Due to the interest shown recently, I’ve decided to post these photos of Woking GC, taken in the Sept. of 2003. As you can see the golf course is nearly white from heat and lack of rain during that summer’s heat wave. This is in stark contrast to the photo essay posted by Philip Gawith just recently, which showed Woking in a more autumnal maintenance meld. For comparison here’s a link to Philip’s photo essay:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=26585;start=msg497981#msg497981One of their most famous members Bernard Darwin, who discovered the Club in 1897 and was a member for 60 years, called Woking “the best and pleasantest place to play golf that I have ever known”. Roger Wethered was an Honourary member and later president of the Club. The contributions of Stuart Patton and George Low, with their subtle alterations of the original Tom Dunn design in 1893, are chronicled as the beginning of inland strategic golf design. Indeed the placement of the bunkers and recontouring of the greens give the thinking golfer something to ponder, be it on the tee shot or approaching the green. The intimacy of the Clubhouse, within the routing of the course is somewhat unique and a pleasure for all who enter; except for the fairer sex who are still relegated to the veranda or the Ladies TV Room. Certainly Woking is a must visit for the student of architecture.
The 1st hole is a 278 yard par 4, straight away with the green in a dell, invisible from the tee. An ideal way to start the round, either laying up with an iron or attempting to jump start the round with an early birdie on an easily driveable green. Sorry no picture available.
The second green a stout 201 yard shot to the par 3 green.
The 3rd is a 413 yard par 4, a dogleg right around a hill slope on that side. From the photo you can see that the contours of the ground to right of the bunker will steer a running shot onto the green. It was the inspiration for the 8th green at Pacific Dunes. There is also a wicked little upper shelf at the back right of the green; a real Sunday pin placement.
The tee shot on the World Famous 4th hole, a 336 yard par 4. I was surprised that there was that much room to the right of the Principle’s Nose complex.
From this photo you can detect that the green slopes from front left to back right, definitely favouring the approach from the right of the Principle’s Nose.
Directly behind the Principle’s Nose, you can see the fence that cordons off the railway line.
The green of the par 4 360 yard 5th from short left. The heather covered slope of the bunker is to be admired, as is the wave like undulation of the green which the camera fails to fully capture.
The tee shot on 399 yard par 4 6th.
Excellent use of the creek to front the green.
The green of the 161 yard par3 7th. Looks like years of sand splash have made the lip of that left bunker the formidable rampart it is today. The specimen tree behind the green and out of play certainly adds to the beauty of the hole.
The second shot into the 433 yard par 4 8th. Nothing like a little centerline bunkering to increase the challenge.
No photo of the 9th, a 450 yard dogleg left par 4 up the hill.
The tee shot to the 155 yard par 3 11th. Note the steep drop off to the left of the green.
The tee shot on the 383 yard 11th must negotiate both heather and a well placed bunker to offer a clear shot to the green.
The green of the 409 yard par 4 12th has truly magnificent undulation which the camera fails to capture. Surely this green was resculptured by Low and Patton.
The par 4 13th measures 426 yards. The undulations on this green are so severe that there was evidence of the greens mower scalping the turf. A valley bisects the green into front and back areas.
The tee shot on the 510 yard par 5 14th must clear a sea of heather. The white poles are to aid in locating any balls which fail to make the carry.
The green is literally a few paces from the veranda; might be wise to use a Texas Wedge so as not to decapitate any of the Barristers lunching here. The broken ground short of the green makes for very interesting 3rd shots for those who fail to make the green in 2 .
No picture of the 511 yard par 5 15th, whose severely contoured green must be seen in person.
The tee shot to the 156 yard 16th should easily clear the pond; not an uncommon type of hole in the Heathlands.
This shot of the green at the 421 yard 17th is taken from short right. Notice how the green gently fall away from the golfer; it’s a shame we don’t see more holes like this in modern design.
The contours on the green save this 338 yard finisher from being anything but boring. Supposedly Darwin used a ladder to gain access to the Clubhouse roof to play a shot to conclude an important match. There is a pond just to the right of the margin of the picture which could affect shots pushed to a back right pin location.