Lovely LIPHOOK GC: New Layout

[Tom Kelly]

Tom, so will the 12th be pushed back and played as a three shotter? Have there been thoughts to do the opposite and move the 13th tee forward?

Ciao

The current 12th green has been pushed back and the tees re-built to add abit of length and also create a foward tee and some new landing area short of the current fairway for the ladies and shorter hitters. This will become the new 11th hole. I don't think changing the current 13th was ever on the cards but don't know for sure. As it is now the 7th I think the club were pleased to have another Par 5 on the front nine and even up the card abit. 'Uneven' nines personally never bothers me but some people seem to think it's important!


My only concern for the 12th is the safety of the public footpath down the right and rear of the green but the club has been dealing with this for along time so I assume they think it will be ok. The approach to the green is very tight so doubt I'll be going for it in two very often if at all.


There are pictures, flyovers and some words about the current progress on the greenkeepers blog at the following link;


https://lgcgreens.wordpress.com/


With the lockdown, work has continued ahead of schedule and the club are hoping for a soft opening to members at the start of August which is along way ahead of the planned schedule. Given we've been on 10 holes only for the last few months and with the current situation, not sure when they will open for outside play but I'd hope the place should be looking great by spring 2021 which was the original planned opening.

[Sean_A]

Thanks Tom. I look forward to a knock hopefully later this year.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

I took the opportunity to play Liphook again because of the new layout.  I must say I am impressed and certainly think the course is improved....although it was a great pity to lose the old 14th green...maybe the best on the course.  See the updated tour.

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,52532.msg1205577.html#msg1205577

Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

Thanks, Sean.  Liphook was a fabulous BUDA venue and for me was clearly a better course than the much more storied second venue that year, Hankley Common.  The road crossing was, however, a serious problem, and it's great to see that these changes appear to have resolved that and possibly even improved the course.  I look forward to a chance to get down there again.....

[Ben Stephens]

Thanks Sean for the update, the course looks more balanced now 1-9 and 10-18 wise.


I can't really remember 15th green but I did the old tee shot which was a bit weird to my liking. Could they recreate the old 14th green where the 15th green is as I remember it being more like a short par 4 green


Cheers
Ben

[Sam Krume]

I can confirm Sean's praise of the new course at Liphhook. Everything looks good, really good. The new holes have certainly elevated Liphook to another level.

[Tom Kelly]

Thanks for the updated tour Sean.

I think you''ve got it pretty much spot on. The flow and balance of the course is vastly improved, we have removed the three 'weakest' shots on the course in the tee shots on 10, 14 & 15 and the crossing, the main driver for the whole project is much safer, even without the proposed tunnel....I'm not sure it will ever get built. So overall a big success.

I've got a few minor gripes as you know, with the main one being two of the three news greens might be considered abit plain by Liphook's standards, but I know that is a fine line to walk when working on a course like this.


Ben,

Yes you could have recreated the old 14th green on the 15th and it would have made for a good hole but the 15th green is sneaky good and an original so it's seems abit unnecessary to replace it. I am little disappointed they didn't try to use the 14th or some of the more original features from elsewhere on the course as inspiration for the new green designs though. I think the valley cut into the front left of 14 could have been used in some form on one of the new greens.

[Sean_A]

Tom

I agree the course feels better now. Although the new holes/greens don't really add anything to the course in terms of interest. I found this aspect of the work disappointing.

There was nothing to be done about 15 in terms of hole corridor, but I am not sure the new hole works very well. It feels more shoe horned than previously. The fairway is practically non existent by the bunker. The hole also feels more tree congested than the remainder of the course. The hole simply doesn't fit Liphook.

Ciao