UK GCAers - knockout - draw at post 58

[Niall C]

Duncan

Was that a confession in your last post !

Looks like I'm playing you in the next round (I'm off . You mentioned Silloth and very happy to play there but bear in mind I'll have a fair advantage as I was a member for a number of years. Also very happy to play somewhere else that might be more convenient for you.

Niall

[Duncan Cheslett]

Duncan

Was that a confession in your last post !

Looks like I'm playing you in the next round (I'm off . You mentioned Silloth and very happy to play there but bear in mind I'll have a fair advantage as I was a member for a number of years. Also very happy to play somewhere else that might be more convenient for you.

Niall

Niall,



Silloth is an obvious choice geographically, being a couple of hours or so away for both of us. Other candidates in the Carlisle area would be Brampton, Penrith, and Carlisle itself. None of these really excites me enough to make a 250 mile round trip.


So let's play at Silloth, a course which I've never yet played but have long wanted to.. Is your home advantage worth say, two shots? 


How are you fixed one afternoon midweek sometime in March? Or would it have to be a weekend?


Duncan

[Clyde Johnson]

Duncan

Was that a confession in your last post !

Looks like I'm playing you in the next round (I'm off . You mentioned Silloth and very happy to play there but bear in mind I'll have a fair advantage as I was a member for a number of years. Also very happy to play somewhere else that might be more convenient for you.

Niall

Niall,



Silloth is an obvious choice geographically, being a couple of hours or so away for both of us. Other candidates in the Carlisle area would be Brampton, Penrith, and Carlisle itself. None of these really excites me enough to make a 250 mile round trip.


So let's play at Silloth, a course which I've never yet played but have long wanted to.. Is your home advantage worth say, two shots? 


How are you fixed one afternoon midweek sometime in March? Or would it have to be a weekend?


Duncan

Appleby would be a pretty good choice if looking for easily accessible, neutral ground...some really cool holes there!

[Niall C]

My word Mr Johnson, you and I seem to have remarkably similar tastes. I was talking to Sean Arble about Appleby only a few weeks ago. I've played it a few times and it does indeed have some cool holes and the openness and expanse of the place is reminiscent of Minch Old and Cleeve Cloud. Well worth seeing.

Duncan - for some reason my last post didn't show my handicap which is 8, and no, you wouldn't get any extra shots for playing at Silloth ! Happy to play there but btw don't write off the other courses you mentioned. Admittedly Brampton has some hilly holes but also some really cool holes as well, to borrow Clydes expression, and Carlisle has some top notch design even if from what I've heard they recently managed to mess up one of the coolest (I'm beginning to love that term) short par 3's I've ever played. Penrith doesn't hit those heights but is still worth a play (and significantly closer to you).

I'll email you off-line about arrangements.

Niall

[Mark Pearce]

Niall's right about Brampton.  It does have some really fun holes. It isn't Silloth but it shouldn't be dismissed.

[Sam Krume]

Looking forward to my first visit to Huntercombe to play Giles in our first round match in a couple of weeks. Hopefully these arctic conditions that are heading our way, dont last to long.....win or lose it will be great t0 see Huntercombe up close and personnel after just seeing in photo tours.

[Marc Haring]

Looking forward to my first visit to Huntercombe to play Giles in our first round match in a couple of weeks. Hopefully these arctic conditions that are heading our way, dont last to long.....win or lose it will be great t0 see Huntercombe up close and personnel after just seeing in photo tours.

I await the victor Sam. My handicap is 2 which I believe has a an entry in www.unexplainedmystery's.com. Don't wait too long as I am teetering on 3.

[Sam Krume]

Looking forward to my first visit to Huntercombe to play Giles in our first round match in a couple of weeks. Hopefully these arctic conditions that are heading our way, dont last to long.....win or lose it will be great t0 see Huntercombe up close and personnel after just seeing in photo tours.

I await the victor Sam. My handicap is 2 which I believe has a an entry in www.unexplainedmystery's.com. Don't wait too long as I am teetering on 3.

Played our first round this Saturday at Huntercombe. I know we were asked to post photos/descriptions of course. Photos a definite no as first 10 played in a bit of fog shall we say!!! What I will say though after my first game at Huntercombe is they have a wonderful golf course on their hands, members very lucky(see previous tours on here). The stand out for me are the greens with #8 being one of my favourite greens I've ever seen. Truly special.
Onto our game....Giles a very very competent 12. No one really running away it, I think 2 up was the biggest margin and that only lasted 1 hole. I came away with a win on the last hole to win the match by 1 hole.


Will definitely take up Giles offer for a return game in Summer when running firmer.

[Michael Whitaker]

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[Mark Pearce]

Any more games in the pipeline, chaps?  Remember, we want to gt this first round played by the end of March if we can.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Any more games in the pipeline, chaps? 

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Niall and I are playing our 2nd round game at Silloth on 13th March. Marty Bonnar and a pal of mine from Reddish are coming along to make a day of it.


Why so early?  To take advantage of the spring day ticket at £36, that's why!   

[Paul Dolton]

Philip and I are playing early to mid March.

[Jon Wiggett]

Andy Stamm and I are playing TOC tomorrow.


Jon

[Neil White]

Andy Stamm and I are playing TOC tomorrow.
Jon

Looks like it's going to be a nice day...... a bit breezy at times.  Enjoy your game gents.

[Jonathan Davison]

Niall,
Which par 3 do you prefer at Carlisle? 13 or 17?

[Niall C]

Jonathan
 
A very good question. You do know I’m a bit of a contrarian so if you were asking me which where the best, the first two par 3’s or the second two par 3’s that you mention, then I’d go with the former.


The best of the four was the second par 3 which must have been about the 6^th or 7^th (?). That’s the one with a lozenge shaped tilting raised green that sat at an angle to the line of play with the pointy being the furthest away part of the green from tee and also the highest point.  A devilish small target to try and hit with a sideways pitch never mind your tee shot. What made it so good however was the burn/drainage ditch that ran down the back of the green.


The last time I played there they had put a pond in short and left and filled in the burn/drainage ditch. Not nearly as good IMO.


However to get back to the question you actually asked, I’d probably say the 13^th. Looks great from the tee even if it doesn’t quite excite once you get up to the green. The times I played there it was always the worst putting green on the course, not surprising given it must get about half an hour daylight a day if that. The 17^th is a good strong hole also.


It must be over 10 years since I last played there and I can remember quite a lot of the holes, with a fair degree of fondness. I can’t say that about a lot of courses. If memory serves me right, Pennink/Cotton were involved in Carlisle ? Is this a course you are working on ?
 
Niall

[Jonathan Davison]

Niall,
My mother lives in Cumbria so I try and play some golf when I am over. I played Carlisle last year for the first time and was really surprised, a lovely course with some nice architecture. I thought 13 was a cool hole but needs some more sun, I agree the par 3's are all strong on the course. I think it was a Mackenzie Ross with some bunkers added by Pennink.

[Mark Pearce]

Andy Stamm and I are playing TOC tomorrow.


Jon

Did you guys get blown off the course?  Do we have a result?

[Andy Stamm]

     Jon and I had a very nice game yesterday on the Old. Teeing off at 9:30, we played right through the very strong wind, but it was a nice sunny day. A great day for match really, but I was quite happy for it not to be medal play.
The course is in great nick just now, although there are loads of bunkers out of play, which can really change the strategy. For instance on 12, all but one bunker is GUR, so it's just bombs away there, which takes everything out of my favorite hole. Not much I can add about the course, although Jon may wish to share his thoughts as it was his first game there in 20 odd years having played it a fair bit way back when.
[/size]I prevailed on the day which is likely down to a bit of home field advantage as Jon was kind enough to make the trip down.
 

[Jon Wiggett]

As Andy said TOC was in excellent nick and very playable despite the stiff breeze which was a good 3 club wind. It was into and left to right going out making the first play as a solid driver and long iron to give an idea of its strength. The game was a close one with neither getting more than a couple of holes up. In the end Andy closed it out on the 17th and was a worthy winner having the steady game. Shot of the day was Andy's hybrid to the 11th which was skillfully cut in on a strong wind to within a few feet of the flag. The other highlight was on the 13th where both of us two putted from right across the green so the best part of 250 feet.


As Andy said many of the bunkers were out of play which was a blessing given the wind. The golf was followed by a splendid snack in the refurbished clubhouse of the New Club clubhouse overlooking the 18th. I thoroughly enjoyed the game with Andy and wish him luck in the next round.


Jon

[Clyde Johnson]

David and I will be playing Pitreavie on 18th March. I know the course has been covered before on GCA, but we are both first timers!


Report to follow...

[Mark Pearce]

David and I will be playing Pitreavie on 18th March. I know the course has been covered before on GCA, but we are both first timers!


Report to follow...

Looking forward to seeing what you make of Pitreavie.  I've only played it once but there's some really good stuff there.

[Rich Goodale]

Clyde and David


I've probably played Pitreavie more than anybody on GCA in my 25+ years living in Aberdour, and it is a very good and fun course with a lot of variety.  The first is a beast (470 yard 4 with 2nd shot (at this time of the year) with a downhill lie 200+ to an elevated crazy green re-designed by oor own FBD 10-15 years ago.  Take your five and run.  That's the hardest hole (vis a vis "par"), but the rest is not chopped liver.  After all, MacKenzie designed the course.  No easy holes and a lot that look easy but require use of the 6" from ear to ear to score well.  Good luck, and I will be awaiting the winner.  I'm currently in Florida and luxurating with my CONGU handicap of 12.


Good luck to both of you.


Rich

[David McIntosh]

Rich,


Thanks for your comments on Pitreavie - the first certainly sounds like a scary proposition!


I've wanted to play there since seeing Malcolm Mckinnon's excellent photo tour from last year (as well as discovering the MacKenzie connection) and I'm glad to now be getting the chance to do so next month. Incidentally, Aberdour was one of the other courses Clyde and I were considering playing our tie on and is another course I've heard good things about, particularly the two par 3s to start.


Enjoy the rest of your time in Florida, I'm just a touch jealous given it has been raining and blowing a gale in all day in Edinburgh!


David

[Michael Whitaker]

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