If it wouldn't be too rude of me, could I ask you fellows to share why you are planning to go to certain courses in 2008? What I mean is, that if you are planning on going somewhere to see it specifically, would you say why?
It’s certainly not rude Joe, and it has made me think a little more about exactly why I want to play these places. I don’t think anyone will learn a great deal from my reasons, but I bet some of the others will have more enlightening explanations for their choices. I tend to not make time for too much reading about courses before I play them, which probably means I don’t learn as much as I might have on the first visit, but on the other hand it does mean I make more my own judgements about a hole, or a course.
I’ve been lucky in playing quite a few of the well-known heathland courses in the south-east, but St George’s Hill, Sunningdale (Old), and perhaps Berkshire (Blue) stand out as glaring omissions. My copy of Doak’s Confidential Guide has St George’s Hill as a gourmet choice, and he calls it “the best of the bunch”, which having played Swinley Forest is good enough reason for me to want to play there, whether he’s right or wrong. I’ve loved most of what I’ve seen of Harry Colt so far, and I don’t think I’ll be let down by this one.
Having played the New Course at Sunningdale a few times, I am understandably keen to tread the Old Course. It is considered such an important club in the development of heathland golf, and I am very keen to see and play the short par 4’s in particular. If I can do this before the International Open qualifier and the Women’s Open events, so much the better as I can then watch them and see how the courses should be played
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I enjoyed playing the Red Course at The Berkshire in 2006, and would like to see how the Blue Course compares. I’ve seen a little of Herbert Fowler’s other work (Walton Heath Old & New, West Surrey, Royal Automobile Club) and would like to see as much more as I can this year. Hence Beau Desert. So many of the courses I’ve enjoyed have been recommended to me on here, or in literature that I’ve discovered here, that if someone feels as strongly about a place as Sean Arble seems to about Beau Desert (and Huntercombe, West Sussex, and Burnham & Berrow for that matter!) then that’s good enough for me to want to make the effort. These have all been beautifully photographed and shown on the site in last few months, too, which always whets the appetite.
The interest in Littlestone comes partly from threads about the Buda Cup event there a few years back, and partly from conversations with a member I know who has played pretty widely around the UK. Average courses do not generate such enthusiasm, however biased people are to their own tracks.
Having grown up as a junior golfer in Cardiff, I had plenty of chances to play good courses in Wales either for a few pounds in a Junior Open, or as part of the club team. The 2 gaps in that list were Pennard (which I’ve since played) and Royal Porthcawl, which has a fascinating history and good architectural pedigree.
That leaves Tyrell’s Wood, which I know very little of, apart from that its Braid and that I stumbled across it by mistake while walking the dog nearby a few years back. I met the Course Manager at The Open last year, and decided I’d have to have a look around it.
The revisits are all there for one reason: I loved them on sight, and want to get to know them better. The one which might stand out is Temple, which seems to go under the radar on here. It’s a very pretty Willie Park Jnr course, which has seen architectural and agronomic revision in the last decade or so. I hope to take a few photos next time, in the hope that others will see them and make a visit. It’s a very friendly club and a great course, I think.
Cheers
Richard