Catching up here. As noted above, Woking is a delight. It is one of the two or three courses in the London area that is a must play. Which is very high cotton indeed.
But for CGA'ers, or anyone else with an interest in the history of golf architecture, Woking is an essential stop. Under the direction of John Low and Stuart Paton, Woking was probably the first inland course to incorporate basic strategic design concepts. If you know what to look for, it is a veritable museum of early modern golf course design.
For example:
- the single "governing" bunker on the 3rd.
- the centerline bunkers on the 4th
- the "Johnnie Low" greenside bunker on the 17th
Those and other features were once considered highly controversial. For a variety of reasons they marked decisive breaks with older Victorian design axioms. It is not crazy to think that Woking played a central role in setting golf architecture on a new trajectory.
In addition to Low and Paton, other architects have worked on the course over the decades. Tom Simpson in particular. Given that history, Tom Doak has called Woking one of the best "eclectic" courses, by which I think he means that several different hands made together a great course. That is pretty rare. I agree.
In addition to all that, there are few places in the world as delightful as having a drink in on Woking's veranda overlooking the 14th green, scarcely three or four steps away.
Finally, Richard Pennell, Woking's new Secretary, is a friend of many of us here.
Bob