Report on a trip to South East England

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

Mark,

Is the house in the photo the one you are referring to?

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

One of the holes I liked the most in Littlestone is the 11th. A par 4, 408 yards from the back tees, with a burn crossing the fairway in diagonal. It gives you the option of being agressive and playing almost parallel to the burn, with the risk of the ball being caught by it, or playing more defensive to the right. But don't be too convervative, or you will end up in the rough on the right or, worse, into the cross bunker.

[Bill_McBride]

Brian the bush is original to the course, there used to be a massive farmhouse hard to the right of the bush. There's 60 yards of in play land left of the bush so aim a little left and enjoy and a little historical timber from a distance! You defending the Royal Marines?

Ricardo it was a pleasure to welcome you to Deal and look forward to catching up before too long.

One of the happiest golfing memories of my recent life is busting a tee shot over those cross bunkers on 13.   My foursomes partner, Joe Fairey, couldn't stop talking about that tee shot.  "270 yards!" he'd say.  Fun memory.   Congratulations on joining Deal, Ricardo, I wish I'd done so 20 years ago.  Love being there. 

[Mark Chaplin]

Ricardo yes spot on, I didn't know it was called Maison Dieu.

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

Wednesday started very early in the morning. We decided that Deal deserved another round in proper weather, so we booked a tee time at 8, to have enough time to play 18 holes there and drive to Rye to play another round in the afternoon. In addition, we had to check out from the hotel, since in the evening we were returning to London.

The first surprise of Rye was long before the trip. I had read many comments about how restrictive the club was and how difficult it is to be allowed to play. After sending an e-mail to the secretary, we couldn't have a warmer response. He made things very easy.

We played the Old course (there is a Jubilee course, built on reclaimed land not long ago). Before playing, you can easily be tricked into believing that it is a short and easy course. Just a par 68. What a wrong impression. Rye it a very long a tough course. It has only one par five, the opening hole, which at 481 yards plays not very long. 5 par 3s of different length add to it. The remaining 12 are par 4s, of which only 2 measure less than 400 yards. There is even one, the 6th, that from the back tees measures 468 yards, with a blind tee shot.

Rye is a fantastic course, a true gem. It has a perfect mixture of holes. The highlights are, in my opinion, the 4th, a 440 yards par 4, in which the landing area for the drive is just a narrow stip of elevated land, the 6th, with a wonderfully old fashioned blind shot from the tee, the 7th, a 159 yards par 7 with a well bunkered green, the 13th, with another blind shot this time the second shot and the 18th, a very difficult finishing hole at 439 yards par 4.

The only hole that we didn't like was the 11th. Not that it is a bad hole, but it has a pond in front of the new tee (or running parallel on the right, from the other tee). It looks odd in a links course, a bit out of place.

Unfortunately, our camera run out of battery, so we don't have pics from it, but I've scanned a few from the booklet Rye Golf Club 1985-2010. Here they are:

A map of the links. The Old course is on the upper part of the map and the Jubilee is on the lower part, closer to the English Channel.



A view from behind the 7th tee. The green on the right is the 6th.




The green at the 17th



This is a view of the pond, taken backwards towards the tee of the 11th

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

Our last stop in this short golf trip was around London: Sunningdale Golf Club, considered by many a "must" on any golfing trip to England. Located West of London, near Heathrow, in a beautiful area, almost next door to Wentworth. When I paid the very expensive green fee (195 Sterling per person) I thought: this better be good.

After playing the Old course I must say that it was the best investment I ever made. The course is simply beautiful. It is one of the best courses I have played anywhere in the world. It is truly a must on a golfing trip to England.

What I liked the most is that it mixes long and short holes, making it extremely interesting. For example, there are par 4s of 456 and 459  yards (489 and 475 from the championship tees), together with others of merely 292 and 267 (318 and 273 from the back tees). All the surroundings are spectacular, the fairways lined with different types of trees. The Clubhouse also adds to the experience, old and majestic. And the best of all is that I finished the tour with a birdie on 18th!

Some pics of the course and clubhouse:

Before teeing off, with the Clubhouse behind:



A view from the first tee onto the Clubhouse, the Proshop and the Caddiemaster's office:




Starting the round:



On the first fairway:



On the first green, about to open the round with a par:



On the 4th green, looking back to the tee:



A view from the 4th green onto the 5th fairway and green (sorry, the pic is not very good):



Driving on the 5th:



The 7th:







The 8th, a very nice par 3:






The 10th:



Putting on the 11th:





The bell at the 12th tee, to signal those on the 11th tee that the green is free:













And the last putt of the tour and it went in for a birdie:

[David_Tepper]

Ricardo -

Thanks for the Sunningdale pics. Next time you visit, be sure to play the New course there. It is very, very, very good.

DT

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

I certainly will. On my next trip to London next year Sunningdale new will be on the list.

My rating of the courses we played on this trip is the following:

1) Sunningdale Old
2) Royal Cinque Ports
3) Rye, Canterbury and Royal St. George's
6) Littlestone
7) Prince's

This rating is not based on any architectural criteria. Just on my own personal preference.

[Marc Haring]

That looks amazing Ricardo.

Many years that I last played the old. (Think you may have the 12th pics down as the 6th).

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

I think you're right. I mixed them up. I'll edit the post. Thanks.

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

So many courses, so little time...

[Bill_McBride]

Just knock one or two extra from the London list each time you come. It will take you a LONG time to exhaust the great Heathland courses.

New Zealand!

Huntercombe!

Liphook!

Hankley Common!

Just some I've played in addition to Walton Heath.

[Mark Chaplin]

One of Worplesdon's newest members thoroughly recommends a game there!!

[Thomas Dai]

My friend posing on the first tee (when it seemed that the weather would be nice to us). The putting green and the clubhouse can be seen at the far right.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what that um, red coloured contraption is, in front of Ricardo's friend?

All the best

PS - nice to see from the other various photos that Ricardo is, like me, a member of that dwindling breed, non-glove wearing golfers.

[Brent Hutto]

Thomas,

I believe it has a groove on the top on which players can place golf balls to establish the order in which they'll have the tee.

[Mark Chaplin]

Brent - correct a ball chute. West Sussex is another place you will see one.

[Thomas Dai]

A ball-chute! Wow! I'm familiar with the use of ball-chutes and have seen a few different designs over the years but never one quite like that. Looks like it's made out of Lego. Really vile colour as well. Nice matching combination.....a thatched roofed starters hut and shelter plus a red plastic ball-chute. What next? Cut-off jeans, collarless shirts, trainers and reversed brim baseball hats in the bar?
All the best.

[Mark Chaplin]

Thomas you've obviously never played Royal St George's. All the tee boxes are wooden boxes painted red in the colour of St George as are the flags.

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

Thomas,

It's made of wood, not plastic. As Mark says, red is their collour.

[Thomas Dai]

Thomas you've obviously never played Royal St George's. All the tee boxes are wooden boxes painted red in the colour of St George as are the flags.

Mark,

You're wrong in saying I haven't played RStG. Oh, and irrespective of colour or material I still think it's a vile looking contraption. Just MO however. Quite happy if others like it.

Nice thread by Ricardo though. Enjoyable.

All the best

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

It has no relation with this thread, but I wanted to share with you a nice photograph and I don't think it is worth opening a new one.

Spring in Argentina, a beautiful "lapacho" (don't ask me for translation, I have no idea) tree in blossom. It's the ladies tee of the 13th hole at the Hurlingham Club.

[Daryl David]

In the desert southwest  of the US we call those Jacaranda trees. They bloom like mad in May.

[Ricardo Ramirez Calvo]

Sorry, it's not a jacarandá. We have plenty of those and it is a different tree. The technical name of the Lapacho is tabebuia impetiginosa.