11. Home Stretch—England and Wales June 12-19

Home Stretch—England and Wales June 12-19

Eight rounds on eight courses planned.  I landed at Gatwick airport south of London the night of June 11 and plan was to play West Sussex )also S of London) the morning of 6/12, then drive about 3 hours to pick up me wifey in The Cotswolds that afternoon, and we would proceed to Royal Porthcawl (about 25 miles west of Cardiff Wales) to play it 6/13, then drive down to Devon and Cornwall to play St. Enodoc 6/14 and Saunton-East 6/15.  We would then drive to London on 6/16 (no golf that day!!), and spend 6/17-19 playing some of the great courses of and near Surrey.  That is the plan.

West Sussex June 12

Arrived at West Sussex at 7:30am for an early game arranged by the Club Secretary, Andy Stubbs.  Our friend Steve Smith (Toronto and Pinehurst) is a member from his days working in London and is to be playing that day, but not till the afternoon, so we could not play together.  Andy had arranged for me to paly with an Ass’t Pro, Joe Queen, who just started at the club this spring.  Very nice young man with a good game. 

Another great one and makes the “hidden gen” list.  Completed around 1930, this heathland course is currently rated #54 on Planet Golf.  Never been on any of the other prominent World 100’s.  Perhaps it is its par of 68…but what does that matter?  Yes its longest hole is #1 at 488 yards, but the is really a superb heathland track.  And while it is only about 6400 yards from the tips, that is with a par of 68…so do the math, not so short and you will play a lot of testing par fours here (unless your last name is McElroy).

Designed by Cmdr. G W Hillyard, Sir Guy Campbell, and Major C K Hutchinson (the latter two having designed Woodhall Spa and worked on some revisions to North Berwick…two fabulous sets of links).

Best holes are:

            #5—158 yard par 3 with green sitting with bunkers short and left and sharp run offs in back…gorgeous setting, and green with subtle breaks

            #6---downhill 225 yard par 3 over march and to geen with major back to front slope, protected on the right side by two large bunkers

            #7---440 yd par 4…tee shot is visually stunning as fairway is raised about 20’ above tee level and runs flat to green from there and creating blind tee shot with major trouble left (lots of heather and rough as I can testify).  Green slopes L to R.

            #13—378 yd par 4, gently uphill, with heather all along the right side and a large fairway bunker menacing the left.  Green is raised, slopes back to front, narrow, and protected in front and to the right by two large deep bunkers.  Visually stunning hole in totally natural setting.

Course has no weak holes, and is one I could play every day without getting bored.  Wonderful sand based soil and perhaps the best collection of heather I saw on the trip (except when I was in it...then not so pretty).  Had my lowest round so far on the trip (78) and really started to feel good about how I was hitting the ball.

After the round, the drive to The Cotswolds was long but happily uneventful.  As always, so special to see Wifey.  She looked great and had a wonderful time on her garden tours.  Hit some traffic getting to Porthcawl, giving us a chance to catch up on each other’s adventures.  Made it there by around 6pm and had a nice dinner at the hotel.

Royal Porthcawl…RAIN…June 13

I had played Royal Porthcawl in July 1981.  Then last fall I was asked to coordinate an interclub match between Brookline and RPGC’s Erratics Golf Society (no, that is spelled correctly, there are two r’s and it is an “a” not an “o”).  I realized that while I recalled it to be a great track, I could not remember many details (after all, those were my drinking days).  So when I started planning this trip, I made sure to include a stop at RPGC.

Club founded in 1891 and moved to its present site 4 years later.  Revised by Harry Colt in 1913, then by Hawtree and Taylor in 1925 and Tom Simpson in 1933.  Excellent blood lines.  Ratings-wise, Golf Digest had it as #44 in the world in their initial list last year, the latest GM World list has it as #95, it is #67 on Planet Golf, was #73 on Links Mag’s last listing, and is #86 top100golfcourses.co.uk…net net a solid Top 100…and a course the Seniors simply raved about at last year’s Senior Open (which is returning there in ’17…in fact there have been rumors that the R&A is evaluating RPGC for a possible slot in the Open Rota).

It was overcast when we awoke, but it had started raining by breakfast time…and it was cold and windy.  By the time we arrived, it was pretty nasty.  We had coffee with the two members we were scheduled to play with Huw Evans (the current RPGC Captain) and Margret (missed her last name) who is a former Ladies Captain.  Both are fun wonderful people.  It was clear that no one was enthusiastic about going out in the weather (which was forecast to get worse)…and I was ambivalent at best, so we passed. 

The drive down to Cornwall in SW England was long and arduous, with the last 20 miles through dense fog…so in retrospect, the decision was a good one.  Past sunset those last 20 miles would have been pretty tough to say the least…and frankly, this old body did not mind the rest.

St. Enodoc (Church) June 14

After a very nice dinner, sleeping late on Sunday was most welcome (we were scheduled to play around 3pm).  After breakfast, we drove around this beautiful area (which is a popular summer resort in the UK) and Pat wanted to go visit Port Issac…the center of which was down a very steep hill from where we had to park with a vertical drop of probably 300’.  You know the old expression “whatever walks down must walk up”?  Well, during that morning stroll I thought about how the afternoon round would feel.

We got back to the club and had a nice lunch there, meeting the current captain, and teed off around 2pm.  Suffice it to say that  this is certainly another hidden gem.  The club was founded in 1890 and the course, designed by James Braid was completed in 1907.  Over the following 80 years, improvements were made (including construction of the 9 hole Holywell course) but the club’s real breakthrough came in 1987 when it purchased the land it had been leasing for almost 100 years.  This changed the perspective of the members and led to a series of major improvements, including a renovation of the Church course led by Peter McEvoy in 2003 and continuing on since then.  St Enodoc was ranked #99 in Golf Digest’s 2014 World 100, is at #90 in Darius Oliver’s Planet Golf listing, and  #93 in Links Magazine’s final World 100.

The land here is fabulous, sitting high over a beautiful estuary…it rolls and heaves in very direction.  As expected, it is very very hilly but given the land and the views, was a joy to walk.  So many great holes, including #3, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 16-18.  There are a number of blind tee shots and several blind approaches, but the only hole I might question is #10, which seems cramped by a huge dune right and a creek and woods left (but plays more open than it looks).  It is a brutal par 4, and looks even tougher off the tee.

Given the wild wild land, very hilly terrain, and quantity of blind shots, in some way it reminded me of Cruden Bay.  But net net, it is fair, challenging, and just a ton of fun.  Tier One hidden gem for sure.

After the round, met Simon Pain, a member of the club who is involved with getting this hidden gen to become more visible to the golf world.  Turns out Simon also has a home in Pinehurst so we look forward to seeing him there this fall.

We left the club at 8:30 and took a water taxi across the estuary to the town of Padstrow, to enjoy a fabulous meal at Rick Stein’s Michelin rated Seafood restaurant.  After dinner, almost got lost looking for the return water taxi, but made it back safely and tired, but we were both so happy about a wonderfully special day.

Saunton-East June 15

After an early breakfast, it was time to “hit the road again” for a 90 minute drive up the coast with good weather.  It was interesting to see what we could not see two days before in the fog.

Golf was first played at Saunton in 1897, and the present East course was designed by Herb Fowler (who also designed both courses at Berkshire and Walton Heath) and completed in 1919.  It is a pure golf course…fair but tough, very few tricks, and superb.  Surrounded by large hills, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west, it is on a beautiful piece of land that, while lacking the drama of St. Enodoc, is a wonderful test.  Sergio Garcia made his first breakthrough by winning the British Boys Championship there during the club’s centennial year and celebration in 1997.  It was rated #82 in the world on the Golf Architects survey.

We had the pleasure of playing with the club’s chairman, Paul Vicary and his wife Sue, who are simply delightful folks and very good players.  We would love to see them either at Brookline or CCNC in the future.

The course has as tough a start as one can find, and finished the same way, with #16 being its great signature hole.  A 434 yard dogleg left, downhill off the tee and then uphill on the approach, the green banks severely left to right off of a large dune that blocks any view of the green from the left half of the fairway…making the hole play much longer.  This is a first class track and did not treat my game with very much respect.  Think I was tired from walking hilly St. Enodoc the previous day.

On Wednesday June 16 we made the 4 hour drive from Saunton to London, where we were staying at The Sloane Club, in Sloane Sq. (also stayed here in May 2013).  Luckily, we beat the rush hour traffic coming into London.

Berkshire Club June 17

On this day, Pat was off to museums and Buckingham Palace while I had to battle with The Bershire Club in Surrey, a beautiful 36 hole facility (Red and Blue courses) with both designed by Herb Fowler (designer of Saunton East).  Berkshire opened in 1928.  The Blue is rate #87 by the Golf Architects survey, and the Red #86 by Planet Golf.  The Red has an unusual hole configuration (6 par 3’s , 6 par 4’s and 6 par 5’s), while the Blue is more conventional.  I took a caddy out at 8:15 on the Red and started off with 7 straight pars followed by a double bogey on 8, and a par on 9, for a 2 over 38.  Cooled off a little to a 40 on the back for a 6 over 78.  Only weakness of course is its par 5’s, of which 4 are less than 500 yards.  Plenty of room to extend many of the tees here, but the club (one of the best in the London area) wishes to keep its “feel” as a member club. 

Went right back out again to play the Blue which is very similar in feel.  After a slow start, ended up with a 76…best round of the trip.  Both are classic heathlands courses covered with beautiful heather.  Both have a “big” feel to them, or perhaps majestic is the better word. 

Was good to get the last double-header behind me (six on the trip), norw just two courses left…Woking and St. George’s Hill.

Woking GC June 18

The home club of Bernard Darwin, perhaps the greatest golf writer ever, and grandson of Charles Darwin, this is what appears to be a very simple course while standing outside its clubhouse.  However, it gets more interesting and complex fairly quickly.  More so than any other course I can remember, this one really grows on you as the round progresses.  Totaling 6600 yards, it starts with what appears to be a benign short par 4 (277 yards), flat for most of its length and then downhill to the green.  With the slope just short of the green being downhill and a very very firm green sloping from front to back, it quickly became less benign as my well struck wedge went bounding through the green and 20 yards down an embankment.  Also known as an early wake-up call.  The second is a 221yard par 3 to a green perched on top of a rise, with a false front.  And then #3 is 420 yards,  dog leg right downhill off the tee and then up to a raised green with a deep bunker protecting the front of a highly contoured green.  You are now fully awake, and I was 3 over wondering if a par was to be available today.  With the exception of two holes, played well the rest of the way and had an 81.  Loved #9 which is a 470 yard par 4, dogleg left, flat off the tee and then sharply uphill…reminding me very much of Tillinghast’s infamous 15^th at Bethpage Black.  Playing it from 420 tees, hit two career shots (for a 70 year old), just short and then got up and down.  Paid for that with a lost ball double bogey on par 3 #10…with everything sloping right to left and a hat field to the left of the green (which still holds my Titleist 3).  Holes 11-14 wind through some beautiful heather.

Course was in fabulous shape with very firm and fast conditions, especially on the greens.  Built in 1893 by Thomas Dunn it is a wonderful old traditional club, without the fame of some of the other great courses near London.  Ranked #100 by the Architects Survey.  While I would not put it in a World 100…it is an excellent course.

St. George’s Hill GC June 19

Well scheduled trip that obeyed the dictate “save the best for last”. Well, if not the best, this one is pretty damn close.  Designed by Harry Colt and opened for play in 1913, the complex was originally designed to include houses, and today a series of simply magnificent homes and estates line the golf courses.  It was originally 36 holes, and now is 27, with an 18 holer (Red and Blue) and the nine hole Green.  The terrain here is what makes it so different than most of the great heathland courses outside of London…it is very hilly and the course is brilliantly designed to take full advantage of the terrain.  And trust me, the homes do not impinge on play one iota.

This was another beautiful day and the course is simple wonderful and gorgeous.  There are no average holes here…they are very good or better.  IMO, the great ones start at #4…a  downhill 272 par 4 protected by three large bunkers in front which often result in a long bunker shot…perhaps golf’s hardest; brilliantly designed and it ate my lunch.  #5 is an uphill par four of 388 yards, with perfectly placed bunkers along the left and right sides of the fairway and a very large cross bunker about 320 yards from the back tee…which looks very menacing if you miss the fairway off the tee.   #8 is a 179 yard par 3, slightly downhill to a large round green that is effectively very very small due to its very false front, sides and back.  This upside down bowl is also protected by three very very deep bunkers in front, which are feed regularly by said very false front.

The back nine is even better than the front and I started it with birdies on 10 and 11, and a 15 footer for a birdie (missed) on 12.  Then I lost my concentration but loved the rest of the way in.  This course contains 18 different golf holes that blend together into an incredible layout which flows like few others I have ever seen.  It is #77 on Golf Digest’s initial top 100, #23 on Planet Golf, #58 on Links, #89 on the architects survey, and #96 on top100golfcourses.co.uk, many of these seem way too low for me, not to mention that it has never made the Golf Magazine Top 100.  Certainly another hidden gem…a brilliant one and a wonderful way to conclude this adventure.

Summary

Through June 19, 23 days of traveling and golf, including two days without playing (one planned for the Saunton to London trek, the other the Royal Porthcawl rain out), and 6 double-headers (May 29 & 31, June 3, 5, 6, and 17) with June 6 being 45 holes.  So 27.5 rounds on a like number of courses in those 23 days.  I certainly was tired some days (often the day after a grueling walk), but had no problem handing it.

Met a wonderful new group of friends, including two part time residents of Pinehurst, and best of all, had the opportunity to enjoy five of the great English tracks with my loving and so lovable bride.  She is the best.

Of the 27.5 courses, 24.5 were first timers for me, and I saw a whole bunch of special ones, even among these “lesser known” courses.  Have heard many times about the incredible depth of great tracks in GB&I, including courses unknown except to the true affectionato’s…but it takes a trip such as this one to drive that point home.

So, you are certainly asking yourselves…where does he stand on his bucket lists…well here is the update:

--6 more courses (4 in Asia, 2 in Australia) to be the second person to play all of the Golf Magazine World 100 lists (“GM World 100 Ever”) which totals 190 courses.

--6 more (all in Asia)  to finish Golf Digest 2014 World Top 100 (their first world list)

--4 more to complete Darius Oliver’s latest Planet Golf Top 100

--0 more to finish the final Links Magazine World 100...this one is done!!

--1 more to finish the Golf Course Architects Survey Top 100

--3 more to finish the Top100Golf website listings published in ’14, ’12, ’11, ’09, ’08, and ‘06

--3 more to finish the first two editions of Rolex’s Top 1000 (courses with scores of 100 or 95…87 courses in Edition II and 88 in Edition I

--in total, there are 261 courses that have been on one or more of these listings, and at the start of this trip I had played 219, one no longer exists, and I needed 19 (15 in Asia/Australia/NZ) to complete this bucket list.

Therefore, you can guess my next trip plans.

Best/greatest courses on the trip:

1.     Lahinch

2.     St. George’s Hill

3.     Royal Aberdeen

Hidden Gems:

1.     St. George’s Hill

2.     Silloth on Solway

3.     St. Enodoc

4.     Royal Hague

5.     Island Club

6.     West Sussex

7.     Rosses Point

Thank you as always for reading.  Hope your insomnia is cured!!

10. Germany and Sweden June 9-11

Germany and Sweden June 9-11

Hamburg GC (Falkenstein)  June 9

When Pat and I were in South Africa in March, at her insistence we played some of the great courses of RSA.  When we played Leopard Creek, just south of Kruger National Park, we played with a younger couple, Hoagie and Johanna Moeller who were on their honeymoon.  When Hoagie said they were from Hamburg, I asked if they knew of Hamburg GC (also known as Falkenstein)…and of course it turned out he was a member.  I had already planned out this trip and was scheduled to play it June 9.  We very much enjoyed their company (despite the fact that Hoagie seemed to be somewhat of a golf nut…being so flexible and accommodating I chose to forgive him for that strange trait) and Hoagie asked me to play with him on June 9 and I gladly accepted.  They also invited me to stay with them (probably thought Pat would be on that part of the trip so they wouldn’t have to deal with just me).

Flight to Hamburg was about 30 minutes late and Hoagie was waiting for me outside of Customs.  It was great to see him.  We drove to their very nice apartment and went out to dinner.  Hamburg is a beautiful city built around a large lake in an area of Germany covered with Lakes and streams.  The entire area is very very green and beautiful.  Traffic flowed with typical smoothness and everything seemed to work quite well…perhaps with the exception of moi, as I was quite tired. 

After a good night’s sleep, we were off to the club, playing around 11am on another nice day.  The head pro, Roger Brown had set up a game with two young (19 year old) members of the Falkenstein “team’ who both were scratch (or better players).  The course is situated about 20 minutes NW of downtown in a suburb and is in beautiful shape.  Club was founded in 1906 and moved to Falkenstein area in 1928 after hiring Harry Colt to design the course.  Darius Oliver (“Planet Golf”) says it best and points out the similarities between the land that was selected and the heathland in Surrey, outside of London, making Colt the perfect architect for this project.  The area is heavily wooded, very hilly, and also covered with heather.  Planet Golf rates Falkenstein as #81 on its World 100.

We took pull carts and it was a fairly grueling walk…but I felt good and if I tired at the end, my game did not reflect it.  The two teenagers, Yannik Emmert and Vincent Brosch were wonderful gentlemen.  I was impressed by how well they managed their games.  Even though they generally could hit it longer than I can, they refrained from hitting driver unless the risk reward equation warranted it. 

On #1, a 322 yard par 4 (315 from my tees) uphill to the green, I was lying two and hit a bump and run from about 50’ to 6” for a gimme par, and the kids sort of looked over wondering who this old guy was.  Well, had it going fairly well.  Fired a 41-38=79 with  one birdie, and double bogies on two of the easiest holes (lost balls…having hit it to previously never occupied land…on both).   I think the best holes at Falkenstein are:

            #5…402 from tips…dogleg right to green well protected by bunkers

            #6…413 from tips, dogleg right and very very uphill to green situated on top of a big hill.  One large fairway bunker protects the right corner of the dogleg and it should be avoided at all costs.  No greenside bunkers and none required.  Sharp slope from back to front on green protected also by a false front.

            #13…365 short par 4 downhill off tee and then very much uphill to green.  Fairway protected by a very large bunker on right side that comes half way across fairway, and green protected by front right bunker

            #17…490 yard dogleg left par 5 uphill off the tee and then downhill to green in a bowl shaped area with second shot requiring a good carry over a field of heather.

Very very good parkland/heathland course that I think would be even better with less watering (to get the firm fast conditions generally found in Surrey) and removal of a few more trees to open up some of the holes a little more (the latter difficult given the power of the tree-huggers).

After the round a quick lunch with Hoagie, Yannik, Vincent and Roger, it was back to the airport.

One of the best things about this visit was that I was able to get laundry done for the first time on the trip.  I had stayed only one night in each location except for Amsterdam , but there was no weekend laundry service at my hotel there.  I now was prepared for the next part of the trip until we stayed in London the last few nights.  Little things mean a lot on journey like this…especially for those having to be near you.

Falsterbo Golf Club June 10

Located in SW Sweden (about 30 miles from Copenhagen’s airport) alongside the Baltic Sea, Falsterbo GC was founded in 1909 and expanded fro 9 to 18 holes in 1930.  It is built on true linksland and its terrain is very flat.  It was listed on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 as #91 in 1985 and was on GM’s Top 50 (listed alphabetically) in 1981. 

I was staying about 2 miles from the club after a beautiful drive across the new bridge/tunnel from Denmark to Sweden.  Frankly, the course was a big disappointment.  It lacks definition, and the bunkers are relatively shallow (perhaps a high water table?).   Yes is is a true links course, but that ain’t enough.

Remember, I am playing courses that have at one time or another been called one of the top 100 courses in the world…that is a high standard, and Falsterbo does not meet it (or even come close) in 2015.  A good number of courses that were named a top 100 in the 70’s and 80’s didn’t deserve it…remember people did not travel as much in those days, there was no internet to distribute information worldwide, and there were no standards for these ratings.   Have seen this before, and it is just part of the process…when going to relatively unknown tracks, sometimes you find one not deserving, but at other times you find a hidden gem.

The drive to the Copenhagen airport went smoothly until the last 100 yards, when someone in front of me, trying to ghet around a traffic jam outside of the car rental garage started backing up toward me.  I honked 2x, he stopped…then about 5 seconds later backed up again into my right front bumber.  He admitted fault, we filled out forms, and went on his way.  Seemed like a good guy…deals with real estate for IKEA.

Bro Hof Slott June 11

After the accident, easy trip to Stockholm where I had a car service handling transportation.  Got over to the course around 9am…it was an impressive sight.  Must have been an old estate (18^th century castle is now the clubhouse), and there are 36 holes.  I played The Stadium Course which stretches to over 8000 yards through a series of lakes.  Designed by Robert T Jones, Jr. and completed in 2007.   Another example like K Club.  Not my style…you can have it.  A few good holes but just a big blast it monster with no imagination.  Rated #99 on the top100golfcourses.co.uk website in 2011…and dropped in their subsequent listings…deservedly so.

I will say something good about the place.  I had left some golf hats and my laser gun on my cart after my round…and someone had taken my cart.  In any case, the folks from the club eventually found it and shipped the stuff to me in London.  I am most appreciative, but that doesn’t change my view of the course.

Sooo, it was back to airport, having played now 20.5 rounds and 20.5 courses (out of a planned 28.5).  Am flying back to London for the home stretch, and more importantly to pick on Pat tomorrow afternoon (Friday June 12) for the last 9 days of the trip.  She arrived in London June 4 and was there and The Cotswolds touring some of the great gardens of England.  Will be wonderful to be back with her, and be done with flights until we return to Boston June 21.

9. The Netherlands June 6-8

The Netherlands June 6-8

De Pan and Kennemer June 6

Many of you might be asking…why is he going from Scotland to Amsterdam? (years ago, I would have asked that question myself).  Truth of the matter is that Holland has wonderful links land along its North Sea coastline, and there are serious claims that the game was played in The Netherlands before being played in Scotland.  I shall avoid that battle.  Three courses in The Netherlands have been rated on a World 100, and my host for the three days convinced me to add Royal Hague to the program as well…more later.  My host was David Davis, who I met virtually last summer through Fergal O’Leary.  David is in Amsterdam (and has been for 20 years) by way of Oregon.  He serves as the Benelux correspondent for Top100GolfCourses.co.uk and is wonderful guy and host.  Perhaps a little crazed about this silly game, but nothing wrong with that.

David met me at the airport and it was off to De Pan…a heathland course well inland from the North Sea coast.  We played around 11am on a beautiful day.  One of several Harry Colt designs in Holland and oft-time host of the Dutch Open.  Was rated #55 in the world by the Golf Architect’s survey.

A number of holes with Pine Valley looks to them.  Exceptional shaping throughout the course.  Greens though were very very slow, and I could never get the feel of them.  I loved the 5^th (reachable par 5 with a late dogleg right and a tree at the corner of that dogleg…and an island of long fescue grass opposite the tree in the middle of the fairway at that late turn….thereby creating the need for real decision making on one’s second shot),  #6…mid length par 4 dog leg left with large hill coming off the left side…and a large sand dune behind that hill), and #10…a short pat 4 that narrows down near the green due to impinging hills from both the left and right. 

I would have liked De Pan more if it thinned out some of its trees.  While they generally do not impinge on play, I prefer (and remember…likes and dislikes in evaluating courses is like picking a spouse…and my batting record there is just 1 for 3) more open courses, where one can look across wide expanses.  I also think I had the misfortune of playing it when the greens were very slow, which takes some of the bite out of Colt’s work.  Spring has been very late coming to Europe this year (despite the known and “proven science” effect of global warming).

After lunch, we proceeded to Kennemer, founded in 1910 .  In 1928, the club moved to its present location near the North Sea to a 18 hole course designed by Harry Colt.  Originally, Colt was to build 27 holes, but the last nine were  delayed some 5 decades by the Depression, and in 1985 the third nine was completed by SJH Van Hengel.  Additionally, the course has undergone extensive renovations, led by architect Frank Pennick, over the past 2-3 decades to bring back much of the Colt flavor.  Rated as #68 in the world by Planet Golf.

Teeing off just past 5:20pm, we played the Pennick (B) 9 first, followed by the Colt (C) 9.  Both are excellent especially B2, B9, C1, and C6.  We finished the first 18 and I turned to David and said “you up for holes 37-45 for the day?”  Of course the answer was a resounding yes, and so at 8:30pm, we started off on our last nine (the A or Van Hengel).  While all of this nine is utilized in the composite layout used for the Dutch Open (primarily because of its length), I was disappointed by this third nine.   We did however get it done by 10pm, just after sunset.  Truth is, all 45 holes were played with the benefit of buggies, or we (or at least I) would have never made it.  Wonderful land…well utilized (better utilized on B&C).  One real disappointment was that the greens were very soft and slow for a links course.  Was surprising.

Clubhouse was just about empty when we finished.  Then there was an issue of the gate being closed.  But that was solved and I got back to my hotel…a very tired puppy.  The good news was that we weren’t playing on Sunday until 6pm (more later) so I could sleep late the next day and relax.

Noordwijkse GC and Royal Hague June 7 and 8

Got up around 10am and just made it to the lobby to get breakfast before it closed.  Did some reading, worked a little on this blog, etc.  Then met David at his club, Norrdwijkse GC around 5pm.  It is hard by the North Sea and on a spectacular piece of land.  Club was founded 100 years ago and moved to “the beach” in 1972.  This course was designed by Frank Pennick.  The Golf Architects survey rated it as #68 in the world, and top100golfcourses.co.uk places it as #89.

The clubhouse sits just on the inland side of the barrier dune, overlooking most of the course.  Simply a spectacular setting.  Playing the course, I discovered a “tale of two cities.”  Holes 1-3, and 8-18 (14 of the 18 holes) are out in the open and are simply marvelous.  Holes 4-7 are situated in the dunes but are nestled in some thick pine woods…and just plain gets claustrophobic in these holes.  I loved the rest of the course.  It is in great shape, is very tough and yet is so much fun (that rare combination) and has some simply spectacular views (although not of the North Sea except from the top floor of the clubhouse).  Hole #8, a dogleg left looking straight out over most of the rest of the course towards the clubhouse, has a view that is one of the best I have seen in the game.  Finishing holes are particularly strong with #16 green reminding me somewhat of #14 Foxy at Dornoch, a very tough par 3 #17 with a sharp drop off right, and a wonderful 18^th back to the clubhouse.

But what was going on with 4-7?  And based on what David says, there is little or no prospect of these trees being cleared.  Pity…this could easily be a world 100, but not with the current #4-7.

After the round, we had a wonderful dinner in the clubhouse and planned our next day at Royal Hague.  We are playing with Hindrick Gommer, a member, and also a member of Pinehurst CC where he keeps a small home (we have never met before and for sure will play again in NC).  He also was just appointed to the Golf Magazine panel.  Royal Hague, founded in 1893 is the oldest club in the Netherlands.  It moved to its present location, about 2 miles from the North Sea, in 1938.  The course was designed by Harry Colt and Charles Allison.

To put it simply, I loved this track.  We were about the first group off.  The land is rolling and moves in every conceivable direction.  It has a total of only 24 bunkers (only one fairway bunker), and five holes have no bunkers.  Greens are very tough to read, were of good speed and were nice and firm (whole course nicely firm and fast).  Best holes are:

      #3 (medium par 4…385 from tips, sharp uphill dogleg right to a very elevated green, with runoffs left and right…great views of downtown The Hague from this green),

      #6 (long par 4 –471 from tips and slightly uphill, fairway snakes left to right to left, to a green with a false left front corner that slopes down to a bunker that must be 15’ deep or deeper…to be avoided…and there is a sharp runoff to a valley right of the green…”piece of cake” as they say…just that :”they” forgot to mention the arsenic). 

      #9…shortish par 4 (360 from tips) that turns very slightly to left and rises sharply uphill to a green protected by a false front (which is an extension of a sharp hill up to the green)…moi hit perfect drive (playing from 312 yds) and stiffed a wedge to about 2’…and yes, made the birdie putt

      #13…424 yd par 4 from tips, turning slightly left (with the only fairway bunker)  to deep, narrow green with front right well protected by front right bunker and run off to left;

      #14---fabulous driving hole is 426 from tips with narrow fairway and OB along left side…second shot is sharply uphill to deep narrow green with a false front

What I do not understand is how this track has never made it into a prominent World Top 100.  To my mind, it clearly is the best of the four that I played.  I repeat, I loved this course!!

Having survived my four days in The Netherlands (thanks to David Davis…one of the world’s great hosts) it was time to d get to the airport and move on to Hamburg, Germany.  I was at this point 12 days into the trip and had played 17.5 courses (remember…27 at Kennemer)…was tired but not as bad as I feared I might be, especially after the last few days.  The worst of the trip (in terms of exhaustion appeared to be over with only one more double headed left...and 5 behind me).