Imagine - your own personal world class course!

[Michael Whitaker]

I played Royal St. George's today with Tony Muldoon. It was a lovely day (much sunnier than the look of these photos), but the place was empty! A wonderful Saturday on the Kent coast and we had the course to ourselves, along with a small group of fellow Royal Cinque Ports members.


I could never have imagined a world class course and club like RSG being this abandoned on a beautiful Saturday. In the States a place of this status and quality would have been bustling, I would think.


Anyway, we enjoyed our "private" experience today!

10:00am  The empty putting green...


And, the empty first tee...

[Terry Lavin]

 Eyond special. Lucky gentlemen are thee!

[Tom_Doak]

Michael:


I played Crystal Downs last Monday with a guest, and there were four other people on the course, on a beautiful day.


These places don't get used nearly as well as you imagine.

[Thomas Dai]

If you're a member you may well prefer it this way! No-one in front and no-one behind is a thoroughly enjoyable way to play. Millionaires golf some call it and back in the day when full memberships were more the norm in the UK some private member clubs used to have high greens fees to keep others ("riffraff"?) away. Many clubs can't afford such an approach these days....but some probably can. Times change however, not just financially - I'm not sure how the politically correct would view such an approach in 2017.
Enjoy the quiet times while you can.

atb

[Joe Hancock]

I'm enjoying my memories of Al Stanger, and the gem of course he had for himself.

[BCrosby]

Michael -


What Tom says. I played Chicago GC on a beautiful Friday afternoon three or four years ago. There was one other group on the course.


Bob

[RJ_Daley]

Yup, we avid intrepid golf seekers find this sort of blissful solitude on great courses once in a while.  I once had TOC Kiawah Island almost to myself back in 99 or 2000 on one of the most beautiful January days that locals could remember.  There were about 4 playing groups, 2some, 3some, and another couple of 4 somea.  Of all things, the twosome (a husband-wife in a cart) asked if I'd like to join their round, which I did.  We lingered over a sandwich and "she crab soup" and a few beers, and a couple of the others came in and we marveled at our luck to play the course with hardly anyone else there. 

I've had Wild Horse, my own home club Brown County, and another one to myself.  But the last one... I can't tell you about. 

[Pete_Pittock]

I've had that happen to me a few times, mostly at Bandon. Every course there except Trails.


A somber occasion was at Ganton. I was scheduled to play but they couldn't reach me. One person stayed for me to show up and start. Otherwise the course was closed for the funeral of their superintendent.

[James Brown]

Machrihanish in a storm in July of 2012.  Only person on the course. 

[Jamie Pyper]

Royal Melbourne with a total of six players all day in the middle of summer. The catch was it was by far the hottest day I'd ever played at plus 40C. The after round pints never tasted better.

[John Connolly]

Played Pebble by myself, in February, 70 degrees and sunny - didn't see one other player until the 17th hole.


That was a pretty good day.

[jeffwarne]

Played Cruit Island on a Saturday afternoon in early September.
Clubhouse closed and course deserted.
Gale force winds had been blowing earlier when we played Dunfanaghy, but were down to reasonable levels in the afternoon and the sun was out.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Would I be right in assuming that a large proportion of the membership at RSG is made up of high nett worth individuals who do not live in the area, and who are also members at other clubs nearer home?


I know several such people who are members at Royal Liverpool or Royal Lytham, but who actually play most of their golf at their local club, be it Stockport, Wilmslow, or in one case Reddish Vale. Their membership at the "Royal" club is almost a vanity membership, used for occasional days out or to impress business acquaintances.


Meanwhile, in the real world, members' clubs in England are generally rammed full on Saturdays as it is Competition Day.


Visit almost anywhere on a sunny Sunday late afternoon however, and you will have the place to yourself!

[Alan Ritchie]

Yes I had royal Liverpool all to myself once, though most of the putting green was underwater from duabolical conditions the rest of the course was surprisingly playable.


Maybe due to the fact I had already paid the fee in advance. still no regrets though!

[Dave Herrick]

I played Ballyneal the last week in April on a Monday and Tuesday. The course was open, but still coming out of its winter slumber. Meadowlarks aside, I had the course to myself both days.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Brother-in-law and I used to play TOC in the 80s often with nobody else out. We got round in an hour and three quarters off the yellow tees (no walking from green to tee). I also played Royal Dornoch with that year's Captain, Jim Simpson, in a three ball. The tee was held for us to play away. We got round in about two and a half hours, finishing well over an hour in front of the people following. Four groups of Americans. I used to play Royal County Down with my cousin with hardly anybody else out on the course. Back in the 1970s I played Brancaster on my own. I followed a mixed generation foursome of grandfather, grandmother, father and grandson. I never caught up with them. They knew how to play foursomes.


Wife and I played Royal Worlington a few years ago. We were told not to play before lunchtime. We didn't and we got the course to ourselves - there was one other couple out. What's more the secretary gave us properly discounted green fees.


Years ago I remember playing Gulph Mills in a four ball with nobody else on the course - but I gather it's that sort of place.

[RJ_Daley]

Jeff, as you know, I went out alone to Cruit a day after speaking with you about what a great course it was.  So, when I was on the drive there, the radio weather was saying gusts to 100km/hr, and I thought, well I'll just go look at it.  I got there and it was raining on and off sideways and truly sustained winds had to be 40-45+ miles per hr, with gusts easily into 60s.  I saw a few groups of middle to older aged ladies finishing on 8 and 9, so I figured I couldn't not get out there.  By the time I got clubs out of car and ready, everyone from those morning tee-offs had cleared and then I had it to myself.  I took several videos of various holes and conditions- worse than that day at Port Salon.  Yet, it was invigorating and a special memory of just myownself and the elements playing an unforgettable setting for a golf course.  We are lucky to have such an experience, in deed.   

[Thomas Dai]

Cruit is wonderful. Not just the scenery and the ambiance but it's damn good golf as well. No quaint 9-hole short course either, it's the real deal.
Atb

[Garland Bayley]

Don't know what you payed, but maybe cost keeps people off. A friend and I played Royal Portcawl with an early morning start. Although not that early, as my home course would have been crowded at that time of day. Nary a soul played until about two hours into the round, and those were the members who were finally getting out as they don't need to hurry with no pressure from other golfers.

I was a little dismayed to pay as much as we did only to have to watch them mow grass that clearly didn't need mowing as the mowers were expelling very nearly nothing from their pass over the ground.

[Parker Page]

Played Fox Chapel after a storm entirely by myself. Peachtree in a foursome with two other groups on the course, but that's typical. And I have blessed beyond imagination to caddy at Myopia, so there were more than a few days in the fall when it was just me and the horses and hounds. Hard to imagine anything better.

[Kevin Jackson]

Michael, I played RSG in late October with my two brothers during a NFL @ Wembley trip.  The 3 of us made up 20% of the play on the beautiful warm, sunny day.  When we finished up our round the pro said we could go out and play as much as we wanted until sunset no extra charge.... unfortunately train travel times kept us from doing so, but it was surreal.

[Dave McCollum]

 It’s happened to me many times.Some by design like after a shotgun start tournament, some by weather like thunderstorms and bad forecasts, some by whatever.The one that’s a favorite happened at Brora.After a couple of holes I saw a storm coming from the north.I changed into my rain gear and was glad I had when we got pelted by the wind and rain.As I only had this one day to play, I played on.I met the only other group on the course as they were heading to the house.We greeted each other and they said “We apologize for our cowardly behavior.”
I laughed and told them that if this was my home course I’d be doing the same.But I remembered it because it does say something about the Scottish golfer feeling the need to apologize to vagabond complete stranger.
The squall lasted about 45 minutes and when I reached the ninth hole the sun came out and remained beautiful the rest of the day.I was just me, my wife, a non golfer, and the cute little spring lambs for a lovely nine holes.