Top 25 Heathland Courses

[Liverbirdie]

If you took the best holes from Beau, Delamere and Sandiway and combined them you'd still not get a Hotchkin Played Beau 6-7 times , Delamere and Sandiway a couple and Hotchkin twice and it starts strong and just gets better and better and I've probably played it the worst of all 4 but I've come off grinning both times , bring on 2019 for my next visit .

Seriously, if you took the best 6 holes from all 3 it would be an absolute stunner.

Beau

3rd - great backdrop to the downhill green

4th - fantastic risk/reward hole, cur the corner its an 8 iron, bottle out and its a 5 wood. Lovely green sitting on the hill.

5th - nicely framed hole in the forest, mad green, a 2 putt should get you a medal.

6th - cracking par 3 over the valley.

7th - driveable par 4, but lots of trouble.

9th - tough clubbing par 3

11th - marmite hole, but ideal shots required are a high fading drive and a drawn approach.

18th - good risk reqrd par 5 - go for it in two if in position, or lay up to the broken ground, if not.

Delamere

1st - tough and needs a good long approach.

4th - tough clubbing long par 3.

5th - dependent on wind can be a 7 iron on or a 3 wood to a great raised green.

6th - great, well framed par 3 in a dell.

8th - how much to cut off the fairway, or to straight and bring the bunkers into play.

9th - shortish risk/reward hit the fairway "island" or dead... or go for the green.

14th - superb par 4 with a great backdrop.

16th - long,tough par 3 over a watery grave.

18th - great finishing hole needing 2-3 good shots.

Sandiway

2nd - good, fading par 5

3 - cracking par 3

4 - tough par 5, the drive needs to be put in the correct 10 yards of the fairway to open up the green in 2.

7 - needs a caracking approach shot, and correct clubbing.

10 - big drive required then a very well placed long approach to a raised green

14 - another marmite one cos of the blind drive, but a great greens complex for the approach

16 - tight par 5, very tough to get to in two.

17 - cracking risk/reward driveable par 4, put in the wrong position and its a bogey

18 - good finishing par 3

All of that is in my minds eye.

Woodhall's strong holes

2nd - good hole, ideally needs a fade, then a draw.

3rd - marmite hole but has/had a "stupid" bunker short

4th - may be a good par 4 (I think)

7th - needs to be put in the right place

8-9 is when its starts getting hazy

10 - is that the par 3 - if so, a very good hole

11....getting hazy again

A good par 5 somewhere in there, I think I liked 17

Back 9 doesnt sit heavy in the memory, and Ive played it twice.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Do the double at Moortown and Alwoodley, both Leeds. Just a couple of hours from you, approx, and both an absolute pleasure. They have an offer on inc accommodation.

Mate of mine played them both a couple of weeks ago, he loved Alwoodley but didn't rate Moortown.

Days of overnight stays for a game of golf long gone I'm afraid, other priorities with my time.

 

[Liverbirdie]

😲
Marquess isn’t Heathland - pure Parkland and nowhere near the level of Hotchkin

Sorry but some of those courses nowhere near the level of Woodhall

Camberly , West Hill , Liphook

Your right.

Your wrong......IMHO, of course.

When you say level, are you talking as a challenge or as a golf course?

Dont get me wrong the Hotchkin is very tough, and tougher than quite a few I've mentioned. I'm talking as a golf course.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Did he say why he didn't like it or was it just 'one of those' that he didn't warm to?

 

[Liverbirdie]

Above Woodhall from that list.

Sunningdale Old and Swinley are better on the eye than Woodhall and I put them both above the Hotchkin as a personal view.

Then next

West Sussex is lovely but it’s not that difficult and I think West Hill is on par with it, same as Alwoodley.

Then lower down the scale

Camberley, Berkshire blue are very good but it’s not even in the same league as Sunningdale Swinley etc.

Haven’t played St George’s Hill yet but I have an invite next year from a member so I will let you know 😉

And I don’t think you will like Walton heath as it’s also flat 😝

So you also think that its arguable that 6-7 are above it, and subject to playing others like Hankley, St. Georges, Woking etc there could be quite a few more.

Broadstone?

 

[Deleted member 17920]

So you also think that its arguable that 6-7 are above it, and subject to playing others like Hankley, St. Georges, Woking etc there could be quite a few more.

Broadstone?

No, I think Sunningdale and Swinley are above it from a visual point of view.

That’s all.

I don’t think West Sussex, Alwoodley or West Hill are as good as the Hotchkin and that’s clearly how most feel with the rankings.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Seriously, if you took the best 6 holes from all 3 it would be an absolute stunner.

Beau

3rd - great backdrop to the downhill green

4th - fantastic risk/reward hole, cur the corner its an 8 iron, bottle out and its a 5 wood. Lovely green sitting on the hill.

5th - nicely framed hole in the forest, mad green, a 2 putt should get you a medal.

6th - cracking par 3 over the valley.

7th - driveable par 4, but lots of trouble.

9th - tough clubbing par 3

11th - marmite hole, but ideal shots required are a high fading drive and a drawn approach.

18th - good risk reqrd par 5 - go for it in two if in position, or lay up to the broken ground, if not.

Delamere

1st - tough and needs a good long approach.

4th - tough clubbing long par 3.

5th - dependent on wind can be a 7 iron on or a 3 wood to a great raised green.

6th - great, well framed par 3 in a dell.

8th - how much to cut off the fairway, or to straight and bring the bunkers into play.

9th - shortish risk/reward hit the fairway "island" or dead... or go for the green.

14th - superb par 4 with a great backdrop.

16th - long,tough par 3 over a watery grave.

18th - great finishing hole needing 2-3 good shots.

Sandiway

2nd - good, fading par 5

3 - cracking par 3

4 - tough par 5, the drive needs to be put in the correct 10 yards of the fairway to open up the green in 2.

7 - needs a caracking approach shot, and correct clubbing.

10 - big drive required then a very well placed long approach to a raised green

14 - another marmite one cos of the blind drive, but a great greens complex for the approach

16 - tight par 5, very tough to get to in two.

17 - cracking risk/reward driveable par 4, put in the wrong position and its a bogey

18 - good finishing par 5

All of that is in my minds eye.

Woodhall's strong holes

2nd - good hole, ideally needs a fade, then a draw.

3rd - marmite hole but has/had a "stupid" bunker short

4th - may be a good par 4 (I think)

7th - needs to be put in the right place

8-9 is when its starts getting hazy

10 - is that the par 3 - if so, a very good hole

11....getting hazy again

A good par 5 somewhere in there, I think I liked 17

Back 9 doesnt sit heavy in the memory, and Ive played it twice.

So what you are saying is that you don’t really remember Woodhall, you’ve played BD and Delamere a lot more.

The 2nd at Woodhall is a straight hole, the 3rd doesn’t have a bunker short, it’s on the left side of the fairway that’s a good hit and if you can reach it then you really should be hitting a shorter club from the tee.

The 10th is a par 4, the par 3 is the 12th.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Also Sandiway, for me that was a parkland course and not a heathland course.

Woburn has no heathland courses, all parkland.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Did he say why he didn't like it or was it just 'one of those' that he didn't warm to?

I think it was just that he thought Alwoodley was the stronger test of golf. He expected Moortown in his opinion was definately a step down as a test.

He observed that as a bloke who grew up on a dodgy council estate in a small village he may not be the right 'type' to be a member at Alwoodley

 

[upsidedown]

Seriously, if you took the best 6 holes from all 3 it would be an absolute stunner.

Beau

3rd - great backdrop to the downhill green

4th - fantastic risk/reward hole, cur the corner its an 8 iron, bottle out and its a 5 wood. Lovely green sitting on the hill.

5th - nicely framed hole in the forest, mad green, a 2 putt should get you a medal.

6th - cracking par 3 over the valley.

7th - driveable par 4, but lots of trouble.

9th - tough clubbing par 3

11th - marmite hole, but ideal shots required are a high fading drive and a drawn approach.

18th - good risk reqrd par 5 - go for it in two if in position, or lay up to the broken ground, if not.

Delamere

1st - tough and needs a good long approach.

4th - tough clubbing long par 3.

5th - dependent on wind can be a 7 iron on or a 3 wood to a great raised green.

6th - great, well framed par 3 in a dell.

8th - how much to cut off the fairway, or to straight and bring the bunkers into play.

9th - shortish risk/reward hit the fairway "island" or dead... or go for the green.

14th - superb par 4 with a great backdrop.

16th - long,tough par 3 over a watery grave.

18th - great finishing hole needing 2-3 good shots.

Sandiway

2nd - good, fading par 5

3 - cracking par 3

4 - tough par 5, the drive needs to be put in the correct 10 yards of the fairway to open up the green in 2.

7 - needs a caracking approach shot, and correct clubbing.

10 - big drive required then a very well placed long approach to a raised green

14 - another marmite one cos of the blind drive, but a great greens complex for the approach

16 - tight par 5, very tough to get to in two.

17 - cracking risk/reward driveable par 4, put in the wrong position and its a bogey

18 - good finishing par 5

All of that is in my minds eye.

Woodhall's strong holes

2nd - good hole, ideally needs a fade, then a draw.

3rd - marmite hole but has/had a "stupid" bunker short

4th - may be a good par 4 (I think)

7th - needs to be put in the right place

8-9 is when its starts getting hazy

10 - is that the par 3 - if so, a very good hole

11....getting hazy again

A good par 5 somewhere in there, I think I liked 17

Back 9 doesnt sit heavy in the memory, and Ive played it twice.

Pete, think you a few holes round the wrong way at Beau and 18th at Sandiway is a par 3 . Have you played Beau since all the trees have gone , I've not yet hope to later this Winter

 

[huds1475]

Also Sandiway, for me that was a parkland course and not a heathland course.

Woburn has no heathland courses, all parkland.

Not sure Sandiway is a heathland course tbh

 

[Liverbirdie]

No, I think Sunningdale and Swinley are above it from a visual point of view.

That’s all.

I don’t think West Sussex, Alwoodley or West Hill are as good as the Hotchkin and that’s clearly how most feel with the rankings.

Maybe I need to go back.

Some courses get better the more you play them (eg. Royal Liverpool), and you know every inch of Woodhall.

My view is based on two rounds, albeit it on a 36 hole day that rained for 10 hours BUT I think the other courses are more memorable and I can walk around them in my head, despite only playing the others once or twice, also.

I take how memorable a course is as a good sign, personally. I cant always remember what nasty stuff is at the sides of the fairway as am never in it , so may have trouble remembering if moor/park/heath.

 

[Liverbirdie]

So what you are saying is that you don’t really remember Woodhall, you’ve played BD and Delamere a lot more.

The 2nd at Woodhall is a straight hole, the 3rd doesn’t have a bunker short, it’s on the left side of the fairway that’s a good hit and if you can reach it then you really should be hitting a shorter club from the tee.

The 10th is a par 4, the par 3 is the 12th.

Only played BD twice, Sandiway twice, Delamere maybe 4 times.

Woodhall twice.

Some classifications can also be subjective. Formby - links or heath, or a mix?

 

[Liverbirdie]

Pete, think you a few holes round the wrong way at Beau and 18th at Sandiway is a par 3 . Have you played Beau since all the trees have gone , I've not yet hope to later this Winter

Yep, typed "5", but it was a typo. Its a par 3, well bunkered slighly sunken green - 6 iron all day long.

Yes, played it after the Rick G day at Coventry. Thet have thinned them out, but the extra light does make it look better.

The conditioning at BD is nowhere near what the Surrey courses have, but their income streams are very different, I can imagine.

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Only played BD twice, Sandiway twice, Delamere maybe 4 times.

Woodhall twice.

So what you are saying is BD is a miles better course than Woodhall that’s in the World top 100.

Just remind me what position is BD in the GM top 100 😉

Like I say I think it’s time for you to hand that GM top 100 reviewer badge back to MikeH 😝😝

It’s all about opinions but you are very much one dimensional with your elevation changes 🤐🤐

And Sandiway is still parkland 😉

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Maybe I need to go back.

Some courses get better the more you play them (eg. Royal Liverpool), and you know every inch of Woodhall.

My view is based on two rounds, albeit it on a 36 hole day that rained for 10 hours BUT I think the other courses are more memorable and I can walk around them in my head, despite only playing the others once or twice, also.

I take how memorable a course is as a good sign, personally. I cant always remember what nasty stuff is at the sides of the fairway as am never in it , so may have trouble remembering if moor/park/heath.

I know every inch of Woodhall for sure but I am not totally biased about it, I know it’s a strong golf course.

I rate it as the toughest inland golf course by a long way. It might not be visually stunning but it’s a proper test of golf, Sunningdale is the prettiest course but it’s so much easier to score on the Woodhall.

 

[Liverbirdie]

So what you are saying is BD is a miles better course than Woodhall that’s in the World top 100.

Just remind me what position is BD in the GM top 100 😉

Like I say I think it’s time for you to hand that GM top 100 reviewer badge back to MikeH 😝😝

It’s all about opinions but you are very much one dimensional with your elevation changes 🤐🤐

And Sandiway is still parkland 😉

Play Tralee and see where you place that. Its currently about 49 - I think it should be no.1 and above RCD.

No right answers when it comes to all of our subjective views. Follow the crowd, or speak as you find, I know which one I'd prefer.

Aberdovey - where do you rate that - currently 68?

 

[Liverbirdie]

So what you are saying is BD is a miles better course than Woodhall that’s in the World top 100.

Just remind me what position is BD in the GM top 100 😉

Like I say I think it’s time for you to hand that GM top 100 reviewer badge back to MikeH 😝😝

It’s all about opinions but you are very much one dimensional with your elevation changes 🤐🤐

And Sandiway is still parkland 😉

I also havent said that BD is a miles better course than Woodhall, more memorable yes.

 

[Liverbirdie]

I know every inch of Woodhall for sure but I am not totally biased about it, I know it’s a strong golf course.

I rate it as the toughest inland golf course by a long way. It might not be visually stunning but it’s a proper test of golf, Sunningdale is the prettiest course but it’s so much easier to score on the Woodhall.

Again, for clarification I highly rate Woodhall as a test.

When you say "strong" what do you mean, and do you think the top 100 is rated on toughness?

 

[MendieGK]

I also havent said that BD is a miles better course than Woodhall, more memorable yes.

You lost me when you said Camberley was better than Woodhall 😂😂😂