The Piltdown Gang by John Cook, 1915. Charles Darwin's portrait hangs rather murkily above the fireplace.
A suspected hoax from the start, the Piltdown Man fraud was definitively proven as such in 1953 and it was later determined Charles Dawson was responsible for the “missing link” lie. The blind alley of Piltdown Man led scientists in wrong directions for a good three decades which produced some 250,000 papers! Bringing the matter to the heart of US politics, Piltdown Man was introduced as evidence in one of the most famous American trials on record. The Scopes Trial of 1925 was an almighty struggle between Modernists and Fundamentalists. The battle rages to this day.
Charles Dawson happened to be a member of Piltdown GC during this time and it may not be a coincidence that the “fossil was discovered” not more than a modern drive behind the 6
th green of the bunkerless Piltdown GC; quite near the Piltdown Man Pub. Ten miles south, on the other side of Ashdown Forest, is where Royal Ashdown Forest GC is located. Another bunkerless course, both clubs are charming, although the two courses are of a very different nature in their designs and terrain.
The 1905 map of the course is quite similar to what exists today. The major difference is the 18th is now a par 3 which plays to a location near the old 1st tee. The opening tee is now where the 18th green used to be located.
The opener is a mild handshake playing over the drive of a house surrounded by the course. More golf over quite flat terrain, like the opener, the second is good, but not a hole to gush over. The third ups the ante. Playing around Piltdown Pond on the right, the green up the hill is a tough target. Behind the green looking down the fairway.
Now then, the 4th is a do or die hole unless one lays up or plays well right of the green. The hole measures close to 200 daily tee yards straight over a sea of heather. Below is the layup position.
A tough par 4, the fifth turns a bit left off the tee. The green is set well back of a large diagonal depression. It could be that this depression, like many on the course, is a remaining drag line. These drag lines are the routes for which trees were removed and now make for admirable features.
Turning back on the 5th, the 6th is another testing two shotter.
Once again heather shields the full view of the green.
The short 7th didn't turn my head, but the 8th features an interesting green. At this point it does seem clear the greens were rebuilt sometime in the very recent past. They play like very well maintained parkland greens built to a high spec. I also believe many of the greens were re-shaped. The 8th strikes me as one such green with its sharp fall-off down the right.
A short par four, the 9th can pack a punch.
More to follow.
Ciao