Midland golf challenge 2018

Fish

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All about opinions.

I have never played Ganton, Moortown is very good but it wouldn't bother me if I never play Lindricl again. Overrated course and a truly pretentious club.

Never heard Beau Desert described as parkland. Little Aston is one of the finest parkland tracks in England. My opinion of Blackwell is similar to the one I have of Lindrick.

Like you say, all about opinions, Little Aston is overrated imo, as for Beau, have you ever tried to play it over winter or after any amount of rain, it simple doesn’t drain, I’ve had 2 Opens cancelled due to flooded greens when parkland courses nearby were still open!!

:thup: :rofl:

For me a heathland course is sand based, is Beau? The way it traditionally floods it can’t be, Don’t get me wrong, I really like the course, but is it the same ‘heathland’ as Frilford, Sherwood, or any of the Surrey heathland courses, no is the answer, a bit of heather and the odd bit of gorse doesn’t make a heathland course natural imo, it’s a bit of a hybrid, a mongrel, good to play but if it rains, it stays closed, unlike many or any other heathland courses.
 
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I have played Beau Desert in all sorts of conditions and at all times of the year over 40 years and never experienced a problem. And yes it is heathland.

As for Little Aston being overrated I do not know of a better or more challenging parkland course. Certainly not in the Midlands.

The challenge of its fairway bunkering alone makes it a great challenge.
 
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I have played Beau Desert in all sorts of conditions and at all times of the year over 40 years and never experienced a problem. And yes it is heathland.

As for Little Aston being overrated I do not know of a better or more challenging parkland course. Certainly not in the Midlands.

The challenge of its fairway bunkering alone makes it a great challenge.

Little Aston is a good course but challenge wise - Bearwood Lakes and the Woburn courses would be ahead of it for me and also Centurion but not many others.

Beau Desert is a heathland course and a lovely one but not at the level of the top heathland courses in England
 
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Little Aston is a good course but challenge wise - Bearwood Lakes and the Woburn courses would be ahead of it for me and also Centurion but not many others.

Beau Desert is a heathland course and a lovely one but not at the level of the top heathland courses in England

Never played Bearwood Lakes so can't comment. Dukes and Marquees at Woburn certainly worthy, Duchess is too claustrophobic and one-dimensional.

Sorry but I was far from impressed with Centurion.
 

shortgame

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Like you say, all about opinions, Little Aston is overrated imo, as for Beau, have you ever tried to play it over winter or after any amount of rain, it simple doesn’t drain, I’ve had 2 Opens cancelled due to flooded greens when parkland courses nearby were still open!!



For me a heathland course is sand based, is Beau? The way it traditionally floods it can’t be, Don’t get me wrong, I really like the course, but is it the same ‘heathland’ as Frilford, Sherwood, or any of the Surrey heathland courses, no is the answer, a bit of heather and the odd bit of gorse doesn’t make a heathland course natural imo, it’s a bit of a hybrid, a mongrel, good to play but if it rains, it stays closed, unlike many or any other heathland courses.

You can't be serious?
It drains ridiculously well and of course it's sand based. The low points on greens obviously can flood after torrential rain but that'll because of their swales. Guarantee it will be bone dry and running fast when all surrounding actual parkland courses are like swamps

It's absolutely heathland. Hence all the swathes of heather on many holes, gorse, fine grasses etc. Sure, it's not wide open like some as it's in a forest

Now if you'd have said Sandwell I'd have agreed with you - claims to be heathland but I think I spotted one 6ft wide gorse bush and that was it
 

shortgame

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I have played Beau Desert in all sorts of conditions and at all times of the year over 40 years and never experienced a problem. And yes it is heathland.

As for Little Aston being overrated I do not know of a better or more challenging parkland course. Certainly not in the Midlands.

The challenge of its fairway bunkering alone makes it a great challenge.

Agree again - L.A is almost as good as it gets for parkland and without question is always immaculate - it gets hardly any play and an Artisan membership maintains the immense bunkering

There's things I don't like about the place but the course itself is superb - far better IMO than the Brab, FoA etc
 
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Well its arrived I'll report back on my Beau verdict later, I guess drainage won't be an issue this week :)

Was playing great on Monday firm & fast and greens rolling beautifully with a nice breeze.

How did you get on ?
 

Fish

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Was playing great on Monday firm & fast and greens rolling beautifully with a nice breeze.

How did you get on ?

Greens are always scary, god knows what there like in this heat and dry spell, glass I would expect, loads of 3-putts....
 
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Greens are always scary, god knows what there like in this heat and dry spell, glass I would expect, loads of 3-putts....

I played at Beau on Monday, greens were fine, look good and were rolling great, held them a couple of times with a short iron high shot to my surprise.

I had warned my guests about the greens and to my amazement one of them only 3 putted once(18th), I was gutted:rofl: I 3 putted more than him:(
 

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Was playing great on Monday firm & fast and greens rolling beautifully with a nice breeze.

How did you get on ?

Not great had swing thoughts rolling through my small brain but the team aka Eavsey held us together shooting 73 with an 8 luckily I decided to play the par 5 15th and made par with my shot. 40pts team best was 42


Course was good not sure the layout is inspiring tbh unless you like pine trees and unforgiving fescue on fairways you cannot hold #SideSlopes


Blackwell was far better, tees super soft and a joy to play off over concrete, and shooting 71 helps I guess bogeyed the last :-( 3 putts. Little aston today sit 3rd all to play for.

http://www.midlandgolfchallenge.co.uk/Tee Times and Scores

I'll say it a very low key event I was expecting more, basically one man band and hardly any prizes on offer. It's all balls (golf balls) it feels like a social society over a proper event.
 

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I'll add 5hrs 30 mins to get around probably didn't help my game which is in transition. really needed a marshall but looks like the clubs aren't involved in the event at all.


Blackwell 4hrs 50 mins still painful and hot
 
D

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Little aston today sit 3rd all to play for.

Good team shooting.

Best of luck today at Little Aston, enjoy the bunkers there is one or two on the course:D and it is currently in lovely condition.

Hope you win:thup:
 

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Good team shooting.

Best of luck today at Little Aston, enjoy the bunkers there is one or two on the course:D and it is currently in lovely condition.

Hope you win:thup:

Cheers ADA great final day holed some monsters for birdies 10 and 16 final day 42pts and a trophy and a dozen prov1s for winning LOL probably the worst prizes from any event I've entered.

https://imgur.com/3hWHxPg

https://imgur.com/a/60ZrAYn

A lesson from Steve in the white, hitting it miles means very little! a masterclass in course mangement worth the entry fee alone.
 

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Little Aston the friendliest of the three in my opinion and also the quickest round 4hrs 30 mins.

Time to look at the next 3 day event for 2019 as won't be defending the title.
 
D

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Strange that as none of our three rounds took longer than 4 hours 20 mins,although God knows that's not quick.

And we found the staff and organiser very friendly and welcoming at each of the three venues.

Different PP's each day and would be more than happy to play again with any of them.
 

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Strange that as none of our three rounds took longer than 4 hours 20 mins,although God knows that's not quick.

And we found the staff and organiser very friendly and welcoming at each of the three venues.

Different PP's each day and would be more than happy to play again with any of them.

Guess you had early teetimes most days? we had 12pm at beau, 10.30 at Blackwell and 2.10pm at LA (the fastest day, I guess less brutal rough kept play moving)
 
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Guess you had early teetimes most days? we had 12pm at beau, 10.30 at Blackwell and 2.10pm at LA (the fastest day, I guess less brutal rough kept play moving)

Yes 9.00 to 9.30 first two days and about 10.30 final day.

Ball searching only an issue at Beau although I didn't lose one until I pulled my wedge approach into the water on the 12th at Little Aston. (Not used to wearing out a ball!)
 
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