Like all courses that host major events, the 18th green at Wentworth has been often televised and is familiar to golfing fans all over the world. Not any more! Not only are the strategically placed bunkers still there, but a water feature has added to the drama of the final hole. Owner, Richard Caring, impressed by such an element on most other major courses, decided that this was lacking at Wentworth. Although his course manager, Chris Kennedy, and the course architect, Ernie Els, were dubious that it was a good idea for this particular course, they gave it a go. The result is a man-made ‘burn’ running through a group of pot bunkers in front of the green and resulting in a far more testing finish. This is just the most striking of a number of changes to the course, especially the last five holes, and any golfer who thinks he knows his way around will have to think again!
By Yvonne Shaw. Yvonne has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is a member of our admin team.
Royal Birkdale Golf Club: No. 12, par 3, 183 yards.
Royal Birkdale is one of the best courses on the planet and is consistently ranked in the top 30 courses in the world. It has hosted the Open Championship on 7 occasions, most recently in 2008 when Padraig Harrington was victorious.
During a recent familiarization visit to England’s Golf Coast (North West England), my colleague and I were very kindly given courtesy of the course by the club committee. Even though we were a week into December, the course was still playable and the greens, though slow, were very true. Royal Birkdale have winter tees which come into play between the end of September and the beginning of April – with the course measuring around 6,200 yards with these in play. This was more than enough golf course to keep my colleague and I occupied during our round as there was also a steady 25mph wind to contend with. One thing I noticed about the course was the amount of subtle breaks on the greens; this coupled with the wind made putting very difficult. I don’t claim to be a good putter, but putting on true greens in the middle of December was a joy and I have to say I holed my fair share of putts en-route to a 4 and 2 victory. Sorry Keith.
I found the course to be quite demanding from the tees, not from a distance point of view, but from an accuracy perspective. Onus is definitely placed on precise tee-shots to allow for easier approach shots to the heavily guarded greens. Some of which don’t have many bunkers but have defense in the form of severe run-offs. I also suspect that it would be a rarity to play the course on a calm day which adds to the importance of accuracy. Even from the softer winter tees we were given the opportunity to appreciate the course as most of the tees are positioned in line with the summer tees. We also took the chance to have a look at some of the championship tees which were pretty daunting to say the least.
My favorite hole on the course has to be the par 5 17th. This is the hole where Harrington hit a 5 wood to about 5 feet in the Open Championship last year, undoubtedly one of the best approach shots to a par 5 I have ever seen in my life. Unfortunately I couldn’t emulate Harrington’s magic and had to make do with a bogey 6, but this didn’t take away from the fact that the hole is an absolute cracker.
A must play course for anyone staying in the North West of England. This is usually number 1 on the list of courses but there are many other great courses in the area and a week long stay can be filled with 7 or 8 top class links courses.
By Gary Sheppard. Gary has worked for PerryGolf for over 3 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
If you’re thinking of planning your next golf vacation to sunny Spain; here’s a substantiation of why we think it would greatly add to your experience to stop off at Finca Cortesin.
Located in the centre of the Costa del Sol (between Marbella and Sotogrande) you’ll find the Finca Cortesin community; untouched and unaffected by real estate developments and surrounded only by beautiful greenery.
Finca Cortesin Golf Course
Finca Cortesin is hosting next year’s Volvo World Match Play Championship – which was previously held at Wentworth Club.
Another exciting venture for the golf club was in recently winning the award in the category of ‘best golf club’ in the Marbella awards ceremony (sponsored by Essential magazine). The awards are accredited based on a major internet survey in which customers and residents in the Costa del Sol can select and vote for their top companies. This is an award that is very close to their hearts as it is voted for by the clients.
For further information on vacationing in Spain, check out PerryGolf’s website.
Spent the day in St. Andrews yesterday, and while Scotland has seen lots of snow and sub-zero temperatures, I’m pleased to say the St. Andrews Links Trust are constantly reviewing the conditions on the Old Course – mindful of the British Open being played there in July this year. Since Sunday there has been enough thaw to melt most of the snow, however the ice is the biggest worry as it can be so damaging to the grass. Apparently the Links have been taking advice from experts worldwide to ensure they treat the ice to have it thaw as quickly as possible. You can watch the progress of winter on the live webcam .
Players will be using mats until the 1st of April (again to preserve the course) then it will close for all play on 19th June. It is always very exciting to have the Open at St Andrews, nothing can beat the atmosphere there. Remember Jack Nicklaus in 2005? His farewell picture on the Swilken Bridge was something special. The Royal Bank of Scotland produced a commemorative £5 note for the occasion, with limited issue; I still have a wee stack of them – every Nicklaus fan should have one!
By Anne Filshie. Anne is the Group Director of Operations for PerryGolf.
If anyone thinks that the traditional country club is not an endangered species please read this article . Possibly this club made a series of poor decisions to get themeselves into this predicament and it may be in area that is generally declining, but the simple fact of the matter is that private country clubs must adapt to the realities of the “new normal”.
A small number of exclusive, high end clubs are somewhat immune to the economic challenges but the vast majority of clubs, at most price points have been forced to make tough decisions. Some have made better decisions than others, and the simple fact is that none of the decisions are easy or obvious.
The challenges and requirement to generate revenue and reduce expenses cut at the very heart of the “private country club experience”; do you alter your dress code to widen your appeal, how about outside play, reduce guest fees, do you close your dinner room or other money losing amenities? what about staffing levels…locker room attendants?..the list and choices are endless. The problem becomes all the more compounding because a small drop in membership levels has substantial impact on the bottom line from lost dues and ancillary revenue. Time is generally not on the side of the club as the management struggles to make good decisions.
We are entering a period of time where a number of quality golf facilities will be sold at deeply discounted prices as compared to their replacement cost, which does not bode well from new golf course construction. The economy is changing and so is golf along with many other facets of life.
About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him onGoogle+
