Golf is unlike any other sport. I play cricket, but I cannot play at Lords. Twickenham, Wembley and Wimbledon equally remain out of reach for all except for professionals and top amateurs. It is, however, possible to follow in the footsteps of the professionals and to play competition and major golf courses. In particular, the
A birthday treat I had grand plans to celebrate my 40th birthday. This seemed like a good excuse for a big trip and so I focussed in on Pebble Beach. Great in theory, but it presented numerous challenges in practice. The decision was taken out of my hands, however, when the global pandemic hit in
2020 in review So, 2020 has come and gone. For me it started with great expectations and some carefully laid plans. It is an understatement to say that it did not quite turn out as anticipated. I should start by saying that I am, in no way, looking for sympathy! My golfing issues do not
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
A golf trip … finally! I don’t know about you, but I love a golf trip. There is nothing quite like finishing a round and knowing that you do not have to drive home. A golf trip where you are staying on site is even better – no hassle of cars, transfers or taxis. So,
A flat links on the Wirrall I had heard a lot about the course and not all of it was positive. This was said to be a different style of links course from the other Open courses in England. Birkdale and St. George’s have picturesque holes framed within the dunes and Lytham has unique bunkering
A Classic Seaside Links Rye Golf Club is a classic seaside links course. The routing is natural, the clubhouse is unpretentious and the course is fiendishly difficult! Nominally, the course is a par of 68 but has a standard scratch of 73. The original Colt design (with a few modifications over the years – see
The creation – Fowler and Braid Walton Heath is synonymous with two greats of the golfing world: Herbert Fowler and James Braid. The former was the designer and brought us the two wonderful heathland courses. The latter was the first club professional who not only won The Open 5 times but also created numerous great
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.
A heathland classic Given that I grew up in Surrey and then (until recently) lived in West London, it is perhaps surprising that the first time I played Woking Golf Club was in 2018. I had heard of the 3 “W”s and had been looking for an excuse to play them. I was, however, a