Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
Looks like I'm playing there Saturday, maybe a bit late now but does anyone have feedback from there and any tips on playing a tidy round there.
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
Royal ashdown views?
- Thread starter Oddsocks
- Start date
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
Which course are you playing - the old or the west. The old is pretty decent and is a traditional heathland type course. The west is similar but a lot shorter. The key is to keep it out the heather off the tee
Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
Homer all I know is it was the cheaper of the two according to the golf 50 miles from London book
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
Sounds like the West then http://www.royalashdown.co.uk/html/west-course/
steveyjd81
Assistant Pro
Don't bother the west is pants, some really bad holes on that course
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Tend to agree (slightly) but as well as some bad holes there are some good ones too.
It's not as nice as the "Old" course, no way...the Old course is a gem, but the West is good value for money.
They've changed the layout around now since I first started playing there. The 1st hole used to be the 15th and the 14th is now the last. That's a good hole (if you play it right!).
Be prepared for a lot of wicked (unfair) bounces, there is plenty of heather and gorse around and you will have plenty of uneven lies. I suggest taking quite a few balls with you and carry one in your pocket as a provisional to save you keep walking back to your bag!!
It's a course that really does benefit from playing it once or twice to get to know your way around, and the best lines. It's not always best to go straight down the middle!
If I'm ever going to play there I will tend to choose the winter months as it cuts down on the wicked bounces you will get.
You'll see what I mean on Saturday!
Do post a report, let us know what you think
Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
Cheers smiffy. I get what you mean about nasty bounces as our current try is still revovering from the dry spell. It was nice at the weekend to get some more forgiving bounces. The thing that hurts the card is because I play with a draw, bounces seem to be that much more punishing. Bugger!
S
Snelly
Guest
This course is a poor relation to the main one at Royal Ashdown.
Also, the food is utterly awful or at least it was last time I was there.
Old is pretty good though, if a bit overrated.
Also, the food is utterly awful or at least it was last time I was there.
Old is pretty good though, if a bit overrated.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
You are going to love the course then...
You won't like the 1st, you definitely won't like the 5th, and the 12th will most probably see you hanging up your boots!
The ones in between will be a bit testing too.
steveyjd81
Assistant Pro
old course is nice but the last hole is surely the worst finishing hole in the world, however the par 3 6th and par 5 5th are two of my fave holes around, a few pot bunkers would make it a top course
Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
You are going to love the course then...
You won't like the 1st, you definitely won't like the 5th, and the 12th will most probably see you hanging up your boots!
The ones in between will be a bit testing too.
geeeee, when you word it like that, im so looking forward to playing there now.
JustOne
Ryder Cup Winner
Oddsocks why don't you join us for the Chartham Park meet next week? (see the arrange a game section)
Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
Justone, see pm.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
1st. Par 4. Loads of crap to carry with your second shot. Aim up the right hand side off the tee 'cos your ball will roll down left on the sloping fairway.
2nd. Par 3. Uphill. Don't be short right 'cos your ball will bounce down into some crappy heather.
3rd. Par 5. Aim up the left hand side of the fairway 'cos your ball will roll down the fairway into some heather on the right. Be up the left hand side as well with your 2nd shot.
4th. Short par 4. Don't need a driver on this, aim straight up the middle but only bang a mid iron/5 wood up there 'cos there is a heather filled hole in the middle of the fairway and you'll reach it with anything bigger.
5th. The fun starts. Par 4. Crap everywhere for your 2nd shot. Try to hug the right hand side off the tee 'cos if you draw it you're down in the trees and blob city awaits. Good luck my child, you'll need it.
6th. Short par 3. Don't be left of the green or it's "night night" and down in the trees. Not too difficult, but as I say, stay right.
7th. Par 4. Aim to the left of the road that crossed the fairway diagonally. If you try to carry it there's a bloody ditch that will swallow up your ball. Not too difficult, all about the drive really.
8th. Par 4. Aim up the left hand side. Everything kicks right. Not a long hole so a decent drive will only leave you a wedge/9 iron (or thereabouts).
9th. Par 3. Just hope that the greens are holding. And hit a nice iron 'cos there is crap everywhere. Trees, heather, gorse. See? Crap.
10th. Do not block your tee shot right. You'll be in big doodoo. Heather up the left hand side if you tug it too far. Nice receptive green but a horrible dip in front to carry.
11th. Good luck. Par 3 should be a par 4. One of the (if not the) toughest par 3's I've ever played. If you hit the green it's a career best shot. If you don't, good luck finding your ball.
12th. Par 4. Aim left, cos you'll be in the crap again down the right. Ball will bounce down onto the fairway if the ground is firm(ish) and the grass not too long.
13th. Par 4. Nightmare hole if you are drawing/hooking the ball. You need one up the middle but don't block it right. It's goodnight if you do.
14th. Another par 4. Blind tee shot over marker post. Be left of it. Anything right and blocked/slicing and you are in the crap.
15th Par 4. Aim down the left hand side as right will bound into crap. A big drive and you can get on here if the ground is firm.
16th. Par 3. Short off an elevated tee. Nice little hole but club selection is all important. Plenty of places to come unstuck though.
17th. Nice hole. Par 4. Aim down the left hand side 'cos it will all bounce right. A pond short right of the green but you won't reach it unless you absolutely collar one and the ground is rock hard. Trouble all around the green though,
18th. Probably the best hole on the course but I always feck it up. Long par 4, with water everywhere. You need a long, straight drive and I either block it right into the trees or in my efforts to keep it straight, turn my hands over too much and duck hook it into the stream that meanders it's way up the side and across this hole. If you hit a good drive you are still left with a big shot into a green that sits the other side of the aforementioned stream. Most times I'd take a double bogey on this hole!
It's not a bad course. Seriously. But you do need to play it a few times.
2nd. Par 3. Uphill. Don't be short right 'cos your ball will bounce down into some crappy heather.
3rd. Par 5. Aim up the left hand side of the fairway 'cos your ball will roll down the fairway into some heather on the right. Be up the left hand side as well with your 2nd shot.
4th. Short par 4. Don't need a driver on this, aim straight up the middle but only bang a mid iron/5 wood up there 'cos there is a heather filled hole in the middle of the fairway and you'll reach it with anything bigger.
5th. The fun starts. Par 4. Crap everywhere for your 2nd shot. Try to hug the right hand side off the tee 'cos if you draw it you're down in the trees and blob city awaits. Good luck my child, you'll need it.
6th. Short par 3. Don't be left of the green or it's "night night" and down in the trees. Not too difficult, but as I say, stay right.
7th. Par 4. Aim to the left of the road that crossed the fairway diagonally. If you try to carry it there's a bloody ditch that will swallow up your ball. Not too difficult, all about the drive really.
8th. Par 4. Aim up the left hand side. Everything kicks right. Not a long hole so a decent drive will only leave you a wedge/9 iron (or thereabouts).
9th. Par 3. Just hope that the greens are holding. And hit a nice iron 'cos there is crap everywhere. Trees, heather, gorse. See? Crap.
10th. Do not block your tee shot right. You'll be in big doodoo. Heather up the left hand side if you tug it too far. Nice receptive green but a horrible dip in front to carry.
11th. Good luck. Par 3 should be a par 4. One of the (if not the) toughest par 3's I've ever played. If you hit the green it's a career best shot. If you don't, good luck finding your ball.
12th. Par 4. Aim left, cos you'll be in the crap again down the right. Ball will bounce down onto the fairway if the ground is firm(ish) and the grass not too long.
13th. Par 4. Nightmare hole if you are drawing/hooking the ball. You need one up the middle but don't block it right. It's goodnight if you do.
14th. Another par 4. Blind tee shot over marker post. Be left of it. Anything right and blocked/slicing and you are in the crap.
15th Par 4. Aim down the left hand side as right will bound into crap. A big drive and you can get on here if the ground is firm.
16th. Par 3. Short off an elevated tee. Nice little hole but club selection is all important. Plenty of places to come unstuck though.
17th. Nice hole. Par 4. Aim down the left hand side 'cos it will all bounce right. A pond short right of the green but you won't reach it unless you absolutely collar one and the ground is rock hard. Trouble all around the green though,
18th. Probably the best hole on the course but I always feck it up. Long par 4, with water everywhere. You need a long, straight drive and I either block it right into the trees or in my efforts to keep it straight, turn my hands over too much and duck hook it into the stream that meanders it's way up the side and across this hole. If you hit a good drive you are still left with a big shot into a green that sits the other side of the aforementioned stream. Most times I'd take a double bogey on this hole!
It's not a bad course. Seriously. But you do need to play it a few times.
Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
Smiffy you little gem, but a question. Is not showing my playing partner cheating
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
Good write up Smiffy but I must have played it the old layout. I know the 11th and it is a brutal par 3. Think I lost a ball there am and two there pm. Managed a birdie on 17 both times though.
It is a course that takes some learning like you say and not a patch on the Old.
It is a course that takes some learning like you say and not a patch on the Old.
Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
Is there much difference in green fee's between the new and old course
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Well they are doing a special offer on the Old Course. £240.00 per fourball. That's on selected Monday mornings!
£60.00 per player.
The same fourball can get on the West Course after mid-day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays for £80.00 which includes a free £2.00 drinks token for each player in the bar afterwards.
£20.00 per player.
Just about sums it up
I told you there was a bit of water on the 18th...(flag is far left)...
[image]
Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
please tell me thats excess water from extreme weather.
Interesting reading all the comments on the two courses here as they are in my home village (though I am not in any way connected with the club).
The West course is short, but also tricky/hard in several places. 'Pants' is a fairly harsh analysis, but each to his own of coure. The course details are pretty much spot-on in Smiffy's hole-by-hole analysis. The 18th, as the course is now played, is pretty much the hardest finishing hole in Sussex (certainly right up there with Crowborough's) and not one I'd be wanting to play with a good 17-hole Medal card in my hand standing on the tee.
It's a very nice spot for a game of golf, but you do have to accept that driver may not be the best policy on several of the short par 4s - though ironically it may well be the best option on the 240-yard par-3 11th which probably plays harder than the 249-yard par-3 11th on the Old.
Have a good game and don't forget to wave at me as you pass my house on the Hartfield Road!
The West course is short, but also tricky/hard in several places. 'Pants' is a fairly harsh analysis, but each to his own of coure. The course details are pretty much spot-on in Smiffy's hole-by-hole analysis. The 18th, as the course is now played, is pretty much the hardest finishing hole in Sussex (certainly right up there with Crowborough's) and not one I'd be wanting to play with a good 17-hole Medal card in my hand standing on the tee.
It's a very nice spot for a game of golf, but you do have to accept that driver may not be the best policy on several of the short par 4s - though ironically it may well be the best option on the 240-yard par-3 11th which probably plays harder than the 249-yard par-3 11th on the Old.
Have a good game and don't forget to wave at me as you pass my house on the Hartfield Road!
