The best value course in the world? Silloth pics.

[Sean_A]

Doaks Scale is interesting as its easy for one number to slide into another.  For, instance, the idea of "region" is very vague.  Some that didn't know countries could easily say the US has maybe three regions whereas the GB&I easily six regions.  Of course, this is nonsense in the big picture.  Each and every country could break down to far more detail. 

"An excellent course, worth checking out if you get within 100 miles."  I have been within 100 miles Silloth tons of times and didn't think it was worth checking out at the time...which implies a special trip to see., but I did it once so does that mean 7 works? 

"One of the very best courses in the region...worth special trip to see"...make the region small enough and sure, Silloth can be the best course in the region. Means 8 works as well. 

"Worth a game if you are in town"...well who is ever in Silloth by chance?  By definition, Silloth requires a special trip to see for practically every person the book is targeted.  So 6 doesn't work from this perspective, but that doesn't mean the course is any better or worse, just that Doak's scale doesn't really work across countries and most especially in the GB&I because its the only place on earth which has anywhere near the number of quality designs the US does...yet the size of the UK and Ireland is about the size of Indiana and California combined!  Clearly, a region in the US is far larger than in GB&I. It strikes me that scores from different regions are not compatible.  Some regions are weak and some strong.

So with that in mind one could easily say that Silloth is in the region of England and that still wouldn't be a large region in the US! Is Silloth one of the very best courses in England? Take it further and it is clear that a small region like England (size of Alabama) is clearly superior to the vast majority of regions in the US.  The gist of this is for GB&I, one can make a case for anything from 6 to however great one thinks Silloth is. Do folks have fun playing Silloth?  The answer to that question is what matters most. I have long had doubts about the use of the Doak scale...sometimes even when Doak uses it!

For sure Silloth is one of the best value courses to be had in GB&I and I would like to return.  But there is no way I could say Silloth is better than Formby.  When I look at the expanisveness of the Formby, its 3s, 4s, & 5s compared to Silloth, the quality and interest of the greens, the varied terrain and architectural input and better varied yardage there is only one conclusion..Formby is better.  Yet, I would rather play Silloth because it is one of the best value courses in England and its good enough.   

Ciao

[JJShanley]

10 – is it perfect ? No, the 16^th green is rubbish.

In what respect?  Difficulty of approach, or lack or internal contour. 


I will say that I played SoS in the non-prevailing wind, so had 4-iron or hybrid in that day.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

I first heard high praise about Silloth from a member at Foxton Hall/Alnmouth golf club in Northumbria. Made the drive down to Cumbria from Edinburgh City the next year and was blown away! Somewhere on this site I posted a photo tour.


Such a great course that nobody knows about!


I'm in Edinburgh right now starting to break down our flat in Morningside and ship things back to USA. Feeling a bit sad and wistful after 4 years of enjoying golfing about Edinburgh and Scotland and Northern England in general. Will need figure out a scheme to get back.

[Duncan Cheslett]

For sure Silloth is one of the best value courses to be had in GB&I and I would like to return.  But there is no way I could say Silloth is better than Formby.  When I look at the expanisveness of the Formby, its 3s, 4s, & 5s compared to Silloth, the quality and interest of the greens, the varied terrain and architectural input and better varied yardage there is only one conclusion..Formby is better.  Yet, I would rather play Silloth because it is one of the best value courses in England and its good enough.   

Ciao

I played Formby again yesterday - three days after my debut at Silloth.


Although both links courses, they are so different as to make comparison irrelevent. Formby (at least the first 10 holes) is more of a "coastal heath" layout, begging comparison with somewhere like Alwoodley rather than a pure roller-coaster of a wild links course like Silloth.


I see where Sean is coming from though. Formby is full of subtlety and thought provoking strategy as well as beauty and old school class; Silloth is more in-your face bling.


I love 'em both. I really couldn't put a cigarette paper between them in terms of quality, although Silloth is certainly more fun.


As for value, it's a tough one too. I paid £60 at Formby in an open comp against £36 for a day ticket at Silloth. Add in the extra fuel and time however, and there's probably not much in it.


I'm just happy to have the choice of such great courses on my doorstep.

[Sean_A]

Oh no, Silloth is definitely higher on my Happy 100 list even though I think Formby is the better course. Its the huge cost differential which sways it for me with Formby being close to 3X the cost of Silloth (in season).  Formby is a championship links and charges accordingly   

Ciao

[Duncan Cheslett]

And Silloth isn't a "championship links"?


"Silloth on Solway Golf Cumbria played host to the 2002-2007 R & A Regional Open Championship Qualifier, and in 2007 hosted the English Ladies Closed Amateur Strokeplay Championship.In 2009 the club also hosted the EGU Mid Amateur Championship for the Logan Trophy. In 2012 the Club staged the English Amateur Championship won by Harry Ellis"
.
http://www.sillothgolfclub.co.uk/

[Sean_A]

And Silloth isn't a "championship links"?


"Silloth on Solway Golf Cumbria played host to the 2002-2007 R & A Regional Open Championship Qualifier, and in 2007 hosted the English Ladies Closed Amateur Strokeplay Championship.In 2009 the club also hosted the EGU Mid Amateur Championship for the Logan Trophy. In 2012 the Club staged the English Amateur Championship won by Harry Ellis"
.
http://www.sillothgolfclub.co.uk/

I guess I subscribe to old school ideas about championship courses.  In GB&I that would really only mean The Open these days, but I will chuck in The Amateur because its traditional.  I don't consider Euro Tour or anything amateur below The Am as championships.  Gotta draw the line somewhere.  I wish this firm line was drawn long ago, would have saved the world from a lot of so-so design in the name of championship golf.


Ciao

[MJohnson]

Y

I have Formby as an 8. My feeling after yesterday is that Silloth is better. I will know for sure on Thursday.


I'm having a good week! 

Too right !!

[Niall C]

Gents

You don't need to hear more of my views on Silloth but let me just add to the excerpt from the club website that Duncan posted and say that the club has a fairly long history of holding top comps and that what is on the website accounts for only the recent years. There is absolutely no doubt the course is championship quality.

When we played last Monday we were off relatively forward tees to allow for the relative lack of run. Some of the tees further back are off set to the fairway and present significantly different angles with choices to be made on line and length. That is when the course becomes even more fun.

Some of the very back tees that are reserved for the top comps are near impossible for us mere mortals. If like me you don't mind pushing the ego to one side for the odd round and taking a bit of a beating then they also can be good fun. Off those tees Golf World had it in the top 5 hardest courses in GB&I. As I said, there is no doubting Silloths championship credentials.

Niall

[Duncan Cheslett]

I agree Niall.


As a course, Silloth would be capable of holding the Open.


As a club and as a town however, clearly they wouldn't.

[Paul Rudovsky]

Only played it once a couple of years ago...and frankly too quickly (arrived late in day).  I was blown away.  Thought it was the closest thing to Royal Dornoch I had ever experienced (the "feel" of being close to the sea).  Absolute top 10 on world as a "hidden gem"

[JJShanley]

As a course, Silloth would be capable of holding the Open.

As I recall, SoS measures 6600 yards from the back tees.  Does it have a bunch of secret tees that take it over 7,000? 


I don't write that to criticize the course, but that statement seems a stretch from the information I have. 

[Duncan Cheslett]

All I know is that we played it with an ex-tour pro who reckons it is plenty good (and tough) enough.


Apparently there are several  holes on which the fairway is beyond reach from the back tees for even the biggest hitters if the wind is up. Adam pointed out the area of rough on the long 5th before the fairway starts that the pros aim at from the back tees if they are to have any chance at all of finding their ball.


This a man whose favourite course in the world is Carnoustie...


 

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Received this email from Silloth a day or two ago:
More accolades for Silloth on Solway Golf Club  Over the years Silloth on Solway Golf Club has been very fortunate to receive many great accolades for the quality of our wonderful golf course.Recently there have been 3 new accolades for the golf club.Golf Monthly Magazine is the best selling golf magazine in the UK and compiles a Top 100 courses in Britain and Ireland every 2 years.  The new list came out in December and Silloth was voted number 46.  Out of approximately 3,000 golf courses in Britain and Ireland the 46^th best golf course in Britain and Ireland is right here in little old Silloth!!
There are lots of top 100 lists around in the golf magazines at the moment and National Club Golfer Magazine also voted the 9^th hole at Silloth as one of the Top 100 holes in Britain.  They also voted the 9^th hole in their dream 18 holes of golf in Britain which is arguably the best of the 3 accolades.
 
                     Everyone at Silloth is very proud of our course and we all love getting positive comments from visiting golfers during their visit to the club. 
We would love to see you at Silloth this summer so you can see why we have been given these and many other accolades.  Come and play the 46th best course in Britain and Ireland, come and play our 9th hole which is in the NGC magazines dream 18 holes of golf.  Oh and by the way you can play our wonderful links golf course for £52 per day midweek and £60 per round at weekends.

If you like hitting iron shots off crisp, firm fairways, putting on beautiful greens and taking in stunning views on a piece of land that god specially made to be a golf course then come to Silloth on Solway Golf Club.

Book now:

bookings@sillothgolfclub.co.uk

www.sillothgolfclub.co.uk

016973 31304

Happy Golfing

Alan Oliver
Secretary

[Niall C]

10 – is it perfect ? No, the 16^th green is rubbish.

In what respect?  Difficulty of approach, or lack or internal contour. 


I will say that I played SoS in the non-prevailing wind, so had 4-iron or hybrid in that day.

The hole is of that difficult length where when its firm, for most average golfers, the length of club required to land on the green means you can't hold it while trying to land it short and bounce it on or run it on doesn't really work either because to land it short you are using too elevated a club to get enough momentum forward on landing. I've even tried hitting a half shot with a fairway wood but judging it with the slope of the bank is harder than landing on top and stopping.


Of course if you are a big hitter who can land on the top with a lofted club then it's no problem at all. Glasgow Gailes has a hole like this as well and be very happy if it was redesigned also.


Niall

[Mark Pearce]

I played Formby for the firs time on Thursday.  It's lovely and there's some really interesting stuff.  I can't see how it can be considered clearly better than Silloth, though.  I'd say that they're at a very similar level but, if push came to shove, and I could play one round at either, I'd pick Silloth, I think.  This comes with the usual caveats about judging anywhere on just one play and that I didn't play very well at Formby.

[Jon Wiggett]

Mark,


I think that Formby was probably a better course prior to it losing the links holes. Now I am not sure it is right to compare it to Silloth as Formby is not a links course IMO. It is very good but I actually prefer the Ladies Course.


Jon

[Ben Stephens]

I played Formby for the firs time on Thursday.  It's lovely and there's some really interesting stuff.  I can't see how it can be considered clearly better than Silloth, though.  I'd say that they're at a very similar level but, if push came to shove, and I could play one round at either, I'd pick Silloth, I think.  This comes with the usual caveats about judging anywhere on just one play and that I didn't play very well at Formby.

Mark


You might not want to play Silloth with me playing in group behind    - I have not played Formby yet so can't put forward an opinion in this discussion. Silloth is one of of the best courses on my list. If it was nearer a main city it certainly would be a lot higher up the ratings. It is like making a pilgrimmage to a hallowed ground if you go to Silloth as is miles in the middle of nowhere if there was a better hotel in town possibly more people would come.


Cheers
Ben

[Duncan Cheslett]

It was interesting rereading this old thread on the back of playing Muirfield and Silloth this week on successive days.


Muirfield is clearly a magnificent championship course and I was delighted to cross it off my list, but it is not the kind of place I could ever fall in love with. My soul wasn’t stirred - perhaps I’m just not a good enough golfer to appreciate it fully.


Silloth on the other hand, delights me more with every play. This week the wind was up, but blowing from the opposite direction to usual, and it was a revelation! The 4th became almost unplayable into the wind and the long 5th reachable in two even for me!


Joining Silloth as a full member was my best decision of last year, and I look forward to many years of pleasure at one of the most enjoyable courses I have ever played.


A couple of points raised in this thread;


Remoteness.


I left Glasgow at 6am on Wednesday and was teeing off at Silloth at 8.10. I was home in Manchester before 3pm and could have fitted in a round at Cavendish if I had been so inclined. Silloth is easily accessible for anyone travelling up or down the M6 and is a straightforward day trip for a significant proportion of the U.K. population. Being a long way from London doesn’t necessarily make a place “remote”.


Finances.


I’ve seen the accounts and Silloth is in fine financial fettle. Membership is now full and there is a waiting list. Green fees are nudging up and the tee sheet is full every day. Around half Silloth’s revenue comes from visitors and half from members. That strikes me as a healthy model for a club not in a large centre of population. Major investment is under way - the clubhouse was completely refurbished last year and a new irrigation system installed over the winter.


Hospitality and course conditions are superb.


At £65 a day (or £550 a year) Silloth is still the best value golf in the world!



As an aside, on my previous visit to Silloth a couple of weeks ago I got chatting to a group of three golfers in the car park. They had just made the same journey as myself from South Manchester. It turned out they had wanted to play Cavendish but couldn’t get a tee time so had come for 36 holes at Silloth instead.


I took not a little pleasure in revealing that I was a member at both and inviting them to either as my guests! 😎

[Brian Finn]

Having read this thread, along with Ran's review, and other media covering Silloth on Solway, I want to play it pretty badly.  Would it be crazy for an American staying in Southport for a few days to do a day trip up?  The rest of my time there, I won't be driving much, but it looks to be 2.5 hours each way, and driving on the left side always takes a bit out of me.  Based on what I've seen, it appears well worth the effort.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Having read this thread, along with Ran's review, and other media covering Silloth on Solway, I want to play it pretty badly.  Would it be crazy for an American staying in Southport for a few days to do a day trip up?  The rest of my time there, I won't be driving much, but it looks to be 2.5 hours each way, and driving on the left side always takes a bit out of me.  Based on what I've seen, it appears well worth the effort.

It wouldn’t be in the least bit crazy. I regularly make a day trip of it from Manchester. 2.5 hours each way.


If Silloth was in Southport it would be pushing Birkdale for the position of best course in town. It’s that good!

[Mark Pearce]

Having read this thread, along with Ran's review, and other media covering Silloth on Solway, I want to play it pretty badly.  Would it be crazy for an American staying in Southport for a few days to do a day trip up?  The rest of my time there, I won't be driving much, but it looks to be 2.5 hours each way, and driving on the left side always takes a bit out of me.  Based on what I've seen, it appears well worth the effort.

It wouldn’t be in the least bit crazy. I regularly make a day trip of it from Manchester. 2.5 hours each way.


If Silloth was in Southport it would be pushing Birkdale for the position of best course in town. It’s that good!

If Silloth was in Southport Birkdale wouldn't have hosted the Open.

[jeffwarne]

Having read this thread, along with Ran's review, and other media covering Silloth on Solway, I want to play it pretty badly.  Would it be crazy for an American staying in Southport for a few days to do a day trip up?  The rest of my time there, I won't be driving much, but it looks to be 2.5 hours each way, and driving on the left side always takes a bit out of me.  Based on what I've seen, it appears well worth the effort.

It wouldn’t be in the least bit crazy. I regularly make a day trip of it from Manchester. 2.5 hours each way.


If Silloth was in Southport it would be pushing Birkdale for the position of best course in town. It’s that good!

Is Birkdale the best course in town now?