Wentworth going even more "upscale"

MendieGK said:
Disagree with this comment,

Its a great golf course and the changes made were required to keep the course relevant. The greens are sub-par granted and its never worth £360 (£60 for the required caddy) but as a golf course, its a proper challenge.
i think people who 'slate' it are often the same ones who knock the modern course (heaven forbid a great golf course not be a link or heathland).

I would also say, that is a better golfers course, you have to hit it long and straight. so, your average Joe might find it too tough to really enjoy.

Are there other courses i'd rather play every day for the rest of my life? yes 100%. (Ganton, Alwoodley, Woodhall Spa, Saunton (East) and Notts of the courses i've played are definitely better).

however, it doesnt deserve the criticism it gets by so many people (especially on here)
Click to expand...

The changes were made because the then owner, Richard Caring was obsessed with Sawgrass and water hazards and didn't mind the course looking as fake and contrived as his own face.

Ghastly artificial changes which they had to start to correct almost immediately.

Wentworth West was a fine course, with many traditional heathland values, although not as good as others nearby, but has been reduced by the changes.

It stays high in the rankings because it is indeed a decent course, but its ranking is inflated by the halo of the PGA in the same way that some people think The Belfry is better than a glorified goat track just because it had the Ryder Cup.
 
Last edited:
Ethan said:
The changes were made because the then owner, Richard Caring was obsessed with Sawgrass and water hazards and didn't mind the course looking as fake and contrived as his own face.

Ghastly artificial changes which they had to start to correct almost immediately.

Wentworth West was a fine course, with many traditional heathland values, although not as good as others nearby, but has been reduced|

It stays high in the rankings because it is indeed a decent course, but its ranking is inflated by the halo of the PGA in the same way that some people think The Belfry is better than a glorified goat track just because it had the Ryder Cup.
Click to expand...

This - as I recall really enjoying it when I first played it (I've only played it twice mind) some 15yrs ago.
 
I played the West Course just before the changes and LOVED the course

What I meant to say earlier was that I think the European Tour HQ will move to the London Club where I understand they are going to build a hotel and, what they describe as "world class" practice facilities.
 
PieMan said:
Blundell has asked me to punch you very hard on the nose on Wednesday for that comment................;) :D :D

To be honest, my view is 'so what?' If the new owner wants to go down this route then fine - it's his club after all. I would imagine though that an £80,000 debenture giving access to 3 top-class golf courses and other leisure facilities that you would expect from an exclusive private members club would very much appeal to those who can afford it.

And £80k also money well spent if you ask me if it meant you didn't have to put up with Forsyth and Tarbuck as members any longer!!!

If the PGA (Championship ;) ) moved around some of the great UK courses then that's a plus in my book. And as for the European Tour offices, given how few events are actually held in the UK then makes sense to move it abroad.

Anyway have just checked my lottery numbers and it looks like I can now afford the new membership so am filling in my application form now. Don't expect to be offering any of you riff-raff an invite any time soon!
Click to expand...

:D

I'm very much looking forward to the same drunken debate :rofl:
 
Liverpoolphil said:
I would compare it to other parkland modern courses within half hour of it - Woburn , Bearwood , Grove and Centurion

The Grove for me is the only one below Wentworth - the rest IMO are all better than Wentworth
Click to expand...

Haven't played The Grove, but played all the others and would strongly disagree! Woburn (any of the 3) might be close, but there is something special about The West Course that the others just don't have. Worth noting though that Sunningdale members refer to it as 'the Pay and Play down the road'! and, as a 'Club', it probably leaves a lot to be desired - but that is not what the course is about!

It is certainly not worth the 360 Green Fee (including Caddie)!

Caring's folly on the 18th has now been corrected - though it took 2 sets of changes to put it right! The greens are still problematic and will be until they give up the idea of having BentGrass as the dominant content in such a sheltered environment - the greens on the other 2 courses are magnificent with Poa/Rye etc! It was really only the out of date drainage that was the problem - and then only because the 2 major tournaments were held in Spring and late Autumn!

I would not be surprised if the concept of Debenture membership hasn't been misquoted - and that it is, or at least ends up as, an option rather than a compulsion!
 
Loads of big clubs around here that would snap them up and the extra revenue. Shame that an iconic place is now a rich mans playground and I agree that the Tour will surely not hang around there for too long.
 
Ethan said:
Really? Have they filled that nasty and obviously artificial water feature in?
Click to expand...

That was only part of the 'folly'!

As correction 1, they dropped the green 50cm and increased the green by 25%...but it still wasn't tempting enough.

So they took the (hidden from the tee) bunker on right, 'trimmed' a tree and flattened the fairway to the first ditch.

And now it works fine as a risk/reward hole - for the 2nd shot - just as it used to be (or even more-so!).

And that artificial water feature was always there anyway - but just as a nasty, but useless from a golfing point of view, little creek/ditch anyway!

The same criticism - an artificial water feature - could be made about Sawgrass 17 or many of the other 'great' holes around - where something has either been manufactured or diverted in order to provide challenge or interest!
 
Wentworth is already on borrowed time as regards the PGA championship as they have already been told they need to up the quality of the greens in order to retain it. Wonder if the debenture scheme is a means to get the money? The owner may have a bob or two of his own, but you don't get that rich by spending your own money if you don't have to.
 
backwoodsman said:
Wentworth is already on borrowed time as regards the PGA championship as they have already been told they need to up the quality of the greens in order to retain it. Wonder if the debenture scheme is a means to get the money? The owner may have a bob or two of his own, but you don't get that rich by spending your own money if you don't have to.
Click to expand...

What time frame have they been given. Care to share the source as I don't recall anything being made public
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top