Three Heathland Courses

[Sean_A]

Much like links, heathland courses also have their characteristics which people either favour or don't.  Given that most (if not all) of the heathland courses are hybrids (which means latitude is allowed in making choices).  Which are your favourite three heathlanders?  I wonder if there will be any surprises like the thread about links where TOC didn't come close to finishing top 3.

Ciao

Sean    

[ForkaB]

Royal Automobile Club--Coronation
Royal Automobile Club--Old
Swinley Forest

[TEPaul]

"Given that most (if not all) of the heathland courses are hybrids"

Sean:

What do you mean by that?

[Richard Pennell]

1. Swinley Forest
2. Woking
3. Walton Heath Old (love the New too, but the final 3 holes and the tough start make the Old stand out for me)

near misses:
Addington - wish it still looked like it did in those old photos on here the other day
Sunningdale - only played the New, but both looked awesome
Royal Wimbledon - underrated I think, a lovely site and some great doglegs and par-3's

I love heathland. Hope to get to St George's Hill, New Zealand GC, Woodhall Spa, and The Berkshire this year

Rich - interested that you include the RAC courses - I'm going down there for a game in the next couple of weeks. They're not often mentioned, but I guy I work with worked there for a while and never stops talking about the Old course - have you any photos to wet the appetite?

[ForkaB]

Rich - interested that you include the RAC courses - I'm going down there for a game in the next couple of weeks. They're not often mentioned, but I guy I work with worked there for a while and never stops talking about the Old course - have you any photos to wet the appetite?

Richard

I include the two RAC courses because they are two of the only three heathland courses I have played!

No pictures of them, alas, as I played them before photography was invented.....I remember the Old as being a very fine course--a lot of interesting elevation changes and views over the Epsom race course.  Please report back when you have played.

Rich

[Philip Gawith]

I though this was the famous Goodale sense of humour coming to bear. Or possibly you were more of a romantic in those days.

I have played the main RAC course quite a few times and generally thought it a pretty unremarkable place and would not miss it if i never returned. Also, I think the RAC property is not really heathland - more parkland. The surface as I recall is mostly clay. It is true there is quite a lot of elevation change, but not in a way which I found very interesting.

My heathland experience is somewhat limited. I think I would go for:

Sunningdale Old and New (cheating!)
Woodhall Spa
Ferndown

[Mark_F]

Tom Paul,

I think Sean means that Heathland courses have a number of links characteristics - sand based, generally firm and fast - or firmer and faster than other types of golf in the UK - low-lying vegetation - but being located inland aren't generally as subject to the vagaries of the wind as links courses.

Many of them also have trees,in varying quantities, and the fairways might roll, but don't have the ceaseless creases and folds of links courses.

Sean:

My two bob's worth;
Woodhall Spa,
West Sussex,
Sunningdale Old

[RT]

My Top 3:

Swinley Forest
Berkshire Red
New Zealand GC

RT

[Marc Haring]

1. Swinley Forest
2. Woking
3. Walton Heath Old (love the New too, but the final 3 holes and the tough start make the Old stand out for me

Good call Richard.

I'll have to go with The Berkshire Red though in place of Swinley. I had a bad experience there, that's all. Love Woking and Walton Heath Old.

Others: Sunningdale New, Worplesdon, Broadstone, West Sussex. There are so many.

[henrye]

Sunningdale Old
Swinley Forest
Walton Heath Old

Exceptional courses, exceptional clubs.

I don't know if Wentworth counts as a Heatland, but if so, it has to be right up there as well.  At least the West course does - the club, however, strikes me as bot of a golf factory.

Much like links, heathland courses also have their characteristics which people either favour or don't.    

Really??  Who do you know that doesn't like a good Links or Heathland course?

[Tony_Muldoon]

Really??  Who do you know that doesn't like a good Links or Heathland course?

O/T
Henry you'd be amazed by the number of golfers in England (and I've met a few in Ireland too) who don't like links courses.  Usual complaints too open ("ugly") and too difficult - basically they are out of their comfort zone.

Still thinking about my 3 favourites.

I can't remember the name of the famous music critic who wrote that everyone's favourite Mozart/da Ponte opera was the last one they'd seen (so I’m holding back on the Addington until I’ve had another visit or at least 7 days have passed ).  Hard to pick only three favourites, will get back to you after this summer, but top two in order of playing them

Woking
Swinley Forrest

[Tom_Doak]

There are a dozen of them which aren't exactly interchangeable, but any one of which would be an excellent choice:

Sunningdale x 2
Walton Heath Old
West Sussex
Royal Ashdown Forest
Woodhall Spa
St. George's Hill
Swinley Forest
The Berkshire x 2
Woking
and of course Morfontaine and Hamburger!

Not quite as good:

Worplesdon
West Hill
Liphook
New Zealand
Hankley Common
Camberley Heath

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Are the best UK heathland courses better/equal/worse than our best links?  Can you compare them?  What about moorland and downland?  And, for that matter, how do our best parkland courses compare?  Into what category would you put, for instance, Aldeburgh, Southerndown, Delamere Forest, Alwoodley, Royal Worlington, Isle of Purbeck, Blairgowrie....?

[Marc Haring]

Just to clarify. Heathland is land where the predominant ground species is heather, erica (which is very similar) and gorse. Alwoodley therefore would fall into that catagory as would Isle of Purbeck. I'm not so sure about the others Mark and would say that Wentworth West is now no longer heathland. They've fed it to death! Anyway I think I'd put the East course above the West. There are some really great holes and greens out there. Ganton I suspect would qualify as would Hollinwell.

[Marc Haring]

Sean

I wasn't talking about the fairways tees and greens. Just the rough etc. Go off the fairway and if it is more than 50% heather, gorse or erica then I would say it is heathland. If the grass and other stuff is the dominant species, you'd have to say it is a bit of a hybrid. That's my take on it anyway and I have got involved in a few heathland restoration projects in my time although I recognise that golf can come up with all sorts of interpretations.

Hey have a good game at Painswick.

Examples of true heathland courses would be Broadstone, WH, Royal Ashdown Forest (where the heather even grows on the fairways) and Hankley Common.

[Mark_F]

Sean:

What's your take on Southerndown, then?

[Mark_F]

Sean:

What's your take on Southerndown, then?

[Mike_Clayton]

Tom,

I was just scrolling my way down to put in a vote for Morfontaine - my favourite course/clubhouse combination.

Sunningdale
Utrecht - de Pan

[Gerry B]

love sunningdale old and walton heath old

have not played swinley forest but is on my list

[Paul_Turner]

How about poor old Notts?  Nobody bothers to visit "Hollinwell" anymore.  

A big muscular course, it ain't no piddly 6000-6300 yarder like those southern softies

[Kevin Pallier]

My Top 3:
Sunningdale (Old)
Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
Sunningdale (New)

Runners Up:
Swinley Forest
Notts (Hollinwell)
Ganton

Agree with the notion the Wentworth (West) isn't particularly 'heathland' anymore (and it plays like a parkland course) though I am aware of their attempts to bring back the heather.

Regards
KP

[Darren_Kilfara]

Of the courses I've played...

My top three:
--Swinley Forest
--Walton Heath Old
--St. George's Hill

Honourable mentions:
--Sunningdale (x2)
--The Berkshire (Red)
--Woodhall Spa (if indeed it can truly be called a heathland course)
--Reigate Heath (9 holes!)

Ganton could quite possibly squeeze into the top three if I thought it were a heathland course.

Cheers,
Darren

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I am very surprised that nobody has given Blackmoor a mention.
Not that I think it is the top notch bracket, but should be included amongst Tom Doak's second tier of courses.
A great days golf is to play the Doak mentioned Liphook in the morning and tale lunch at Blackmoor prior to playimng the course.
Growing up the amatuer season opened with the Selbourne Salver on saturday at Blackmoor, then nip over to play The Hampshire hog on sunday at Liphook...a great weekend of golf..36 each day and two great meals to go with it..those were the days...

[Robert_Walker]

Three Heathland Courses that I like are De Pan, Royal Ashdown, and Hidden Creek.

[Mike Benham]

Poppy Ridge