Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
I have had the pleasure of playing this superb course twice over the past week or so, the 1st time I visited was with the Mariners Golf Society last Wednesday, the 2nd playing in the clubs Seniors Open on Monday of this week.
I had only played the course once before, about 3 or 4 years ago with Richart and Gordon (drive4show) and couldn't remember and awful lot about it, so the Mariners event, coming 5 days before the Open, couldn't have been better timed.
If you haven't played this course before, I can highly recommend it.
It doesn't look too long on the card, but length isn't everything, and some clever bunkering, masses of heather, treelined fairways and some awkward dog legs make this as "plotters" course rather than a "bombers".
The course was in stunning condition, fairways beautifully defined and greens that were super quick. Most probably the best course for presentation that I have played, certainly within the last few years.
The course starts, unusually, with a par 3, but this is no pushover at just over 200 yards from the white tees. Playing it on Wednesday with the Mariners (from the yellows) I hit a 4 iron, scuffing it a little and coming up slightly short. During the Open on Monday, which was played off the back tees and into a stiffish breeze, I had to take a Driver (admittedly choked down a little) as the 3 wood would have ballooned a bit into the wind.
This is followed by a long par 4 with a sloping right to left fairway, but with thick (and I do mean thick!) heather all the way up the right hand side you can't be too greedy to try and avoid your drive inevitably rolling down to the left hand side.
A really nice, short par 3 follows, again over the ever present heather and littered with bunkers.
Another tough par 4 after that, with a long carry (from the back tee at least, especially into the wind) over heather again. You then cross one of the two or three roads that bisect the course to a par 5, which offers a little respite.
The course continues to wind it's way through the heather and trees, and is an absolute delight to play.
A nice mix of shorter par 4's (where the premium is on accuracy rather than distance) and a good selection of varying length par 3's.
Like I said earlier, the course was in absolutely stunning condition, fairways well defined and with a good covering of grass and some of them were as good as some greens I have played off in the past. It seemed a shame to take a divot out of them!
Special mention must go to the bunkers. I have never played a course where the sand was as good, or so consistent. I went in a few greenside ones, and had no difficulty in playing really good bunker shots, with my playing partners actually commenting on how good my bunker play was. I can only put this down to the quality of the sand, because my bunker play is normally a little erratic to say the least!
The greens were really quick, and true. If you saw a line, it was there. And whilst firm to walk on, they were very receptive.
I played terribly on the Wednesday society meet, embarrassingly so. Had an attack of the "unmentionables" on the par 3's which I never recovered from. I put it down to the fact that we were playing from the yellows and some of them were strange (to me) distances where I was left doubting my club selection.
As I say, we played off the whites on Monday where they were playing their true length, so I played them a lot better.
Didn't do too badly on Monday, my group started at the 10th, and I was reasonably happy with my 15 point total after 9. Picked up 2 points at the 1st but then I found the heather on the 2nd with a horrendous tee shot. In my efforts to extricate the ball from a very deep lie I felt my back "go" and really struggled for the next three holes, posting 3 consecutive "blobs". I could hardly bend down to line up a putt, or pick my ball up...so my challenge for honours was effectively over. I rallied well on the closing 5 holes, picking up another 12 points to finish on a 29 point total, coming 22nd out of the 77 entrants. The winner (who was an 8 handicapper playing in my threeball) "only" scored 35 so it shows just how difficult the course was playing, despite it's apparent lack of length.
If it hadn't been for those 3 blobs I could have found myself in the frame, as 32 points won 6th prize.
Never mind, there's always next year. I will be entering again as soon as the entry form becomes available.
As I say, a lovely, lovely course. If you get the chance to play it, grab it with both hands. You won't be disappointed.
I had only played the course once before, about 3 or 4 years ago with Richart and Gordon (drive4show) and couldn't remember and awful lot about it, so the Mariners event, coming 5 days before the Open, couldn't have been better timed.
If you haven't played this course before, I can highly recommend it.
It doesn't look too long on the card, but length isn't everything, and some clever bunkering, masses of heather, treelined fairways and some awkward dog legs make this as "plotters" course rather than a "bombers".
The course was in stunning condition, fairways beautifully defined and greens that were super quick. Most probably the best course for presentation that I have played, certainly within the last few years.
The course starts, unusually, with a par 3, but this is no pushover at just over 200 yards from the white tees. Playing it on Wednesday with the Mariners (from the yellows) I hit a 4 iron, scuffing it a little and coming up slightly short. During the Open on Monday, which was played off the back tees and into a stiffish breeze, I had to take a Driver (admittedly choked down a little) as the 3 wood would have ballooned a bit into the wind.
This is followed by a long par 4 with a sloping right to left fairway, but with thick (and I do mean thick!) heather all the way up the right hand side you can't be too greedy to try and avoid your drive inevitably rolling down to the left hand side.
A really nice, short par 3 follows, again over the ever present heather and littered with bunkers.
Another tough par 4 after that, with a long carry (from the back tee at least, especially into the wind) over heather again. You then cross one of the two or three roads that bisect the course to a par 5, which offers a little respite.
The course continues to wind it's way through the heather and trees, and is an absolute delight to play.
A nice mix of shorter par 4's (where the premium is on accuracy rather than distance) and a good selection of varying length par 3's.
Like I said earlier, the course was in absolutely stunning condition, fairways well defined and with a good covering of grass and some of them were as good as some greens I have played off in the past. It seemed a shame to take a divot out of them!
Special mention must go to the bunkers. I have never played a course where the sand was as good, or so consistent. I went in a few greenside ones, and had no difficulty in playing really good bunker shots, with my playing partners actually commenting on how good my bunker play was. I can only put this down to the quality of the sand, because my bunker play is normally a little erratic to say the least!
The greens were really quick, and true. If you saw a line, it was there. And whilst firm to walk on, they were very receptive.
I played terribly on the Wednesday society meet, embarrassingly so. Had an attack of the "unmentionables" on the par 3's which I never recovered from. I put it down to the fact that we were playing from the yellows and some of them were strange (to me) distances where I was left doubting my club selection.
As I say, we played off the whites on Monday where they were playing their true length, so I played them a lot better.
Didn't do too badly on Monday, my group started at the 10th, and I was reasonably happy with my 15 point total after 9. Picked up 2 points at the 1st but then I found the heather on the 2nd with a horrendous tee shot. In my efforts to extricate the ball from a very deep lie I felt my back "go" and really struggled for the next three holes, posting 3 consecutive "blobs". I could hardly bend down to line up a putt, or pick my ball up...so my challenge for honours was effectively over. I rallied well on the closing 5 holes, picking up another 12 points to finish on a 29 point total, coming 22nd out of the 77 entrants. The winner (who was an 8 handicapper playing in my threeball) "only" scored 35 so it shows just how difficult the course was playing, despite it's apparent lack of length.
If it hadn't been for those 3 blobs I could have found myself in the frame, as 32 points won 6th prize.
Never mind, there's always next year. I will be entering again as soon as the entry form becomes available.
As I say, a lovely, lovely course. If you get the chance to play it, grab it with both hands. You won't be disappointed.
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