FRILFORD HEATH Green Course: The 2013/14 Winter Tour Strides Forward

[Sean_A]

Ryan

Yes, the pix were taken 7 March.  For the most part, the course was in excellent nick.

Thomas

Funny story.  The winter county card rate is £42 - quite high imo.  However, when we arrived there was no electricity and no way to enter the locker room, take breakfast etc.  Upon returning to the house we rolled into the pro shop to pay the green fee and my mate asks for a discount because of the lack of facilities.  The pro stammered a bit and said he could ask the office.  After five minutes the pro announced our green fee for the day is £40 for two.  My mate then announced that is about what it should be.  I felt a bit bad so bought a cap for my dad.  It all worked out in the end.

Ciao

[Ryan Coles]

Course does look in fine condition for the time of year.

Sean, you're fooling no one. We know the the 'mate' was you!

[Sean_A]

Sean, you're fooling no one. We know the the 'mate' was you!

I would truly like that to be the case, but I tend to do my wheeling and dealing before I tee it up    Many on this site will have a good idea who "my mate" is and he will be wandering in Wales.

Ciao

[Paul Dolton]

Hi Sean, feel free to message me if your coming to Frilford again. If i am about i will sign you in. The Red course have 4 opening holes which were put in twenty years ago to accomadate the blue. The holes we lost were very good . If interested i could show you the old routing.

Paul

[Ed Tilley]

Thought I'd bump this to compliment Sean's recent tour of the Red course at Frilford. A few things strike me immediately about this:

1. What fantastic condition the course looks in for 7th March - particularly given how wet it was this winter.
2. How the Green course looks clearly better than the Red when seen on these pictures. In particular, how much stronger the par 3s are.
3. How the pictures for a lot of these holes make them look quite different from how they actually play.

Re point 3, Sean, please don't take this as a criticism - your course tour is excellent as always. Whenever I take pictures of courses I tend to take them when suitable - e.g. walking between approach and green or walking towards your drive. It is only when looking at pictures of a course I've played hundreds of times that I notice a lot of these pictures are in places where you wouldn't really be very often.

For example 9 and 18 are a long way back - both probably 150-160 yards from the tee. 17 is half way up the hole and to the right and doesn't really give any indication of how difficult it is, at 180+ yards, to hit the very narrow green. Only long hitters will get to the top of the hill on 16 meaning the approach is partially blind to a tricky green - don't go left. 15 approach is exactly where the majority will be as there is OOB left so people tend to go right leaving a very difficult approach to judge - much easier the further left you go. If your drive on 13 is a safe drive remind me that I need to play with you in foursomes - that is a 320 yard power fade you've just hit to get there! It obviously highlights that the closer you are to the trouble - which is almost always on the left on the green course - the easier the approach. I would also say that 10 is probably my favourite hole - maybe along with 13 - but the photo doesn't really do it justice - I think due to bad light.

It is interesting that you talk about a dropping in quality when you go over the road. A large quantity of members would highlight that 9 holes as their favourite 9 on the 3 courses. It does have a very peaceful and tranquil atmosphere and is a beautiful place to be on a summer's evening. It is only about 2,700 yards though and when the English amateur was first played at Frilford - probably around 1990? - they played a composite Red/Green course being 1-4 and 14-18 on the Green followed by the back nine on the Red.

I don't think I would ever recommend that anyone pays the full green fee at Frilford. They really do price themselves as Premier league when they are Championship at best (sorry to any Americans for the football analogy!). If you can play with a member it becomes reasonable. It is, however, a great place to be a member (if you can afford it). The fact that there are 1,200 full members is evidence of that. A number of golf clubs in the area with much lower fees are struggling for members (including Oxford), but Frilford keeps powering on.

[Sean_A]

Ed

No worries, but I reckon ya gotta take photos when there is an opportunity and when there is something to photograph.  #s 9 & 18 don't really have a "view" from the tee.  There isn't a clear target or anything attractive to look at.  Both holes are fully revealed after leaving the tee. 

I guess I think the holes across the road lose their way a bit and I don't think the turf is as good.  I was just getting into the course after 3 and 4 then we crossed the road to play holes of a different character. 5, 8, 11 and 12 don't do much for me.  I thought the best two holes were 4 and 15.  After that 16 and 18 too are quite deceptive.  Although, I liked 6 and 10 quite a bit.  You are right, the par 3s on the Green are far better than the Red's offering. 

Bottom line for me, the Green is clearly the course I prefer and I wouldn't mind seeing it again with keen conditions.

Ciao   

[Thomas Dai]

A very good point about the four par-3's on the Green (the Red only has three - the 4th, 9th and 11th).

The par-3's on the Green were always fine holes. Now however, they have been extended such that the previously 199 yd par-3 2nd now plays at 214 yds, the previously 152 yd 6th now plays 176 yds and the previously 174 yd 10th now plays 194 yds, and with their small, highly contoured greens par is a good score. The 2nd is a very strong par-3 IMO.

I suggest there's a decent score to be had on the Green but players better make the most of the sole par-5 and the shorter and mid-length par-4s because dropped shots will almost undoubtedly occur on the longer par-4s and the par-3's. For example, in the clubs recent Seniors Open Comp played off the back-tees, only 5 of the 72 players bettered their hcps, and the weather conditions were pretty benign.

A tough little nut is the Green, cunning, not to be taken for granted although as has been mentioned, a bit pricey at main season midweek prices of £90 (for the day/unlimited rounds), £58 (after 1.30pm) or £35 (Twilight after 4.30pm). County cards at the Members guess fee.

atb

[Ed Tilley]

Bump to this thread as I've finally decided to take the plunge and rejoin Frilford 20 years after leaving due to being young and poor - subject to me not making a complete idiot of myself when meeting the captain next weekend I was planning to join next year but they have a new membership offer with a significantly reduced joining fee and 15 months for the price of 12 - a sign of the times. Very excited!

I'll post course tours of the 3 courses in due course but looks like I will be able to return your Burnham & Berrow favour sometime Sean. And given that I will actually have been playing maybe you won't be fleecing me for money with all your "bits and bobs" stuff that I don't really understand!

[Sean_A]

fleecing me for money with all your "bits and bobs" stuff that I don't really understand!

Sucker born every minute 

Ciao