Courses you have played this year?

[need_my_wedge]

Toughest - Sunningdale Old Course - tough day in the bunkers.

Best Greens - The Grove, nice, sandy, receptive and true as true can be.

Overall Condition - Sunningdale Old and New

Best value for money - Amendoeira - 4 days unlimited golf with buggies for £239.

Most Enjoyable - The Grove, not because of the course, all down to the use of Golfboards - best fun ever on a golf course (put review in the review section last night).

Most disappointing - Hardelot - both courses had terrible greens.

Overall Best - Sunningdale.

 

[Khamelion]

Toughest - Hotchkin at Woodall Spa - Great course but it was blowing a gale ad I went through the 10 balls in my bag and all the ones that I found ended up back in the cabbage.

Best Greens - Ponteland GC, BY far the best greens I've played on. Billiard table smooth, true, fast and a putting test.

Overall Condition - The Bracken at Woodall Spa - Course was in great condition when I played there.

Best value for money - Dunstanburgh GC - £32 for Bacon roll & Coffee on arrival, round of golf then Soup, Chip and proper Ham Butty afterwards.

Most Enjoyable - Camberley, even though it was wet the course was in great nick and I really enjoyed my first time around.

Most disappointing - West Hill - Having the greens hollow tined on the morning of the H4H charity day, should not have been done.

Overall Best - Dunstanburgh GC - The course was in great condition as you would expect for a links course, but for mid October is was great. It's a course with character and some lovely stand out holes, the 6th where you can really open you shoulders and the 13th a 100yd par 3 over a quarry with Dunstanburgh Castle as the back drop ad the clubhouse although open to ramblers and walkers,was friendly and the homemade grub was delicious.

 

[Crazyface]

Lots of Love to you too

Sorry, no offence meant, I just saw all the courses you've played and it made me smile / well jealous actually. then I saw all the other posts and then realized that lots of others get about just as much. I just wish I could.

 

[Crazyface]

That sounds fantastic Crazyface. One of them moments where life just seemed perfect I imagine?

It was, absolutely perfect. A photo taken on EVERY tee. One atop the Spectacles, one from in the right hand one, got it out in two. One taken against the Alfred Dunhill signs on 13th, they were putting them up as I played. Loads of videos. none capturing anything spectacular. She missed my birdie chip in from out of a bunker on the 6th. I smiled all the way round. We even had a downpour on 16th to make it more perfect. Good job wifey was caddying. She handed me my driver on 16 when I was going to go with a hybrid.

 

[srixon 1]

Toughest - Burnham and Berrow - It's nails, especially when windy.
Best Greens - Had to think about this, but my own greens at Weymouth. They have been average for a few years, but this year they have been amazing. For two weeks in early June they were as good as I have ever played on anywhere.
Overall Condition - Remedy Oak - Hardly a blade of grass out of position.
Overall Best - Alwoodley, played for the first time last week and loved it. Must be great during the height of the season.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Sorry, no offence meant, I just saw all the courses you've played and it made me smile / well jealous actually. then I saw all the other posts and then realized that lots of others get about just as much. I just wish I could.

No offence taken mate, just wasn't sure which bit was funny.

I don't play half as many of courses as most on here - something I mean to remedy going forward.

 

[TheAlbatross]

This was the year to stop moaning about how expensive all the decent golf courses were (especially near where i live in Surrey) and get out there and play a few decent tracks.

Toughest - Royal Lytham: was a gorgeous day but the fairways were running fast and hard. Everything was swallowed up by the fairway bunkers or lost in the rough which seemed to be unfairly punishing considering its proximity to the fairway.

Best Greens - ​Machynys Peninsula: faultless greens, running fast and true but also receptive. This course is an absolute bargain as well considering its Wales' only Nicholas design and always in superb condition.

Overall Condition - Sunnigdale Old: everything everyone says, all the rave reviews - i'd heard and read them all prior to my day at Sunningdale and i was still blown away. It is presented to the highest standard possible but i think a lot of that gets lost as its surrounded by such natural beauty.

Most Enjoyable - Sunningdale Old: Each hole presents something unique. A course which requires thought and respect. Somewhere you rarely have to take driver off the tee. Really challenging and rewarding set of short-ish par 3's. Two reachable par 5's. Somewhere your good shots rewarded and bad ones not overly punished. All this whilst flanked by towering pine trees and purple heather - golfing heaven.

Overall Best - Sunningdale Old (see above) but best VFM is easily Machynys which is definitely worth checking out should you find yourself in West Wales.

Most disappointing - Pyle and Kenfig - the 3-4 holes among the dunes are good but the rest is bang average at best.

 

[Odvan]

Could be a good time to do a Formby 4 ball on the winter deal before the winter kicks in?? I've only played it the once and I wouldn't mind another crack at it.
Anyone fancy it..£55 pp

Yes!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Not as exotic as many as I have barely left Northumberland this year.

Toughest - Ramside Hall Cathedral Course. Not necessarily for good reasons. Some silly hard holes and not one I would rush back to. Play the other course there and have more fun. Honorary mention to Longhirst, Lakes course, on a windy day. I sent a lot of balls into the water that day

Best Greens - Stocksfield . Good sizes, fast and true. Not an obvious course to play but the greens were superb. Honorary mention to Close House Filly course but hole locations on slopes pushed that into second place, still better than the greens on the Colt course interestingly.

Overall Condition - Stocksfield again. Helped by playing during a dry spell in summer but it was immaculate still

Best Value - Sharpley with some of the forumers.

Enjoyable - Burgham at the beginning of the year. I like the course, the clubhouse, it suits my eye as they say. Allows plenty of freedom but with high quality greens and overall condition is always good.

Biggest Surprise - Sharpley. Never heard of it before, neither had my friends. Thanks to the forumers who booked it and I will certainly play there again. Not when it is windy though, on a hill!

Overall best - Linden Hall, my home club. Lots of interesting holes, never dull to play. Needs the greens to be faster but I still enjoy getting out there every time. Best collection of par 3's in the county, IMO.

Aim next year is to get back to playing further afield to mix things up.

 

[Bigfoot]

Toughest - Gullane No.2 in 30 mph winds
Best Greens - Beau Desert
Overall condition - Sandwell Park
Best Value - Isle of Harris
Most enjoyable - Dunbar
Biggest surprise - Helensburgh
Overall best - Blackwell
Most disappointing -West Hill after the hollow tining

 

[KenL]

Glad you enjoyed Dunbar Bigfoot.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Best freebie. Studley Wood

 

[rickg]

Toughest - Littlestone in gale force winds! (Woodall Spa Hotchkin a close 2nd)
Best Greens - Centurion then Bearwood Lakes
Overall Condition - Machynys Peninsula then Saunton
Most Enjoyable - Sheringham then West Hill HFH
Overall Best - Hollinwell then Royal Liverpool

 

[merv79]

Toughest - East Devon (layout wise not particularly tough but wind on the day was ridiculous!! 2nd round abandoned after balls were blown 30 yards off the green!)
Best Greens - Parkstone
Overall Condition - Parkstone (head greenkeeper has just got the top job at Queenwood!)
Most Enjoyable - St Andrew's New or Dukes
Overall Best - Sunningdale New

 

[SliceAndEasy]

Toughest - Dunbar in 60 mph wind. Comp was called off as unplayable after 8 holes. Playing partner got blown off his feet

Best Greens - Hankley Common or for brief week between the bad weather, my home club Mortonhall

Overall Condition - Archerfield Links Dirleton. Never seen so many green keepers.

Most Enjoyable - Gullane 1 as I scored 43 points!

Overall Best - Renaissance Club. A future classic.

 

[louise_a]

Interesting. Played Rddish Vale in an Open and shot 85 (handicap 21 at the time) putted really badly too, me not the greens. Wouldn't put it I the tough category but...

Would estimate I would go round Carnoustie way north of 105!

Funny game.

I played RV twice this year, once in a team match, it is a good course, no two holes are the same but definitely favours local knowledge more than most courses.

I haven't posted my opinions because I find it difficult, to rate courses as per the OP, I have played a lot this year and can find good and bad in most.

 

[Hobbit]

Toughest - Woodhall Spa, Hotchkin
Best Greens - West Hill, those that hadn't been hollow tined!
Overall Condition - Woodhall Spa
Most Enjoyable - Woodhall, with the added benefit of the company of two great forumers!
Overall Best - Woodhall Spa, the whole weekend

 

[MendieGK]

Toughest - East Devon (layout wise not particularly tough but wind on the day was ridiculous!! 2nd round abandoned after balls were blown 30 yards off the green!)
Best Greens - Parkstone
Overall Condition - Parkstone (head greenkeeper has just got the top job at Queenwood!)
Most Enjoyable - St Andrew's New or Dukes
Overall Best - Sunningdale New

I forgot about how tough that was in March!!! Unreal

 

[Merv_swerve]

Trying to remember where I've been this year! errr.....

Toughest - Burnham & Berrow
Best Greens - Newark GC (home course, been superb from May onwards)
Overall Condition - Lindrick
Most Enjoyable - Moortown
Overall Best - Moortown

Special mentions;
Toughest - Saunton East + West
Greens - Moortown, Norwood Park and Forest Pines in March
Overall Con - Forest Pines again, for March time everywhere was excellent
Enjoyable - Forest Pines again, went with a group, had a 2 team comp and twas a fine laugh.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Trying to remember where I've been this year! errr.....

Toughest - Burnham & Berrow
Best Greens - Newark GC (home course, been superb from May onwards)
Overall Condition - Lindrick
Most Enjoyable - Moortown
Overall Best - Moortown

Special mentions;
Toughest - Saunton East + West
Greens - Moortown, Norwood Park and Forest Pines in March
Overall Con - Forest Pines again, for March time everywhere was excellent
Enjoyable - Forest Pines again, went with a group, had a 2 team comp and twas a fine laugh.

Interesting that you preferred moortown over lindrick and did you not play Alwoodley in the forum meet.

Alwoodley is a miles better course than Moortown IMO.