I'm playing a new course for the first time... (Rolling thread)

[Tashyboy]

Thought it might be good to have something rolling for when we're playing a new course and would like to know a bit more about it, I know we can all look at their websites, which at times won't be up to date, and let's be honest, they will always state it's a hidden gem, but is it really?

I'll kick it off.....

My Captain's away day will be at Wollaton Park Golf Club in Nottinghamshire, I've been on the website, which like many sites looks very old & dated, and yes, it's described as another hidden gem!

So, who's played it, any members on here at it, over to you....

Played it once on bag heads tours and it bladdered it down, wet and miserable weather but enjoyed it. Walking to the second tee and the biggest bloody stag with horns 8ft flippin wide was eyeballing me from about 40 ft. PPs had seen it but said nowt to me. They thought it was hilarious. Driving off with about 40 deer on the fairway is interesting.

we are playing there soon in there open.

 

[fenwayrich]

Thought it might be good to have something rolling for when we're playing a new course and would like to know a bit more about it, I know we can all look at their websites, which at times won't be up to date, and let's be honest, they will always state it's a hidden gem, but is it really?

I'll kick it off.....

My Captain's away day will be at Wollaton Park Golf Club in Nottinghamshire, I've been on the website, which like many sites looks very old & dated, and yes, it's described as another hidden gem!

So, who's played it, any members on here at it, over to you....

I am a member of Wollaton Park. While not of the same standard as our North Notts neighbours the Notts Club (Hollinwell) and Sherwood Forest, I think you will enjoy the course. It is by no means perfect, the character of the course has been somewhat demeaned in recent years by the decision to make maintenance easier, and a lot of definition has been lost. However, it remains a good test and the greens are in excellent condition at present.

Also, even if you are having a bad day, you can look around and enjoy the surrounding scenery, and especially the deer that roam freely over the course. The enormous stags are potentially dangerous in October's rutting season, but they spend the rest of the year in another part of the park.

And yes, I agree, our website is a disgrace!

 

[Fish]

i hate the phrase hidden gem.

Wollaton is quite a nice track, you will enjoy it there, greens should be in good nick as well and they are normally fast.

plenty of deer round the course as well.

Played it once on bag heads tours and it bladdered it down, wet and miserable weather but enjoyed it. Walking to the second tee and the biggest bloody stag with horns 8ft flippin wide was eyeballing me from about 40 ft. PPs had seen it but said nowt to me. They thought it was hilarious. Driving off with about 40 deer on the fairway is interesting.

we are playing there soon in there open.

I am a member of Wollaton Park. While not of the same standard as our North Notts neighbours the Notts Club (Hollinwell) and Sherwood Forest, I think you will enjoy the course. It is by no means perfect, the character of the course has been somewhat demeaned in recent years by the decision to make maintenance easier, and a lot of definition has been lost. However, it remains a good test and the greens are in excellent condition at present.

Also, even if you are having a bad day, you can look around and enjoy the surrounding scenery, and especially the deer that roam freely over the course. The enormous stags are potentially dangerous in October's rutting season, but they spend the rest of the year in another part of the park.

And yes, I agree, our website is a disgrace!

Thanks guy's, I love seeing animals and wildlife roam our courses whilst playing, we have loads of baby Geese and ducks following their parents currently all over our course and the Swans have returned, looking forward to playing it now :thup:

 

[backwoodsman]

Im playing Elie in 2 weeks time in there Open ,£20 a bargain

Am surprised, given your home club, that you've not played there before? Lovely spot in which to play golf, and course is immaculately kept. Greens, fast & true. But although i love links golf, course is just a bit too quirky for my taste. Too many elevation changes and blind shots. And depending on how far you hit the ball, i found some greens impossible to hold. They were in reach for me in 2 with a fairway wood or hybrid but with green sloping away, off a downslope, not a hope of stopping the ball. Needed to be able to hit the green with something like a 9 iron.

 

[JohnnyDee]

Playing Royal Winchester in an open comp on Wednesday. Heard it's pretty nice but has anyone on the Forum played it before?

 

[Fish]

Playing Royal Winchester in an open comp on Wednesday. Heard it's pretty nice but has anyone on the Forum played it before?

I'm pretty sure Paperboy (Simon) is a member there.

 

[chrisd]

I never get the hang of new threads but I thought this might be the best placed to post this

I've just spent 4 days on the Isle of Wight and popped into the Westridge Golf Centre, I didn't play there (I didn't take any clubs etc) but it has a great shop, fabulous range and practice areas and a number of obviously keen pro's with a great teaching area. I was mightily impressed, they also lent me a demo Cobra King f6 driver to try out - it went pretty well!

 

[Albanach]

Im playing Elie in 2 weeks time in there Open ,£20 a bargain

Hopefully you'll enjoy it, the course has come along a long way condition wise in the last 18 months. There has been a lot of work done over the winter on bunkers etc. hopefully the surrounds will have bedded in nicely with the increase in temperature. Greens should be in good nick too.

 

[stevek1969]

Hopefully you'll enjoy it, the course has come along a long way condition wise in the last 18 months. There has been a lot of work done over the winter on bunkers etc. hopefully the surrounds will have bedded in nicely with the increase in temperature. Greens should be in good nick too.

Cheers its basically the only one i haven't played in the area so thought id give it a go and its £20 for there Open, the Captain said in his email that it was in good knick ,fingers crossed for the weather.

 

[Foxholer]

I'm playing West Lancs, Hillside and Royal Lytham in the next 3 days all for the first time. Are they any good?

Nah! Boring and unkempt - at least 'unkept'! All the maintenance they do is mow the greens! No trees, but cavernous holes in the ground that they fill with sand!

Not played RL, but love the other 2 - Hillside being near the top of my favourites list! WL was perhaps a bit 'shabby' with only a couple of really memorable holes, but certainly one for any lover of links golf to play!

 

[stokie_93]

Just booked to play Vicars Cross in a pairs open at the start of June, drove past it loads and always said i've wanted to play there.

Anyone played before or know what it's like?

 

[TheDoctor]

Off to Macdonald Portal in July, my teaching pro reckons it is a good setup but anyone else been?

 

[Fish]

Off to Macdonald Portal in July, my teaching pro reckons it is a good setup but anyone else been?

I'm there with my club for 2-days in September and not been before either....

 

[JohnnyDee]

Off to Royal Winchester for a 4 ball seniors thing.

Looking forward to it. Anyone played there lately?

 

[FairwayDodger]

I'm playing a competition at west Kilbride next week. Any local knowledge on the forum for there? Where's theCraw when you need him!? :lol:

 

[Junior]

Off to Macdonald Portal in July, my teaching pro reckons it is a good setup but anyone else been?

Yes, I've played both courses. I actually prefer the Portal Premier Course as opposed to the championship one. Some decent holes on both though , they are well manicured and last year the greens were decent. Like most hotel / resort type places, there are plenty of good deals so it gets a lot of traffic.

 

[stokie_93]

Yes, I've played both courses. I actually prefer the Portal Premier Course as opposed to the championship one. Some decent holes on both though , they are well manicured and last year the greens were decent. Like most hotel / resort type places, there are plenty of good deals so it gets a lot of traffic.

2nd this, much prefer the Premier course, it's a tad shorter but some much better holes. The last 4 holes are brilliant!

 

[Qwerty]

Off to Macdonald Portal in July, my teaching pro reckons it is a good setup but anyone else been?

I'm there with my club for 2-days in September and not been before either....

Ive read some bad reviews of it over the last few years but I've played it quite a lot and I've always enjoyed it.
It plays quite long but with Forgiving fairways and big (undulating) greens it isn't overly tough. Picturesque course and some very nice holes, The 3rd is a stunner!
Nice set up all round, Get buggys though as its a slog of a walk.

 

[kerber0s1983]

Off to Macdonald Portal in July, my teaching pro reckons it is a good setup but anyone else been?

I've just come back from 3 days there last week, the championship course is good, we played off the whites and it was very long but fairly open, although the rough hadn't been cut down, so anything off line you spent an age looking for the ball, and then it was a wedge or short iron to just get back in play. The greens had just been sanded heavily so the balls weren't sticking, and rolling a long way.

The premier course is a tougher test IMO, a bit shorter but a harder test, the fairways are generally sloped heavily, so you get plenty of practice of the ball above/below your feet. The greens were in better condition, as they had no sand on and were very receptive.

Glad we had a buggy on the 3rd day, my feet were killing me!

If your staying there, the hotel prices are very steep (4.55 a pint) and the restaurant doesn't have the greatest choice of food

 

[stokie_93]

I've just come back from 3 days there last week, the championship course is good, we played off the whites and it was very long but fairly open, although the rough hadn't been cut down, so anything off line you spent an age looking for the ball, and then it was a wedge or short iron to just get back in play. The greens had just been sanded heavily so the balls weren't sticking, and rolling a long way.

The premier course is a tougher test IMO, a bit shorter but a harder test, the fairways are generally sloped heavily, so you get plenty of practice of the ball above/below your feet. The greens were in better condition, as they had no sand on and were very receptive.

Glad we had a buggy on the 3rd day, my feet were killing me!

If your staying there, the hotel prices are very steep (4.55 a pint) and the restaurant doesn't have the greatest choice of food

how awesome is the downhill par 3 on the back 9 of the Premier?!