MashieNiblick
Tour Winner
I was lucky enough to play the Red Course at Frilford Heath recently so I thought I’d post a review of this justly famous classic old heathland course situated outside Abingdon in Oxfordshire.
The Red is the oldest of the three 18 hole courses at Frilford. Knowing that it was laid out in 1908 by J H Taylor over an area of natural heathland means anyone who loves traditional golf is going to enjoy this. It is par 72, measuring 6675 off the whites and 6486 from the yellows, with 3 par 3s and 3 par 5s. The fact that the Par 4s vary from 300 to 472 yards sums up the variety of the lay out. The par 5s aren’t overly long and may tempt the bigger hitters but there is a risk as the greens are narrow and closely protected by bunkers and swales.
The fairways work their way naturally between the clumps of yellow gorse, pine and birch trees and being firm and tightly grassed are a joy from which to hit a well struck iron. They are peppered with superb cavernous bunkers which are a real feature of the course. Filled with golden sand they make a stunning visual impact. The 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] and 5[SUP]th[/SUP] holes each have the added danger and visual deception (not to mention the psychological effect) of a single deep bunker spanning the width of the fairway.
The greens are well defended and slightly raised up. Miss one and you will either find a greenside bunker or be faced with a tricky chip from below the level of the putting surface. The 16[SUP]th[/SUP] despite being only a drive and a wedge is particularly memorable for the huge bunker guarding the green.
Most holes involve some element of dog leg and it is important to keep your ball in the fairway to have a chance of going for the greens. Too far off line and the gorse, which looks so attractive from the tee, will eat your ball up and bite your hand if you have the temerity to try to retrieve it!
Your ability to read a putt and your and touch with the flat stick will be well tested by the excellent greens. Some like the 13[SUP]th[/SUP] are severely sloping but others are subtle and lull you into a false sense of security before betraying your confidence by coaxing your ball away from the hole at the last second. Even this early in the season they were running well, and over the summer will undoubtedly be fast and true.
The only slight disappointment is the 18[SUP]th[/SUP] - a short par 4 of 300 yards with a stone wall rather incongruously jutting into the left hand side. The elevated green sits under the gaze of the club house. A nice enough hole but you can’t help feeling the course deserves a more challenging finish. The 9[SUP]th[/SUP] provides a more attractive end to the front 9 – a par 3 of 180 odd yards over water to an elevated green. I was however lucky enough to finish both nines with a 2.
Needless to say for such a prestigious lay out it was in superb condition all round. The type of course where your trolley wheels and spikes are cleaner when you walk off the 18th than when you teed off the first.
I really feel it is hard to do this course justice. You have to play it to appreciate it. Nothing tricked up, no gimmicks or artificiality, just golf as it was meant to be, letting nature shape the course, not the other way around.
The Red is the oldest of the three 18 hole courses at Frilford. Knowing that it was laid out in 1908 by J H Taylor over an area of natural heathland means anyone who loves traditional golf is going to enjoy this. It is par 72, measuring 6675 off the whites and 6486 from the yellows, with 3 par 3s and 3 par 5s. The fact that the Par 4s vary from 300 to 472 yards sums up the variety of the lay out. The par 5s aren’t overly long and may tempt the bigger hitters but there is a risk as the greens are narrow and closely protected by bunkers and swales.
The fairways work their way naturally between the clumps of yellow gorse, pine and birch trees and being firm and tightly grassed are a joy from which to hit a well struck iron. They are peppered with superb cavernous bunkers which are a real feature of the course. Filled with golden sand they make a stunning visual impact. The 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] and 5[SUP]th[/SUP] holes each have the added danger and visual deception (not to mention the psychological effect) of a single deep bunker spanning the width of the fairway.
The greens are well defended and slightly raised up. Miss one and you will either find a greenside bunker or be faced with a tricky chip from below the level of the putting surface. The 16[SUP]th[/SUP] despite being only a drive and a wedge is particularly memorable for the huge bunker guarding the green.
Most holes involve some element of dog leg and it is important to keep your ball in the fairway to have a chance of going for the greens. Too far off line and the gorse, which looks so attractive from the tee, will eat your ball up and bite your hand if you have the temerity to try to retrieve it!
Your ability to read a putt and your and touch with the flat stick will be well tested by the excellent greens. Some like the 13[SUP]th[/SUP] are severely sloping but others are subtle and lull you into a false sense of security before betraying your confidence by coaxing your ball away from the hole at the last second. Even this early in the season they were running well, and over the summer will undoubtedly be fast and true.
The only slight disappointment is the 18[SUP]th[/SUP] - a short par 4 of 300 yards with a stone wall rather incongruously jutting into the left hand side. The elevated green sits under the gaze of the club house. A nice enough hole but you can’t help feeling the course deserves a more challenging finish. The 9[SUP]th[/SUP] provides a more attractive end to the front 9 – a par 3 of 180 odd yards over water to an elevated green. I was however lucky enough to finish both nines with a 2.
Needless to say for such a prestigious lay out it was in superb condition all round. The type of course where your trolley wheels and spikes are cleaner when you walk off the 18th than when you teed off the first.
I really feel it is hard to do this course justice. You have to play it to appreciate it. Nothing tricked up, no gimmicks or artificiality, just golf as it was meant to be, letting nature shape the course, not the other way around.
