Playing the English Top 100

[El Gringo]

On 3/14/2022 at 2:04 PM, Divot License said:

So for ease of reference I've transposed the list from Top100 golf courses as it stands in March 2022.

 

1  - Royal St George's
2  - Sunningdale (Old)
3  - Royal Birkdale
4  - Sunningdale (New)
5  - Swinley Forest
6  - Royal Lytham & St Annes
7  - Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
8  - St George's Hill (Red & Blue)
9  - Ganton
10 - St Enodoc (Church)
11 - West Sussex
12 - Royal Cinque Ports
13 - Wentworth (West)
14 - Walton Heath (Old)
15 - Alwoodley
16 - Royal Liverpool
17 - Royal West Norfolk
18 - Notts (Hollinwell)
19 - Formby
20 - Silloth on Solway
21 - Saunton (East)
22 - The Berkshire (Red)
23 - Hillside
24 - Rye (Old)
25 - Queenwood
26 - Burnham & Berrow (Championship)
27 - Woking
28 - Hunstanton
29 - Hankley Common
30 - Broadstone
31 - Worplesdon
32 - Liphook
33 - West Hill
34 - Hindhead
35 - Wentworth (East)
36 - The Berkshire (Blue)
37 - Walton Heath (New)
38 - Southport & Ainsdale
39 - Royal Ashdown Forest (Old)
40 - Delamere Forest
41 - West Lancashire
42 - JCB
43 - Woburn (Marquess)
44 - Parkstone
45 - Prince's (Shore & Dunes)
46 - Little Aston
47 - Remedy Oak
48 - Ipswich (Purdis Heath)
49 - Woburn (Duke's)
50 - Aldeburgh (Championship)
51 - Ferndown (Old)
52 - Bearwood Lakes
53 - Moortown
54 - New Zealand
55 - Beau Desert
56 - Sherwood Forest
57 - Coombe Hill
58 - The Addington
59 - Lindrick
60 - Royal North Devon
61 - Saunton (West)
62 - Perranporth
63 - Wisley (Church & Garden)
64 - Wallasey
65 - Hayling
66 - Trevose (Championship)
67 - Littlestone (Championship)
68 - Seaton Carew (Old)
69 - Stoneham
70 - St Mellion (Nicklaus)
71 - Blackmoor
72 - East Devon
73 - Stoke Park (Colt & Alison)
74 - Seacroft
75 - Huntercombe
76 - The Belfry (Brabazon)
77 - Isle of Purbeck (Purbeck)
78 - The Grove
79 - Sheringham
80 - Camberley Heath
81 - North Hants
82 - Royal Wimbledon
83 - Piltdown
84 - Hadley Wood
85 - Ashridge
86 - Crowborough Beacon
87 - Goswick
88 - Blackwell
89 - Knole Park
90 - Woodbridge (Heath)
91 - Thorndon Park
92 - Tandridge
93 - Northamptonshire County
94 - Royal Worlington & Newmarket
95 - Beaconsfield
96 - Woburn (Duchess)
97 - Fairhaven
98 - Sandiway
99 - Prince’s (Himalayas)
100 - Centurion Club

So they are rating the 9 hole Princes Hims as a separate course, but not the other two nines? Very strange given the different combos available. That said, I always thought it was better to have an 18 hole and a 9 hole. I don’t buy the stand alone nines concept.

[Frank_Kasule]

4 hours ago, Chanceman said:

Frank, how did this trip go? 

Ah sorry I never posted! 

It was fantastic, only downside was that the weather on Saturday was horrendous in the afternoon so we ended up playing Seascale on Friday and Saturday morning which everyone was thrilled about anyway. 

Appleby was an interesting experience playing with sheep all around, generally I enjoyed it but the par 3 15th 'bell' was just spectacular. Blind uphill hole played alongside a beautiful stream which you have to cross. The green itself is sunk between two big steep walls of earth on the front and back. I made a par from a 6 iron tee shot which I was pleased with, I was the only one in our group to hit the green. It was odd as I felt this hole had a completely different character to the rest of the course. I did thoroughly enjoy the experience. 

With all due respect to Appleby, Seascale was a noticeable step up. The weather on Friday was unbelievably good and unexpectedly despite a slow start so was my golf! (since typing this I've gone through my scorecard on England Golf and realised it wasn't so amazing after all! I've kept it in though to show the power of rose tinted glasses!) 

The conditioning of the course was fantastic with that lovely links bouncy turf and smooth true greens. The rough was penal, we lost a few balls in our group which is fair enough. 

My favourite holes were the 9th which was a tricky par 4 into the wind to a landing area before playing blind down over dunes to a green penned in by a stream. I was absolutely thrilled to play two great shots and make a very satisfying par. I played the next three holes badly and then thoroughly enjoyed holes 13 to 17 played through the seaside dunes. We played these holes into the wind and it was very tough. I ended up winning the day in our group with 30 points but was definitely one of those what could have been rounds. 

Afterwards we sat in the clubhouse watching the Ryder Cup and eating some genuinely fantastic food. 

Looking at the weather forecast we decided to not play Silloth on Solway as we had a late afternoon tee slot and t was due to rain from 2pm onwards. Luckily we got a morning slot at Seascale and all of us were pleased to have another crack at it. 

Sadly I made the most of it the night before and that played its part on my front 9, but I was happy to have a good back 9 to close on winning the trip with two monster wind assisted drives on the last two holes. On the 18th I ended up chipping back from past the green on the left up onto the putting surface. Was amazing to play two days back to back with different wind on both days. Was a dream ending spending the rest of the day cosy in the clubhouse with fantastic food watching the Ryder Cup. 

We enjoyed it so much that we will be back next year and definitely playing Silloth as well this time. Would highly recommend a trip up to that part of England. 

[Oh Hi Carl]

I have a request from the US for anyone who plays at Worcestershire GC in Malvern.  I used to play there many years ago with family, and it has sentimental value to me.  If you would buy two ball marers and send them by mail to me in the US, I would pay you for the markers, the postage and your time and effort.  Happy to pay by Paypal or Venmo.  Please DM me if you can help.  Many thanks.  

[El Gringo]

2 hours ago, Oh Hi Carl said:

I have a request from the US for anyone who plays at Worcestershire GC in Malvern.  I used to play there many years ago with family, and it has sentimental value to me.  If you would buy two ball marers and send them by mail to me in the US, I would pay you for the markers, the postage and your time and effort.  Happy to pay by Paypal or Venmo.  Please DM me if you can help.  Many thanks.  

I expect to play Boughton Park at some point this year after the rain stops. Happy to help out, but it won’t be soon.

[Oh Hi Carl]

2 hours ago, El Gringo said:

I expect to play Boughton Park at some point this year after the rain stops. Happy to help out, but it won’t be soon.

Many thanks!