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Tony_Muldoon

  • Karma: +0/-0
The South Coast of England. East Devon GC
« on: January 08, 2012, 07:54:17 AM »
If you ever wondered why there’s no outstanding golf on the West coast of Scotland North of Ayr, you probably put it down to lack of really suitable land and a small populations.   Well the south coast of England boast some decent sized cities and some good Heath and Moorland, but heading west after Rye there are no really outstanding courses which is even more surprising.  I’ve yet to play Broadstone and Parkstone but I get the feeling they fall just short of the standard set by the top London Heathland courses. Very good maybe, but not all world. Next are a few which may only be natural Doak 4/5’s, but offer wild natural terrain and stunning views to make for outstanding Holiday Golf.  

East Devon  GC is in “Hardy County” near Exeter and dates from 1902.  For some reason I always thought it was designed by Braid (perhaps because the club call the 18th after him?) but Cornish and Whitten say J Hamilton Strutt, which suggests a remodelling at some later point (although he often worked with Braid). Certainly the greens are consistent with what I expect of a Briand with many featuring strong tilts and couple of wilder ones including a par 3 in the mix.  The Peugeot Guide gives it a 16 which I feel is a little generous, but then I’ve only played it once on a benign day.  I imagine it’s a very windswept  place.



These photos’s have been on file for a couple of years, taken on an overcast day and are not in order so I’ll resist trying a full tour. The course was recovering from winter and hence the bare look.  However I’ll check Lorne has this down as a fine turf course and I enjoyed the challenging elevation changes and Heather high above the sea.

Oddly neither the Scoresaver nor the website offers a routing.  The course meanders out to the cliffs and builds nicely as it does so.  The course rewards an accurate second shot and those greens demand respect.
http://www.edgc.co.uk/edgcitem.php?category=14&ID=74&gettitle=Course&itemTITLE=Score Card&parent=14&stylesheet=style

Typical green looks benign. It’s not, featuring a vicious L-R slope




Then oddly after the first goes out the course returns straight back to the clubhouse!

This is one of the quartered greens I’ve wondered if that are attributable to Braid?

 


The course is very up and down but it does mean that you get tantalising hints at what’s to come. Yes it’s a fair test of stamina.

 











































 











While I feel the terrain is probably too up and down to have readily produced a better course, the pictures reveal a lack of tlc to bunkers etc. This course could be a lot better and I really fear for its future based on the comments quoted below and the following. The 12ht hole is called Hawtree and as you can see it features a green which though interesting in itself bears no relation to the other 17. This is great at places like Dooks where they did all the greens but here two words come to mind, sore & thumb. I’m not sure when this work was done but it was more than 5 years ago and it fails to fill me with confidence that the Club know what to do with their fine course.


 









Wow factor at 16 “The best view in golf.” P Alliss





 





I’ve only ever seen this step feature in front of the green once before, in a photo tour by Phillip Gawith of Yelverton which is not that far from here.  Thank  you Philip.








One reason for posting these now is an Article in the just received Issue 7 of Golf Quarterly www.golfquarterly.co.uk where the editor reveals the above hole is about to have its fairway shifted 25 metres to the left, necessitating a new 13th and remodelling 14 and 17th.  Also turning it from an R-L to a straight or even L-R hole. This is to accommodate walkers as the cliffs have been eroding.   However it quotes a load of tosh form the current Chairman about “Strikelines” and the totally meaningless “the redesign...was guided by the ethos of Herbert Fowler, Harry Colt and James Braid, three famous architects who were associated with East Devon in its early years..”  Once again a Club is diluting what makes their course special for want of a Masterplan.

17 stands out for fun, the fairway runs out at 270 which due to the downhill nature of the hole even I can reach, leaving 180 to the green.






 





However don’t my carping put you off.  If you’re in the area do play it.

A most enjoyable day’s golf.

 

« Last Edit: January 08, 2012, 05:00:10 PM by Tony_Muldoon »
Let's make GCA grate again!

Niall C

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The South Coast of England. East Devon GC
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2012, 10:12:45 AM »
Tony

Many thanks for the tour, looks like good fun golf. Interesting step in front of that green. I can only imagine that the keep it out of tradition as it would surely be easier to simply turf the slope. The first at Silloth had something similar at one point although the drop was much larger.

BTW, no outstanding golf on the west coast of Scotland ? Shome mishtake shurely !

Niall

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The South Coast of England. East Devon GC
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2012, 10:20:38 AM »
Thanks Tony, nice to see it. There are some great sea views to be had also on Thurlestone, also on the Devon coast, Although some of it is quite prosaic there are some unique holes.

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The South Coast of England. East Devon GC
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2012, 11:32:39 AM »
Tony, It slipped my mind but there is a links course west of Rye - Hayling. It's not a great course but there are some first rate holes on it. I think you would enjoy Parkstone and Broadstone. Broadstone had taken out a famous drive bunker when last I was there. Parkstone have taken down some trees improving the distant views and helping to restore its heathland nature, but I haven't been there since they did that. From the design point of view I think Isle of Purbeck is the least distinguished of the Bournemouth courses, but the views from the higher ground are stunning and not to be missed - nor is Corfe Castle. I have a soft spot for Ferndown, perhaps because it is not too long for me in my dotage. There are some very attractive holes, a number of wicked greens, plentiful and imaginative bunkering and enough movement in the ground to bring lots of variety to the golf without tiring the player excessively. Lyme Regis is fun golf, too.

Tony_Muldoon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The South Coast of England. East Devon GC
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2012, 05:06:37 PM »
Niall you are correct. Please accept my personal abject apologies and I have ammended the first post.  I've only played two courses on the West coast and both make my Top 25.

Mark, Thurlestone is next stop on the tour. Phoot's taken in perfect weather.
Let's make GCA grate again!

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The South Coast of England. East Devon GC
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2012, 08:52:58 PM »
Tony, It slipped my mind but there is a links course west of Rye - Hayling. It's not a great course but there are some first rate holes on it. I think you would enjoy Parkstone and Broadstone. Broadstone had taken out a famous drive bunker when last I was there. Parkstone have taken down some trees improving the distant views and helping to restore its heathland nature, but I haven't been there since they did that. From the design point of view I think Isle of Purbeck is the least distinguished of the Bournemouth courses, but the views from the higher ground are stunning and not to be missed - nor is Corfe Castle. I have a soft spot for Ferndown, perhaps because it is not too long for me in my dotage. There are some very attractive holes, a number of wicked greens, plentiful and imaginative bunkering and enough movement in the ground to bring lots of variety to the golf without tiring the player excessively. Lyme Regis is fun golf, too.

Hayling came to mind for me too.   Haven't played it but have heard great things about it.  

The reality is that it's very tough to drag oneself away from the great links courses along the coast from Rye to Sandwich.   I keep buying lottery tickets...........
« Last Edit: January 09, 2012, 07:29:27 AM by Bill_McBride »

Mark Chaplin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The South Coast of England. East Devon GC
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2012, 06:44:02 AM »
Bill there are some perfectly pleasant courses along the south coast with Bournemouth having a nice selection. However none IMO are worth spending time seeking out for the overseas visitor, the Kent/Sussex links and the heaths are far too good to turn your back on.
Cave Nil Vino

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The South Coast of England. East Devon GC
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2012, 07:30:05 AM »
Bill there are some perfectly pleasant courses along the south coast with Bournemouth having a nice selection. However none IMO are worth spending time seeking out for the overseas visitor, the Kent/Sussex links and the heaths are far too good to turn your back on.

I know, that's what I said!   ;D

James Boon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The South Coast of England. East Devon GC
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2012, 05:11:57 PM »
Tony,

Thanks for the photos. east Devon looks like it could be a fun and interesting round if in the area. Up the coast a little, I've played Teignmouth a few times, a little known MacKenzie course on the moor above Dawlish, and your photos remind me of there a little. They also remind me of Clyne, though on both counts thats probably as much to do with the setting rather than the architecture?

Cheers,

James
2023 Highlights: Hollinwell, Brora, Parkstone, Cavendish, Hallamshire, Sandmoor, Moortown, Elie, Crail, St Andrews (Himalayas & Eden), Chantilly, M, Hardelot Les Pins

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