London GC International

[Rlburnside]

Anyone played at the London Club International course lately,be interesting to hear what it’s like for mid to high h/cs , im assuming there’s a choice of tees to play off.

I’ve been given a 4 ball for my birthday and going to play In a couple of weeks time.

 

[Orikoru]

Lovely place, one of my favourites that I've played. There's plenty of videos from YouTubers who have played there if you want to have a look at it, particularly Golf Life - I think Bullard vs O'Hara was there.

There's a couple of par 3s over lakes that might be tough for your higher handicappers! Mostly it gives you a chance though.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It was brutal when I played. Knee high rough not too far off line made it imperative to be straight off the tee and it played long. That said it was in wonderful condition and I enjoyed the challenge but struggled

 

[sunshine]

There's about 5 different tee boxes. It can be very easy all the way up to brutal - choose wisely.

I think it's a fair course. There are several holes over water but you can choose how aggressive you want to be and there is always a bail out option.

Generally it's set up for golf society days out so is quite forgiving. The Heritage course on the other hand is members only so a tougher prospect, although I did play it the day after the European Open so was playing full tour mode.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

It’s ok , it’s a standard modern stadium course , a bit like Oxfordshire etc , it has a good amount of water and the sort of holes you see in Ryder Cup courses and it’s also in good condition

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There's about 5 different tee boxes. It can be very easy all the way up to brutal - choose wisely.

I think it's a fair course. There are several holes over water but you can choose how aggressive you want to be and there is always a bail out option.

Generally it's set up for golf society days out so is quite forgiving. The Heritage course on the other hand is members only so a tougher prospect, although I did play it the day after the European Open so was playing full tour mode.

What tees and what was it like?

 

[sunshine]

What tees and what was it like?

I assume you mean the Heritage in tour mode? I played it off the whites, so it was long but not 7,000+ yards championship tees.

Main observations:
1. The greens were obviously lightening quick but what made them tough was that they were rock hard. Anything less than a perfect strike did not hold the green. The pins were really tucked away.
2. The collars around the green were long and thick. Any approach that rolled more than a yard off the green nestled down, and because the greens were firm this happened quite a bit. Only option was lob wedge, and it was tricky to control the flight. This was the big killer for me because getting up and down is a key part of keeping a score going for me.
3. The fairways are designed to be quite generous, but they had narrowed them on certain holes in key areas, such as the corner of a dogleg, to increase the risk.
4. The first and second cuts of rough were longer than usual. No lost balls in knee high stuff, but enough to make you stop and think. I certainly wasn't taking on any hero shots from the rough.

I think I shot 85 but it felt like 75. It was a real learning experience to understand just how good the pros are (and the power they generate to control the ball out of the rough).

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I assume you mean the Heritage in tour mode? I played it off the whites, so it was long but not 7,000+ yards championship tees.

Main observations:
1. The greens were obviously lightening quick but what made them tough was that they were rock hard. Anything less than a perfect strike did not hold the green. The pins were really tucked away.
2. The collars around the green were long and thick. Any approach that rolled more than a yard off the green nestled down, and because the greens were firm this happened quite a bit. Only option was lob wedge, and it was tricky to control the flight. This was the big killer for me because getting up and down is a key part of keeping a score going for me.
3. The fairways are designed to be quite generous, but they had narrowed them on certain holes in key areas, such as the corner of a dogleg, to increase the risk.
4. The first and second cuts of rough were longer than usual. No lost balls in knee high stuff, but enough to make you stop and think. I certainly wasn't taking on any hero shots from the rough.

I think I shot 85 but it felt like 75. It was a real learning experience to understand just how good the pros are (and the power they generate to control the ball out of the rough).

That is still decent shooting in tour conditions especially as we're not use to it (pace of greens especially - maybe club champs weekend)

 

[sunshine]

That is still decent shooting in tour conditions especially as we're not use to it (pace of greens especially - maybe club champs weekend)

Thanks. The pace of the greens was fine, they were very true. It was the fact they were rock hard which made it so tough.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Thanks. The pace of the greens was fine, they were very true. It was the fact they were rock hard which made it so tough.

That’s where they have just ironed them to death to get that “tour” pace etc and then claim how quick they are - it’s all a bit silly

When we played JCB recently they have lovely paced greens , they are quick but they are also receptive to the right shots , it’s the same with Woburns greens

 

[PNWokingham]

i was dissapointed with The Internationsl. Nice first hole but thought there were a lot of bland holes with poor course architecture and that a revamp would substantially change bunkering etc. But, saying that i would still go back and have another go and also need to play the other course. It is a couple of levels behind simlar-concept new courses such Centurion and The Grove

 

[IanM]

Played there. Great conditioning, some super holes and can't actually fault it apart from the lack of soul and atmosphere.

Good food, good service all very well run.

Just all looks a bit too Corporate. Give me a Sunningdale or Swinley any day, But that's personal taste.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

That’s where they have just ironed them to death to get that “tour” pace etc and then claim how quick they are - it’s all a bit silly

When we played JCB recently they have lovely paced greens , they are quick but they are also receptive to the right shots , it’s the same with Woburns greens

Seems a sweeping statement. How do you know it was down to the ironing and not the hot weather we had or whether they wanted to set the greens up as firm and hard to hold? I've played places like Bearwood Lakes recently and their greens were also very firm and fast but that was how they chose to set them up for the event that had been on

 

[Rlburnside]

Lovely place, one of my favourites that I've played. There's plenty of videos from YouTubers who have played there if you want to have a look at it, particularly Golf Life - I think Bullard vs O'Hara was there.

There's a couple of par 3s over lakes that might be tough for your higher handicappers! Mostly it gives you a chance though.

Watched the Bullard vs O’Hara quite enjoyed it once you get by the waffle, the fairways seemed narrow but that’s probably deceiving because of the Ariel views, I liked the look of11,12 and 13.

I will be disappointed if I put as Badly as Bullard but he did hit some cracking shots.

 

[Orikoru]

Watched the Bullard vs O’Hara quite enjoyed it once you get by the waffle, the fairways seemed narrow but that’s probably deceiving because of the Ariel views, I liked the look of11,12 and 13.

I will be disappointed if I put as Badly as Bullard but he did hit some cracking shots.

Both times I played it I scored better on the back nine than I did on the front as well, so don't despair if your front nine isn't great.

 

[Rlburnside]

Both times I played it I scored better on the back nine than I did on the front as well, so don't despair if your front nine isn't great.

I see its £175 a round it would need to be good at that price, good job it’s a freebie

 

[sunshine]

That’s where they have just ironed them to death to get that “tour” pace etc and then claim how quick they are - it’s all a bit silly

To be fair I was playing it the day after the European Tour so they had a genuine reason for "tour" pace. But we digress, as that was the Heritage course and this thread is about the International course.

 

[sunshine]

i was dissapointed with The Internationsl. Nice first hole but thought there were a lot of bland holes with poor course architecture and that a revamp would substantially change bunkering etc. But, saying that i would still go back and have another go and also need to play the other course. It is a couple of levels behind simlar-concept new courses such Centurion and The Grove

I think that's fair. The International course has some excellent holes, I loved the par 5 13th with the double fairway and the risk/reward options to play over the lake, but it also has some bland holes which I imagine were just copied out of the Nicklaus design book.

The Heritage course has a similar look and feel to the International, but as the Jack Nicklaus signature course it feels like a bit more time and effort went in to designing it. It's more consistent with fewer weak holes.

 

[chrisd]

I've played the International course a few times, once soon after it opened. I enjoyed the fact that it's fairly open so we could thrash the driver quite often. The par 3's over water are real fun and I've cleared the water every time I think. I helped marshall the World Matchplay there some years back so got to see the strategy of the pro's around the course, which was (if I remember right) a hybrid course of the two.

 

[sunshine]

I've played the International course a few times, once soon after it opened. I enjoyed the fact that it's fairly open so we could thrash the driver quite often. The par 3's over water are real fun and I've cleared the water every time I think. I helped marshall the World Matchplay there some years back so got to see the strategy of the pro's around the course, which was (if I remember right) a hybrid course of the two.

The match play was on the International (not a hybrid) but they changed the hole order to have the exciting risk/reward holes towards the end of the round.