I’ve put these up to compliment Sean’s thread on the East, because I don’t believe he has photos of the West.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,51415.0.htmlIf I have the history correctly, there were once 36 holes by Fowler. Then after the war The East as we know it, was created using parts of both courses. In 1973 Frank Pennink was invited to do what exactly “re build” as the course planner has it or create e a new course. All the greens have since been redone by Donald Steel (and the 2nd hole) and I think he’s done a fine job. As a group they hang together far better than the ones on the East.
Having said all that I still think the East is a ‘better’ course.
I would want to play both places a few more times before I could decide if Saunton, Portrush or the Old/New combo offers the best 36 hole facility I’ve seen.
Back to the West
Generally there’s a bit more humpty bumpty stuff that on the sister course but this far end is land sahred with the East so maybe it’s naturally rather flat.
10 Par 5 dogleg right. Another good hole on simple land.
11
A good no of the Par 3’s at Stanton are 200 yards +. Green slopes L-R and overall is efficient rather than inspired.
Funny how the sun only appears on the back nine of the West!
12 Par 5 and all the drainage ditches are now really coming into play. We cross twice here.
Looking back
13
Now the course steps up into top gear . There’s something thrilling about playing straight toward big Dunes and this holes a cracker with lots of fairway movement.
14
Hard to top a hole like 13 but 14 holds its own . Plays upto 450 yards in a curve around some Dunes. Apparently I was having so much fun I forgot to take pictures, so only have this one of the green from the 12th , yes another double back.
15
Three corkers in a row, and once again it’s shoot the cameraman. (Sean anything of this stretch?)
Where 14 is along dogleg left to a raised green , 15 is a short (312 yards), dogleg left to a raised green. But oh what positioning.
16
This allows us to climb high into the dunes for a drops hot Par 3. Decent hole and visually quite striking which allows it to fit in.
17
We head for home with a nice Par 5 that features the ditches again
18
is an OK Par 3 but not a suitable finish for what is a really good course in its’ own right. somehow after some great routing earlier it feels like this has been shoehorned in. And if the 18 East is perfect in relation to the Clubhouse this is just awkward.
Just a word on the turf. Both times I’ve played July and March it played like a links. Yet It’s somewhat disconcerting to see farmland all around and clearly the sandy loam is rich in humus. In summer it has some of the wildest rough I’ve seen anywhere with all manner of plants growing. However it is an area of SSI and you do see some rare plants here and there.
