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Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Abercromby's WEST BYFLEET GC New
« on: July 26, 2023, 04:27:41 PM »
Centred around the Southwest Main Line is a hotbed of fine golf associated with heather and sand. On either side of the tracks are Woking, Worplesdon, West Hill, New Zealand and a long, narrow property which is home to West Byfleet GC. Originally known as Bleakdown GC, the owner of nearby Brooklands Race Track and the man behind New Zealand GC, Mr HL King, engaged Cuthbert Butchart to design the course in 1906. His name will sound familiar as Butchart designed West Hill a few miles to the west. A significant redesign was undertaken in 1922 by JF Abercromby, author of notable courses such as Worplesdon, Coombe Hill, Knole Park & Addington. Coombe, Braid, Morrison and Mackenzie & Ebert have all had their say over the years. 

During WWI the course was used in the war effort to grow vegetables and the house as a hospital. Not long after the war, HL King sold Bleakdown to the members, just as was the case with New Zealand GC fourteen years earlier. During this time the club changed its name to West Byfleet, not long before JF Abercromby completed his work. It is notable that none of Butchart’s par 3s survived the revisions and that three (4, 11 & 13) are Abercromby holes. Furthermore, holes 4, 8, 12, 15 & 16 and all but three greens are by Abercromby.

During WWII trees were planted and ditches dug to prevent plane landings. Some of the course was once again sacrificed for the war effort for refugees and vegetable growing; the Welsh Guards occupied the house. A nearly complete course was eventually re-opened in 1951 after J Morrison tidied things up. It wasn’t until 1959 that the first hole was given back to the club and the entire course opened for play.

The course starts slow and gradually gets going, By the end of the front nine West Byfleet is in full flight. Accordingly, the 1st is a gentle opener. While shorter and more heavily defended with bunkers, the second is not overly onerous or interesting. At the third we get a severe dogleg left running downhill. Perhaps overly hemmed in, iIt takes a good drive to find an attacking position.


A solid par three, the 4th plays quite a bit longer than its listed 130 yards.


A bit of trickery for the 5th. The hole is about 300 yards, but nips to the right, making driver a dicey play. The green too is heavily defended.


Perhaps the best holoe on the front nine, the 6th arches to the right and ends with a typical West Byfleet raised green. I do like a hole or two which doglegs against the terrain.




More to follow.

Ciao
 
« Last Edit: August 27, 2023, 11:40:40 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Niall C

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Abercomby's WEST BYFLEET GC 1-6
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2023, 07:13:03 PM »
Sean


A nice start and looking forward to the rest of the tour. Judging from what I've seen so far the bunkers look as though they were redone in recent years and while they were doing them they perhaps forgot to thin out the trees. Fair comment ?


Niall

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Abercomby's WEST BYFLEET GC 1-6
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2023, 10:46:23 AM »
Sean

A nice start and looking forward to the rest of the tour. Judging from what I've seen so far the bunkers look as though they were redone in recent years and while they were doing them they perhaps forgot to thin out the trees. Fair comment ?

Niall

Niall

More trees could definitely come out!

West Byfleet Tour Cont

West Byfleet showcases some good dogleg holes in both directions and the 7th is one such example.


The blind dip shy of the green is the type of feature which I enjoy.


The halfway house comes after the 7th; the extra sugar and calories may help folks reach the sub 300 yard two-shotter 8th. 9 feels very similar to the straight-away 8th except this short par 4 buttonhooks at its green end.
 

A flat banger par 4, the 10th didn't make an impression. The short, uphill 11th hits the mark. The green size is shielded by the uphill nature of the hole. Going much past the hole can leave a speedy two putt.
 

More to follow.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Abercromby's WEST BYFLEET GC 1-11
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2023, 07:12:34 AM »
West Byfleet Tour Cont

By the 12th a pattern of the angled green and heavy bunker protection is apparent. The final which runs to the southwest, the short 13th stands out. Playing steeply downhill over water, this hole obviously favours the home player. 


Heading home, the modest length 14th plays quite tricky. Its easy to drift too far left and be left with tree issues.


A look at the green beyond the driving area for most.


Another tight driving hole moving right, this time the bunker is on the outside of the fairway.


The open approach to the green is welcome. The green has considerable movement where the pin is located.


More to follow.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Abercromby's WEST BYFLEET GC 1-15
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2023, 08:08:49 AM »
West Byfleet Tour Cont

The run home continues with another good at 16. A long par, one of four over 400 yards. The daily card shows a course under 6000 yards, yet West Byfleet seems much longer to a par of 70. Subtle land movement serves this hole well.






Bunkers well shy of the green help create interest on the flat, par three 17th. 


A grand finish with perhaps West Byfleet's best green, this par 5 can cause damage to the card.






An honest and perfectly fine local members' club, West Byfleet will always struggle to make an impact in golf wealth Surrey. If in the area and invited, I strongly suggest a visit is in order. West Byfleet is not, however, a course to play in lieu of the many Surrey delights that are usually associated with travel to the London area.  2023

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Abercromby's WEST BYFLEET GC
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2023, 01:31:24 PM »
Thanks for the tour and the photos. Always interesting to see courses that fly somewhere below the usual high profile elite course radar.
atb

Brett Meyer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Abercromby's WEST BYFLEET GC
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2023, 02:51:22 PM »
I always passed this course on the train toward Woking and wondered whether it would be worth playing. It's certainly closer to London than most of the top London area courses. Looking at your pictures Sean, it might have been a good choice for my final year in London when I was down to traveling distances to play courses like Hindhead and Ashridge.

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Abercromby's WEST BYFLEET GC
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2023, 09:51:16 AM »
I always passed this course on the train toward Woking and wondered whether it would be worth playing. It's certainly closer to London than most of the top London area courses. Looking at your pictures Sean, it might have been a good choice for my final year in London when I was down to traveling distances to play courses like Hindhead and Ashridge.

Brett

Yes, if convenient, West Byfleet would have been a good option.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Nothing

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