Sunningdale's Best Course

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

 

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

[Mark Chaplin]

Ah, some fine pictures of the New course at Sunningdale. I agree it's probably the better course as it certainly doesn't have the weak holes of the Old course, I'm thinking #3 & #9. Par is certainly harder to hit than the Old, but for me a round on each course with a Sunningdale lunch is the perfect day out.

[Tom Birkert]

When did you take those pictures? Been quite a few changes in the meantime!!

And No. 3 of the Old has just undergone some changes to make it a tougher test.

[Andrew Summerell]

I’ve got to admit, I have always preferred the New course. Not only does it have no real weak holes, but I love all the loops in the routing that can allow a player to play the holes in a different order.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom B:  Who's been making changes at Sunningdale?

[Tom Birkert]

Tom,

Martin Hawtree is the architect, but there has been an ongoing process of tree removal on the New Course, as well as more heather being planted. The 18th of the New is being changed quite a lot (the entrance to the green has been narrowed considerably), as is the 3rd of the Old (again narrowing the entrance to the green). There is a lot of work being done to the bunkers on both courses.

Edit: To give you an idea, the trees to the left of No. 5 New have been cleared, as have the majority to the right of No. 6 New. The hill between 6, 7 and 8 New has had a lot of trees removed, the main trouble now on 7 off the tee when you go left is heather. Trees to the right of 8 new have been cleared, enabling recovery shots from there, with plentiful heather now bordering the right hand side of the fairway. Seeing the pics actually reminds me how much it's changed recently!

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

These pictures were taken in the last week of September of 2005.  Unfortunately, there were times in the round when it was absolutely cats and dogs rain.  Some of the best holes for photos did not come out, or came out poorly.  After the restoration, I am certain that the greatness will be better recognized.  I used to play there quite a bit in the summer of 1979, and remember it being much less overgrown by trees--I remember being able to see Wentworth from a couple places on the course.

[Tom Birkert]

I will try to take some pics in due course, which is a bit of a problem at the moment as the zoom on my camera is broken!!

[Ed Tilley]

I haven't played at Sunningdale for about 15 years - not since I was at school and had a friend who was a junior member. Whilst I always liked the New course, for me it just doesn't have that 'je ne sais quoi' element of magic that the Old course has. The Old course is a special place.

I probably have played the Old course a dozen times and the New course 7 or 8. I'm struggling to remember in any detail any of the holes on the New course except the par 3 through the trees down to the Halfway hut. I can, however, remember in some detail almost all of the holes on the Old course. I think that tells a tale as to which I think is the better course.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

While it is good to hear another opinion of the New, is the Old a better course?  No way.  There are some holes that are more aethetically pleasing on the Old.   However, the New offers a better strategic design.  The clearing on the intrusive trees may change opinions on the aesthetics.  It was shocking to see how much 27 years can do to tree growth! I used to play both courses in the same day, and reached the point towards the end of the summer of playing the New both rounds.  

[Jason Blasberg]

Keep the photos and analysis coming RMD!!!

[Adam_Messix]

18's a little bit tighter now than what is shown in the picture, they've added a bunker on the left and tighened and deepened the one on the right.  It's not quite as easy a four now.

[Darren_Kilfara]

While I'm not sure I can intelligently choose between the Old and the New after a single playing of each, I can pretty confidently nominate the Cape hole on the New (#6, is it?) as my single favourite hole in all of the English heathlands. It felt like a little slice of Shinnecock in Surrey, which from my perspective is very high praise indeed!

Cheers,
Darren