An Edwardian masterpiece

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I turned up at Swinley Forest. I have played The Berkshire (which is just across the road) on numerous occasions and think that both courses are terrific. They are, however, not ranked in the World Top 100, whereas Swinley Forest sits at number 55. What was it that made it so much better?

The course was designed by Harry Colt and opened for play in 1909. As many will know, until recently it was incredibly difficult to get a game at Swinley Forest. The membership is small and the club was very private. It is still a private club, but when the latest secretary arrived a few years back they opened up a limited number of slots for visitors. I had heard that all visitors were made to feel very welcome and our experience today certainly validated that.

Like The Berkshire, the land was formerly owned by The Crown Estate. Colt was commissioned to inspect the land with a view to designing the course whilst he was secretary at Sunningdale. I had not appreciated the proximity of the two clubs until we drove past Sunningdale on our way back.

A little history

Colt is legendary for his imagination and when you consider that his chosen routing required around 14,000 trees to be removed you can see where this reputation came from. The course has been described as “A gentle course for gentlemen”. This was not somewhere for playing serious competitions, but rather for enjoyment amongst friends. Until recently there was no formal par or scorecard.

It is very unlikely that any modern architect would design a course like this. The white “competition” tees measure at 5917 yards and the course has a par of 69. It is, however, perfectly formed and much more enjoyable than any of the cookie-cutter 7,000 yard par 72s that are designed now. Colt once famously said that the real test of a course is whether it is going to live. That the course remains in the Top 100 in the World is testament to this.

The reputation of Swinley Forest is that it has the best short holes in the British Isles. I can understand why! As soon as you approach the 3rd green and the 4th hole comes into view, you can see why. The five par 3s are all visually stunning, present different challenges and look much easier than they play.

Today’s competition

I had been hoping to play it with JB a little earlier in the summer, but at that point no visitors were allowed. So when another opportunity arose to play it, I was quick to take advantage. Today I would be accompanied by Blair (who had joined me at West Lancs and Lytham) and Allan. The playing conditions were full-handicap Stableford and we are all playing off the same handicap.

We were the penultimate group to play, so we had ample time to watch other groups play off the first. It looked like a fairly gentle opening hole and the much vaunted heather was present, but not extensive. After a few swings in the practice net, a handful of gentle putts and (for me) a 15 minute conference call, we were ready to tee off.

A nervous start

Hole 1

The first hole looks quite gentle. It plays down hill over a stream (which is only in play if you can’t get your tee shot airborne) to the fairway and then up hill to the green. The fairway turns slightly from left to right, with two bunkers up the left and one on the right. The right hand bunker is in play for a good tee shot (at 260 yards), but the left bunkers are not relevant to most amateurs. The green is long and slopes from back to front. There are steep run-off areas to the back and left.

We all got decent tee shots away. I went right and the other two went left. It became apparent very quickly that, whilst there is not much heather on the first, the rough is thick. More on that to follow. The approach play left a little to be desired and none of us hit the green, but we were all safely on in 3. I had chipped quite close and had left myself a delicate 3 footer on the first hole. Blair and Allan were safely in with bogeys, and I joined them after my par putt drifted wide. This was to be the first of a number of makable putts that I left on the course!

Hole 2

The second is immediately visually appealing. But, as with all holes that have a blind tee shot, it is challenging the first time you play it. It is very reminiscent of the 7th hole at Sunningdale (Old) with the blind carry over a large cross-bunker. The hole then plays steeply down hill and the fairway runs out with a stream at about 300 yards. Heather flanks the fairway on both sides and you need to be careful of your starting line if you are to avoid it. The best play for someone who fades the ball is to aim over the left edge of the bunker as the hole turns slightly from left to right after the bunker.

Allan and I followed the pattern from the previous hole, but Blair hit a beauty. It started over the right hand side of the bunker and drew back onto the fairway. We didn’t see it, but it then clearly hit the downslope and ran out to just short of the stream. Again, the approach play wasn’t quite up to scratch, but Blair and I were both safely on in 3. Two putts and another 5-for-2 kept our steady starts going. Allan had missed back right and got up and down from there for a bogey as well.

My approach actually went a bit further right than I had planned and I ended up behind one of the heather “walls” which frame the green. This was a terrific feature and not something I had seen before. It doesn’t look too difficult from the picture below but, believe me, when you are chipping over it to a small green from a thick lie it is quite intimidating!

Hole 3

I love a short par 4 and this one is no exception. It looks totally innocuous from the tee box and, at 295 yards, is clearly in range for long drivers. That said, it quickly became clear why driver may not be the best option. The tee shot is to a fairway that runs diagonally from bottom right to top left ahead of you. There are no bunkers until. you get to the green, but the fairway is quite narrow (though not quite Duchess levels). Two bunkers protect the green at the front and it has a run off at the back. It is also quite undulating.

I mentioned earlier that the rough was thicker than any of us had expected. We all hit decent drives – Allan went a little bit left and we were surprised when the ball didn’t bounce. Blair’s bounded down the fairway, but turned over a little too much and ran into the rough. For the first time today, I hit a decent tee shot and found the middle of the fairway. Allan’s ball was very much buried. This rough was the sort of stuff that the Americans complained about at the last Ryder Cup. It had also rained over night and so was quite wet and claggy.

Anyway, we were all up and around the green in 2 (Blair just short, me in the middle and Allan just off the back). I managed to get my first putt close enough for a tap-in par, and the other two came on and had 2-putts each. It was only as we walked off the green that Blair realised that (as SI 17) we did not get shots!

Hole 4

As we came up to the 3rd green, the 4th comes into view but it wasn’t until I had finished putting out that I really appreciated quite how amazing the 4th is. I have played some very fine courses over the past few years and there have been some impressive vistas, but this was something else. I was totally captivated.

We were fortunate that the sun came out just as I was finishing up on the 3rd and so gave me a great opportunity to get some great shots. By the time we got to green the sun had ducked back behind the clouds, but I really liked the reverse view back from the green.

The hole itself plays at about 170 yards from the white tees. The green is, however, raised and there is a severe false front which will feed anything short back 20 yards onto the apron. The heather is everywhere, but really shouldn’t be in play. Two green side bunkers on both sides provide extra protection. Those on the right are sunk below the level of the green and so you are faced with needing to get the ball up very quickly.

Par proves elusive

I hit a decent tee shot, but pulled it a little and saw it roll back into the front left bunker. Allan went right at the pin and just ran through the green. Blair brought out a big block into the trees on the right. Again, my short game was in good order and I played exactly the shot I had visualised. 4-feet left for par.

Allan was a couple of yards off the green and had to come on over a little ridge. His putt was only a little heavy, but as soon as it caught the downslope it just picked up more and more speed. To our collective disbelief the ball trickled across the green and fell off the front. Blair had got himself out of the trees and into the bunker.

I missed the par putt. A safe 4, but another good position squandered.

Hole 5

From the first short hole to the first par 5. The 5th again presents you with a stunning tee shot. The swathes of heather on both sides. Good bunkering off the tee makes you think carefully about club selection and how to try and take them out of play. It is the longest hole on the course, but at under 470 yards it is still gettable in two from a good drive. You play your approach to a slightly raised green that has a very narrow entrance between two bunkers. There is a pond and a small stream which come into play if you are either in the rough or a bunker off the tee. The green itself is on two levels and slopes from back to front.

Back to the standard – I went right, Allan went left and Blair smoked one down the middle. I was in the thick rough to the right of the bunkers and managed to hack it out over the heather to the edge of the rough. I had caught a reasonable lie and thought I could probably get my 3-wood behind it. Conscious of the pond (see above) that would likely catch the ball if I duffed it, I made a confident swing and saw the ball cruising toward the green. It bounced on the front edge and ran on to leave me left of the flag and on in 3.

Surely par this time?

Blair wasn’t able to take advantage of his stellar drive and Allan was having some difficulties with the thick rough. Blair looked to have recovered from his trip to the pond with a good shot into the green – heroic, one might say. None of us had yet got the flat-stick working – Blair 3-putted and I followed his lead, with my 2 foot putt for par drifting left past the hole. We left the green with a bogey and two-doubles – not ideal.

Hole 6

So far, the course had lived up to its billing and it was just a shame that the golf had not quite matched it. Turning past the trees behind the 5th green to the 6th tee box the course opens up. Two consecutive long par 4s that play in a line to the high point on the front nine. It is a steady drag up the hill and with the wind in our faces we knew these would be tough holes. Again, there are shades of the 5th at Sunningdale here where you can see the length of the two following holes.

The fairway is quite narrow on the 6th and there are no bunkers until you get to the green. The hole measures at nearly 400 yards and the rough is so thick on both sides that if you aren’t on the fairway you have no chance of getting there in two. The green is long and thin and slopes from back to front. Bunkers on each side guard the entrance.

Three good tee shots

We all hit good drives and found the fairway (or close enough). I had taken 3-wood off the tee and so was first to play an approach. My usually solid 3-wood let me down and I pulled it straight into the trees on the left. Not knowing what was up there, I dropped a provisional and promptly did exactly the same thing. Blair hit a great shot into the green and Allan followed him in (albeit with a little luck!). Whilst I found mine, I was not able to get it over the rough and it took me two more to get out. Blair 2-putted for a well made par, Allan couldn’t quite match that but had a solid bogey, whilst I recorded my first blob on my World Top 100 challenge!

Hole 7

If the 6th hole had had a gentle incline, the 7th now had a steep one. This was an intimidating hole. The fairway runs in front of you, but is very narrow at the start and only widens properly to the right after a solid 200 yard carry. There are then a row of heathery mounds crossing the fairway at about 250 yards and a huge cross bunker 60 yards short of the green. The green has bunkers on the right and falls away to the right as well.

My wipey fade was back today and I failed to carry the rough on the right side. At least it took the decision out of my hands this time and I would have to lay up. Allan and Blair both got good drives away and Allan in particular was in a great position. His approach came up just short of the green leaving a blind chip which he executed perfectly leaving a tap-in for par. Blair and I were both on in 3 and settled for bogeys.

Hole 8

The second short hole is another beauty. It is the shortest hole on the course, but is by no means easy. There is a steep drop-off to the right and to the rear and a couple of swales on the left. The pin was on the front of the green today and there is a little punch bowl on the front left which made for some tricky putts.

Allan continued his good form with a super tee shot leaving himself 8-10 feet for birdie. I went left into the swales and Blair went right. I chipped on to 4 feet and missed (again), Allan had a comfortable 2-putt for par and Blair couldn’t quite convert the bogey putt.

Hole 9

The 9th hole is the only one of Swinley’s magnificent selection to make it into the 1001 Golf Holes You Must Play Before You Die. It is a travesty that more are not selected, but I can see how the 9th made the cut. It is a strong par 4 which plays 425 yards from the white tees and has a dog-leg to the left. The design is very clever as there is a fairway bunker on the left side that protects the tiger line. It is 210 yards to carry it and it is an intimidating feature. The safe shot leads you further right and makes the hole much longer.

There are two additional bunkers protecting the left side of the fairway. These are not in play for most players, but if the tees are forward the first of these is at about 280 yards. The green is on a slightly raised plateau and is protected by run-off areas.

We got three decent tee shots away – Allan and I were up the right and Blair was on the left side. I squeezed the approach up to the green and left it just short. My short game held up again and this time I chipped it close enough to make the putt and come away with a par. Allan and Blair both made it on in 3 and 2-putted for bogeys.

The Back 9

So, through the front 9 I had collected 17 points, Allan 16 and Blair 15. We all felt that we had let the course off with a few silly misses, but these were not terrible scores. Especially considering how thick and penal both the rough and heather were playing, we could see how you can lose strokes very quickly. The one piece of advice that I had been given before playing was “stay out of the heather”. I now understand why!

Hole 10

The course design has 9 holes out and 9 back. Therefore the inbound 9 starts on the furthest part of the course. You can see the Swinley Road from the 10th tee box. I had often wondered which hole it was that was visible when driving to play at The Berkshire and for once it was great to be on this side of the fence.

The 10th is a par 3 that plays all of its 210 yards. It is testament to Colt that he managed to create 5 par 3s all of which require a different shot. There is, therefore, a long carry required over the heather and 3 bunkers protecting the green. The middle bunker is a good way short, but has the effect of making the hole feel even longer.

Allan continued his string of good par 3 tee shots and hit a high fade into the middle of the green. Blair and I both missed the green, again. I had another good chip from a miserable lie and briefly thought I might have holed it. It trundled onto about 4 feet past the hole, but I would have another look at par. Allan confidently secured a par, but Blair and I would have to settle for bogeys.

Hole 11

Both 9s have one short par 4 – the 3rd and the 11th. The 11th is even shorter than the 3rd but, as we found, is no easier. There are two sets of tee boxes – one for the yellows and reds that give you a full view of the hole and one for the whites and purple tees which makes the tee shot blind. The higher set of tees is up by the 10th green and I took the opportunity to have a look down the hole. As soon as we got to the bottom, I had totally forgotten what it really looked like and we had to revert to our various devices to try and work out what to do.

The shape of the fairway means that it really favours a draw. Otherwise, you are playing a fade over the heather and the bunkers and hoping that you have enough shape. With a fade all 3 of the fairway bunkers are in play. With a draw, you are more likely to be in danger of getting up to the green side bunkers. If the draw is too much you will be in the left front bunker, if you go straight then there are two more. The fairway slopes downhill to the green, so you need to be careful to take the right club.

It is all about the approach …

This hole is all about the second shot. If take too much club then it actually becomes quite a difficult green to hit. Allan and I took 3-wood, Blair took driver. Blair nailed a perfectly flighted draw, which was the perfect shot for this hole and he covered the full 280 yards to the front of the green. Allan was just on the edge of the fairway up the left and I had run out to about 220 yards just past the right hand fairway bunker. Between us we had no more than 120 yards to the green – how we only managed to take away 3 points is slightly beyond me!

Hole 12

I could write a whole essay about the 12th hole. This was quite frankly the finest hole I think that I had ever encountered. As I look back through the photos and review the round, this is the hole that intrigues me the most and which I would most like to play again (if I had to pick only one!).

The hole plays at 430 yards from the white tees, so even if you get a good drive away you are likely to be playing your approach with a long iron. The ideal tee shot would be a draw off the left side of the centre bunker. The further left of that bunker you go, the longer the carry is just to reach the fairway. This causes a major problem for players who like to hit a fade, as you risk getting caught in the rough or having a very long second. If you can negotiate the long forced carry, there are then two fairway bunkers that are off-set on the right and then the left. The fairway narrows dramatically as you get to the left hand bunker.

The approach

For the approach, you are playing to a raised green which is the most complex on the course. The area up by the green is totally exposed and so any wind will affect your shot. The ideal shape for your approach shot is a fade, but if you overplay this, there are two bunkers along the right side. The green has numerous undulations, as does the apron that feeds into it. There is a ridge just in front of the green on the left side, but a false front in the centre. A swale on the back right edge feeds the ball further away from the hole. The rhododendrons that used to adorn frame the green have gone, but I would still avoid being long as the general angle of the green is back to front.

Another par

Blair’s draw deserted him on this hole and his tee shot, while well struck, ended up in the right hand fairway bunker. I tried to take off a little too much of the corner and didn’t quite carry the rough. As I noted above, this hole is not easy for a fader. Allan hit a terrific high draw that bounded down the fairway and left him in prime position. From there he was able to fire a 5-iron into the green and came away with a very well made par. Blair and I didn’t fare so well.

I had to lay-up out of the rough, which I did well but then misjudged the approach and left myself 2 yards off the front of the green. From there it was always going to be a difficult 2-putt, albeit I should have holed the 3 footer for bogey! Blair’s bunker shot was a little thin and bounded through the fairway and into the rough. As we had found, the ball buries itself very quickly in the thick stuff and it was a while before we saw it again.

Hole 13

So, we then moved onto the penultimate short hole. This is certainly the flattest of the par 3s on the course and I assume that it is for that reason that it carries stroke index 18. The tee shot requires another long carry across the heather to a green that slopes from front to back. You need to come in with as much height as possible if you want to get the ball to stop quickly. There are three bunkers in front which start from middle-right and cover from there to the left edge. If you are going to miss, there is a little bit of space to the right side.

Allan and I hit good tee shots both of which ran through to the back of the green. Blair was a little heavy and came up short into the front bunker. His touch out of the sand was exquisite and he walked off with a well-made par. Allan also made par, whilst my putting woes continued and I could do no better than bogey.

Hole 14

The 14th is a relatively short par 4 and, if you can find the fairway, there is a good chance of making a decent score. The fairway again angles from right to left and is well-bunkered. The fairway bunker up the right hand side is at 220 yards off the white tees and so a perfect collection point for a standard amateur drive! You play the approach over another sea of heather to a relatively narrow green. There are no bunkers around the green, but if you miss by more than a couple of yards your ball will shoot off into the heather making for a very difficult up and down.

Allan’s good form continued as he hit another terrific drive. It was a shame that he had been given duff information from his caddy (yours truly) and due to a slight misunderstanding about which bit of heather we were discussing ended up running through the fairway above the bunker on the right. My soft fade was back again and I came up just short of the bunker and into the heather. Blair had also found the heather, but up the left side. Allan continued his par streak, surprising himself by holing a 20 footer he thought he had left short. I chipped on and two-putted for a bogey. Blair’s troubles in the heather cost him again but he managed to salvage a point.

Hole 15

At 450 yards from the white tees, this is only just a par 5 and I understand that it is often played as a par 4. For today, we were delighted that it was a par 5 and I cheerily announced that I thought this was going to be a good opportunity to score. I was right and we came away with 7 points between us (unfortunately for me, I only contributed one of them!).

The tee shot again ideally requires a draw as the fairway is set on a right to left angle. If you fade the ball you need to take on the left hand fairway bunker and let the ball fall back into the middle of the fairway. There is another fairway bunker on the right hand side (which is in play for a push-fade). The approach is played up a steep hill and the green is on a plateau at the top.

The par streak continues

Allan blocked his tee shot a little but got it a good way up and into the heather on the right. Mine buried itself just above the bunker on the left and Blair caught the left hand bunker. So, none of us were going for the green in two! It took me two shots to get out of the heather and when I finally did I could not avoid running through the fairway into the rough on the other side. I was not making this hole easy for myself. Allan and Blair both successfully escaped into the middle of the fairway and played good approaches to the green. Two putts from each and they had secured par on stroke index 2. Allan was on an excellent streak of 7 pars in the last 9 holes.

Hole 16

The closing stretch does not disappoint with three terrific holes. The 16th is a par 4 that is straight and narrow. The fairway has the standard protection of off-set bunkers at 200 yards on the left and 225 yards on the right. Heather flanks the fairway on both sides and there is another forced carry before it begins. The green is long and thin and slopes from back to front. Anything up the right side of the green will get funnelled off into a collection area.

My driving ability returned with a well struck 3-wood that split the fairway. Allan went right and Blair went left. It transpires that a miss on the right side is better than the left as the heather stops just before the tree line. Allan played a good recovery shot into the middle of the fairway and left a good yardage to the green. My approach caught the right side of the green, but (as noted above) fed off into the swale. I was on in 3, but another 3-putt left me seething. Allan wasn’t able to keep his par-run going and having missed the green with his approach also took away 1 point.

Hole 17

The penultimate hole is the final par 3. You play to the a slightly raised green that slopes from back to front and which is protected by bunkers on both side. There is a generous apron in front of the green, so if you are going to miss I would recommend leaving it short. If you go long, left or right you will be left with a very difficult second.

My tee shot came up just short of the green, while Allan and Blair both missed above the bunker on the right. I rolled a putt up to within 2-feet and finally made a short putt for par. Blair chipped on a 2-putted for bogey, whilst Allan couldn’t hold the green with his second and had to work hard to salvage a point.

Hole 18

The closing hole is a cracker. The stream that we had seen on the first tee is now actually in play. It winds its way across the fairway from bottom left to top right meaning that the further right you go, the longer the carry. We saw a number of groups following us who all seemed to have at least one person whose ball had to be retrieved. A bunker on the left protects the ideal line and a heathery mound on the right awaits those who bail out. The approach is played uphill to a large green protected by two bunkers at the front and one to the left. Another huge swathe of heather covers the area to the right and behind the green.

Sadly, none of us managed to find the fairway (again) – Allan and Blair were up the left whilst I flirted with the heathery mound on the right. It transpired that the right miss was better than left, as the rough was much thicker. I took an extra club to account for the rough and the slope, and thought I had hit a super approach. As I walked up, however, it became clear that I had air-mailed the green and would have a tricky chip back.

Blair and Allan were struggling with the dense rough. Blair eventually managed to craft a low running shot onto the front of the green. I had left myself another short putt – could I close out with a par? Well, I think by now we all know the answer to that! It was a shame that between us we only managed to take away 4 points.

Final thoughts

I had started the day wondering why it was that Swinley Forest ranked so highly and was so revered. I finished the day trying to work out why I had not been here sooner! It was an absolute delight – the course, the clubhouse, the reception from the staff and the pros. This is a phenomenal place to play golf and to relax. I can totally understand why most people don’t bother to take a card and the preferred format is matchplay.

The course is exquisite. There are so many memorable holes and so many memorable shots. That we did not feel we had quite done it justice really didn’t matter. For the record, only 2 people played under their handicap on the day and Allan’s 33 points was good enough for a tie for 6th spot. The short holes are indeed as good as everyone had said, but it is the order of the holes that gives the course such great variety. As you will have gathered from my comments above, the 12th is my favourite hole (closely followed by the 4th). I cannot remember the last time I played a course and have then replayed it so many times in my head afterwards! I will certainly be returning at the earliest opportunity.