Silloth on Solway Golf Club

Playing solo golf seems to be a divisive topic. There are many who do not see the point – golf is supposed to be a social activity. I agree with the sentiment, but I am also quite fond of a round on my own. It is particularly good fun when the course is empty and the weather is good. On my holiday a little earlier this year, I managed to play 6 rounds over the 2 weeks. I played all of them solo, with only my camera for company.

For the first part of our holiday we stayed in a remote cottage just south of Ullswater. When I investigated the precise location, I realised that it was only about 40 minutes from Silloth. If you look at the map of the Top 100 Courses in England, you see that most of them are in clusters. Silloth, however, sits on the extremity. It is probably easier to organise to play Silloth as part of a trip to Scotland. Anyway, while in the area I thought it would be a good opportunity to tick this one off. I am very glad that I did, but it is such a good course it was a shame not to be able to share the experience.

The town of Silloth on Solway

The Council’s website describes Silloth as a “classic, unspoilt English seaside town on the solway coast in Cumbria”. Sadly, I did not have much time to explore the town, but from a quick drive through the centre it looked certainly looked quaint. I have read various other reviews that speak of the excellent fish and chip restaurants to which the weary golfer retreats after their round. Again, something to explore next time!

The town takes its name from the “sea lathes”, the grain barns built along the coast by the Cistercian monks of Holme Cultram Abbey in nearby Abbeytown. It became a holiday destination in the Victorian era following the establishment of the Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway. The development of the dock generated more traffic and the port remains a major part of the western end of the town.

The North British Railway Company took over the two companies that had originally set up and operated the railway in 1861. This increased Silloth’s strategic importance for maritime trade between England and Ireland. The NBR also improved as a holiday destination.

Carlisle and Silloth Golf Club

In 1892 the NBR provided funding to lay out a golf course on what was referred to as the Bitterlees Bank. Their original intention was to provide the course as a recreational facility for Scottish holiday makers. Davy Grant, the professional at North Berwick, designed the links running between the dunes. After its completion, the land was leased to the Carlisle and Silloth Golf Club for £1 a year. It was, however, stipulated that non-members would be given greater than normal playing rights and the NBR maintained control over the level of green fees that could be charged. Notwithstanding that the club now owns the freehold of the land, they have maintained the affordable level of green fees.

Over the years many of the great course architects have visited, including JH Taylor, James Braid and Alister MacKenzie. There have been contributions to the course and routing from MacKenzie and Willie Park Jnr, but the course is largely as it was originally envisaged. In particular the traditional blind shots and sunken greens remain a key feature of the course.

The club changed from Carlisle and Silloth to become Silloth-on-Solway in 1966. The membership now extends across the British Isles and beyond, such is the renown of the course. The course has hosted many amateur and professional tournaments, including Open Qualifying events and the English Ladies Championships.

The Course

Like Rye, this is a classic old school links course. The routing is natural and makes fantastic use of the undulating terrain. It is only 6408 yards from the white tees, but it is not easy. The course is exposed at every turn as well, so any wind has an immediate effect. It is a traditional out-and-back layout, with only the 4th and the 13th going the wrong way. There are two short holes on each nine, but only one par 5 on the front nine. Three par 5s on the back nine make the course up to a par 72.

There are no really weak holes, except perhaps the short par 4 10th which links the front 9 and the back 9. Several holes really stand-out, however, including the first, third, fourth, ninth, thirteenth, sixteenth and eighteenth. This is a course that you could happily play over and over again. Next time, I will definitely bring a friend.

Hole 1

The first looks straight forward. It is 380 yards from the white tees and should be a gentle opening to the round. The fairway, however, is undulating, falls from right to left and is flanked on both sides by heather. Even if you find the short grass you will have to trust your yardage – the approach is blind. The punch bowl green that awaits is fairly generous and slopes gently from left to right.

I had an unusually solid start – striping a 3-wood up the left flank of the fairway and hitting a 7-iron straight over the flag. A good lag putt left me a straight-forward tap-in for an opening par.

Hole 2

One of the main problems with playing as a single is that it can be rather frustrating when there are other people on the course. I know, a single has “no standing”, but I do question the English policy of allowing one-balls out when the course is busy. Suffice to say, I caught up with the four-ball who had teed off ahead of me very quickly. Fortunately, they were intending on having a relaxed afternoon, so they waved me through. Again, this is good and bad – I was keen to get ahead of them, but suddenly I am under pressure to hit a good tee shot.

The 2nd is a short par 4 and, at 315 yards, I suspect many of the bigger hitters will go straight at the green. It is, however, a dangerous play, as the hole has a sharp dog leg to the right and you cannot see the green. The thick rough, heather and rolling dunes are also not the best place from which to play your approach. Two cavernous pot bunkers protect the green left and right.

Hole 3

The purple heather and yellow gorse on this course are stunning. There is no better view of this than the beautifully framed third hole. Both the 3rd and 4th holes make the best use of the topography as you play down towards the Solway. The elevation changes in the fairway as you turn towards the green add extra interest to this otherwise seemingly easy par 4.

I had only brought half a set of clubs with me for this trip. A pencil bag contained 3-wood, 3-iron, 5-iron, 7-iron, 9-iron, pitching wedge, 60 degree and putter. There were a few times that I was caught just between clubs, and this was one of them. On a normal links hole, I would have been very happy playing short of the hole and chasing the ball up. Here, the green is raised on a plateau and so you have to fly it all the way. Fortunately, the turf was a little softer than it might have been and my ball held up on the slope. In the height of summer when the course is firm, don’t leave it short or you could be 20 yards off the green at the bottom of a steep slope.

Hole 4

The 4th makes excellent use of the terrain. The tee shot is blind and you play to a fairway which is bordered by dunes on both sides. If the wind is blowing this will be a fearsome tee shot, as the tee box is elevated and exposed. The right side of the fairway will give the best angle from which to approach the green.

The approach is tricky, as the green is long and narrow. It is on the same level as the fairway, but there are steep run-offs on both sides. On the left there is a deep pit which has almost vertical sides and is a full 5/6 feet below the putting surface.

There are no bunkers, but the combination of a narrow undulating fairway, deep rough and a very narrow green make this a very difficult hole.

Hole 5

The views from the fifth the box are stunning as the Scottish coast appears across the Solway. This is the sole par 5 on the front nine. The hole plays straight along the coast and the beach is in play for a wild tee shot.

The tee shot requires a draw to get the most out of the hole as the fairway runs across on an angle in front of you. The dunes provide cover on the left, with thick rough and out of bounds on the right. Bunkers punctuate the right side of the fairway and will make you think twice about trying to run the ball onto the green. The green itself has a further two pot bunkers on the left and a run-off to the back.

Hole 6

The sixth requires length and accuracy. It usually plays between 180-190 yards from a slightly raised tee position. The tee shot needs to carry the two mounds at the front of the green and to avoid the two pot bunkers. The green itself slopes from back to front.

Hole 7

The par 4 seventh is a strong hole which plays all of its 400 yards. The tee shot and approach are played uphill to an undulating fairway. You will be lucky if you manage to get a flat stance. The approach is best played from the right side of the fairway. Whichever side you end up on you will be playing from the upslope to a hidden green. As you reach the top of the mound you see the green which is set between the dunes in another punchbowl.

There are no bunkers on this hole, but it is rated as the most difficult on the front 9. The blind approach is particularly tricky on the first attempt. There is a marker post behind the green but, as you can see, unless you are a decent way up the fairway even this is out of view.

Hole 8

Where the seventh played straight up the dunes, the eighth plays between them. The raised tee box gives you a great vantage point as the hole stretches out in front of you. This is a hole where accuracy off the tee really pays off. If you end up in the rough on the right and the heather on the left you will be playing out sideways.

There is a pot bunker on the left side of the fairway which is only really in play for the bigger hitters off the tee. It is, however, very much in play if. you are hacking out from the rough! The green is flat, but well protected with five bunkers carefully positioned around it.

Hole 9

The ninth is the odd one out of the par 3s. The other 3 are all between 180-200 yards. The ninth is just a flick with a wedge at around 120 yards. It’s tucked in above the 8th green and the 10th tee. I know, that is where you would expect to find the 9th, but it would be very easy to head straight on from the 8th green and miss out the 9th completely.

Assuming you find it, it is a picturesque short hole which again is exposed to the wind off the Solway. The small green is protected by 6 pot bunkers and it is not easy to find the putting surface.

Hole 10

The tenth is a short par 4 which takes a sharp dog leg to the left. If you go too straight (or right!) off the tee you can easily end up in a field with the sheep. Two bunkers protect the left corner of the dog leg, so if you are going to try and cut the corner make sure you have enough club. The fairway runs gently down hill to the green which has 3 more bunkers for protection. The green slopes away from you, so make sure you either get enough height to stop the ball quickly or land it short and run it on.

Hole 11

The par 4 eleventh takes you back towards the clubhouse. This hole also has a dog leg, but this time round to the right. It is a strong par 4 and at over 400 yards is a real challenge when the wind is into your face. The OOB markers on the right side encroach very close to the fairway, but there is plenty of space to the left. The further left you go, however, the longer the second shot.

Two bunkers protect the green. If you are going to run the ball up, make sure you have enough club as there is a false front which will reject anything not carrying enough pace. The green continues to slope from back to front, so take care if you don’t want to leave yourself with a slick downhill putt.

Hole 12

The longest par 3 on the course follows. The twelfth plays out to over 200 yards from the tips and requires a good hit to make the putting surface. The green is set between a bunker on the right and a heather-covered mound on the left. Gorse bushes frame the green at the back. The green is undulating, but the general direction takes the ball from back left to front right.

Hole 13

The first of two par 5s, the 13th doubles back on the course and plays in the wrong direction. It is noted as the “signature” hole and I can see why. The tee shot is played over a huge expanse of heather onto the first part of the fairway. The approach takes you between two dunes as you play towards the raised green.

The approach looks a very tough shot on your first attempt, but the fairway opens up once you get past the dunes. The green is raised on top of the dunes on a plateau which has run-offs on all sides. There are no bunkers on this hole and the protection comes simply from the natural terrain.

Hole 14

If the 13th is the signature hole, the 14th isn’t far behind. You have heard me talk about consecutive par 5s previously and I have to say that whilst I may have been a little sceptical at first, I really like them as a course feature. They also help with pace of play which, presumably, is why you almost never see consecutive par 3s. By this time I had played through the 4-ball who teed off ahead of me and the 2-ball who started ahead of them. I then passed the two elderly gentlemen who were ahead of me on the 12th and was now behind two ladies. They appeared to be playing some very acceptable golf, albeit not hitting the ball very far.

So, the tee shot is played to a generous fairway that runs alongside the 13th. There is heather on the right and rough on the left, but it is pretty flat and wide. The next shot is the difficult one – especially when playing it for the first time. I got a very good drive away which ran out to about 250 yards. I would normally have gone straight for the green, but this is complicated as there are a range of dunes to cover. At this point, I also had no idea where the ladies were.

The approach

So, I decided to lay up and ended up chunking a 7-iron about 120 yards. From the top of the dunes, I could see that I would have been unpopular if I had gone for the green as they were still putting out. The guys behind me would also have been pretty irritated had I waited much longer! Anyway, the view from the top of the dunes gives you a comprehensive idea of how to play the rest of the hole. There are two bunkers, but otherwise no danger. The bunkers are, however, deep and unforgiving. One of the chaps in the group behind ran his ball into the bunker on the right and took some 5 or 6 attempts before escaping. It made for entertaining viewing from the next tee box!

Hole 15

The fifteenth has a really links feel to it, with an undulating and fast running fairway and gorse bushes framing the hole on both sides. At 420 yards it takes two good hits to make the green in two. It looks flat and wide from the tee box, but when you get up to your ball you will be fortunate to have a flat stance. The fairway is, however, generous and allows you to open your shoulders.

The terrain gets even bumpier as you approach the green. There are mounds on the right side, with a bunker at the base, just before you get to a dirt track that crosses the hole. The green has one bunker that is hidden between the mounds on the left. The green runs gently from back to front.

Hole 16

This was my favourite par 3. The green is set on a plateau, slightly raised above the apron and surrounded on both sides by two bunkers. There is a very pleasing symmetry with the bunkers at the front and slopes at the back covered in gorse.

The two ladies had a little trouble with this hole and so I was waiting for quite a while before being able to tee off. The chaps behind caught up and we had a quick chat. I offered to them that we should join up to play in together, but they were very happy for me to play on my own. There was therefore a little gallery to see me flush a 5-iron straight over the flat to within 15 feet.

Hole 17

The terrace of cottages comes into view as you start the 17th and play back into town. The par 5 17th hole is straight and looks pretty easy on the course map. Again, the natural terrain and undulations mean that if you miss on the wrong side of the fairway, you can easily end up with your ball having shot off into the rough or heather. At 495 yards and playing mostly downhill it is not the longest par 5, but if you have not found the short grass there is no chance of getting to the green in two.

The green is set at the bottom of the hill and everything slopes from left to right. Ideally, therefore the approach is played up the left side with the ball feeding back to the right. This is made rather more difficult, however, by the pot bunker strategically placed on the left about 20 yards short of the green.

Hole 18

The closing hole is a strong par 4 and, at 433 yards, the longest 2-shotter on the course. The fairway runs on an angle from right to left in front of you. Again, a draw is best here to get most value for your shot and to give you the best chance of reaching in two. By now, the rain was falling quite heavily and the ball was neither carrying nor running as far as it had earlier in the round.

Two bunkers protect a conservative tee shot which is played to the right side of the fairway. A further four bunkers await the approach, with two for a running approach and two adjacent to the green. I had managed to get my second just short of the bunker on the right, leaving a short pitch to the green. I clipped a wedge nicely off the top and left myself with 12 feet for par. As I was now well clear of the group behind, I decided to set up a video with my camera positioned on top of my bag and under my umbrella. Having set it up I realised this was probably folly, but getting back over the putt I suddenly felt quite confident. It was a good roll, if a little aggressive, but it hit the middle of the hole and dropped.

The pint of ale in the 19th after the round tasted very good indeed having parred the last!