Two great courses

The Berkshire has two great courses – the Red and the Blue. I have had the great fortune to play them both on a number of occasions, despite not being a member. In addition to golf, I am a keen (if pretty average) cricketer. The Berkshire plays host to the MCC Golf Society and there is an annual fixture between the Lord Taverners and the XL Club. The first time that I played here was for the Tavs – we played foursomes on the Red in the morning and the Blue in the afternoon.

The Berkshire does a *very* fine lunch which is part of the experience, but rarely helps the golf in the afternoon. If you have the choice, make sure you play the Blue in the morning. There is nothing worse than standing on the 1st tee in full view of the terrace after a big lunch trying to concentrate on the long carry over the heather!

My personal view is that The Berkshire is the perfect set-up. The courses are both very playable, without being easy, the clubhouse is elegant without being intimidating and the hospitality is first class. I like a club that has two courses, as it means that it can accommodate both members and societies. The club can also moderate pace of play – two-ball groups play on one course, with three/four-balls on the other. They swap the courses over at lunchtime, so that if you are playing 36 holes you get to play both courses.

The Blue Course

The Blue Course, like the Red Course, was designed by Herbert Fowler. He is unusual among course designers, as he only took up golf at the age of 35 and was totally unknown when he created Walton Heath (Old) in 1904. He laid out these courses in 1928 on land which is situated in the forest and heathland to the west of Windsor Castle. Fowler is often overlooked as a course-designer, but with these two courses, Walton Heath and Cruden Bay he certainly created some masterpieces.

Holes 1-3

As I mentioned above, the Blue Course starts with a long par 3 that is in full view of the clubhouse. There is a raised tee box and a sea of heather in front of you. The carry is about 180 yards to avoid the heather. Alternatively, you can play to the left and follow a small tongue of fairway that leads onto the green. If you want to fly the ball all the way to the green, it is usually about 200 yards to the front edge. There is a steep drop off to the right side and a bunker protects a “safe” play to the left.

The second hole is a short par 4 from another raised tee box. The fairway is an inverse hour-glass shape, with a generous landing area in the middle. There is heather on the right hand side, with a drainage channel that gobbles up a ball that is hit with any right to left spin. A small pond on the left edge of the fairway is also in play for an errant drive. The green runs diagonally from right to left and has protection from bunkers in the middle and on the right.

The first par 5 comes next. This hole gently curves from left to right and is reachable in two if you hit a good tee shot. In the summer, the fairways run firm and fast and you approach can be played almost in a links style. The protection comes from the thick heather that borders the fairway on both sides. The green is large and fast, so check the flag position.

Holes 4-6

You pass the 4th green which is visible through a break in the trees from the 3rd fairway. It’s worth taking a quick look to see where the pin is. The 4th always plays a club longer than you think and the green is generous. Do not be too cute as it is not easy to get up and down from the front bunkers (or worse the slithers of rough running between them). There is a ridge to the slope on the right of the green which feeds the ball back to the putting surface.

Another short par 4 follows. This is a classic risk rewards hole. The best shot being a draw over the bunker on the left, but that requires a long accurate carry. If you over do the shape, you will be in the trees on the left. If you hit straight then you run out of fairway quite quickly and anything shaping right will end up in the heather. The green is protected by a bunker at the front and a run-off area behind it.

The next hole is a par 5 with water in play for the tee shot and 2nd. If you take driver off the tee, make sure the you keep the ball straight. Anything that veers to the right will end up in the bushes or the stream. My advice would be to take a long iron or hybrid off the tee. The stream winds its way across the fairway from right to left and then skirts the heather/rough on the left. Playing up the left side for your approach will leave you with the best angle to the green, but brings the stream into play. The green is large, but has a run-off on the left and to the back.

Holes 7-9

The front nine closes out with a trio of par 4s. They are great holes and each is different.

Hole 7 does not require driver (especially in the summer). It requires precision – too far left and you are blocked by the trees, too far right and you’re in the heather. The green has a very narrow entrance, with a large bunker on the left and a deep bunker on the right. The corner is not as far as you might immediately think and a gentle 3-wood should be ample. That should leave you with no more than an 8-iron into the green.

Hole 8 is stroke index 1. It is the longest par 4 on the course and it is straight. The tee shot can be quite intimidating, as everything seems to push you to the right. Work against it and make sure that you miss on the left side. The fairway angles back into the centre. Anything right is in the heather or the drainage channel that runs the length of the hole. There are no bunkers on this hole, so heather, undulation and length are the main protections.

Hole 9 plays back up the hill to the high point on the course. There is a half-way hut at the top on the right that serves both courses. You get another shot at it after hole 13, so don’t worry if you have left your wallet in your bag! The approach is played inevitably from an upslope and the green is mostly out of sight. Aim to land the ball on the front as it is easy to over club and end up being 10 yards over the back.

Holes 10-12

I really like this corner of the course. In particular, holes 11, 12 & 13 are terrific with a par 5, par 4 and par 3 in succession. The only slight complaint is the proximity to the A322 which is just over the back of the 10th green. It’s pretty noisy, and that is exacerbated by the contrast with the serenity of the remainder of the property.

Anyway, we continue with the 10th hole which is a par 3 that plays down hill to another undulating green. There is a bunker protecting the left side, for those who play away from the small pond front right.

The 11th is a terrific par 5. It has a double dog-leg, first to the right and then back to the left. The green is wicked and has a ridge across the middle separating the two tiers. If you want to go for the green in two you are best to be on the middle left side of the fairway off the tee. You then play across the heather and rough that pinches into the fairway from the left to the green. There is a bunker on the right that protects the front edge. Make sure that you are on the right tier of the green, otherwise you are in 3-putt territory!

You are now playing alongside the Red Course as the 12th tee box is just below the 6th green. If you hit the ball from left to right, you will struggle to hold the 12th fairway. That said, you are better being in the rough on the right than in the heather on the left. The green again has two tiers, with a steep drop off to the lower tier at the back.

Holes 13-15

When the heather is in full bloom, the whole course is a picture, but the 13th is a particular stand-out. There is heather in front and on the slopes down to the left. A deep bunker sits beneath the green at the front and it has heathery eyebrows that can ruin a round. The green is relatively flat, but does have a few subtle breaks.

After another stop at the half-way hut, you need to go and check the mirror on the 14th. This will show you where to aim and allows you to check that the group in front is clear. Ideally, you want to go straight over the marker post. Don’t go too far left, though, as you will end up in the heather (and it is not easy to find a ball when you didn’t see it land!). There is plenty of space right, but you will likely be blocked by the trees if you play it too safe. The contours feed the ball from left to right on the approach and so go as close to the bunker on the left as you dare.

The 15th is a par 4 which gently dog-legs from right to left. The driving area is generous and this is very much a second-shot hole. The approach is up hill (across the road) and the green is long and thin. Check the wind, as the trees disappear for the last 100 yards and any cross-wind is amplified. There are bunkers which protect the left and right of the green.

Holes 16-18

Much like the front 9, the closing stretch has 3 contrasting par 4s. The 16th is a great hole. It is long, but plays down hill, giving you a chance of getting some extra distance. There is a large bunker on the left of the fairway – if you end up in here you are not going for the green. The approach plays over a dip, which has a stream running along the bottom. There is an upslope the other side of the stream, so you need to make sure you take enough club to fly it all the way to the putting surface.

The 17th plays back up the hill and winds round to the right. Aim at the bunker on the left side of the fairway to give yourself the best angle into the green. If you hit the ball from right to left, don’t start it too far left as you bring the tall trees on the left edge into play. The green slopes from back to front.

The final hole has another raised tee box. In fact, there are two tee boxes, one on the left and one on the right of the road. The shot is much easier from the one on the right, especially if you tend to fade the ball! The green is raised again and it is usually a semi-blind approach shot. Aim for the left edge of the opening at the top of the hill and the ball will feed down to the right. Don’t miss right, as the ball will go bounding off into the heather and you will be left with a difficult up and down.

Verdict

I love the Blue Course at The Berkshire. It is perhaps slightly easier than the Red Course and is often ranked slightly lower. Its strength is in the 11 par 4s, which all have subtleties that can punish seemingly good shots. They are deceptively difficult. The elevation changes and cleverly protected greens also add to the challenge.

The club is very welcoming to visitors, but as you would expect the green fees are not cheap (£175 for a round). If you are going to play, I would recommend making sure that you play both courses in a day. They have a day-rate at £200 which is remarkably good value (especially considering Sunningdale will now charge you £275 for a single round). For a special occasion, play 36 holes and book in for the three-course lunch in the dining room. Whilst it is a bit of a faff having to change into jacket and tie for lunch, it is well worth the effort.

In addition, if you are chasing qualifying rounds, the courses regularly host amateur competitions. The European Amateur Golf Tour always has at least one day here a year and they offer a very good service. There are also numerous society or charity days, so there are plenty of opportunities to get a round.