Yet another contentious Top 100 listing

[thecraw]

I'm playing the castle course tomorrow (today now) for the 1st time, dying to see what all the fuss is about ne:

So you were another who got a Fat Tiger call last night.

I understand that they have flattened out a few greens since I played it. Nice setting, a couple of decent holes that's all.

 

[Ethan]

Remedy Oak 40th v Bearwood Lakes 76th - correct

I am going to defend my club. I disagree that Remedy Oak is a better course, let alone 30-odd places better, than Bearwood Lakes.

Remedy Oak is a very pleasant course indeed, for sure. It is built in mature lands, and is maintained to a high quality and many of the holes are very good. The clubhouse and facilities are lovely. I would happily play there again.

But I think it is seriously limited by some poorly designed holes which take away from the overall. These were the holes I remembered most after the round. Bearwood Lakes has a much better overall set of holes and fewer weaknesses, and some of those remaining weaknesses are currently being sorted.

The poor holes at RO for me are the 2nd, 8th and 18th.

The 2nd is a par 5 which doglegs to the left down a hill, with a green situated just over a pond. But the risk-reward element of the hole is totally destroyed because the pond means that everyone plays a second shot down into the same area, and the advantage of a good tee shot, unless it is a huge hit, is neutralised.

The 8th is a terrible little par 4, with a pond short of the green and a green on a sharp upward slope beyond. In most conditions, the club golfer will not have a go at the green, so instead will hit a 6 or 7 iron off the tee. Any hole which makes you hit a 6 or 7 iron of the tee is a bad hole. End of.

The 18th is a 90 degree dogleg left to right. You tee off with a long iron or hybrid to the top of the hill then turn sharp right and play to a sloping green. There is no risk-rewrad option available and it is a striking looking but actually rather unsatisfying hole to finish a round.

Bearwood Lakes, for my money (literally), has a better flow and more consistent holes. The club improved the 9th and 10th last season and turned both into excellent holes, and are working on the par-5 16th at present and will turn a decent if unremarkable par-5 into a very good hole.

 

[scratch]

Agree with you 100% Ethan. I only commented on courses that I've played and BL is far superior to RO, I think pretty much everyone apart from a Golf World course reviewer would agree with that. There are many more courses in that list that I've played and whilst I might not agree with a lot of them, I can understand why other people would.

But there have clearly been a few backhanders to compile that list

 

[thecraw]

Agree with you 100% Ethan. I only commented on courses that I've played and BL is far superior to RO, I think pretty much everyone apart from a Golf World course reviewer would agree with that. There are many more courses in that list that I've played and whilst I might not agree with a lot of them, I can understand why other people would.

But there have clearly been a few backhanders to compile that list

I think advertising budgets may play a part in a lot of these ratings!

 

[Snelly]

I have not played Remedy Oak but am told it is good so will reserve judgment. However I have played Bearwood several times and would suspect that I have also played a lot of courses in the list in question and am certain that I would place Bearwood higher than quite a few others. For starters, Bearwood in my opinion is better than the following: The Grove, Loch Lomond, the Brabazon and the Bucks...

Can someone publish the list on this thread perhaps?

 

[jimbob.someroo]

The 8th is a terrible little par 4, with a pond short of the green and a green on a sharp upward slope beyond. In most conditions, the club golfer will not have a go at the green, so instead will hit a 6 or 7 iron off the tee. Any hole which makes you hit a 6 or 7 iron of the tee is a bad hole. End of.

Entirely agree. If you haven't got the room to allow a lay up with a long iron / wood, bring the tee forward and make it a par 3. The Drift golf club which we played on The Surrey Golf Tour a few months back had a couple of these, and they're just rubbish. There was a par 4 which couldn't have been more than 260 yards, but on such a severe dogleg (and to a blind green) that you couldn't go for it. I ended up hitting 8 iron, lob wedge. Silly hole.

 

[richart]

It is a shame about the 8th at Remedy Oak, as it would make a fantastic par 3. Having played RO and Bearwood Lakes there is no comparison. One course I wouldn't rush to play again, the other I can't wait to. Hint hint Paul (PNWokingham)