June! London!

[Brent Hutto]

A fortuitous combination of frequent-flier miles and obsessive monitoring of the USAirways web site has resulted in a "free" ticket CLT-LGW on June 14. I'll have five days in Southeast England for a much overdue dose of links golf, heathland golf and whatever golf someone may suggest. Looking forward to renewing at least a few acquaintances with GCA brethren.

I'm trying to keep this a short trip on a reasonably short budget although I will set aside enough to take advantage of the exchange rate for one day at a "prize" course, possibly Sandwich. But I'm also hoping to have some more modestly-budgeted adventures on the other days.

And I do want to set aside at least a few hours to walk around London, see a show, have a decent dinner or other "tourist" pursuits. But when it comes right down to it golf has a way of trumping other activities especially when there are 17 hours of daylight! On my previous London trip in 2006 I had 12 days with a grand total of about 90 minutes rainfall. I hope the "law of averages" doesn't catch up with me this time.

[Jamie Barber]

I'm sure one of the guys would host you at Deal for the day (the green fee is a steal with a member) or I might be able to get a day off to host you at Prince's (a bit more expensive and less charm/quirk than Deal) if you want to overnight down in the South East...

[Brent Hutto]

Jamie,

I would love to play at Princes, it has wonderful ground for golf! I walked it twice during the Amateur in 2006 (a friend of mine was playing) and also walked around the course next door several times. But of course I didn't get to play either of them. It was a breezy week and I saw more than one attempted "stinger" shot with 2-irons or whatnot strike little humps a few yards in front of the player and be deflected woefully short of the greens. Humps and bumps and hollows enough to confound most USA golfers the first time they see them.

My default itinerary, unless other offers come my way, is to go directly over there upon arrival and just stay four nights in the same place as on the previous trip (a B&B between Deal and Sandwich). So let's try to find a day you can come join for me a game, I have a feeling my calendar will be wide open. And yes, most likely one or more of our Deal members will be around that week as well. High summer in the south of England was wonderful last time around, I can hardly wait.

P.S. Maybe I should bring my Princes Golf Club souvenir Sunday bag.

[Scott Warren]

Brent, the list list of blokes keen to have you at Deal will likely be a long one, but consider me at the front of it.

[Brent Hutto]

Scott,

I've been 'round Deal once by myself (first time I saw the course) then twice in friendly games. Mr. David Dobby went easy on me at first and let me get a couple holes ahead before throwing a bunch of 4's and 5's at me on 12-16, closing out the match when I chipped across the 16th green a couple times. The next day I played with proprietor of my B&B who let me hang around until the 17th green before that back-and-forth game was over.

Based on that experience, I look forward to one or more opportunities to correct my "0-for..." career record at Royal Cinque Ports. And those were days with barely a club of breeze. I still think I would have handled the first match better had my tee ball not inexplicably disappeared after being struck into what we thought from the tee was the right side of the 11th fairway. So the course owes me one (and if you happen to find a 4-year-old Maxfli with the initial "H" on it somewhere down the right side of eleven pick it up for me).

At the moment I consider my travel itinerary mostly settled. I'll be heading straight to Deal from the airport upon arrival and staying Tue-Fri nights at a B&B in town (not the Number One, alas, as they were booked for two of my nights). Only the final day Saturday is being held open pending an incoming traveler from points east who may want to buy me a round of golf and/or a round of drinks depending on timing details TBA. So if anyone can make it out to RCP on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday I will consider it an honor to receive a drubbing from a member. And early Saturday morning may conceivably turn out to be in play.

Speaking of arrival on Tuesday...for my fresh-off-the-plane round I;m considering playing the walk-up Stableford event down at Walmer & Kingsdown that afternoon. It's their Open Week and I played on the exact same Tuesday Stableford back in 2006. The most fun I can recall for 10 pounds (up to 15 this year). It's a pretty cool course, especially in a stiff wind. That was the second windiest round of golf I've ever played but the course is so firm, fast and hilly that it was a true roller-coaster ride. I had at least one downhill/downwind shot that chipped with a 6-iron from about 180 yards (I'm talking a chip that traveled less than 20 yards in the air) and ended up over the green. Now that's golf!

[Jamie Barber]

Brent, I'd be most happy to host you, if nothing else you'll get a discounted green fee, and I'll buy you a beer afterwards. Let's pick a day and I'll book the day off work.

I also watched some of the Amateur in '06, I thought the course was a pretty good test.

If you haven't played it before, Canterbury is a nice course too (I'd rate it the best non-links in the area)

[Michael Whitaker]

Brent - Knowing you the way I do I think you would enjoy a day of sightseeing in Canterbury more than you would London. A day of golf and sightseeing in Canterbury would be a great double-dip for you.

[Steve_Roths]

Sunningdale Old
Walton Heath
R. St. George's
Swinley

[Mark Chaplin]

Steve = £700 give or take a penny or two.

Brent - Michael gives some good advice, Canterbury city is charming, compact and well worth a visit.

You have picked a busy week during which there are a number of reciprocals out as there is a week long outing at the club. I'm down for dinner tonight and match and dinner tomo. I will sort you out some availability and see if they suit as well as linking in Jamie.

Your record is as good as mine, last Easter a certain Techner A, Chattanooga, USA beat me in the first round of the Easter meeting, despite jetlag, a very heavy Brassey dinner and being 4 down with 4 to play!!

[Bill_McBride]

Once again the golfing joy that is the coast of Kent is at the top of the agenda.  Can't wait for September!

[Brent Hutto]

Mike,

I actually spent a Sunday inside the wall,so to speak, at Canterbury on my '06 trip. Attended a choral service in the cathedral and had lunch at a sandwich stand. That was a very nice day.

...but I like London, too. Especially dinner and an evening play...

[Michael Whitaker]

I should have known that you visited Canterbury on your '06 trip. Now that you mention it, I do believe I remember your tales of Canterbury. 

[Jason McNamara]

Michael, here in Houston that Aprille and his shoures hath perced the droghte of Marche about 10 days early.


...sorry, today's thunderstorms were appropriate.  Back to your regularly scheduled discussion.

[Brent Hutto]

The final puzzle piece in my itinerary was arranging to collect on a bet, if possible, on the Saturday morning before my departure on Sunday. The difficulty was in finding an interesting course within a couple hours drive of Deal (which I'll be departing Saturday morning) and also accessible by train from Heathrow Airport. Of course the wrinkle is gaining Saturday visitors access.

It looks like the redoubtable GCA favorite Saturday choice The Addington fits the bill. They do indeed have room for a couple visitors that afternoon and I've not had the chance to play there on previous UK visits. I'll assume that meets the approval of The Treehouse...

[Brent Hutto]

One more question, directed at the London-Deal contingent...

If you were going from Gatwick direct to Deal, which of the possible routes do you take? It looks like M26 no matter what but you can go on the M20 through Folkestone or the M2 through Canterbury.

If it matters, I'm talking about mid to late morning on a Tuesday in June. My vague memory from 2006 is that in Dover you have long lines of trucks stacked up ahead of you and it's a real PITA. I can't remember if I encountered any particular PITA stretches when driving from Sandwich to London on the return trip.

[Scott Warren]

IMO M2/A2/A258 is the best route. Avoids the potential traffic around Dover of the M20 but also all the little turns and streets of using the M2 then cutting through Canterbury.

[Mark Chaplin]

Personally M23/M25/M26/M20 to Dover.

Scott's route is 17 minutes longer according to AA route planner and the M2 and A2 are only two lanes so a lorry v lorry overtake can take a mile and a looong time!

[Brent Hutto]

I might try this without renting a car, unlike my three previous UK trips.

Actually getting from Gatwick to Deal and back without a car is a cinch. The train journeys are two changes outbound and only one on return with travel times being under 3 hours. And given that the Gatwick train station is at the south terminal where I'm arriving and where I'm staying the night before flying home there is zero ground transportation at the Gatwick end. The cost of the train tickets are about a third that of a rental car, not counting gas (which is not insignificant).

I found an old Buda thread indicating that taking a taxi from the center of Deal to the golf course costs maybe a fiver or so in each direction. So that's good. My B&B is within easy walking distance of restaurants, ATM's, laundries and so forth in town and for that matter it's less than a mile to Royal Cinque Ports clubhouse. With the money I'd save by foregoing the car I can buy a boatload of five-quid taxi rides.

The only remaining issue for me doing with a car would be going over to Princes one day. I suppose just hiring a taxi would be within possibility but for all I know a round trip might cost 50-60 pounds. Or even more, I have no feel for UK taxi fares between towns like that. Or I could walk or taxi to the Deal Railway station, hop the train one stop up the line and then do a taxi from the Sandwich station to Princes. But that strikes me as probably a not-cheap taxi ride as the station and golf course are nowhere near each other.

So what say the Deal knowledgeable folks? Is this as easy a decision as it seems, outside of the one longish trip up to Princes Golf Club? I don't mind driving in the UK but in honesty, right off the plane after an overnight transatlantic flight three hours sitting on a train is probably a safer spot for me than two hours behind the wheel on the motorway. And even factoring in taxi fares I think it will end up being net cheaper by a fair margin.

[Scott Warren]

Brent,

I don't own a car over here, so all my travelling to/from/around Deal is done by train and taxi (aside from a few treat weekends when I've rented a car).

It is as easy as it seems, even if it does sometimes involve a bit of pre-planning for trains and stuff.

I just rang the taxi company I use in Deal (Ph: 01304 36 36 36) and they quoted £14 one-way from the centre of Deal to Prince's Golf Club (£9 from Sandwich town centre to Prince's).

[Brent Hutto]

OK, that's great Scott. As those rates are very reasonable it's a definite winning plan in my estimation. And if the June weather turns out to be as fine as on my 2006 trip I'll probably end up walking most places within Deal so it may be as few as a handful of taxi fares involved anyway.

Thanks for checking on that for me.

[Jamie Barber]

Brent  - don't be silly, I'll come and pick you up in my car - you don't have to book a taxi!!

I'll confirm the tee booking next time I'm at the club.

Jamie

[Brent Hutto]

Ah to have friends among the membership...Priceless!

[JNC Lyon]

Brent,

The decision to spend a couple of days in Deal is a great one.  You cannot play Royal Cinque Ports enough in my opinion.  There is something new to be learned there every round.  Make sure you try the new seawall tees on 7 and 9! After three months in London now, I relish any opportunity I get to be away from the city center.  Three days in Deal over the Easter weekend was simply ideal.  I wish I was still in London in June to host you at Deal.  Alas, I will be back in the states (it's the only way I can afford a membership at Deal).  Some of the locals here will tell you the best places to eat, but a pint or three at the King's Head is a must.
 

[Brent Hutto]

Have you ever stopped in my favorite lunch spot, the Black Douglas Coffee Shop up at the other end of Beach Street? If you happen to be there try a Gorganzola, Rocket and Cranberry sandwich on their fresh-baked rustic bread. It's to die for, especially if you pack it in your golf bag. Just let the Gorganzola soften up for a while and eat it on the back nine!

I also enjoy one meal at that Chequers (sp?) restaurant up the dirt road behind the sixteenth hole. I think it was brand new in 2006 during my visit (as was the Black Douglas). Cold melon soup and then some sort of catch-of-the-day entree. Excellent.

Personally, I don't know why people say England is the pits for food. I've eaten very well over there, especially in summer when they have plenty of locally sourced fresh produce. And locally sourced beer! And locally sourced Solley Farms ice cream isn't so bad, either.

[JNC Lyon]

I am very much a novice in terms of Deal cuisine.  However, seeing as I will make many trips down there in the future, those places will go to the top of the list.  I agree, too, that the food here is underrated.  I have had some of my best meals ever in my stay across the pond.  Who knew curry was so good?  The beer does not even compete with the stuff in the US, though I have been known to drink a Coors Light every now and then to give me a taste of home.

Why not just stay in Deal for the whole trip?  That would be my move, no doubt...