#twilight golf

[onebeardedgolfer]

Fairway thoughts on golf's Magic Hour.

Fairway thoughts on golf’s Magic Hour.

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[onebeardedgolfer]

A Feeling of Golf Normal: Birdie and I at the golf course.

A Feeling of Golf Normal: Birdie and I at the golf course. A few putts and my furry, four-legged companion on a picturesque evening felt normal for the first time in a while.

A few dreadful putts earlier in the week meant putting practice was in order. Tonight, for the first time in a long time, sundown at the golf course felt normal again. In desperate need of putting practice, I grabbed two golf balls, my putter, and Birdie, my beloved four-legged sidekick, and headed to Gay Brewer Jr. Course at Picadome, my local golf course haunt about a mile from the homestead,…

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[100thingstodoinadelaideafter5]

#GoodEveningADL Idea # 52 - Twilight Golf

Set in the picturesque Adelaide Park Lands, overlooking the City, the North Adelaide Golf Course offers Twilight golf and is open late from October through to March. 

[myss2013]

A round at a course with strong links to the US Open Champion

During a weekend break in Haslemere I managed to negotiate a few hours for some golf. After some extensive research of nearby courses I decided to book a round at the Park Course at Goodwood.

A number of factors influenced my decision. As with most of my choices for new courses to try, I was impressed by the images on Goodwood’s website. I was also keen to play at one of the courses with which Justin Rose has recently become the official touring professional and ambassador. Because of this I couldn’t believe a round costs just £30 after 2pm and £20 after 4pm at weekends. Although the old cliché of ‘if something seems too good to be true’ sprung to mind I booked a tee time to take advantage of the latter.

On approaching I caught a brief but spectacular view of the racecourse, shortly followed by the entrance to the more exclusive Downs course. After paying my green fee and purchasing a course guide I was given the route to the first tee and advised to cross the road after the second hole to ensure I played the third rather than the twelfth.

The first presents an immediate challenge at 423 yards off the yellow tees (431 off the white), although there’s little danger in terms of bunkers and trees. After surprising myself by hitting a long drive down the middle I hit a poor approach shot which missed the green short and left, but with the help of a good chip I managed to save par.

Above: view of the opening tee shot and the approach to the green (below)

With decent tee shots the par 3 second and par 4 third shouldn't see any dropped shots. Three realistic birdie chances follow on holes 4-6 which are two short par 4s and a par 5 under 500 yards. Unfortunately I only had a chance of a birdie at the fifth. I then came unstuck on the seventh as I ran out of fairway after pushing my tee shot slightly right with the driver. In hindsight my 5 wood, or perhaps even 4 iron, would have seen me reach the corner of the dog leg. I paid the price for a lost ball in the long rough with a treble bogey 7.

Below: The tee shots on holes 3-5

A purple patch of 3 over from holes 8-14 boosted my confidence and I should have had a birdie on the uphill par 3 eighth after hitting the pin with my tee shot. However, a tentative 8 foot(ish) putt meant I had to settle for par. I was also pleased with pars on the ninth and eleventh. Another followed on the par 4 twelfth, which at just over 400 yards and with narrow fairway, is ranked the hardest hole on the course.   

Below: the view from the eighth tee and from the front and back of the eleventh.  

The fourteenth (another short par 5) presented a birdie opportunity but a poor pitch into the greenside bunker cost me a bogey. The closing stretch of 16-18 was my favourite on the course. Although short in distance, the par 4 sixteenth requires a tee shot to the right side of the fairway and an uphill approach to a two tiered green. I then followed the course guide by playing the par 4 seventeenth with caution and narrowly missed a long par putt. The par 5 closing hole (comfortably the longest on the course at 554 yards) arguably deserves a harder stroke index. It also plays a touch longer due to the up slope where your tee shot lands (see photo below). However, I was pleased to finish with a par after my 9 iron approach somehow rolled through the green and I nearly chipped in from the fringe.

SUMMARY:

Goodwood’s website states:  ‘The Park Course which surrounds the flint walls of Goodwood House and three hundred year old Cedar trees may seem less of a challenge (compared to the Downs course), but its tricky switchbacks and devilish bunkers are enough to keep any golfer on their toes'.

I soon realised that the very course was very flat and, in my opinion, had a fairly basic layout with a noticeable lack of water. However, the constant switchbacks (change in direction) are a positive aspect and it would be interesting to see how the course plays with a decent wind. Perhaps I managed to avoid all of the devilish bunkers as the four I needed to escape from were not overly intimidating - this is a bold statement coming from me as bunker play is definitely the weakest area of my game. Although I shot 89 on a par 72 course (which I would have probably taken on the first tee,) a few silly errors cost me five or six shots.

The greens were immaculate meaning I could rely on a consistent pace and roll. As a result I took 33 putts, three below my target of 2 per green.  Considering how good a condition the course is in and its idyllic location, I certainly can’t complain at paying £20 for a late afternoon round at the weekend.  However, on the other hand, the full price of £40 is possibly based more on location than the challenge you are faced with.

Still, another course I would recommend and perhaps one day I’ll be lucky (and good enough) to play the Downs course. For further details on golf at Goodwood please see the following link.

http://bit.ly/10xXv9g

[myss2013]

Porters Park Golf Club - A hidden gem in Radlett

Yesterday I was introduced to the most impressive course I have played in a long time. Located on Shenley Hill in Radlett and backing onto picturesque Shenley Cricket club, Porters Park is a testing par 70.

Before teeing off I spent 10 minutes on the putting green which was an accurate indication of how quick every green is. I have previously experienced a stark contrast in the pace of a club’s putting green and the greens on the course, so this was another positive.

The first (see photo below) is a short par 4 with an uphill approach and offers the chance to start with at least a par. It is also the first of many holes which presents an inviting tee shot overlooking a dipping then rising fairway. The pro’s tip in the course guide reads that the ‘green is driveable and to go for an eagle start’. Although the green is reachable, it is probably more realistic to be on in two with a putt for birdie. However, thanks to the first of my many misses to the left of the fairway off the tee I had to settle for a bogey.

The view from the first tee. Players have the option of hitting a slight fade or drawing it over the trees.

Other notable holes include the tricky short par 3 sixth. You can’t see the bottom of the pin from the tee and there are five bunkers surrounding the green which can catch anything off line, as well as a slope at the front which can punish anything short. The par 4 eleventh at just over 400 yards is also easy on the eye and is the second hardest hole on the course. There is plenty of fairway to aim at over the three bunkers on the right which can leave a 5-7 iron for your second.

The par 3 14th (above) and the tee shot into the sunset on the par 4/5 18th (below)

The 18th provides a final test with little margin for error off the tee, which I found out to my cost, and the dipping sun doesn’t make it any easier either. There is then a narrow valley in front of the green. Down as a par 4 on the scorecard, the course guide gives you a bit of leeway by stating it often plays as a par 5.

To conclude, I cannot recommend Porters Park highly enough. My friend James and I took advantage of their twilight offer of £30 (available from 4-6pm every day except Thursday) which is excellent value, but in my opinion it is also worth the full price of £60. You can also play for £25 as a member’s guest. Further details are available at the following link.

http://www.portersparkgolfclub.co.uk/porters-park-golf-club-welcome-visitors.asp

I spotted this in the car park as I was leaving and can confirm that its for the man himself. I could have done with his help and a few demos around the greens, but I’ll definitely be back soon to try again.