WALTON HEATH GC: The Nifty NEW COURSE

[Sean_A]

MF & Speed

Ok, I have a better sense of the width lulling one to sleep when there isn't obvious danger about.  As I say, I was behind a tree so I didn't get to see the hole properly. 

Speed, your mention of the short grass flow from the 17th green to 18th tee is one of my favourite aspects of WHN.  These cut lines are featured several times.  WHO too has some of this going on, but in general the tees aren't as close to the greens. 

Ciao

[Sean_A]

All

Take a look at the updated tour. I came away a bit more impressed than a few years ago.  The club seems to be making some inroads with the greens which is always a positive.  For some reason, the penny dropped this time on how many blind/obscured tee shots there are. The course reminds me of Cleeve Cloud in that so many holes are revealed for the second shot...which by then may be too late!

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60107.msg1420813.html#msg1420813

Ciao

[Jay Mickle]

Played both courses last year with my hickories and had a blast. Perhaps the firmest fastest courses I played during my trip. The angle of some of your photos bring to mind some of my less than perfect shots. Thanks for the memories.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Walton Heath is one of my favourite places. Love the landscape of both courses but for my money, the Old wins by quite a few lengths over the New.

[Sean_A]

Ally

I agree, The Old is quite a bit better, but we aren't seeing The New as it should be.  So many of the features are buried in rough that The New is essentially a dumbed down Fowler.  Ironically, The New is lacking the scale (tee hee) intended by Fowler. Trees too have visually slim lined the scale.  Standing in the 18th tee tells that story very vividly.

Ciao

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I played both courses several times back in the 80s with the BBC Golfing Society. Back then there seemed to be a huge difference in maintenance between the Old and New - things like bunkers, grassy banks. I am sure things are very different now - and the green fees will be hugely different, too. But I loved the Old and didn't much take to the New which seemed a sort of also ran. It's nearly 40 years ago, and my golf has gone way downhill since then. I actually managed to win a medal over the Old in a field of about 80. Things were different then!

[Sean_A]

When I look at the best holes for both courses it is clear The Old is top dog with #s 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14 & 16 being very good holes and good variety.  The New has 5, 6, 10, 11, 14 & 16...so a few less and not quite the variety.  However, arguably the best hole on the property is 5 New and the worst 1 or 8 Old. 

Ciao

[Michael Felton]

When I look at the best holes for both courses it is clear The Old is top dog with #s 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14 & 16 being very good holes and good variety.  The New has 5, 6, 10, 11, 14 & 16...so a few less and not quite the variety.  However, arguably the best hole on the property is 5 New and the worst 8 Old. 

Ciao

That's interesting. I find 5 New to be an obnoxious hole. When it's firm and fast, the line you have to hit it on to hit the fairway is very tight. Miss it a bit right and you're in the right heather and miss it a bit left and it kicks further left and runs down into the heather on the left. The adverse camber off the tee shot is very hard to deal with. Then if you're in the heather, you pretty much have to lay up or you'll wind up in the cross bunker 80 odd yards short of the green. The green itself is pretty good and the bunkers protecting it do a great job, but that tee shot! Yikes! That all said, it's a pretty fine day when you walk off that hole with a 4.


As to 8 on the Old I made a 2 on that hole once, so it will always hold a special place in my heart!

[Sean_A]

When I look at the best holes for both courses it is clear The Old is top dog with #s 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14 & 16 being very good holes and good variety.  The New has 5, 6, 10, 11, 14 & 16...so a few less and not quite the variety.  However, arguably the best hole on the property is 5 New and the worst 8 Old. 

Ciao

That's interesting. I find 5 New to be an obnoxious hole. When it's firm and fast, the line you have to hit it on to hit the fairway is very tight. Miss it a bit right and you're in the right heather and miss it a bit left and it kicks further left and runs down into the heather on the left. The adverse camber off the tee shot is very hard to deal with. Then if you're in the heather, you pretty much have to lay up or you'll wind up in the cross bunker 80 odd yards short of the green. The green itself is pretty good and the bunkers protecting it do a great job, but that tee shot! Yikes! That all said, it's a pretty fine day when you walk off that hole with a 4.


As to 8 on the Old I made a 2 on that hole once, so it will always hold a special place in my heart!

Michael


You can lay-up at the corner of the leg and be left with a long shot in....though I imagine predicting the lay-up when firm and downwind would take some experience.  To me, the hole feels like a par 5 because the two-shot hit the green scenario would be quite rare for me.  It doesn't matter about par though...either way its a cracking hole.  The 5th reminds me of a Ganton type hole with the trouble placed perfectly on the created corner.


Ciao