Courses in the UK you would not recommend

[SyR]

There's a certain 9 hole course in Eastbourne that I used to play at when at college there. It was good for practice and usually in good condition and the range was pretty decent. As it was built on an old landfill, it could however get a bit smelly on hot days in the summer. I haven't been there for a few years, but assume it will get better over time.

 

[arnieboy]

There's a certain 9 hole course in Eastbourne that I used to play at when at college there. It was good for practice and usually in good condition and the range was pretty decent. As it was built on an old landfill, it could however get a bit smelly on hot days in the summer. I haven't been there for a few years, but assume it will get better over time.

Royal Lottbridge as the locals call it? It's not a bad track actually.

 

[SyR]

Royal Lottbridge as the locals call it? It's not a bad track actually.

Yep that's the one. I agree it's a nice layout all things considered.

 

[GaryK]

Ivinghoe
Short 9 hole course...1st hole is drivable but the green is at the bottom of the hill so you can't see it
Someone has to run 100 yards up the fairway to see if its clear
2nd is a dogleg par 3 - the green is behind a large tree and unless you can hit a controlled mahoosive high fade you're missing the green.
Has a cross over hole too (pet hate)
Has precisely nothing to make me want to even see it again let alone play it.

Decent'ish pro shop - especially if you're after a second hand bargain.
The head pro is a really nice chap, but the other guy is useless.
I do play there occasionally - when I want something more than a simple driving range, but not a full 18 up at the Oxfordshire.
Pretty cheap to play 9 holes that isn't going to eat into your day (90 min round) and I have never been held up going round, so some positives [almost!]
Not a course for slicers though!

 

[GaryK]

Anywhere that is 9 holes and all par-3s.

Wycombe Heights has both a full size 18 hole and a very good 18 hole par 3.
Not a fan of the main course, but do like the occasional short game practise.

 

[SocketRocket]

Thats the one!

Used to play it years back when it was nine holes, it was a great course to start playing golf. I play at WG&CC now (Boughton Park)

 

[Bdill93]

Used to play it years back when it was nine holes, it was a great course to start playing golf. I play at WG&CC now (Boughton Park)

Oh sweet! I never realised there was anyone else from Worcester on here! Id agree, great starter course. Some holes that punish - eg number 4!! Some that are easy - 2 and 18!

Ravens gone through some change over the last 12 months since the old greenkeeper left - greens run much faster now and they cut the rough much longer to punish bad shots. I think the joint Raven/ PP course was a good idea - they just picked 3 very dull holes with 11, 12 and 13 which are featureless to say the least.

I have been round Boughton twice this year - lovely track! They had just done some work on the bunkers around the par 3 hole 8 (over the water? I think it was 8 anyway) and they looked absolutely awesome. Must be a pleasure to play there. I imagine I may become tempted to move in a few years - but membership is more than double Raven and im about to become a new dad!

 

[SocketRocket]

Oh sweet! I never realised there was anyone else from Worcester on here! Id agree, great starter course. Some holes that punish - eg number 4!! Some that are easy - 2 and 18!

Ravens gone through some change over the last 12 months since the old greenkeeper left - greens run much faster now and they cut the rough much longer to punish bad shots. I think the joint Raven/ PP course was a good idea - they just picked 3 very dull holes with 11, 12 and 13 which are featureless to say the least.

I have been round Boughton twice this year - lovely track! They had just done some work on the bunkers around the par 3 hole 8 (over the water? I think it was 8 anyway) and they looked absolutely awesome. Must be a pleasure to play there. I imagine I may become tempted to move in a few years - but membership is more than double Raven and im about to become a new dad!

I'm from Malvern, I live near the Worcestershire but prefer Boughton. It is indeed the 8th hole where they have rebuilt the bunkers, the one on the right isn't finished yet. If you ever fancy a game there then give me a pm.
Congratulations on the imminent birth.

 

[HeftyHacker]

As above, great club, great practice facilities, I made the mistake of listening to voices like yourself when I moved to Warrington, that was a mistake.

You did well to listen, it would have been a trek from Warrington to the fylde coast to play! SteveJay and i are referring to Poulton le Fylde GC.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Rouken glen thats by far the worst course I’ve seen, the bunkers had massive rocks in most of them and the others just had no sand. Greens also are just in bad condition.

Ah … now that course - or Deaconsbank as it was previously known when a municipal - has a special place in my heart as it was where I played my first ever round of golf and was pretty much the only course I played for about 4yrs as I learned to play. It was never a great course (though I didn’t know anything different) but it was more than adequate to learn the game. I recall finding the 7th I think particularly daunting. Woods all down LHS and a tricky upslope shot to the green. I think I played it as a par 5.

So you can just leave off Rouken Glen ?

 

[KenL]

Me too. Remember as a junior heading to Deakies and waiting about 5 hours before we teed off.
No sand bunkers and hard baked mud tees. Loved it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Me too. Remember as a junior heading to Deakies and waiting about 5 hours before we teed off.
No sand bunkers and hard baked mud tees. Loved it.

…and IIRC it coat me 20p a round (1972?); we got changed in knackered old farm building by what is now the 2nd tee; it’s where I found my first ever BIG ball; and yes - you could queue for hours…sitting and standing by the 1st.

Important for my game today is the fact there were no bunkers and greens were rock hard as that meant there was no need for me to learn any fancy ‘American’ pitch shots - I had to learn to chip and bump and run…from quite some distances. Came as quite a shock when I played a course with bunkers and holding greens and I had to learn to pitch - and play out of bunkers.

 

[sam85]

You couldn’t pay me to go back and play merrist wood or Thames Ditton and Esher.

 

[SammmeBee]

You couldn’t pay me to go back and play merrist wood or Thames Ditton and Esher.

You’ll want to go back to the new Merrist Wood when they are done with it….

 

[sam85]

You’ll want to go back to the new Merrist Wood when they are done with it….

When I played it in the summer it looked like they’d given up with it completely.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

When I played it in the summer it looked like they’d given up with it completely.

The thing is…Merrist Wood might not have the greatest of reputations locally to Surrey/Hants borders area, but it is an area of many splendid and some superb courses…so maybe it’s local reputation is relative…and in the great scheme of things it might actually be rather good.

 

[stefanovic]

Is that Ravenmeadow in Worcester

It's a great place to walk a dog.
Despite all the surrounding parkland, dog walkers love it. It was even worse when Perdiswell.
I assume it's because the grass is shorter than elsewhere.
I was even once informed by a dog walker with a loud yapping dog that the place was not a golf course at all.

How about courses that are partly flooded by high tides?
If it's still open then Garmouth and Kingston was one on the Moray Firth.
With rising sea levels more could be threatened.
Like at Westward Ho!, Montrose, Brancaster.

 

[SocketRocket]

It's a great place to walk a dog.
Despite all the surrounding parkland, dog walkers love it. It was even worse when Perdiswell.
I assume it's because the grass is shorter than elsewhere.
I was even once informed by a dog walker with a loud yapping dog that the place was not a golf course at all.

How about courses that are partly flooded by high tides?
If it's still open then Garmouth and Kingston was one on the Moray Firth.
With rising sea levels more could be threatened.
Like at Westward Ho!, Montrose, Brancaster.

If Ravenmeadow gets flooded by the sea we really are in trouble lol. It must be almost in the centre of the country.

 

[SocketRocket]

Played Cricket St Thomas recently, wouldn't rush to play again.

 

[Foxholer]

...
How about courses that are partly flooded by high tides?
If it's still open then Garmouth and Kingston was one on the Moray Firth.
With rising sea levels more could be threatened.
Like at Westward Ho!, Montrose, Brancaster.

Montrose is definitely under threat! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-25926861