Eastbourne Downs - A Few Photos

[Paul Gray]

A full review wasn't ever quite going to be up to scratch as many of the photos weren't exactly of A1 standard. Nonetheless, I though some might appreciate a general overview of the course, albeit via my rather poor pictures.

It's the sort of place which has probably changed very little since JH Taylor laid it out all those years ago. It's 'proper golf,' plan and simple and, on a cold winters' day with a strong wind up on the downs, it's not a straight forward challenge. I suppose it's the sort of course that many British golfers would scoff at whilst waxing lyrical about the virtues of some bucket and spade track in Marbella while the discerning travelling golfer to these shores would find a round at Eastbourne Downs to be an almost spiritual experience.  

Anyway, enjoy.

[Ryan Coles]

Whilst I'm admittedly not as discerning as you Paul and indeed preferring Marbella, am I correct in saying the course is actually JH Taylor rather than Braid?

[Jon Wiggett]

Paul,

thanks for the photos which show another little known course. Has the look of so many turn of the centaury courses that can be found. Shame the light was not better for the photos but they still give a good idea of what the course is about.

Jon

[Adrian_Stiff]

Yes thanks for the photos, enough to show me that I would not want to play that course. Put me down for Marbella too, i'll share a buggy with Ryan.

[Paul Gray]

Ryan,

Not sure where why Braid came to mind but you are quite right about Taylor.

Adrian,

Why would you not want to play this? I can assure you it was a lot of fun and would be a delight in the summer when the ball would be rolling all over the place. What is it about a course like this which fails for you?

[Adrian_Stiff]

Paul - It looks a horrible bit of land on a hill with lots of steeply sloped affairs and greens badly integrated into the landscape, cant say I like the 1970s coniferous tree plants that a kind committee member thought was good either. The cut and fill triangulation looks absolutely vile. I don't find golf is good for me or any delight in the ball rolling all over the place, so Eastbourne Downs I am out. I expect it's not so bad in the summer though.

I am in for, Marbella (on any course) in January with a buggy, bottle of water, pair of shorts, cap on, firm turf, nice company, beer on the 10th, couple of beers after then on into Riviera for 4 pints of Estrella watch the football in JJs and a Curry next door...now your talking.

[Mark Pearce]

I am in for, Marbella (on any course) in January with a buggy, bottle of water, pair of shorts, cap on, firm turf, nice company, beer on the 10th, couple of beers after then on into Riviera for 4 pints of Estrella watch the football in JJs and a Curry next door...now your talking.

My idea of hell.  Well not quite but after some of the Costa del Golf venues I saw in October not far off.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I lived down below adjacent to Royal whilst at Uni, so played 'the Downs' alot whilst there.
Fun golf course but bloody cold when that wind blew.
Special place to me though is Eastbourne, many happy memories, thanks for sharing.

[Paul Gray]

Adrian,

I was under the impression that your client base was all that restricted your architectural style. Clearly I was wrong.

I would agree about the one token tree seen by a green but generally speaking the club have resisted the urge. It's real old fashioned downland golf with very few trees anywhere near the playing area.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Paul - My opinion just does not concur with yours, I think that is one vile golf course. Architectural shite and just looks like trudging up and down a hill, perhaps you only posted a few pics and the rest is ok but from what you posted, those green complexes ming. I can't comprehend anyone could think that is better golf course than anything I have ever done.

[Paul Gray]

Maybe you have to play it.

I've not played Painswick but my friend that has described Eastbourne Downs as a more mellow version of it.

[Bill_McBride]

Those greens look wacky crazy - in a good way!   

[Jon Wiggett]

Paul - My opinion just does not concur with yours, I think that is one vile golf course. Architectural shite and just looks like trudging up and down a hill, perhaps you only posted a few pics and the rest is ok but from what you posted, those green complexes ming. I can't comprehend anyone could think that is better golf course than anything I have ever done.

Wow, and you can see that from a few fuzzy photos Adrian.

Why do the green complexes ming? 'Architectural shite'!!! is that a professional definition? I do appreciate that JH Taylor has not the same pedigree that you believe you have so can you give a reasoned and professional explanation as to its short comings and what needs to be altered for it to attain the same architectural heights of your work?

Jon

[Sean_A]

I think the course looks like its worth a go if nearby, but maybe only the best is on display...always a fear when so few pix are posted.  Jeepers, it can't cost much; cheap and cheerful can throw up great surprises.

Thanks for the pix Paul.

Ciao

[Adrian_Stiff]

John - I explained earlier in the thread why I thought it was crap. What smells nice and what stinks is individual taste. I like a lot of the quirky stuff I see on here. I don't like the quick two tier slopes that they seem struggling to cut smoothly. I don't like the out of place burial mounding set into a linear landscape. I don't like the cut and fill green that looks likes a kiddies puzzle from 200 yards out, set miles higher than the fairway. I don't like the coniferous planting set into that landscape. We don't know that J H Taylor would have done anymore that a routing plan or his construction plans were not followed, these guys did 30 courses a year sometimes. Sometimes the clever golf clubs thought the routing was all they need so I am not blackmarking John Henry. I think the land is too hilly for a nice course though have only seen a few pics which unlike Sean I have assumed to be the mingers not the greatest hits.

As for my prognosis for it's future, let the sheep graze it, it can't be worth saving when you can pay £10 to play it on one of those ponce schemes, and not worth the investment of a bulldozer.

[Mark Pearce]

Blimey, Adrian, what has got into you?  I understand that you may not like the look of the course but "vile", "shite" and "ming"?  

For what it's worth, I'm probably with Sean on these pictures.  Looks worth a play if in the area and could be fun.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

From the pictures it reminds me of Worthing.

[Sean_A]

I think the land is too hilly for a nice course

Adrian, I think the above is the most interesting thing you wrote.  I am not sure what "nice" means, but I often feel courses are too hilly to be considered among the best courses...Church Stretton, Painswick and Cleeve Cloud among them.  I would, however, say all are better than nice courses and in these cases, all are extremely interesting.  Nice to me sounds predictable and perhaps a bit boring...it certainly is something I would seek out.  I would suggest that most of modern British architecture could be summed up as nice, which really means uninspiring and forgettable.

Ciao 

[Marc Haring]

Reminds me very much of Bigbury GC South Devon where I learnt to play and another J H Taylor layout.

[jeffwarne]

looks like a place worthy of a game in the area..

Thankfully JH Taylor didn't go to landscape architecture school.
I love "cut and fill" greensites, just didn't know that's what they were called till today
or that they were a bad thing

[Adrian_Stiff]

Sean - Nice, in my world equals good.

[Paul Gray]

looks like a place worthy of a game in the area..

Thankfully JH Taylor didn't go to landscape architecture school.
I love "cut and fill" greensites, just didn't know that's what they were called till today
or that they were a bad thing

Well, I'd rather agree that it fits into the "nice if in the area" category. It's a good, honest layout with enough lay of the land stuff to interest GCA folk. Nothing more, nothing less.

Adrian's responses would lead one to think that I had proposed it as World Top 10 entry.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Paul - You have a habit of reading what you want to read. I never said you had hailed it as a great course or in a world top 10 or anything like that. You make things up. This course is simply in my opinion not a good one, perhaps I should have just said its a Doak 1 IMO. If people like it then fine, it is good we don't all like the same things, I am not offended if people like this course, if people prefer it to my work then I think they are nuts, but I would probably still go an have a beer with them/you.

[Ed Tilley]

Reminds me very much of Bigbury GC South Devon where I learnt to play and another J H Taylor layout.

Marc,

Now that's a course tour I'd like to see, or at least a few photos. I've twice spent a week at Easter in an apartment overlooking the beach at Bigbury-on-Sea and played a few rounds of twilight golf at Bigbury. I think a round was £18 which was brilliant value. Course was a lot of fun, with amazing views of the Estuary and Burgh Island. It was quite wet when I played it this April but we had had loads of rain. I would happily play there whenever - except maybe on a breezy January day! Drive on the first was a bit scary though!

Ed

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

For what its worth, from someone who has played The Downs probably about 40 times, I would consider it about a Doak 4,.