Silloth-on-Solway

[David Stamm]

After reading James Finegan praise this course in his book, All Courses Great & Small, I was curious if any of the gang have played it and, if so, do you agree? It certainly sounds good. Arble, any pics?

[Tom_Doak]

I didn't play it, but I walked it a couple of times while watching the British Ladies' Amateur there in 1983.  It's a cool course, someplace I'd like to go back since I didn't take pictures during the competition.

[Mark_F]

It's a terrific course - good variety of green complexes, excellent par threes and fives especially, and a very pretty course to boot.

Don't miss a fairway, though.

[Chris Kane]

Mark is right (it pains me to say) - Silloth is fantastic.  A real bargain too.

[Mark_F]

Mark is right (it pains me to say)

Such maturity.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

It's a wonderful course and there are a great many features which would appeal to lovers of traditional GCA. It's not exactly on the tourist's beaten track, so I also commend Seascale if making the journey to the Cumbrian coast. Silloth is more or less directly opposite Southerness across the Solway Firth but it is quite a lengthy car journey from one to the other - another course well worth playing.

[Tom_Doak]

That is the main reason it isn't better known ... it's in the middle of nowhere, as far as a golfing trip of Scotland or England is concerned.

[Eric Morrison]

There are pics in Ran's review in the courses by country section.

[Phil McDade]

There are pics in Ran's review in the courses by country section.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/silloth1.html

[David Stamm]

Thanks Eric and Phil. I should known that Golf's Most Beloved Figure had been there.

[Lloyd_Cole]

My sound engineer and I played when on tour a few years ago. Fantastic fun. In the old tradition of being in town also - the clubhouse is at the end of Main Street! Given the reputation of UK golf club car parks I was worried about my guitars - the Secretary very kindly kept them in his office during the round and then gave us the club house tour and history. Any time my agent asks if I want to play Whitehaven , Workington or Carlisle I know I'll do it.

[Mark Pearce]

I try to get over there two or three times a year.  I strongly suspect that it represents the best value golf in England.  If it were anywhere near anywhere else it would be a recognised treasure but it is way out of the way.  Better than North Berwick in my book.  Probably better than Cruden Bay, too.  Sorry, no pictures.

[David Stamm]

I try to get over there two or three times a year.  I strongly suspect that it represents the best value golf in England.  If it were anywhere near anywhere else it would be a recognised treasure but it is way out of the way.  Better than North Berwick in my book.  Probably better than Cruden Bay, too.  Sorry, no pictures.

Wow! High praise indeed, Mark. I looked at their website and you're right, the prices are fantastic!

[Chris Kane]

Such maturity.

Much as it pains me to admit, Chris is correct in one instance.

I agree Mark - very immature.

[Mark_F]

Such maturity.

Much as it pains me to admit, Chris is correct in one instance.

I agree Mark - very immature.

Jesus, it took you long enough.

Probably better than Cruden Bay, too.  Sorry, no pictures.

It's definitely better than Cruden Bay.

And there's clearly the prospect of snaffling a guitar or two from the carpark as well.

[Ed Tilley]

David,

I've resurrected my thread with pics from a 2006 visit. A wonderful course. Better, in my opinion than Machrihanish and Cruden Bay. If it was in Scotland, and you can see Scotland from the course, it would get much more attantion.

Ed

[Niall C]

I've been fortunate to have been a member for the last 6 years and can confirm that it is a cracking course, very tough as well off the the very back tees. It has regularly been in the top 50 courses in Golf World and Golf Monthly surveys of top UK courses. In my view it is a better course than some of those much higher up the list.

The club has also done a lot of work in recent years in eg. new 5th and 10th greens, re-newing the tees, completely new tee location on the 18th and a complete reshaping of fairway on the 11th. Much of the work has been done for agronomy reasons and some for safety reasons but all work has been well executed and the changes are largely for the better.

Definitely worth a trip.

[Tony_Muldoon]

My sound engineer and I played when on tour a few years ago. Fantastic fun.

I try to get over there two or three times a year.  I strongly suspect that it represents the best value golf in England.  If it were anywhere near anywhere else it would be a recognised treasure but it is way out of the way.  Better than North Berwick in my book.  Probably better than Cruden Bay, too.  Sorry, no pictures.

It's definitely better than Cruden Bay.

David,


 A wonderful course. Better, in my opinion than Machrihanish and Cruden Bay. If it was in Scotland, and you can see Scotland from the course, it would get much more attention.

Ed

Am I the only one thinking about future Buda locations?  Is there suitable accommodation?



PS Welcome Niall  - you found an easy subject to make your first post on.

[Mark Pearce]

Tony,

I suspect Silloth used to be a minor seaside resort, it has a promenade of sorts and there's a Golf Hotel, though I've no idea if it's any good.  The problem with a Silloth BUDA would be where else to play.  It must be a good two hours from the Lancashire coastal courses and it's well over two hours from Newcastle.  I think that there are a couple of decent courses near Carlisle (30 minutes from Silloth) but I've never played either and suspect neither is a potential BUDA venue.  Southerness can be seen from Silloth but it's a long drive up the estuary and back down.

Of course, if you were coming up in June for our North East outing we could hop over for a day before or after the main event!

[Niall C]

Tony - thanks for the welcome.

Mark - I can thoroughly recommend Carlisle GC although you need to pick the right time of year. In the middle of the summer it plays like a heathland course but tends to get fairly wet in winter. Lots of good and varied holes and has recently been used as an Open qualifier. There are 3 other courses in or around Carlisle.

Brampton has some good interesting holes but unfortunately has several holes which would have challenged Sir Edmund Hillary. Stoneyholme in the centre of Carlisle is a municipal which is short and tight but good fun although the greenkeeping isn't the best. The third course is Eden which is a relatively new pay and play flat parkland which is OK but not too inspiring. I believe they recently built a new 9 holes but haven't seen them so can't comment.

When I lived down there I played several courses to the south of Silloth although the one I didn't play which has a good repuation is Seascale.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay I would suggest Carlisle offers a lot more than Silloth.

Niall

[Mark Pearce]

Niall,

Thanks, let me add my welcome as well.  Brampton is the other Carlisle course I had heard reasonable reports of.  Where do you live now, if you used to live "down there"?

[Andrew Mitchell]

My sound engineer and I played when on tour a few years ago. Fantastic fun.

I try to get over there two or three times a year.  I strongly suspect that it represents the best value golf in England.  If it were anywhere near anywhere else it would be a recognised treasure but it is way out of the way.  Better than North Berwick in my book.  Probably better than Cruden Bay, too.  Sorry, no pictures.

It's definitely better than Cruden Bay.

David,


 A wonderful course. Better, in my opinion than Machrihanish and Cruden Bay. If it was in Scotland, and you can see Scotland from the course, it would get much more attention.

Ed

Am I the only one thinking about future Buda locations?  Is there suitable accommodation?



PS Welcome Niall  - you found an easy subject to make your first post on.

Tony
I would second each of the above recommendations for Silloth (although I would probably take issue with Mark's preference for it over North Berwick).  I think a GCA group would have great fun there but as Mark has said the problem is that its pretty much in the middle of nowhere with no other comparable courses within a two hour drive.  On the three Buda trips I've attended the second course has always been of a complimentary standard to the main venue (Hoylake - Wallasey; Alwoodley - Moortown; Lundin - Elie).  I don't believe there is a course anywhere near Silloth to compare with Wallasey, Moortown or Elie. 

Niall
Welcome aboard.  Good to have another North England based member (assuming you still live in Cumbria?)

[Lloyd_Cole]

I don't think Silloth would work for The Buda, either, but should we ever go down that route, I know a nice snooker club in Workington where complete strangers are invited for the nightly 'lock-in'!

[Sean_A]

I don't think Silloth would work for The Buda, either, but should we ever go down that route, I know a nice snooker club in Workington where complete strangers are invited for the nightly 'lock-in'!

Ah, I remember those lock ins with great fondness. Now that pubs are open all hours I am not too bothered about drinking past 11.  Old age is a terrible thing.

For what it is worth, I don't think Silloth is a great Buda venue because its a long way from major airports and it is difficult to tag on other courses for those coming from overseas.  That said, if there is a will there is a way. 

Ciao

[David Stamm]

How long is the drive from here to Southerness? And how long would it take to travel from a Machrie/Machrihanish excursion to get there?