Where we are (new)

[AliB]

Hi All
During the past few years the owners of our club
http://www.woodlands-golf.com/home-6.html
have been redeveloping it from 18 to 36 holes, which has involved a lot of chopping and changing of the course, some silly stroke indexes and a great deal of mud in the winter.
Two years ago we started playing some new holes on the existing course while they redeveloped the old ones.
Now - hard to believe - they really have finished. From July the 'old course' we play now will incorporate about 6 more new holes, and the second course will open a few weeks later.
It's not the most beautiful location (close to M4/5)and as you can see is still v. open (to keep those pay-and players moving through!)but has plenty of water.
Many things are still in the lap of 'the gods' will we have tee times? will we get to choose where we play? But it feels like the end of a long haul and think you'll agree it's not bad for what started out as land-fill.
Driving range? - Miracles take a little longer!
Take a look here
http://picasaweb.google.com/alibphotos/Woodlands_june08
Will let you know how it plays in a few weeks time.
AliB

 

[HomerJSimpson]

ALIB

We went through something similar when the racecourse authority decided to move the straight mile on the racecourse to run closer to the royal box in the new grandstand. All fine and dandy except it ran straight through the middle of the bar of the clubhouse.

Now we are decent chaps and ladies and would have pulled our seats close to the table as the horse went by but no they had to have the last laugh and decided to get rid of the clubhouse and while they were at it they wanted parts of the course for hospitality during racing.

As a result they offered to build a new course while we had to front £1m+ for the new clubhouse. Cue plenty of panic about whether we'd still be in existence let alone having a course. We went from 18 to 12 holes (with some intersting SI arguments) and then down to a loop of 9. We lost a lot of memebers as the quality was rubbish as the racespurse authorities didn't really throw any real manpower into looking after the greens anymore (they had always had responsibility for the course).

Eventually we moved over the road to our new course in 2004 which was fully opened by Prince Andrew in 2005. It has started to mature nicely and when the young trees they planted last year grow and add further definition it will be an absolute picture.

When I played GM in our challenge match a couple of the guys called it a sleeping giant. We have already hosted girls county matches and had favourable reviews.

I think you just have to have patience with these things. Providing they don't overuse the greens in winter and are careful to move tee boxes and holes around regulalrly I'm sure if you take the photos again in a couple of years you will be amazed at how the course matures.

 

[viscount17]

Ali, there is a, fairly expensive, course near me that has two tracks and I think a neat way of handling the needs of two-balls, four-balls and societies by alternating the use of the courses.

http://www.johnogauntgolfclub.co.uk/ (open the link and click on Visitors)

may be a way forward for you?