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. So, I turned my attention to something closer to home. I was determined that I should play one of the World Top 100 courses on my actual birthday and where better than the Old Course at Sunningdale.

As soon as booking opened, I secured a four-ball slot just after lunch and set about securing my playing partners. That did not take long – perhaps unsurprisingly, Chris, JB and Jeffers were all keen to play! Now to sort out the remainder of the day. Taking a day off for an afternoon round seemed a little bit of a waste. Initially I had thought that perhaps we could combine with a round on the New Course in the morning, but then an invitation arrived from DTH. How about an early morning round on The Duchess at Woburn?

A warm-up round at Woburn

So, I set off from north London at 0630 and was on the range at Woburn by 0730. A good warm-up followed by a very enjoyable round on the prettiest of the three courses at Woburn. We were fortunate as well that the Rose Ladies series had scheduled an event on The Duchess 10 days later. I have played the course quite a few times now (DTH tends to insist on it!) and I have never seen it in such good condition. The greens in particular were immaculate. I lost my ball off the first tee, but after that played some pretty decent golf. The highlight of which was an approach to the par 5 10th from 170 yards which finished some 6 inches from the hole for a tap-in birdie. That helped towards a 3&2 victory and the day was off to a great start.

Willie Park’s Masterpiece

I had been to Sunningdale twice before, but there was still a real sense of excitement as I drove through the gates. Chris and Jeffers were already there and working through their warm-ups on the range. I was entertained to hear that Jeffers had missed the entrance, driven on past the club and then continued onto the course over the second fairway. Having realised his mistake, he doubled back only to find that the gate had closed behind him and he needed help from the clubhouse to escape!

We got a table for lunch and sat on the veranda overlooking the putting green and the Old Course. This was my first meal out of 2021 and what better place to have it! We watched a few groups coming up the 18th and a couple of people tee off. The course was, however, generally quiet and there was a genuine sense of anticipation around the table.

The Old Course was designed by Willie Park Jnr who started to route the course in 1899. It was revised and refined on a number of occasions by Harry Colt during his tenure as club secretary. It is, however, testament to Park’s design that the course we play today is very similar to the original. Whilst not considered long by modern standards, the careful bunkering, treacherous heather and fiercely quick greens mean that it is still a stiff test of golf. It must have been fiendish to play with hickories and a gutta-percha ball.

The Old Course

The Old Course holds 29th position in the Top 100 rankings and is the list’s highest ranked English course. As such (and for the next fortnight at least) it is my first foray into the top 50. That the New Course is also ranked in the Top 100 makes it one of only two courses to have multiple entries (Royal Melbourne being the other). This really is golfing heaven. Added to that the club had organised 20 minute intervals for tee times, so there was no one behind us and no one ahead of us. It felt like we had the whole course to ourselves – truly millionaire’s golf!

After a traditional selection process of throwing the balls in the air, it was decided that I would play with Chris and JB would partner Jeffers.

Hole 1

The Old Course starts with a relatively gentle hole. This par 5 barely gets to 500 yards off the tips and plays down hill. The fairway is generous and the only real trouble is out of bounds beyond the path on the right. There are two sets of bunkers down the left side of the fairway, but these are really only in play for those on the 17th and 18th holes. The approach is more easily played from the right side of the fairway. There is a bunker protecting the left side of the green, which slopes from left to right. A steep run-off at the back of the green will collect anything that is long and makes for a very difficult up and down.

I was so worried about putting one right, that my tee shot went flying down towards the 18th tee box. I got plenty of ball, however, so was just past the gorse bushes at the back of the 17th green. Having waited for the green to clear (the 17th, that is) I hit a sweetly struck 3 wood to just short of the bunker. A decent shot, but I had short-sided myself and left a tricky chip over the bunker. JB had hit a good tee shot, laid up and then played his 3rd to the back right portion of the green. My chip came up just inside his ball, so he would putt first. He hit a solid putt, but it took the downslope and kept running past the hole. Amazingly, I holed mine from 25 feet and walked off with an unexpected birdie.

Hole 2

If you had been lulled into a false sense that this would be an easy round, the second hole will quickly dispel this. It is almost as long as the first, but is a par 4. You have your first forced carry of the round over heather to a fairway which angles diagonally from right to left. You also have to negotiate the pedestrians and dog-walkers wandering across the road. If you can carry the ridge then. you will get good value for shot, otherwise the ball will likely stop in the upslope.

The approach is tricky. Unless you have hit a very good drive, it is probably best to lay-up down the right hand side and leave yourself a full shot in. As you get closer to the green, you notice that the incline increases and the green runs away from you. Beware the bunker on the left, as it will leave you a very difficult up and down.

Some decent drives were followed by slightly ropey second shots and we were all scrambling to get the ball on the green. I managed to punch a low running shot from just beyond the fairway bunker that just held the green. Two putts for a fairly well made 5 from me was matched by a nett 5 from Jeffers.

Hole 3

If you like a tactically challenging short par 4, then Sunningdale Old is perfect for you. Tom Doak’s seminal book on golf course architecture, The Anatomy of a Golf Course, cites the 3rd hole as a classic example of the heroic school of design. This is where a clear advantage is gained on the approach by making a significant carry off the tee. The risk balances against this with 8 bunkers and a fairway that narrows the closer you get to the green. The green itself is smaller than most on the course and tilts from left to right taking the ball towards the bunkers.

Four different ways to play this hole ended up with a par and 3 bogeys. Chris was short off the tee, I was on the fairway over the first set of bunkers, Jeffers up the right and JB cleared everything to end up beyond the trees on the right. An excellent recovery shot from Chris left him in good shape on the green, which was good as I bladed my approach from 100 yards into the heather beyond above the green. Two putts for par a solid par from Chris to win the hole and extend the lead. 2-up.

Hole 4

The first of the terrific set of short holes follows. The elevated green makes club selection tricky and it is worth taking a moment to work out the level on which the flag is placed. The green slopes severely from back to front and you really do not want a down-hill putt. Bunkers protect the approach to the left and in front of the green and a steep slope (covered in heather) will catch anything that drifts off to the right.

Chris and I both played solid tee shots, but were a club (or perhaps two!) short. Jeffers and JB both missed right and were scrambling. A tricky pin on the top left corner meant that none of us came away with par, but a pair of bogeys were good enough to win the hole for Team Mumby. 3-up.

Hole 5

As you walk up the hill to the 4th, the course opens up to the right. The view is stunning along the extent of the 5th and 6th holes. This is the start of a 6 hole stretch that is amongst the best in golf. It has everything – elevation changes, blind tee shots, winding fairways, a short par 4 with a tiny green, a long par 4 with a huge green and a beautiful par 3.

The ideal approach is from the right side of the fairway and so, understandably, this is well protected. Two bunkers and a pond are all in play for the longer hitter. The safe play is up the left, but that leaves a semi-blind approach to the green over the natural mound just short of the green. This presents an optical challenge as well, making the green appear closer than it is. We will see more of these features later in the form of cross-bunkers.

Sets of bunkers flank the green, but everything is on a level which makes it appear flat. The lack of framing and the mound mean you really have to trust the yardage. There are no visual aids here!

The group was warming up by this stage and four solid tee shots put everyone in play. The approaches left a little to be desired, with only mine finding the green. JB pitched on and two-putted for a nett par. I had my first three-putt of the day and lost the hole. Did I mention that the greens were quick? Back to 2-up.

Hole 6

This hole is simply stunning when the heather is in full bloom. Sadly, we were a little early in the season for that, but it was very pretty nonetheless. There are two forced carries over the heather and so this hole falls into the penal design. The heather acts as a hazard and will punish a poor drive. The fairway is wider the further back you play, so if you want a shorter second shot you will need to be straight.

The approach is well protected, with bunkers short, right and left. The green is on a slight plateau as well, with a run-off long and right. If you are going to miss, long left is better than long right!

JB and I got good drives away. I was particularly pleased with my 3-wood which tracked the centre line of the fairway and left me about 160 yards in. JB had 190 from the right edge of the fairway. He was effectively short-sided, with the pin tucked centre right just above the bunkers. Cue the soft landing hybrid which pitched just beyond the hole and stopped quickly leaving about 10 feet for birdie. I followed him in with a 6-iron that definitely merited a club-twirl (if only I had mastered that) and was remarkably inside JB’s ball. We were, however, both above the hole and there were no birdies here! JB ran his past a bit further than hoped and couldn’t quite make the return. Two putts from me for par to restore the 3 hole advantage.

Hole 7

Hole 7 presents the first of two blind tee shots on the Old Course. The tee shot here is very similar that on the 2nd at Swinley Forest. Once over the ridge everything falls from right to left down to the bottom of the first fairway. The hole then snakes back round to the right and turns to the left and to a raised green.

Again, visually this is stunning. The ideal line for the approach is from the right side of the fairway and so this is protected with a solitary bunker. The safe play is to aim just right of centre with a little draw and let the ball take the slope. The green is tricky with a false front and a ridge running along the middle. For today’s round, the pin sat on the front between the two.

Jeffers had, by now, emerged from the trees on the 6th and returned with a superb drive up the middle. Chris and I were both in play, but some way back. JB didn’t quite get the elevation required to get over the initial ridge. Jeffers went long right with his approach, but played a lovely chip back across the green. I had gone at the flag, but had a club too much and ran through into the left side bunker. Bunker shots had been a bit of a lottery for me lately, but this one worked well as I splashed out onto the downslope and had it not been for the nudge of JB’s ball I might have been even closer. Two putts from both me and Jeffers left the hole halved in bogeys.

Hole 8

The 8th benefitted from Mr Colt’s vision with him moving the original Park green to higher ground. With the green site perched on the side of the hill, it perhaps seems unnecessary to have further protection, but there are four bunkers on each of the diagonals. The tee box is protected from the wind by the trees on one side and the hill on the left, so check the wind before leaving the 7th green.

The green itself rolls from back to front and left to right. We had a pin that was centre right which felt like there was no place to leave yourself an uphill putt.

Chris and I both found the putting surface, but neither of us could capitalise and both 3-putted for bogey. JB and Jeffers chipped on and with two putts each the hole was halved.

Hole 9

Another great short hole where the longer hitter can comfortably go for the green. The risk element is, however, large and the closer you get to the hole the more difficult it is to hold the green. The diagonal cross bunkers, which pinch in at about 200 yards, leave an opening of maybe 15 yards through which to access the green. A further green side bunker provides excellent protection if the pin is on the small area out to the right.

The pin was tucked away on behind the bunker on the top right today. JB, Jeffers and I all missed right and left ourselves no shot. Chris had a better angle coming from the left and duly stuck his second into the middle of the green. Safe, but a long way from the hole. My 50 yard flop shot was nearly perfect, but didn’t have quite enough to clear the bunker. Fortunately, my sand play again worked well and I got up and down for par. Two pars for Team Mumby gave us a solid 4-up lead at the turn.

Hole 10

Another stunning vista fro the top of the hill. This is certainly a hole on which you can open your shoulders with one of the widest fairways on the course. The bunkering is clever with those on the right starting at around 220 yards and on the left at 260 yards. The central bunker is only really there for pros or very long hitters and comes in around 310 yards.

There is a ridge that runs across the fairway at about 200 yards, which means that if you play for position off the tee you need to be aware that you might be pitching into an upslope. The approach then takes you up between more bunkers as the fairway narrows. If you can avoid the heather and the bunkers, you are then faced with the largest green on the course. There are no easy two-putts here. At least it is next to the fine half-way hut and a sausage bap and a coffee (or something stronger) awaits.

Three in play off the tee here. I feathered my approach out to the right and caught the bunker. Chris went up the left and JB headed off to the right. I escaped from the sand again and two putts later had won the hole with a 5.

Hole 11

The second blind shot. There is often a marshal who will stand on the ridge offering both guidance on when it is safe to play and a suggested line. This is a difficult tee shot, as it is requires you to play strategically without being able to see where you are going. You really need to pick the right line and then trust the shot.

The ideal line here is actually to play up the left side with some fade. The guide post on the top of the ridge is therefore a little bit deceptive. Anything going over that or to the right will be caught by the heather and the bunkers. It is really there if you want to go for the green.

Once over the ridge, the best miss is short of the green. Anything long will end up in the collection area over the back from which it is difficult to escape. The green is small and so again you need to leave yourself a yardage that allows you a full shot. You need to get the ball high and land it softly.

None of us played this particularly well. Chris and JB went left, Chris with not quite enough club to clear the heather and JB with too much so ended in the bunker. I caught the bunker on the right off the fairway and Jeffers was further right in the heather. I took an unusual route going further to the right and then across the drainage channel (just holding the green with my chip). After a bit of an untidy scramble from us all, my bogey came out on top and gave us another win. 6-up.

Hole 12

Possibly my favourite hole on the course. This is both visually stunning and intimidating. It is another hole which benefitted from Colt’s vision, moving the green from further to the right to the high plateau on which it now sits. The cross-bunkers both act as a hazard and make it difficult to judge the distance.

The tee shot needs to be threaded through the two bunkers, as the fairway is slightly set on an angle. This forces the player towards the right side and will leave a longer approach. If you are playing from the left, you will need to contend with the bunkers and the false front of the green. You are better to try and get onto the level with the hole and so play long and left. Anything long right will leave a very difficult pitch to the raised green.

Three drives up the right side, pushed across by the tee box, and one up the left. Jeffers played the hole well and came away with a net bogey. I missed right with my approach and chipped on to leave myself a long putt. Fortunately, Chris had escaped from the heather on the left, chipped on and saved the hole with a net bogey.

Hole 13

The 13th is the easiest of the par 3s. You play from an elevated tee box to a well proportioned green. There are fewer hazards to contend with here and whilst there are run-off and collection areas around the green, as long as you avoid the front bunker, you should have a good chance of saving par.

The green is a little tricky, as it slopes away from the front to back, but as long as you get reasonable height on the ball you should able to hold it. The only other thing to consider is the wind, as the green is open and more susceptible to cross-winds and gusts.

At 6-up with 6 to play the victory was within grasp. This was made easier when both JB and Jeffers missing the green. I found the middle of the green over the bunker and Chris was just off to the left. A pair of pars and the match was sewn up 7&5.

Hole 14

The sole par 5 on the back 9 follows. Much like the opening hole, it is not a long par 5, but there is rather more to contend with on this than on the 1st. The fairway meanders from left to right and then back again, meaning that the tee shot is often played on the angle. There is another forced carry over the heather and the angle brings the right side bunker into play.

From there, diagonal centre-line bunkering is used to divide the two parts of the fairway. These are really only in play if you have missed the fairway off the tee, but they also provide a psychological barrier that might lead to a loss of concentration on the second shot. The green is large, with a side bunker providing protection to the left.

The main game done, we now turned to the “beer match”. JB, Chris and I found the fairway off the tee. Jeffers went left. JB and I both hit good approaches and were safely on the green in regulation. A couple of putts and the hole was halved in par 5s.

Hole 15

After having a medium length uphill par 3, short uphill par 3 and short down hill par 3 … now time for a long flat par 3! This is a monster of a hole and often seems to play into the wind. At 245 yards from the tips and 215 from the visitor tees, you need a lot of club and a lot of accuracy.

There is a narrow opening which leads into the green between two “guard” bunkers that are there to catch anything short. There are then two further bunkers protecting the left side. Oh, and don’t forget the huge swathes of heather everywhere else!

Chris didn’t really have the club for this, and so stuck with the 4-iron off the tee approach. Worked well, as he found the fairway short of the bunkers and could run his approach onto the green. JB went left and pitched on. Jeffers and I found the bunker on the right. This time, my sand skills disappeared and it took two goes to escape. Jeffers fared rather better and found the middle of the green. Bogey 4s for the other three left the beer match all square.

Hole 16

Another visually appealing par 4. This time it is the ring of bunkers and raised green that provide the interest. There are seemingly bunkers everywhere, with two on the left and two on the right to catch an errant drive. Then a ring of 8 bunkers ahead and below the green, with a further solitary bunker just off the left edge of the putting surface.

Whichever way you look at it, the 16th kicks off a difficult closing stretch with each of the par 3s measuring 400+ yards. Nothing but a good drive down the middle will allow you to go for this green with anything other than a long iron or fairway wood. If you end up in the bunkers, they are deceptively deep and difficult to escape. The ring of protective bunkers come into play if you try to do more than just splash out.

I found the bunkers and for the second hole in a row I was struggling. Jonny found the bunker too, but had more success escaping. Chris and Jeffers meanwhile played the hole pretty well. On in three and two putts a piece. Jeffers had a net par which meant we were behind for the first time on the day.

Hole 17

The closing two holes bring the play back to the clubhouse through the broad open valley. It is unusual that the area in front of the clubhouse should be big enough to contain three holes from the Old Course and two from the New Course.

The tee shot plays down hill to a fairway which narrows just as it starts to move from left to right. The ideal play requires hugging the right side of the fairway where bunkers lurk if you are too aggressive. Too far left and your approach will be blocked out by the copse that is almost directly in front of the tee box. More cross-bunkers and a complex of four surrounding the green await an errant approach.

The green slopes strongly from left to right and feeds towards the two deep bunkers on the right edge.

JB played this particularly well, lashing one of his best tee shots of the day into the perfect spot just left of the second bunker. Jeffers and I both went a bit too far left and ended up having to go either over or around the trees. I opted for a lay-up to the right. Jeffers tried to go over but didn’t quite get the elevation. Anyway, JB played the hole well, was on in 3 and had a comfortable two putts to close out the beer match.

Hole 18

The 18th is deceptively tricky. It is uphill all the way to the clubhouse and so plays a little longer than its stated yardage. It doesn’t look as long as the card says, however, so it is always a bit difficult to trust the yardage! The fairway bunker on the right is about 210 yards to clear. The ideal line is left of centre, which will allow the approach to be played straight up the green rather than over the bunkers. The cross bunkers are again in play for anyone needing to lay-up – being about 100 yards out from the green.

The green itself is well-protected with bunkers left and right. It again runs from left to right and so aiming at the left side is key if you are going to run the ball on.

Having played 15-17 fairly poorly, I was keen to finish well and pleasingly my driver obliged. Chris was also on the short grass, but a reasonable distance back, with Jonny left and Jeffers off to the right. I probably tried to hit my 5-iron from 170 yards a little harder to account for the incline and the result was one off the bottom groove. It was at least on target, but at that trajectory there was no chance of holding the green. It scuttled through to the back and left me a chip back across the green. Fortunately, my short game held up and the ball nestled up near to the hole for a closing par.