Ganton - Playing Tips?

[Lord Tyrion]

Why on earth would anyone 'prefer' knee length socks? The only knee length socks I have are football ones. If I ever play one of these places I'll have to turn up in them - complete with shinpads as well.

I've seen that in action only once, the phrasing this club used was the same. 2 old guys in 32°C heat wearing old school, heavyweight rugby socks pulled up to their knees. They looked woollen but they may not have been. They looked as ridiculous as it sounds and must have been seriously uncomfortable in that heat. It wasn't at Ganton but it wasn't a million miles away.

 

[evemccc]

Why on earth would anyone 'prefer' knee length socks? The only knee length socks I have are football ones. If I ever play one of these places I'll have to turn up in them - complete with shinpads as well.

I’ve never worn knee-high socks nor do I ever wish to…But I find it equally as ridiculous for golfers to ubiquitously wear baseball caps in weather when no-one else is wearing one. I see golfers, usually young golfers who dress near identically as their mates (never a good sign) who put on their caps the second they walk on the course and remove it the second they finish on the 18th….Unless its hot / sunny the only reason pro golfers wear caps is sponsorship. Rory doesn’t when he doesn’t need to!

I find dressing ‘just like the pros’ equally as bizarre tbh

 

[Orikoru]

I’ve never worn knee-high socks nor do I ever wish to…But I find it equally as ridiculous for golfers to ubiquitously wear baseball caps in weather when no-one else is wearing one. I see golfers, usually young golfers who dress near identically as their mates (never a good sign) who put on their caps the second they walk on the course and remove it the second they finish on the 18th….Unless its hot / sunny the only reason pro golfers wear caps is sponsorship. Rory doesn’t when he doesn’t need to!

I find dressing ‘just like the pros’ equally as bizarre tbh

I always wear a cap, I feel naked without one. I guess it keeps the sun or the rain out of your eyes - useful in all weathers. When it's chilly it keeps the top of my head just warm enough when a woolly hat would be too much. The point being, it has a purpose, whereas long socks do not. They look stupid, and defeat the purpose of wearing shorts in the first place (to have cooler legs when it's warm).

I actually don't know what you mean by 'dressing like the pros' when by and large the rules mandate that we must wear the same sort of clothes as them anyway.

 

[IanM]

I assume that most people do not "prefer" long socks... the Club presumably are using "interim language" on their website as a relaxation of their old dress code. I bet there will be some members who continue to wear long socks, either out of habit or in protest of the removal of the "requirement." But assuming other people will feel the same as yourself about something is always risky!

We have a guy at Newport who wears brightly coloured plus 4s in the winter. No idea why, his choice.

I am old school.... if I am a guest somewhere, I comply with their norms. If I don't like their stuff, I don't go. But it has never come to that.

 

[Barking_Mad]

Thanks to all for the tips.........A quick review of my day for anyone interested. (14.3 handicap)

Arrived early, enjoyed the drive down the long lane with the white posts and views of the course. Hit a few practice balls and some putts and started our round at 3.30pm, rather than 4.15pm, which was a bonus as it would have probably been dark by the time we finished. Unfortunately I was suffering from sciatica, but ibuprofen, deep heat patches and a hot water bottle on the drive over from Leeds loosened me up, a bit.

1st - 6 iron off the first tee, second shot into the rough short right of the green, and a pitch left me a 16ft putt which I sank. Par.
2nd - Hit a good drive, followed by a slightly thin 190 yard 7 iron which scuttled off the back. I then sh@nked a chip *sigh* off the green to the right leaving me a monster 70 ft putt with a huge break - which I duly sank. Par.
3rd - 6 iron off the tee, leaving 110 in. Pulled into the bunker left, followed by a nice shot out to 2 feet. Par.
4th - 235 yard drive which was a bit unlucky to run into the rough on the right (didnt realise fairway sloped). Pitching wedge from 120 yards to 33 feet. 2 putts. Par!
5th - Low knocked down 7 iron into the wind, pulled it left. Bunker. Two to get out, two putts for a double bogey 5.
6th - 6 iron off the tee. Another 6 iron to 110 yards, gap wedge in, two putt from 50ft feet. Par

+2 after 6. My playing partner (off 11) was +11 over at this point

7th, 8th, 9th - Then 'golf happened' and I promptly started topping balls off the tee and in the fairway. I'd blame my back, which might have been partly true, but in all honestly I've no idea where they came from, or went to, or came back from. Honestly cant remember the last time I topped a single ball, let along hitting more than half a dozen or more of them in the same round.

@DRW said, "Don't completely top it off the tee, as they have grown up grass/rough carries in front of most tees this year. Looks lovely to the eye but if your a shorter hitting lady they can be challenging to carry(a number are 80ish yards at a guess)."

Too right. Ended up triple bogeying the last 3 to go out in 48.

My playing partner had lost 4 balls by this point, eaten by the gorse and rough. Pace of play not helped by him not charging his Garmin watch so I had to be his caddy and give him yardages . Thankfully there was no-one behind us after we let a couple play through and it was millionarries golf all the way round.

10th - another top into the rough (with a 7 iron!), only went 40 yards, but couldnt find it. I dropped another in the rough (rather than walk back to the tee which Id rather have done but my playing partner was worried about the light), rubbish lie, hit the next in the bunker 30 yards short of the pin. Another out and 3 putted for an 8.
11th - Driver followed by a topped 6 iron (keep smiling!). 162 yard eight iron, into the bunker, nice shot out but two putt for a 6.
12th - 6 iron poorly struck off the tee. Heavy rough so thrash out 100 yards. Approach wedge from 100 to 6 feet, two putt for a 5.
13th - What sort of 500 yard par 5, back into a strong breeze needs 11 bunkers? . 200 yard drive with a slice into the bunker right. Chip out sideways. 150 yard 7 iron, PW from 120 yards, 2 putt for a 6.
14th - Flakey 7 iron off the tee, 143 yard 8 iron to 18 feet. 2 putt for a par.
15th - 220 yard drive short of the bunker on the right. 170 yard 6 iron short right of the green. Horrible chip from that angle, failed to make it and rolled off the front fringe. 3 putts from 52 feet for a 6.
16th - Top off the tee with the driver into thick rough (again). Chip out . That's two shots and 70 yards gained. Then to top it all (hah see what I did there?) I topped my 6 iron into that huge massive waste bunker that's about 10 feet deep. Worse still it's right up against the face. Needless to say it didnt get out. Next shot was backwards into the fairway. 6 iron, then another 6 iron from 166 yards into another greenside bunker, followed by two putts for a juicy 9
17th - What you really need after a 9 on the last is a 232 yard par three back into the wind that's probably playing another 15 yards further. Still I manned up and hit a great 215 yard drive with a little fade to just off the front edge. 70 foot putt to 12 feet, which I missed, tap in for a 4.
18th - Good drive to 230 yards. 8 iron from 152 which I pulled ever so slightly and finished...in the bunker! Followed up by a poor 20 foot three putt for a 6.

Final score 102. A bit disappointing that after a great start. If it weren't for the strange topped tee and approach shots akin to a 36 handicapper I'd have maybe been 10 shots or so better, which would have been a decent round.

The course was fantastic, clearly had a lot of play recently but was in great shape. Fairways were narrow in places, my mate lost 8 balls. Well worth the money and I'd play it again tomorrow if a) my back didnt hurt so much and b) I had another £75. By far the hardest course I've played....My playing partner plays his golf at Oakdale and off the white tees they give it a course rating that's supposedly 0.5 shots harder than Ganton off the yellows (they're almost the same distance). Not sure what all that is about!


Thanks for all the tips

 

[Lord Tyrion]

@Barking_Mad great review, loved it . Very relateable in lots of parts

 

[Barking_Mad]

@Barking_Mad great review, loved it . Very relateable in lots of parts

Obviously you're talking about scoring par on 5 of the first 6 holes?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Obviously you're talking about scoring par on 5 of the first 6 holes?

What else

You really started to get me on the 13th. I could see myself, arms out, looking exasperated, saying exactly the same thing about the bunkers. I would then shake my head, shrug the shoulders and plough on, accepting my lot.

I haven't played Ganton but your review makes me want to get there even more

 

[evemccc]

What else

You really started to get me on the 13th. I could see myself, arms out, looking exasperated, saying exactly the same thing about the bunkers. I would then shake my head, shrug the shoulders and plough on, accepting my lot.

I haven't played Ganton but your review makes me want to get there even more

I was in that same bunker on the 13th

Except it took me 2 to get out as I got greedy in trying to get distance.. ?

 

[Barking_Mad]

What else

You really started to get me on the 13th. I could see myself, arms out, looking exasperated, saying exactly the same thing about the bunkers. I would then shake my head, shrug the shoulders and plough on, accepting my lot.

I haven't played Ganton but your review makes me want to get there even more

I'm a decent bunker player, but that one was beyond my skill set. ?

They are quality to play out of. Keeping all those bunkers playable must be a massive effort. Apart from the waste bunker on 16. I think that had dinosaur bones in it. ?

 

[MarkT]

Thanks to all for the tips.........A quick review of my day for anyone interested. (14.3 handicap)

Arrived early, enjoyed the drive down the long lane with the white posts and views of the course. Hit a few practice balls and some putts and started our round at 3.30pm, rather than 4.15pm, which was a bonus as it would have probably been dark by the time we finished. Unfortunately I was suffering from sciatica, but ibuprofen, deep heat patches and a hot water bottle on the drive over from Leeds loosened me up, a bit.

1st - 6 iron off the first tee, second shot into the rough short right of the green, and a pitch left me a 16ft putt which I sank. Par.
2nd - Hit a good drive, followed by a slightly thin 190 yard 7 iron which scuttled off the back. I then sh@nked a chip *sigh* off the green to the right leaving me a monster 70 ft putt with a huge break - which I duly sank. Par.
3rd - 6 iron off the tee, leaving 110 in. Pulled into the bunker left, followed by a nice shot out to 2 feet. Par.
4th - 235 yard drive which was a bit unlucky to run into the rough on the right (didnt realise fairway sloped). Pitching wedge from 120 yards to 33 feet. 2 putts. Par!
5th - Low knocked down 7 iron into the wind, pulled it left. Bunker. Two to get out, two putts for a double bogey 5.
6th - 6 iron off the tee. Another 6 iron to 110 yards, gap wedge in, two putt from 50ft feet. Par

+2 after 6. My playing partner (off 11) was +11 over at this point

7th, 8th, 9th - Then 'golf happened' and I promptly started topping balls off the tee and in the fairway. I'd blame my back, which might have been partly true, but in all honestly I've no idea where they came from, or went to, or came back from. Honestly cant remember the last time I topped a single ball, let along hitting more than half a dozen or more of them in the same round.

@DRW said, "Don't completely top it off the tee, as they have grown up grass/rough carries in front of most tees this year. Looks lovely to the eye but if your a shorter hitting lady they can be challenging to carry(a number are 80ish yards at a guess)."

Too right. Ended up triple bogeying the last 3 to go out in 48.

My playing partner had lost 4 balls by this point, eaten by the gorse and rough. Pace of play not helped by him not charging his Garmin watch so I had to be his caddy and give him yardages . Thankfully there was no-one behind us after we let a couple play through and it was millionarries golf all the way round.

10th - another top into the rough (with a 7 iron!), only went 40 yards, but couldnt find it. I dropped another in the rough (rather than walk back to the tee which Id rather have done but my playing partner was worried about the light), rubbish lie, hit the next in the bunker 30 yards short of the pin. Another out and 3 putted for an 8.
11th - Driver followed by a topped 6 iron (keep smiling!). 162 yard eight iron, into the bunker, nice shot out but two putt for a 6.
12th - 6 iron poorly struck off the tee. Heavy rough so thrash out 100 yards. Approach wedge from 100 to 6 feet, two putt for a 5.
13th - What sort of 500 yard par 5, back into a strong breeze needs 11 bunkers? . 200 yard drive with a slice into the bunker right. Chip out sideways. 150 yard 7 iron, PW from 120 yards, 2 putt for a 6.
14th - Flakey 7 iron off the tee, 143 yard 8 iron to 18 feet. 2 putt for a par.
15th - 220 yard drive short of the bunker on the right. 170 yard 6 iron short right of the green. Horrible chip from that angle, failed to make it and rolled off the front fringe. 3 putts from 52 feet for a 6.
16th - Top off the tee with the driver into thick rough (again). Chip out . That's two shots and 70 yards gained. Then to top it all (hah see what I did there?) I topped my 6 iron into that huge massive waste bunker that's about 10 feet deep. Worse still it's right up against the face. Needless to say it didnt get out. Next shot was backwards into the fairway. 6 iron, then another 6 iron from 166 yards into another greenside bunker, followed by two putts for a juicy 9
17th - What you really need after a 9 on the last is a 232 yard par three back into the wind that's probably playing another 15 yards further. Still I manned up and hit a great 215 yard drive with a little fade to just off the front edge. 70 foot putt to 12 feet, which I missed, tap in for a 4.
18th - Good drive to 230 yards. 8 iron from 152 which I pulled ever so slightly and finished...in the bunker! Followed up by a poor 20 foot three putt for a 6.

Final score 102. A bit disappointing that after a great start. If it weren't for the strange topped tee and approach shots akin to a 36 handicapper I'd have maybe been 10 shots or so better, which would have been a decent round.

The course was fantastic, clearly had a lot of play recently but was in great shape. Fairways were narrow in places, my mate lost 8 balls. Well worth the money and I'd play it again tomorrow if a) my back didnt hurt so much and b) I had another £75. By far the hardest course I've played....My playing partner plays his golf at Oakdale and off the white tees they give it a course rating that's supposedly 0.5 shots harder than Ganton off the yellows (they're almost the same distance). Not sure what all that is about!


Thanks for all the tips

This is great, well persevered. Look after your 6-iron!