What features and character do NSWGC and Notts GC (Hollinwell) share?

[Scott Warren]

James Bennett just remarked to me, having played Notts GC (aka Hollinwell) at the weekend, that it reminded him of an inland version of New South Wales GC (half a world away on the cliffs beside the Pacific Ocean in Sydney).

The bizarre thing about that is that I was perusing his pictures of Notts this morning and a couple of pics made me think how stark the similarity with NSWGC appeared, for two courses in such different environments.

Of note, this shot of the 17th at Notts:


Reminds me of the 8th at NSWGC:


Has anyone else played both NSWGC and Notts GC? Would you care to weigh in on any similarities?

[Mark Chaplin]

I'm going to need a lot of convincing Scott and James. The pictures could be from 100 clubs.

[Scott Warren]

Mark,

Focus not on those isolated pictures of the two greens, but think broadly about the topography, the way ridges and valleys are used, the land where greens were sited.

Is there a common flavour between the two that you note from playing both?

[Mark_F]

Similarities?  They both have 18 holes.  The major difference is that one of them is an excellent course, and NSW is not.

Notts is a long course with quite a few subtle features, not something you regularly find on long courses (National Moonah, Metropolitan).
The differing land forms have been utilised to excellent effect, something that couldn't be said about NSW. 

The textures and conditioning at Notts are nigh on perfect, as far above NSW in quality as it is possible to imagine.

Scott, if you and James think Notts and NSW are even remotely similar, I would suggest that next time you play Notts, you don't so so in the dark. 

[James Bennett]

I wouldn't say they are the same Mark - my point is that there are surprising similarities.

Competely different to say metropolitan, or National Moonah, or the Adelaide sand-belt.  But enough similarity to remind you of another course.

And, you will note, my comments were not about whether the courses were equally good or bad, more that the style and landforms have some similarity.

James B

[Mark_F]

I wouldn't say they are the same Mark - my point is that there are surprising similarities.

And, you will note, my comments were not about whether the courses were equally good or bad, more that the style and landforms have some similarity.

I realise that James, but I still don't see it.  Notts is an excellent routing that uses the landforms in a variety of ways. It's questionable that NSW does this.  Notts has quite a few holes where a drive to a different part of the fairway may offer an obscured view of the green to some degree.  There may be only one hole at NSW where that happens (9). NSW has  a few uphill approaches to exposed greens on a plateau for instance (3, 7,14, definitely, perhaps 1, 9, 11 and 17 to exposed plateau greens).   Notts has a couple to plateau type greens cradled between hills.

Notts is also quite an expansive course.  NSW suffers by from 1-2, 9-10 and 18 being hemmed in.

[Kevin Pallier]

How windy does it get at Notts ? I wouldn't have thought that Notts has anywhere as near the impact of the wind as much as NSW particularly from a playabilty point of view.

Notts was firm and fast the time I saw it (dry English summer) and I've never seen NSW anywhere near as firm as it.

[Scott Warren]

He lives!

KP, how the hell are ya? And where the bloody hell have you been?!