Anyone played the Downshire recently?

dufferman

dufferman

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Hi all,

Been recommended this course as a good P&P - I saw in another thread that (I think Homer said) it was closed last week - which is good as it must have been kept in good nick through all this rain. :)

Anyway, booked to play there Saturday, is it any good?
 
I played there on December 27th, it was a mess and should have been closed so I'm not surprised to hear it was closed last week. It's a decent enough course in the summer, but gets very wet in winter and you'll play all your Tee shots from mats which are often a long way forward of the normal tees. That said, you should still enjoy it, there are some good holes.

If you're using GPS, ignore the bunker in the fairway on the 5th hole as it is now a ditch than runs right across the fairway. you can't see this from the tee.
 
MegaSteve said:
Was a Par73 with quite a few par5s when I used to play there... Believe that's not the case these days.... Remember it as being fairly flat and open...
Click to expand...

Par 72 now with 4 par 5s. Yeh it is a very flat course, dont think there is a hill in sight? Hwoever there are some nice dog leg holes and a few holes with water that feature well. 3 of the par 5s are very very boring though.
 
el marko said:
Par 72 now with 4 par 5s. Yeh it is a very flat course, dont think there is a hill in sight? Hwoever there are some nice dog leg holes and a few holes with water that feature well. 3 of the par 5s are very very boring though.
Click to expand...

9 and 18 may as well be the same hole.
 
dufferman said:
Hi all,

Been recommended this course as a good P&P - I saw in another thread that (I think Homer said) it was closed last week - which is good as it must have been kept in good nick through all this rain. :)

Anyway, booked to play there Saturday, is it any good?
Click to expand...

Haven't played there for over a year, but as a reference Pine Ridge is better IMO. Downshire is OK enough and does need a bit of course management off the tee. Not too long and probably very wet on holes 2, 3, 4.
 
It was open yesterday. Even the pro said it should be shut. Virtually under water and some holes like the dog leg (13th? - back towards the range) was flooded for three quarters of the hole and any club off the tee would have been in water. It is a decent P&P course but it is suffering like everywhere else
 
HomerJSimpson said:
It was open yesterday. Even the pro said it should be shut. Virtually under water and some holes like the dog leg (13th? - back towards the range) was flooded for three quarters of the hole and any club off the tee would have been in water. It is a decent P&P course but it is suffering like everywhere else
Click to expand...

And it's still like that today? Might not want to go there if holes are flooded!!
 
The 13th was flooded when I was there but then there were puddles on a lot of holes. Relief from casual water often meant moving quite some distance from where you landed
 
Downshire is 2 minutes from my house. I played in a regional final there in July when the sun was shining and I had a great round. One of the happier memories of 2013.

Its a good track and I hope that it will be OK underfoot when (if) you play on Saturday. I think you will enjoy it if the condition is good. Can get very busy.
 
Just around the corner from me now I'm in Jennetts Park so will be spending a lot of time there. Currently operating a trolley ban but still open. Very, very muddy so I would wear old shoes, take a change of socks and use old waterproof trousers! One for the mudlarks
 
HomerJSimpson said:
Just around the corner from me now I'm in Jennetts Park so will be spending a lot of time there. Currently operating a trolley ban but still open. Very, very muddy so I would wear old shoes, take a change of socks and use old waterproof trousers! One for the mudlarks
Click to expand...

Thank you for the heads up. I'll be sure to be waterproof ready!!
 
Well the course was closed... we played Blue Mountain instead - which was open fully, but was a mud-bath. I think I've finally decided to hang up the clubs for a few weeks and let this water drain away!
 
I played Blue Mountain about 6-7 years ago in these sort of conditions. Absoultely hated it and it felt like a route march. I was at the Downshire on Saturday hitting balls (and trying I20 and I25's!!!). They don't think it will be open for a few days at best
 
HomerJSimpson said:
I played Blue Mountain about 6-7 years ago in these sort of conditions. Absoultely hated it and it felt like a route march. I was at the Downshire on Saturday hitting balls (and trying I20 and I25's!!!). They don't think it will be open for a few days at best
Click to expand...

The course was ok at Blue Mountain on the fairways and greens, but the paths to and from holes were just disastrous, as were some of the rough. Most of the holes had some serious water build up in front of the greens, too. Shame. But that's what you get for playing after all this rain!!!
 
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