

That's a slow moving train.  

[James Boon]

Scott,

Woodhall Spa has the remains of an old railway line running through the middle. 1 to 5 plus 18 are on one side, while 6 to 17 are on the other. I will check the history book when I get home, to see when it was removed, but suspect the railway itself was pretty much at the same level as course.

Other courses I can think of that are divided by a railway line, have it in a cutting or on an embankment so its a little more removed than your video example:

Northamptonshire County, a Colt course, is divided by a railway line with the five holes from 10 to 14 on one side.

Liphook has a railway line AND a road dividing it with the eight holes from 7 to 14 on one side.

The Derby to Sheffield main line passes through a course near me. Well I say through, its actually under, in a tunnel, as the course itself climbs steeply up a hill. Pretty odd when you walk past one of the old ventilation stacks and hear a train going through the tunnel while up high on the hill!

So not unique, but pretty cool none the less!  

Cheers,

James

ps Scott, I love that you are videoing courses when you play (I remember you doing it at Deal) and think its something you should continue to do!

[Scott Warren]

Gents - Thanks for the nominations of other courses split by a rail line. I did qualify it as "great" course to try to ensure "unique" wasn't incorrect. Maybe I should have also said "active" rail line.

Andrew - I love those little aspects of a club's culture. Unfortunately due to a packed schedule while I was in town I didn't linger at RAGC after my round, but all I experienced there and all I have heard before and after tells me it is a club that truly "gets it". It would be a great home club were it not for the fact it's in Adelaide!

Philip - Sadly not. I visited in October as my wife's +1 on a work junket.

John - I didn't seek approval, but in the past I've gotten away with threads praising RGD's magnificent renovation work (to wit: Royal Melbourne (East), Pasatiempo, so I'm hoping this one might be okay, too!

Here's what's really exciting for Royal Adelaide:

There may not be another course in the world that is so architecturally strong and on such enviable terrain and soil that also has so many obvious, simple points for improvement.

The mounds inside the dogleg on the 1st, the saucer drive bunkers on the 5th, the drive bunkering at the 8th (how great is that green?!), the fugly mounding behind the 9th green, perhaps returning the 17th to the character of the rest of the course (though in isolation it is a really good hole) and those Thommo bunkers on the 18th.

The combination of a club that gets it and a consulting architect who has a track record of nailing this kind of thing (for example 6, 7, 15 at RM East) is a really fantastic arrangement and it should mean great things for RAGC.

[Hugh Griffin]

As a South Australian i certainly have a bit of a soft spot for RA and think it is clearly the best course in a state whose other top tier options (Kooyonga, Glenelg, Grange) are a long way behind.

I played the course last week during their annual open day (and may have even picked up a win in the A grade competition, but that is getting OT ). It was in fantastic condition as usual.

I didn't notice the widening on the 3rd (although i traveled to the green via the crater on the 4th thanks to a wild slash with the driver...) however I did notice the removal of the large fairway bunker on the RHS of the 6th. Not sure if Tom will wade into this thread but I assume that was also an initial RGD change as i am sure it was there when i played 10 or so months ago? This is certainly an improvement regardless of RGD or not.

I am also interested in seeing what RGD have in store going forward at RA. As you mention Scott, lots of simple improvements could be made but some other areas are just brilliant as they are. I could spend an entire day hitting full, half, pitch and chip shots onto the 8th green!

[Scott Warren]

I didn't notice the widening on the 3rd (although i traveled to the green via the crater on the 4th thanks to a wild slash with the driver...) however I did notice the removal of the large fairway bunker on the RHS of the 6th. Not sure if Tom will wade into this thread but I assume that was also an initial RGD change as i am sure it was there when i played 10 or so months ago? This is certainly an improvement regardless of RGD or not.

Nice work winning out there, Hugh. I found it really tricky. Lots of subtle breaks in the greens that take some reading, and greens like 6, 7, 8, 12, 14 where there's just enough slope that missing in the wrong spot leaves a hell of a tough recovery or lag putt.

The Renaissance changes that were pointed out to me included:

* the subtle widening of some areas - notably on the 3rd and some extra space to the chipping area long left of the 8th green.

* drive bunker removed on the left of the 4th

* drive bunker removed from the right of the 6th

* not sure if the removal of a tiny bunker between the 5th and 6th was RGD?

[Thomas Dai]

Back to railway lines - "toot, toot" - let's hope Whittington Heath, that lovely Colt designed heathland course just NE of Birmingham, doesn't get split in two by the proposed HS2 line.
ATB