One for the NE golfers. Anyone played either of these courses and if so what are the pluses / minuses? Which would you choose to play? I've got a chance to play one of them, both are meant to be decent but I have not played either. Which to choose?
Arcot Hall or Whitley Bay?
- Thread starter Lord Tyrion
- Start date
Maninblack4612
Tour Winner
Ask Rudebhoy, he lives in WB & he's a member at Arcot. Supposed to be arranging a game with him soon.
Thanks, will do.
jonny1409
Club Champion
Was a member of Arcot for a few years, and have played Whitley Bay a couple of times.
Whilst they are both nice, Whitley Bay is much, much nicer.
It's a longer, tougher course and the wind always seems to be up (as expected given its proximity to the sea), but I'd play Whitley Bay before I played Arcot.
Whilst Arcot has some nice holes and isn't a bad course per se, it tends to have a better reputation than the course really deserves these days.
I believe back in the day it would have been a much closer decision, but now it's really not.
Whilst they are both nice, Whitley Bay is much, much nicer.
It's a longer, tougher course and the wind always seems to be up (as expected given its proximity to the sea), but I'd play Whitley Bay before I played Arcot.
Whilst Arcot has some nice holes and isn't a bad course per se, it tends to have a better reputation than the course really deserves these days.
I believe back in the day it would have been a much closer decision, but now it's really not.
Farmergeddon
Assistant Pro
My Lord, we play Senior Opens all over the NE. We play Whitley Bay every year. We have only done Arcot once!!! enough said I think.
Charlatan30
Newbie
Ha ha! Very interesting reading as I'm thinking about joining Whitley Bay....
I think the replies have made the decision very easy. Thanks all.
Farmergeddon
Assistant Pro
You wont regret it, buy a course guide (if they still do them), there are some funny teeshots that require a exact yardage and direction...
Ha ha, you're assuming I can hit a consistent yardage and also in the correct direction. Good advice though, thanks.
rudebhoy
Q-School Graduate
Hi Bill, am in Croatia this week, just saw this thread. Will give you a shout when I am back and we will get that game sorted.
LT - just tried to reply to your Pm, your inbox is full.
rudebhoy
Q-School Graduate
Haven't played WB, so can't compare them, but Arcot is tough enough for me! Of the courses I've played in the area (Gosforth, Parklands, Tynemouth, Newcastle United, Backworth, Wallsend), I'd say it is on a par with tynemouth and tougher than the rest.
Maninblack4612
Tour Winner
Great, look forward to it.
Thanks, I'll empty it later, on a tablet now. Where are you in Croatia? We went to Cavtat a couple of weeks ago, near Dubrovnik. Lovely place, fantastic sunsets and wonderful ice cream. Hope you're enjoying it.
rudebhoy
Q-School Graduate
We are in Cavtat😃
Great little place, really enjoying it. The sunsets are stunning as you say. Walked up that big mountain at the back of the town yesterday, hard work in the heat!
Dubrovnik is beautiful, planning on going back for a few days there next year.
Small world heh. I'd happily recommend restaurant Ciparis, walk out of the centre with the sea on your left and you will find it on your left looking out to sea. Lovely atmosphere and one of the waiters reminded me of Rhod Gilbert which made me chuckle. Zino's in the harbour where the big boats are was good as well. I suspect you wont get a bad one although those two were our favourites.
We stayed up a hill, walk past the Hotel Albatross, past apts Fontana and keep going, although frankly I wouldn't recommend it! Nothing to see. The apt was excellent, lovely shared pool but that walk was hard going in the end when the heat was full on. Next time we will look to stay on the flat near the centre.
Have you tried any of the water sports? We got into paddle boards although standing up was mighty tricky. If you do it, and it was great fun, make a point of asking if the paddle floats. The last time I did it I fell in, whilst trying to stand on the board and paddle, and the paddle sank. I lay on the board and swam back and the bloke tried to charge me for it. I point blank refused and after a stand off he and his son / grandson (hard to tell nowadays) went out in a pedalo and reclaimed it. The little lad spotted in and then dived in to get it. The young ladies you hire them from confessed it happened every now and again, a fault with certain of the paddles, so the bloke was trying it on. Don't let it put you off but be aware. On a happier note my kids also tried the parasailing and loved it. You go past the Epidauras hotel and see them at the end of the prom / beach. They do other things, jet ski etc and were a decent bunch.
I think Dubrovnik would be a good one for a long weekend break. Beautiful place although the lifesize replicas of John Snow in the GoT shops were a little weird. There was a jazz festival on when we visited which added to the atmosphere.
Enjoy the rest of your stay, I'm sure you will.
We stayed up a hill, walk past the Hotel Albatross, past apts Fontana and keep going, although frankly I wouldn't recommend it! Nothing to see. The apt was excellent, lovely shared pool but that walk was hard going in the end when the heat was full on. Next time we will look to stay on the flat near the centre.
Have you tried any of the water sports? We got into paddle boards although standing up was mighty tricky. If you do it, and it was great fun, make a point of asking if the paddle floats. The last time I did it I fell in, whilst trying to stand on the board and paddle, and the paddle sank. I lay on the board and swam back and the bloke tried to charge me for it. I point blank refused and after a stand off he and his son / grandson (hard to tell nowadays) went out in a pedalo and reclaimed it. The little lad spotted in and then dived in to get it. The young ladies you hire them from confessed it happened every now and again, a fault with certain of the paddles, so the bloke was trying it on. Don't let it put you off but be aware. On a happier note my kids also tried the parasailing and loved it. You go past the Epidauras hotel and see them at the end of the prom / beach. They do other things, jet ski etc and were a decent bunch.
I think Dubrovnik would be a good one for a long weekend break. Beautiful place although the lifesize replicas of John Snow in the GoT shops were a little weird. There was a jazz festival on when we visited which added to the atmosphere.
Enjoy the rest of your stay, I'm sure you will.
rudebhoy
Q-School Graduate
Got back last night, we were staying in the Fontana apartments, small world indeed!
Didn't go in Ciparis, but did eat in Zino's one night. Tbh, never had a bad meal all week.
Our favourite place was the Little Star Beach Bar, definitely the best place to watch the sunset from.
We walked passed the Fontana every day. If you kept walking past the Fontana, bare left, and walk up the hill then you reached our place, Villa Bingo. We looked on enviously every day as we walked past as you were on the flat. We looked to book the Fontana when we got back for next year but it is fully booked the week we need to go, we are tied to that week with work. Did you like it? Did they ever drive that limo?
We are trying to find somewhere on the flat, with a pool but it is really tricky. Your place is probably the only one that ticks that box. The Bingo apts, top floor one we were in was the best, were great but boy that hill ground you down. It wasn't even that big a hill but in that heat it was hard going.
We are trying to find somewhere on the flat, with a pool but it is really tricky. Your place is probably the only one that ticks that box. The Bingo apts, top floor one we were in was the best, were great but boy that hill ground you down. It wasn't even that big a hill but in that heat it was hard going.
rudebhoy
Q-School Graduate
Walked up that hill a few times to get to the supermarket up on the main road, hard work in the heat as you say.
fontana was ok, but I have stayed in better. The woman who owns it is nice, but her husband died suddenly a couple of years ago, and you get the impression it's going to seed a little bit. For example, the air conditioning unit in the bedroom didn't work and hasn't for a while when I asked about it, the shower was one of those all singing and dancing ones with lights and music, but nothing worked other than the basic function of running water, pool furniture a bit tatty and not enough to go round - there are 6 apartments and 4 rooms, so there can be up to 30 people staying there, but there are only 8 or 9 loungers.
its a shame because with a bit better attention to detail, it could be really nice.
the stretch limo never moved when we were there, I think it was her husband's, couldn't see her driving it.
fontana was ok, but I have stayed in better. The woman who owns it is nice, but her husband died suddenly a couple of years ago, and you get the impression it's going to seed a little bit. For example, the air conditioning unit in the bedroom didn't work and hasn't for a while when I asked about it, the shower was one of those all singing and dancing ones with lights and music, but nothing worked other than the basic function of running water, pool furniture a bit tatty and not enough to go round - there are 6 apartments and 4 rooms, so there can be up to 30 people staying there, but there are only 8 or 9 loungers.
its a shame because with a bit better attention to detail, it could be really nice.
the stretch limo never moved when we were there, I think it was her husband's, couldn't see her driving it.
Thanks for the info. The apts at Bingo were spot on to be fair. Not 5* but we didn't pay 5*. Clean, modern and a good size. Very good self catering apts. If they had electric buggies to hire for the week, park either at the apts or at The Albatross, just to get you up and down Cavtat then I would book there again straight away. Sounds lazy to anyone else but hey, I'm on holiday and did enough sweating without adding to it. Thanks again, the search continues.........
Now that the travelogue has finished I can pass on that I ended up playing Whitley Bay today and what a good choice it was too. A bit breezy, I'm rubbish in the wind, but that's life. The course was interesting and in good nick. Lovely big greens too. They are re-vamping one of the holes, the 6th I think, so they have moved some things around meaning the card and the course don't join up for a spell. Luckily my Garmin S1 knew what was going on still.
I'll definitely go back and I would happily recommend it to people. Thanks for the advice.
I'll definitely go back and I would happily recommend it to people. Thanks for the advice.
