Sunningdale Golf Club - Old Course

Sunningdale golf club - Old course

Tuesday 24th June 2014
Tee time - 1340
Green fee - £295 (including New course)
Score - 82 (par-70)

The clubhouse and famous Sunningdale oak tree

The Old course is the higher ranked of the two courses at Sunningdale and is the older of the two. Designed by Willie Park Jr the two time Open Championship winner, it was opened for play in 1901. Initially thought to be unsuitable for a golf course, the creation of Sunningdale established it year after year in the top 100 courses in the world.

After having a wonderful round on the New course in the morning and playing well in the process, I had high hopes for the afternoon on the Old. I was not disappointed.

The first tee sits affront the Tudor style clubhouse in all its beauty of the summer sun and the patrons were out observing me closely.

The caddie master was brilliant in giving me free reign to head out when I wanted due to the quietness of the course and rather than hang around all day, after a brief freshen up I was on the tee.

The tight tee shot - 1st hole - Old course

The first is a straight par-5 running alongside the road to the right. The trees lining it force you to play left a bit (especially those like myself who draw the ball). After a good straight tee shot and almost floating down the fairway in such relaxation, I belted a 4-iron from 230 yards and found the front of the green. Unfortunately my eagle putt lipped out and left a tap in birdie to start - not bad!

Sitting on the front of the green for two - Old course 1st hole

 

The second tee shot is into a wide fairway that is crossed by a road leading to shall we say some 'large' houses! The tee shot is easy by the second is blind from the right side of the fairway and involves almost a full carry of bunkers, rough and heather along the way. Deciding to play sensibly a layup opens up the downhill approach to the green.

The third is a short par-4 that requires a 200+ yard carry off the tee to avoid two menacing bunkers that cut into the fairway. Play a wood and your landing area narrows progressively and there are 3 further bunkers capable of gobbling up a ball. Miss the fairway left and you are in a host of thick rough and heather. At this stage I played through a four ball that were heavily tangled in the stuff. Further up at the green it is flanked left and right by a further three bunkers. A very attractive hole.

The fourth is a steep uphill par-3 played to a crowned green protected from the front by more formidable bunkers. The image below shows the beauty of the hole and the purple heather in bloom in the run up to the green. I under-clubbed my shot and despite finding the green three-putted on the super quick surface.

The purple heather leading to the short pat-3 4th green - old course

The fifth is one of the more photographed holes on the Old course. Another good length par-4 from an elevated tee position requires a good hit and a brave second over water to a small and heavily guarded green. While my tee shot found the fairway it was not great in terms of length and wasn't feeling bullish enough to have a go at it from the right side so I laid up and had a go at an up-and-down (failed).

Old course -5th tee

The sixth is a shorter par-4 with a small fairway in terms of width and length. A driver is too much off the tee due to the 100 yards of heather leading to the green making it a visually striking hole. Miss the fairway (I did) and barring a good lie (fortunately I had) you have a serious challenge to hit this tiny green.



The par-4 6th hole - old course

The seventh is one of my favourite holes on the old course. The view from the tee is of wild heather and a sprawling bunker rising in front of you. At the top sits the fairway which slopes down and left heavily. Even with the course plan it's was difficult to pick the correct line so I put my trust in the marker post and flushed my drive directly over it. It took me some time to find my ball due to the impossibility of working out my line. I was surprised to find it right at the very bottom of the fairway some 320 yards from the tee. I was fortunate not to be any further left as the trees close in from the left block your visibility of the green. This is an original and yet another fantastic hole but yet another hole where a 15 footer slipped by for birdie!

The blind tee shot - 7th hole - old course

Natural sand and heather - beauty

Taken from one of the higher points of the fairway - everything feeds left!

The tight little approach to the green - 7th hole - old course.

 

Walking off the seventh you all most walk onto the eight green with the tee of this short par-3 to the left cuddled away in the trees. I took a few moments in the shade of the trees to take a drink. This is what golf really it. The pure enjoyment of peace and quiet with the birds singing and the sun shining. The woodland surrounding each of the holes is immaculate and the wild heather and gorse makes this an architectural masterpiece. The hole is a short one to a circular green horseshoed by five large bunkers. Overlooking the green in the distance is a beautiful house of gigantic proportions (probably owned by a non-golfer). I pushed my shot right far enough to even miss the bunkers and managed a delicate chip back over them and par putt from a precarious position.

The discreetly hidden par-3 8th hole - old course 



Some of the beautiful places surrounding this wonderful course.

The ninth is a drivable par-4 at 267 yards but with plenty of reasons not to have a try due to the four bunkers protecting the run up to the green. There is a channel of no more than 20 yards wide to thread you ball through for a safe passage. In hindsight I should have taken a 3-wood but a ramped down drive was perfect for line but a little too far as I watched it narrowly miss the flag and head off the back into the rough. I should have done better than par but was pleased nonetheless to have survived yet another challenging hole.

The driveable par-4 ninth - old course

The signature tenth at Sunningdale is teed from the highest point of the course down to a perfect fairway littered with a number of identically shaped fairway bunkers along the sides and through the centre. A lovely hole to play (despite topping it into a bunker!!)

The signature 10th hole - Sunningdale old course

At the end of the tenth green is the halfway house that also serves the New course and one that is very well stocked in terms of choices, however I was a bit put out to purchase a sandwich and upon sitting down to eat it realised that there was only half of it. Now I know these places are for the rich and the famous, but it was my only disappointment of the entire day!

The well equipped halfway house - bring your wallet!

I enjoyed playing the eleventh hole despite leaving the other half of my sandwich in the fridge in the halfway house. The tee shot is one of only a few blind shots, this time with a marker. The view is covered in heather gorse and sandy areas. The landing areas are small and tight requiring accuracy to avoid trouble. The green is very small and crowned to dispatch mediocre approaches.

Another blind tee shot to the 11th - old course

The short and tight fairway landing area - 11th hole - old course

The 'crowned' green of the 11th - old course

Number twelve is a shot par 4 with a snaking fairway running down the hole with some bunkers thrown in to collect the loose ones. The approach is to an elevated green as the hole banks to the left and is surrounded by tall trees, simply a beautiful hole!

The snaking par-4 12th -old course

Beautiful bunkers feathered with heather - 12th - old course

Playing well and great putting surfaces = birdie opportunities

The thirteenth is a good length downhill par-3 requiring a full carry to reach the green. Two large bunkers protect the right front of the green and a pin position on the right makes it a stern challenge.

The downhill par-4 13th -old course

The tight crowned par-3 green

 

One great view after the next - 14th - old course

15th - old course

Heavy guarding of the 16th green! - old course

The seventeenth is a downhill par-4 where you can hit it to the wide fairway without too much trouble, the approach into the green is long and the small green is protected left, right and front by menacing bunkers. After a good drive I was left with 180 yards to the pin from the fairway and I struck my 4-iron perfect and saw it climbing high with a slight left to right fade. The ball landed softly front centre and followed the contours of the green towards the hole, I watched with pain as the ball hopped as it lipped out and ran 10 feet by. It was a shame I didn't hole it but love the feeling of striking it exactly how you intended to. Low and behold, I missed the ten footer for a birdie too! D'oh!

17th tee - old course

Narrowly missed holing out from 180 yards - 17th - old course

The clubhouse back in view - approach to the 17th green - old course

Distraught to be walking to my 36th and final tee of the day, I knew this wonderful experience was soon to come to an end. In the distance stands the Sunningdale oak and the Tudor clubhouse behind. My tee shot raced off to the right and I found the thick rough. From my position of the second I had a shot for the green but the flag was buried back right and a deep bunker was sitting directly in front to stop my progress. Working out the yardage as 165 yards to the pin, I selected the 6-iron in a 'no guts, no glory' moment. I could see the green staff and course manager talking beside the green as I made my final lining up and made a smooth swing through the rough to the ball. As I had hoped, the ball accelerated off the club face high into the sky. As I eyed the ball and pin up and down I could see the line was perfect and watched the ball land over the bunker onto the green surface. I approached the green to find my ball to eight feet with great satisfaction. As the staff watch on, I made a pure stroke to find the bottom of the hole and a lovely round of applause.

18th tee - old course

Final approach - 18th hole - old course

More heavy guarding - no surrender! - 18th - old course

Perfection to finish - 18th green at Sunningdale - old course

My experience had come to an end and had loved every minute of it. Sunningdale is in my humble opinion the best inland course in the UK. The conditioning is second to none and the layout is one of the best I have played. There are courses such as Turnberry that somewhat have an advantage due to the scenery around them. Places like Sunningdale don't have that, yet what they have achieved is an oasis of greenery and natural heather set amongst a sandy base that make you want to sell your vital organs to play there again.

A great day at a great place, with great staff in great weather with a great(ish) score.

A few blogs to come!

It occurred to me that no one reading this blog knows what blogs are to come. Here is a list of blogs left to write. 

Sunningdale Old

Woburn (Dukes)

Sherwood Forest

The Belfry (PGA National)

The Belfry (Brabazon)

Notts Golf club (Hollinwell)

Lindrick Golf club

Turnberry (Ailsa)

St. Enodoc

Saunton (East)

St. Andrews (New course)

Gullane (no.2)

Carnoustie (Championship)

Wolf Creek golf club, NV (not a top 100 but good blog)

I'm a busy boy and busy dad but slowly getting through them. 

Stay posted. 

Sunningdale Golf Club, New Course

Sunningdale Golf Club, New Course

Tuesday 24 June 2014
Tee Time – 0841
Green fee - £295 (including old course)
Score – 83 (Par-70)

 

The clubhouse at Sunningdale and famous Oak Tree

I rose at 5am and made my last checks for the day and after saying goodbye to wife and daughter, I was in the car for 0545 on my way. As I made my way onto the dreaded M25, the rush hour traffic was hitting its peak. Having not journeyed down here for quite a while I forgot how arrogant and plain rude some people can be, not that this phased me at all; they were going  to work while I had the day in a green oasis.

 As I made my way off the M25 and into the Surrey sand belt, along with the high end golf courses, came the lavish houses and the Ferrari's, Bentley's and Maserati’s rolling around the streets. As I passed by another two Top 100 courses – Wentworth (East & West), I knew I was headed somewhere better today. After a long and tedious wait at the level crossing in the small town of Sunningdale, I broke left off the main road to Sunningdale Golf Club.

The large black gates hold the icon of this great club - the giant oak tree which sits affront the clubhouse. Entering the code to the gates gracefully swung them open to the wonders inside.

I checked myself in with the caddie master who welcomed me and directed me in the way of breakfast with the clubhouse. On walking in I was greeted and shown to my table and after grabbing coffee and a bacon sandwich I was straight back out to get set up. The changing areas were beautifully kept by a gentleman in a shirt, tie and long blue jacket, I descended the beautiful oak staircase out to the car, grabbed the clubs and hit the range.

The range is at the bottom of the hill and next to 'Sunningdale Artisans Golf Club' and is completely on the opposite end of grandeur to the main clubhouse, I would describe it more as a retirement bungalow. The range itself was simple and tidily laid out with only the ability to hit irons on this occasion. After topping a few shots I wasn’t exactly feeling confident for my days play!

Despite the name, the New course is coming up to a century old. Opened in 1923, the sole designer was the one time club secretary and now legendary Harry Colt. Unlike the Old course, Colt elected for a different style of layout with a little less bunkering but favouring more strategic play and longer carries off the tee over heather and gorse. The result is a spectacular course in its own right despite its elder sibling.

Once again I was playing on my own today and with the course very quiet and good weather in store I was very pleased to be able to take my time and take in the experience. After watching the two ball in front spoon both tee shots into the heater right of the fairway I had a feeling I would be doing a lot of that today...little did I know!

The first hole is a long straight par-4 with out of bounds on the left and trees and heather on the right. Your tee shot plays down into a little valley and back up the other side. Even with a long drive there is work to do with a 180 yard approach to a narrow kidney shaped green guarded by a solitary bunker.



Sunningdale New - 1st tee

 

The second is a short par-3 uphill where the trees close in from both sides to an undulating two-tier green. I was fortunate for my half thinned shot to catch the ridge of the front bunker and come to rest on the top tier. The greens were lightning fast despite the dew this morning and a ticked putt down the slope was still sent fifteen feet past. Unfortunately I missed the one back to walk off with a bogey.

 

Sunningdale New - 2nd green

The third requires a careful tee shot in order to avoid the two strategically placed fairway bunkers and the heather right on this curving par-4. Find the fairway and you have a straightforward approach into the green.

 

The lovely tee shot at the third - Sunningdale New

 

The third of the New course with the beautiful bunkers edged with heather

By this point the morning haze was starting to burn off and the skies clearing for a scorcher, the short walk through the trees made me realise what a special place this really is. One of the green staff moved to the side of the fairway to allow a tee shot off on this lovely par-4 fourth, another dogleg right requiring an accurate shot to avoid the trouble. The amount of green staff on this course is a testament to the greatness of it. The gentleman who had moved to the side was cleaning out around one of the many sprinkler heads, each one of which identify a yardage to the centre of the green. My tee shot found its targeted spot on the fairway and a 4-iron approach was struck to perfection. The green has a banked front and my shot landed at the top and ran in to 15 feet from the flag. I duly stroked in my putt for a good birdie three.

 

The fourth tees hot to the New course.

 

The crowned fourth green - New course

Number 5 is a short par-3 played from an elevated tee position onto an elevated green over a valley of thick heather and gorse, tee shots short or left will be in serious trouble and missed right will be collected by the bunkers. Even if you find the green, you have a slick putt where you can putt it off the front and you can easily walk away with double bogey or worse.

 

Par-3 5th hole - New course

Hole 6 is from the highest point on the new course and visually beautiful par-5 with a smooth consistent curve right, all of which you can observe from the tee. Bite off too much and you are in more trouble on the right with water trees and more gorse and heather. The fairway banks with the curvature of the hole round to one of the more generous greens.

 

The stunning par-5 6th hole - New course

The massive slope on the 6th green - New course

The 7th provides a difficult tee shot placement whereby the hole is in effect straight but runs at a different angle to the tee so you need to consider which point you enter the fairway. End up on the left of the fairway you will be blocked out for your approach but the overhanging trees. The green is small and requires accuracy despite the short iron approach to avoid the bunker that is almost the same size as the green.

 

Yet another lovely hole - par-4 7th New course

As I was walking over to the eight tee, one of the green staff were cleaning and cutting one of the many tee boxes. It was pleasant that he took time to stop and stand on the lookout post so watch out for my blind tee shot to the fairway. The beautiful heather was full and dissected by two pathways that merge together to give you a line to the fairway. I thanked him and he bid me a good day. The approach is to a green merged into the banking behind the green and slopes heavily from back to front with yet another small landing spot. There are no bunkers on this hole but still a good one. I put my approach to 8 feet and missed yet another birdie putt to my slight annoyance.

 

The blind tee shot off the par-4 8th hole - New course

The small green of the par-4 8th about to miss yet another birdie

The 9th is an interesting hole with another blind view of the fairway. The rough and heather rise in front of you to the horizon. Tee shots need to be aimed left and allow the contours of the fairway to feed the ball back to the middle of the fairway. All of these holes are ones that give tremendous enjoyment particularly when you are playing well. I was glad to be studying the course planner for the correct yardages as it was paying huge dividends to me. The green on the 9th is another oval one with the rapidly familiar sight of a bunker taking a 'Great White Shark' sized bite out of it. After shanking my perfect drive into the trees, I was lucky to have a line through to the fairway and played a great up and down from 60 yards to walk away with a par.

 

Beauty of the heather in bloom.

 

Approach into the par-4 9th - New course

Walking off the green of the 9th, I had the best experience of the day so far. The short walk to the 10th tee through the immaculate pines was simply spectacular. The canopy of the trees provided shade from the beating sun and rays of sunshine broke through in places. As I walked through the opening, I realised I really was in golfing heaven and forgot about everything expect the joy of golf and Sunningdale.

Golfing heaven - the walk from the 9th to the 10th - New course.

 

The 10th is my favourite hole on the New course. Despite the pines to the left of the hole having been recently stripped back and opened up it is a wonderful par-3. At just over 200 yards it is no easy shot. The tee boxes are set into the hillside and are set at levels surrounded by heather. There is a small landing area short of the green and four bunkers around the green providing the heaviest of protection. The bunker at the front is set forward to muddle your perception of distance, after which is a severe slope up to the green. The bunker left of the green is set 15 feet below the green level and once again takes a nibble out of the green. My tee shot was short and just caught the top of the front bunker. It ran on up onto the green but due to the gradient ran quickly back down and was nearly collected by the left hand bunker. My chip shot on had to be dropped right of the pin to avoid the embarrassment of finding myself back in the bunker and while rolling it to ten feet I again missed a straightforward putt and walked with a bogey!

 

The 10th tee - what a belter!

Behind the 10th is the halfway house that serves both the New and Old courses. Lovely staff, polite and kind but wallet didn't appreciate the experience for just a couple of bottles of drink and a lovely homemade chunk of ginger cake. I don't suppose this is on the complaints list for the status of some of the people who play here! I am just an average Joe with a rather expensive love for golf!

 

The 12th on the New course is a short par-4 dogleg. After pulling my tee shot into the drainage channel on the left, I was left with a terrifying approach to an elevated green protected by a bunker front right, heavy banking front and a whole load of pain left! Unfortunately I found the latter and was fortunate to have a shot amongst the thick rough heather and gorse. The green was 20 feet above my feet and the pin nastily positioned at the front next to the bunker. I was fortunate to miss the bunker and find the fringe before two putts and running off the green in terror with a double bogey. I certainly got off lightly from this difficult hole.

 

The short but difficult par-4 12th - New course

The 13th is a straight par-5 which most people will play wrongly (as I did). A good drive still leaves realistically 250 yards to the green but the sprawling bunker right of it will scare most off, unless you are stupid. So the sensible option is to lay up, but your then problem is the bunker smack bang in the centre of the fairway. Ideally I like to leave 120-150 yards for my approach to get the most of my shot, however do this and you need a lob wedge for the second. Colt's design is clever where you have to compromise your game here and I really like that.

 

Decision time - fairway of the par-5 13th - New course

The 15th on the New course is one of the few featuring water. A dogleg right par-4 places a pond on the kink of the dogleg and requires an uphill approach to a green where you cannot see any more than the flag or the 5 bunkers protecting the approach. Fortunately a good bounce prevented a reload off the tee as I was perilously close to the hazard. I trusted the yardage, clubbed up one and hit it. It was pleasant to walk up to find my ball pin high to 15 feet, however I again missed my birdie putt which was the general tone of my day.

 

Water right of the par-4 15th fairway - New course

Bunkering in the lead up to the 15th green - New course

The 18^th is a great finishing hole. An arrow straight par-5, it needs two big hits to find the green. Playing as a narrow hole, accuracy is rewarded and finished off a thoroughly enjoyable first round.

 

The tight finishing par-5 18th tee shot - New course

While to New course sits in the shadow of its elder sibling, this is one of the best courses I have played from both a conditioning, layout and sheer exclusivity point of view. As I have said in a previous blog, I love courses that are tree lined and isolate one hole from the next and the New course does this to dramatic effect.

 

Scorecard

If I could play with one arm for the rest of my life, I would sell it to be a member at this place. It is not the slightest bit pretentious and all the staff and members for that matter are lovely people.