Piece
Tour Winner
Played this track last Saturday. Never heard of it before, let alone played it! 
Managed to find it OK (thanks to SatNav) in the back streets of Bracknell, situated at the end of long straight road in the countryside. I drove into the spacious carpark and was greeted with the clubhouse and bar to the left, with the course in front, with the driving range behind. All seemed pleasant, embellished with a sprinkling of spring sunshine
I didn't have enough time to venue across the road to the separate driving range, thus I can't offer any opinion.
The pro-shop is small, but functional, the some apparel and clubs from Callaway and Nike. The greeting from behind the till was friendly (trust me, other clubs can be distinctly frosty in their welcome
), asking if I have everything, etc. £29 later I was paid-up and ready to rock (£29 at w/e for a visitor is very good around these parts!).
The sign posts outside the pro shop told us where to go clearly (always helps!), so we trundled up to the starter's hut, where we were warmly greeted by the official starter. A check of the cards and we were ready to play...
Hole 1: A short par four with trouble all down the left, but open on the right to adjoining holes. The fairway was generous, with what looked around 180y carry to the ridge going down towards the green. In the distance there was a yellow hazard protecting the green. Thus the big dog was put away and a smartly struck 5-iron was dispatched. It was evident from the first bounce that the fairways were going to roll and roll and roll! The first green is generous in width but quite narrow - there's no protection at the back, so any long shot trickles down to the bunker on the 9th! I'd bet that that bunker is more in use on the first than the 9th.
. Any yes, I was in it... Managed a good 5.
A quick stroll across the bridge to the second....
2: Par 5 this one. dogleg left. Didn't have a clue where this one went! All I saw was a steep hill in front, bunker right, cabbage extreme right and OOB left!!! Didn't know what the carry was required over the corner (or what lay over it), so opted for a 'lay-up' 4i. Which I cut right... Once up the hill, the hole made sense: just don't go left at all! Plenty of fairway to hit with a well struck drive. The green is only partially protected and easily reachable in two as there is a 100y downhill run to the green. Just don't go long or left though. Knowing what I know now, it's a drive/3w and a long iron...needless to say I played too safe, too crappy on this one and returned a 7.
3. Short par 4 back parallel to the 2nd. OOB left, but some bale out room right. Again, like the first, probably around 200y to the fairway hill, before the hole dips out of sight and to the green. Chose the big dog and pushed it right on the 2nd fairway (I was the first to do that and definitely not the last!!!). Another big green, with good bunkering around it. A blind second with a 9i saw my ball bosh into the bunker. Good up and down and par achieved.
4. Nice long par 3 this, and difficult if the pin was tucked to the left. Bunkering and the lake heavily guards the left side of a wide green. On our day the pin was far right meaning a straight knock was all that was required. Gentle six iron downwind found the right rough. Up and down for a good par. Good hole that.
Back over the bridge...(well signposted, always helps)
5. Another good short hole this. Flat par 4, with a stream running across the middle diagonally. From memory it was about 220y carry (more carry required left, less on the right). Bunker the right after the carry catches the pushed shots, whilst pond on the left catches the long carries. Dilemma - lay up or carry? It was a warm day and generous wind behind meant a 3w. Standard 52w and two putt saw a par.
6. Dog-left par 5, with a tree in the middle of the fairway!?! Walked off with par - good hole again, making you think about what to take and where to go.
On to the 7th....
Managed to find it OK (thanks to SatNav) in the back streets of Bracknell, situated at the end of long straight road in the countryside. I drove into the spacious carpark and was greeted with the clubhouse and bar to the left, with the course in front, with the driving range behind. All seemed pleasant, embellished with a sprinkling of spring sunshine
I didn't have enough time to venue across the road to the separate driving range, thus I can't offer any opinion.
The pro-shop is small, but functional, the some apparel and clubs from Callaway and Nike. The greeting from behind the till was friendly (trust me, other clubs can be distinctly frosty in their welcome
), asking if I have everything, etc. £29 later I was paid-up and ready to rock (£29 at w/e for a visitor is very good around these parts!).The sign posts outside the pro shop told us where to go clearly (always helps!), so we trundled up to the starter's hut, where we were warmly greeted by the official starter. A check of the cards and we were ready to play...
Hole 1: A short par four with trouble all down the left, but open on the right to adjoining holes. The fairway was generous, with what looked around 180y carry to the ridge going down towards the green. In the distance there was a yellow hazard protecting the green. Thus the big dog was put away and a smartly struck 5-iron was dispatched. It was evident from the first bounce that the fairways were going to roll and roll and roll! The first green is generous in width but quite narrow - there's no protection at the back, so any long shot trickles down to the bunker on the 9th! I'd bet that that bunker is more in use on the first than the 9th.
. Any yes, I was in it... Managed a good 5.A quick stroll across the bridge to the second....
2: Par 5 this one. dogleg left. Didn't have a clue where this one went! All I saw was a steep hill in front, bunker right, cabbage extreme right and OOB left!!! Didn't know what the carry was required over the corner (or what lay over it), so opted for a 'lay-up' 4i. Which I cut right... Once up the hill, the hole made sense: just don't go left at all! Plenty of fairway to hit with a well struck drive. The green is only partially protected and easily reachable in two as there is a 100y downhill run to the green. Just don't go long or left though. Knowing what I know now, it's a drive/3w and a long iron...needless to say I played too safe, too crappy on this one and returned a 7.
3. Short par 4 back parallel to the 2nd. OOB left, but some bale out room right. Again, like the first, probably around 200y to the fairway hill, before the hole dips out of sight and to the green. Chose the big dog and pushed it right on the 2nd fairway (I was the first to do that and definitely not the last!!!). Another big green, with good bunkering around it. A blind second with a 9i saw my ball bosh into the bunker. Good up and down and par achieved.
4. Nice long par 3 this, and difficult if the pin was tucked to the left. Bunkering and the lake heavily guards the left side of a wide green. On our day the pin was far right meaning a straight knock was all that was required. Gentle six iron downwind found the right rough. Up and down for a good par. Good hole that.
Back over the bridge...(well signposted, always helps)
5. Another good short hole this. Flat par 4, with a stream running across the middle diagonally. From memory it was about 220y carry (more carry required left, less on the right). Bunker the right after the carry catches the pushed shots, whilst pond on the left catches the long carries. Dilemma - lay up or carry? It was a warm day and generous wind behind meant a 3w. Standard 52w and two putt saw a par.
6. Dog-left par 5, with a tree in the middle of the fairway!?! Walked off with par - good hole again, making you think about what to take and where to go.
On to the 7th....
